[edited 8 January 2017]

•••

out across Raine's forehead, but she didn't notice. She was too busy struggling against the onslaught of tears rushing her way. She let out a growl, shaking her head and raising her gun. She wasn't going to run after him this time, no. She was going to stay and practice, because at the end of the day she wanted to protect her friends back at camp.

Raine moved her gun into the position Bellamy had showed her earlier, composing herself. She breathed in deeply, preparing herself to pull the trigger. She watched in confusion at the X on the flag melted, sliding off of the material and dripping onto the floor. She stumbled backwards, her foot catching on something and she went sprawling towards the floor.

The gun has vanished from her hands before she crashed, and she cracked her head against the ground. She let out a groan, her eyes widening when she saw where she was. She was back on the Ark, being thrown roughly into a cell. Raine watched as the two guards pulled the door to her cell shut, watching her momentarily before disappearing.

She scrambled to her feet, banging on the door, "Hey! Get me out of here! I'm supposed to be on the ground! I'm supposed to be on Earth!"

The was a high pitched giggle behind her, and when she spun around she saw a little girl sitting on the bed, holding a shiny red apple in her hands. Raine's mouth fell open as she spotted the apple, and she pressed herself against the door.

"What are you doing here?" Raine asked, her voice shaky.

The girl giggled again, raising the apple to her mouth. Raine felt the urge to smack it out of her hands, but stayed where she was. The girl chewed the apple, smiling like a doll. Raine began to mutter herself, bringing her hands up to her hair, "No, no, no, no."

"Hey, baby."

She whipped her head to her right, spotting her mother standing right in front of her. Her mother looked exactly like she remembered; chocolate brown hair, beautiful blue eyes. Her pink lips were pulled upwards into a smile, and she reached out for Raine.

"Get away from me!" Raine screamed violently, reaching for her staff. When it wasn't there, she crossed the room to escape her mother's arms.

"But I'm your mother."

"No, you're not!" Raine cried, her vision becoming blurry. "Help me! Somebody!"

Her mother let out a chuckle, cooing, "Aw, no-one's coming for you. You're a criminal, remember? You stole apples, naughty girl."

"That – that was you! You stole them! You framed me!" Raine let out a sob as she slid down the wall into a crouching position.

The little girl hummed, having finished the apple, "That was delicious! Lucky I stole a second one, do you want it?"

She held the apple out to Raine, nodding happily, and Raine fought the vomit crawling up her throat. She snatched the apple, throwing it across the room. It hit the wall, smashing against the metal, and skin and flesh and juice flew everywhere.

The girl gasped, "You ruined my apple! You deserve to be floated."

Her mother hushed the young girl, taking a seat next to her, "Now, now Raine. That's not nice."

Raine let out a sob, tears flowing freely down her face. She shook her head, willing this to be a nightmare and that she would wake up, back with Bellamy and the guns and the supplies depo.

Her mother laughed mockingly, "Oh, he's not here."

Raine looked at her in horror, her gut twisting and clenching viciously. "What did you just say?"

"He's dead, Raine. He was caught and they floated him right away." Her mother waved a hand nonchalantly, "Good riddance I say. No room on this ship for murderers."

"He's not a murderer!"

"Too bad. You snooze you lose, I suppose."

"You didn't lose." Raine snapped, "You won. I was locked up; you were free. It's all your fault!"

Her mother reached down and promptly slapped her, Raine's head snapping sideways. She felt the wound on her tongue reopen and blood filled her mouth. She wiped her mouth shakily, shooting a glare at her mother.

"Oops, my bad." Her mother sneered.

Raine sighed, looking at the blood on her hand. There was one question that she had been dying to ask ever since she had been arrested. She never thought that she'd be able to ask it, but now she saw her opportunity. "Why did you do it? Why did you frame me?"

Her mother shrugged, "Honestly, I thought I could look after you by myself, even though I was young. When your father died, however, it proved to be too difficult. Ugh, your father was a useless man. He and Bellamy were more alike than you'll know."

"Shut up about Bellamy!" Raine screamed in fury. "Don't talk about him like he's dead!"

Her mother let out a shocked laugh, "Oh my god. You love the poor boy. How does it feel, to not be loved back?"

Raine sniffed, looking away. "I don't love him."

"I'm your mother, I can tell when you're lying, Raine."

"I don't love him! And you're not my mother!" Raine repeated, stronger than before.

Her mother shrugged coyly, "You're just scared that he'll realise you're not as strong as he thinks you are, and then he'll leave. After all, who would want to love you? You're a sad, little girl who's clinging to a lost soul like he's the life jacket you so desperately want to wear."

Raine was silent now. Her mother's words invaded her senses, wrapping themselves around her and pulling her down, down, down into a black abyss. She couldn't be bothered to fight back.

Her mother was speaking the truth; Raine had begun to feel something over the past few weeks, but she had been pushing it down. She refused to admit that she liked Bellamy, especially after what her own mother had done to her. What if Bellamy grew tired of her and threw her aside? What if he found another Roma? Raine didn't think she would be able to take it.

Her mother suddenly let out a gasp, like she had forgotten something. She turned to little Raine, clasping the little girls' hands tightly, "You want to see something beautiful?"

Little Raine nodded her head vigorously, "Yes, please."

"You too, Raine." Her mother looked at Raine, standing up. "It's almost time."

"Time for what?" Raine asked the same time the door to her cell swung open. Several soldiers marched in, and Raine scrambled to her feet, "What's happening?"

Her mother cackled, "You always wanted to go to Earth."

Before Raine could react, she was grabbed roughly and dragged out of her cell. It reminded Raine horribly of when she was being dragged away after being arrested all those years ago. People stopped to watch, and Raine thought she could spot her friends faces amongst the crowds. She thought she spotted Jasper's goggles, but she blinked and they were gone.

Raine suddenly felt like a little girl again, watching in horror as people scrutinized her, some with pitiful glances and others eyeing her with distaste. Something took over her body, and she dug her heels into the ground. She arched her back and twisted her wrists, ignoring the searing pain that shot through them.

She let out a blood-curdling scream as a taser connected with her back, sending electricity shooting through her veins. Her fists clenched one last time before opening and she slumped forwards, emotionally and physically drained.

The young Raine giggled behind her, "Happy birthday!"

When Raine lifted her head, she was surprised when she didn't see the drop ship. Instead, she was being held in front of an airlock, and outside she could space. Horror danced in her stomach when she realised what was happening.

She was being floated.

She began to cry as the two guards placed her in the airlock seal, the door sliding shut behind them. Jaha suddenly appeared, looking at her like she was gum on his shoe.

"You have been charged with the crime of stealing from the Ark. As this is a capital crime, and you turn eighteen today, you will face the consequences. Do you have any last words?"

Raine was still slumped in the air lock, and she looked up at her mother. Slowly, she climbed to her feet, eyeing the older woman like a snake. Her mother wore the exact same smirk as the day Raine had been taken; smug and triumphant. Like the cat that got the bird, because at that moment she was the cat and Raine was the little, defenceless bird.

She bit her lip, shaking her head softly. Jaha nodded, satisfied with the answer, and and gave a look to the guard standing at the door. Raine watched as he pulled the lever, and she was wrenched backwards, out of the Ark and into space. She expected it to hurt as the oxygen was ripped from her body, but Raine found herself still able to breath.

She watched the Ark grow smaller and smaller, her mother's smirk still visible in her eyes. It was cold and Raine shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. What was she supposed to do now? Float around for the rest of her life?

Her eyes found a shape, floating up ahead of her, and she squinted, trying to see the object more clearly. It looked like a body; another person who had been floated. Raine took in the dirty jacket and the dark hair, and her eyes widened in horror. She desperately tried to propel herself forwards, trying to reach the person quicker.

"Bellamy." She whimpered, her hands clutching his jacket. His body was stiff, and empty. No life burned in his eyes, which were glazed over. His hair floated around his head, his lips chapped and purple. Raine felt tears burn her eyes, but no tears came out. She had wasted them all on her mother.

She whimpered, "Bellamy! Wake up!"

He was caught and they floated him right away.

Then, another voice cut through her mind, like a sharp knife. It was the last thing she heard before she faded into darkness.

"Crazy bitch."

•••

The first thing Raine did when she woke up was blurt Bellamy's name, like she expected him to be standing nearby. But he wasn't. Her head throbbed painfully and her eyes were itchy from the amount of crying she had done.

"Bellamy..." she said again, struggling to push herself off the floor. Her hand came into contact with something wet, and when she looked she spotted a muddy boot print. At first she thought it was Bellamy's but then she realised that his footprints were going to other way, away from Raine.

Her eyes widened in horror. Someone had been here, someone had knocked her out. She climbed to her feet as fast as she could, her legs wobbly, and reached for a gun. Bellamy had walked outside – he was in danger. He may want to leave but she wasn't going to let him die.

It was raining when she stumbled outside, and she could faintly hear voices above her. She climbed the slope, rain hitting her face and her hands and knees sinking into the mud. When she came to the top of the hill, her heart fell when she spotted Bellamy, lying in the mud with multiple cuts and bruises over his face.

Looming over him was a kid from camp. He was holding a rifle tightly, aiming it at Bellamy's head.

"Nothing personal." He spoke grimly. He pulled the trigger, and Raine fought the scream clawing at her throat. Relief flooded her when the gun clicked, the dud bullet falling into the mud. Bellamy's eyes widened and he reached for something in the dirt, holding it up as if it were a gun. He looked at his empty hand for a few seconds in surprise.

Slowly, Raine raised her gun, walking forwards. She spoke, "Put the gun down."

The boy spun around, aiming at Raine. "Should have stayed down there, Raine. I tried not to kill you, but here you are. And Shumway said no witnesses."

"What is he talking about?" Raine asked, looking to Bellamy.

Bellamy looked exhausted as he propped himself up on his elbows. He muttered, "Shumway set it up. He gave me the gun to shoot the Chancellor."

"Walk away now, and I won't kill you." The boy spoke again, looking at Raine.

"Sorry, no can do." Raine hissed.

"Your choice."

Raine pulled the trigger, her heart stopping when the gun clicked. She looked at Bellamy with wide eyes, before darting to the side. Bullets whizzed past her and she ducked behind a tree, breathing heavily.

Bellamy snapped into action, letting out a grunt as he launched himself at Dax, tackling the boy around the waist. They crashed into the ground, Bellamy repeatedly punching the boy. Dax kicked him backwards, Bellamy falling off of him, and Dax climbed to his feet.

Raine let out a whimper as she struggled to reset her gun. It was jammed, and Raine wasn't strong enough to fix it.

Dax held Bellamy down, punching him twice before reaching for the rifle. Bellamy scrambled for it, trying to grab it first, and Dax punched him again. Dax brought the gun down, pressing it against Bellamy's windpipe, choking the boy.

Raine took a deep breath, running out from the tree. "Leave him alone!"

She raised her gun, prepared the hit him with it, when he rammed his own gun into her stomach. She fell backwards with a grunt, gasping for air. Bellamy took advantage of the distraction, snatching the bullet that had fallen out of Dax's gun and ramming it into the boy's neck. Blood seeped from Dax's mouth as he realised what was happening. He crawled away from Bellamy, dying at Raine's feet. His vacant eyes stared up at Raine, giving her chills.

Bellamy watched with wide eyes, breathing heavily. Raine let out a gasp, trying to suck in air, and pulled herself so she was resting against a tree. Bellamy stumbled over to her, placing his hand on her face. She wheezed, "You're okay."

He dropped his hand, his eyes filling with tears, and he shook his head. "No, I'm not. My mother... if she knew what I had done... who I am. She raised me to be better, to be good."

Raine's heart clenched as she watched Bellamy. He seemed so... broken. "Bellamy," she whispered.

"And all I do is hurt people. I'm a monster." He finished sadly.

Raine shuffled to she was next to him, their bodies touching as she responded, "Hey, you saved my life today. I would be dead now if it wasn't for you. I need you, Bellamy. We all need you. None of us would have survived it wasn't for you. I might seem like a strong person but I'm not. I'm scared – scared to face this shithole without you."

Bellamy looked away, his eyes glassy, and Raine sighed. "If you want forgiveness, fine. I forgive you. But I will never forgive you if you run. You need to come back to camp. You need to face it."

He looked at her, "Like you're facing your mother?"

Raine fell silent. She mumbled, "You're right. I don't want to face my mother. I never want to see her again. All I think about is what I'm going to do when she gets down here."

Bellamy sniffed, "Jaha will kill me when he comes down."

"We'll figure something out. We'll talk to Clarke." She assured him.

He rested his head against the tree, looking to the sky. "Can we figure it out later?"

She nodded, even though he wasn't looking. Bravely, she slipped her hand into his, revelling when he squeezed it briefly. She looked up to the sky, breathing, "Whenever you're ready."

•••

Raine paced outside the tent nervously. Bellamy was currently inside, talking to Jaha. He had seemed tense about doing it, but hadn't said anything. Bellamy had been talking to Jaha for the last half hour, and Raine couldn't help but feel like something was going bad.

After her hallucination – caused by the nuts she had eaten earlier – Raine had decided that she would not be talking to her mother. All of her questions had been answered in that brief, horrible moment, and she wanted nothing to do with the woman ever again. When her mother did arrive on Earth, Raine would make it clear that she wanted nothing to do with her. Besides, she had a new family now.

The flap of the tent flicked open, Bellamy stepping out. Raine stopped pacing, looking at him with hopeful eyes. He smiled at her – a proper, genuine smile, and said, "I've been pardoned."

He looked like the weight he had been previously carrying on his shoulders had been lifted. He didn't seem so... hopeless anymore.

Before Raine could register what she was doing, she had thrown her arms around him, pulling him close. He let out a surprised laugh, but hugged her back. His hands rested on her lower back, and she rested her chin in the crook of his shoulder.

"Told you." She whispered, and goose bumps broke out across his skin.

He smiled to himself, responding, "Thank you, Raine."

When she pulled back, she was smiling, "Are you glad you didn't leave now?"

He rolled his eyes, "Sure. What are you going to do about your mother?"

Raine's smile disappeared, and she looked downwards. "I'm not speaking to her, Bellamy. Ever again. And don't try and convince me otherwise, because it won't work." Raine added quickly.

Surprising her, he nodded his head in understanding. "I get it. It's your choice, Mist, and I respect that. Did you... did you want to talk about your nightmare?"

Her eyes widened, remembering what it was like to find Bellamy, floating outside of the ark. The terror and horror that filled when she clutched at his lifeless body. She shook her head quickly, "I just want to forget about it."

He nodded, "I understand; I feel the same way. But if you ever want to... talk about it, I'm right here."

"Thank you."

•••