Between Law and Heart - The 100 Fanfiction

Lily had run, followed by Bellamy, Murphy and Wells, to find Clarke and Finn standing next to a pond. Their clothes were wet, but they seemed unharmed. But as Lily was observing them, she noticed Clarke holding something.

"Are those Jasper's?" she asked, making her way to the two of them. But when she was close enough, her heart sank at the sight of a rock stained with blood. Clarke was pale, even if she was trying to stay resolute, while Finn was kneeling down, studying the blood.

"Was he here?" Wells asked, stopping next to Lily. She didn't need to hear Clarke's answer; her eyes were fixed on all that blood. Was it possible that Jasper was still alive? Was he suffering much? Lily felt her breath grow shorter, but she did her best to stay focused as she noticed Finn getting up, his gaze fixed on the ground.

"Finn?" Clarke asked, starting to follow the boy.

"They brought him this way," he answered, taking short and studied steps.

"How does he know?" she heard Murphy say. He wasn't asking anyone in particular, but she had heard him since he was standing right behind her. Lily was wondering the same thing, though. But there was no time to lose—they didn't know where to go, but Finn did. So she took another breath to calm her nerves and followed him and Clarke.

Finn kept observing every little spot he passed by, stopping sometimes and kneeling to look closer. Then he stood up and kept walking. From where they had found them, Finn had led them along the side of a small stream. Lily, for a moment, was afraid that it might be deep, since she couldn't swim, but getting closer she realized the water didn't reach above her ankles.

"Hey," Murphy said with an annoyed tone, "How do we know this is the right way?"

Bellamy didn't waste time answering. "We don't," he said. "Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker." Lily shook her head. She could have told him that at least Finn was trying to do something, but she really didn't want to argue at that moment.

"It's called 'cutting sign,'" Wells explained. "Fourth-year Earth Skills. He's good." Lily looked up at Finn, impressed. That was an amazing skill to have learned.

"You want to keep it down, or should I paint a target on your backs?" Finn complained as he kept looking around. Lily bit her lip, observing her surroundings. She couldn't believe she wasn't thinking about the Grounders. If they were getting closer to Jasper, it was likely that someone was watching them.

"Don't be scared, sweetie," Murphy said, walking next to her. "I think he's just overreacting." He didn't seem to believe that Finn had any idea what he was doing. But Lily could do nothing but trust that he was leading them somewhere. She was useless anyway in that moment.

Then suddenly, she saw Finn frowning as he walked closer to a bush, touching the leaves of a broken branch, and then kneeling down, immediately followed by Clarke. Lily moved her head, trying to get a glimpse of what they were looking at. But when she saw them look at each other with worried expressions, she knew he was leading them the right way.

"See?" she heard Bellamy say. "You're invisible." Those words made her frown as she turned to see that he was speaking to Wells.

What is he doing now? she thought with a glare. Why did he have to try and manipulate everyone? What was his purpose?

As she was observing them, though, Bellamy looked in her direction, catching her staring. Lily didn't turn away; she was getting fed up with his attitude. But as they were glancing at each other, they heard a loud moan cut through the air. Lily immediately turned, as did everyone. It was an awful sound, full of sorrow and pain, and what was worse was that the voice sounded familiar.

"What the hell was that?" Murphy spoke, breaking the silence between them.

"Now would be a good time to take out that gun," Clarke said with urgency. Lily saw Bellamy walking forward, moving his hand so that he could hold his gun. There was no turning back now. They had found Jasper—but they were in a very dangerous situation. They had to make it quick, and finally all of them seemed to share her same thoughts, as they followed Finn into the woods. He followed the painful sounds Jasper was making, all the while looking down to make sure he was following the right tracks.

He is alive, Lily kept thinking as she ran between Wells and Bellamy. She wanted to focus only on Jasper—on finding him fast and bringing him back to the dropship. She didn't want to think about anything else. She couldn't, or she would panic.

They followed Finn through a path in the woods until he led them into a clearing, and what she saw made Lily gasp in fear. In the middle of that glade there was a huge tree with no leaves. There were many spears around it and, tied up against the pale trunk, Jasper. His hands were bound over his head, he wasn't wearing a shirt, and from where she stood Lily could see the wound on his chest.

He should be bleeding a lot more, she thought, as Clarke moved first to run towards the tree.

"Jasper!" she called, but he didn't answer. Lily followed behind Murphy, her eyes fixed on Jasper's frame. He was breathing and moaning, but he didn't seem conscious.

"What the hell is this?" Bellamy said just behind Clarke. Then, suddenly, the ground opened under her, swallowing her down. Lily gasped as a hand held her back by the elbow, but her eyes were fixed on Bellamy kneeling on the ground.

Did he catch Clarke?

"Clarke!" Finn yelled, running toward Bellamy, followed by Wells close behind. Then the hand around her elbow let her go, and Murphy rushed forward, kneeling to help Bellamy and the others. Lily felt her heart hammering in her chest as she dashed to follow him. When she arrived at Bellamy, her arms shot to grab him by the waist, helping Wells do the same, while Finn and Murphy grabbed Clarke's arms as well.

"Pull her up, pull her up!" Finn was shouting as they all started to pull with all their strength. All together, they managed to pull Clarke up, but even if it took them only a few seconds, for Lily it felt like an endless moment. The sound of her own heart was loud in her ears, and once she saw Clarke safe on the ground, Lily let go of Bellamy with a relieved breath.

"You okay?" Finn was asking Clarke as he helped her to her feet. Lily looked down at the hole in the ground, and she let out a gasp when she noticed the bottom filled with spears. Clarke would have died for sure if Bellamy hadn't caught her. Lily found herself looking up at Bellamy, who was taking deep breaths as well.

"We need to get him down," Clarke said, not wasting time, even though she had almost died.

"I'll climb up there," Finn said, "and cut the vines." Wells was ready to follow him, but Finn stopped him.

"No, stay with Clarke," he said, before glaring toward Bellamy. "And watch him." Those words made Lily frown as she looked from Finn to Bellamy. She knew he wasn't to be trusted, but he had saved Clarke—he could have easily let her fall without even trying to help. And anyhow, why would Bellamy want Clarke dead?

Then Finn looked at Murphy. "You, let's go." Lily turned to look at the boy, who shared a look with Bellamy. Bellamy gave him a nod, and in the end, he obliged silently.

"Lily, have you seen?" Clarke asked her, catching her attention. "There is a poultice on his wound." Now that she was closer, Lily could see it better. It was right above where he had been hit, and it was made with herbs. She was too far to know what kind, but she didn't need to. He wasn't bleeding, and he was still alive.

"A medication," she said, her eyes on Jasper, as she stepped closer to Clarke.

"Why would they save his life just to string him up as live bait?" Wells asked from behind them. Lily shook her head.

"I don't know," she said with a frown and a slight shake of her head. "They could've saved any trouble by leaving him for dead."

"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner to be breathing," Bellamy said from behind Lily, who looked up at him. He was observing the trap, and it didn't seem like a wrong guess. She had read on the Ark that many animals preferred to hunt living prey, because they soon lost interest in a dead one.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch is us," Finn said, but Lily wasn't too sure about it.

"This is their home," she said, with a shake of her head. "We are harmless. If they wanted to catch us, they would've followed you back to the dropship and attacked us." Her words worried the group, and she looked first at Clarke, then at Bellamy. He surely was already thinking about his sister's safety—like he always did.

"Whatever it is, let's make it quick," Murphy said, starting to climb up the tree. "I don't like it here."

The four of them kept their eyes fixed on Finn and Murphy as they climbed to reach Jasper. The two of them were doing their best to cut him loose, when a strange sound made them all turn. 

"What the hell was that?" Murphy asked, looking behind his shoulder. Lily felt her body freeze, they were not alone.

"Grounders?" Bellamy asked, his confident mask falling for the first time since she had met him. But they didn't have to wait long before a huge feline appeared in the clear. It was dark, with hungry eyes, and he spotted them immediately.

"Oh my god," Lily whispered as she saw the beast's eyes fixed on them. A cry left her lips when it started to run in their direction.

"Bellamy!" she called for him as she noticed the feline charging towards him.

"The gun!" Clarke said, her voice too laced with panic. Bellamy moved his hand to his waist to take the weapon, and Lily's blood froze when she noticed that it was not there. But when he looked up, Bellamy's eyes fixed on something behind Lily and Clarke, and when she turned Lily saw that Wells was holding the gun in his hand, starting to shoot at the beast. 

Lily covered her ears with the first bullet, but she forced herself to open them as quickly as she could. It seemed that Wells had been able to hit its side, but the animal didn't stop. It got back on his feet hiding in the tall grass. 

Wells was still holding the gun as he put himself before Clarke. Lily was closer to Bellamy, and not seeing the feline, she moved forward taking his arm to pull him back.

"Stay back," Bellamy said, pushing her back slightly. 

Lily felt her body tense with every rustle in the tall grass, each sound sending a jolt through her. Her fingers, slick with sweat, clenched the back of Bellamy's jacket as she moved with him, eyes scanning the clearing, heart pounding.

Then a sudden roar tore through the air. She turned just in time to see the beast leaping straight at them. Instinct took over—she raised her arms in front of her face in a useless attempt to shield herself.

Mom...

The crack of gunfire split the air. Lily flinched, breath caught in her throat—then forced her eyes open. The animal lay motionless in front of them, its body collapsed mid-pounce.

Wells stood behind it, the gun still smoking in his hands.

"Now she sees you," Bellamy muttered, glancing toward Wells.

But Lily wasn't listening. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she dropped to the ground, barely catching herself on her hands. Her shoulders shook as the weight of what had almost happened settled in. A hot sting filled her eyes, not quite tears—but close enough. She had truly believed that was her last moment. That she wouldn't make it back. That she'd die right there, in a forest she had never imagined setting foot in.

"Lily." Clarke's voice came gently, drawing her out of the fog. She turned to see the other girl kneeling beside her, concern etched across her face. "Are you alright?"

Lily tried to speak, but her breath was uneven, her throat tight. She didn't want to fall apart—not now. Not in front of everyone. She wasn't the kind of person who could afford to be a burden.

"I'm okay," she whispered, nodding quickly. "I'm okay."

Clarke rested a hand on her shoulder, grounding her. The touch was brief, but Lily welcomed it with a silent gratitude.

A moment later, Finn's voice called out from above, pulling their attention to the tree. He and Murphy had finally managed to cut Jasper loose, and the boy's limp body was now being lowered carefully toward the ground.

Wells moved without hesitation to help, rushing forward to steady Jasper's descent. Lily followed him with her gaze—but then stopped when a hand appeared in her line of sight.

Bellamy.

He didn't speak. Just looked at her, offering his hand with the same steadiness he had shown in the chaos.

Lily blinked once, then reached up and took it. He gripped her, helping her up on her feet. As she stood, their eyes met for a moment. Lily was about to thank him, when he let her go, turning his back to her and stepping near the feline on the ground.

She observed him quietly; she really could not understand him. He could be the worst of assholes, but then he would care about his sister, save Clarke's life, and protect Lily. Who was Bellamy, really?

But then she turned to see what was happening to Jasper. She saw that they were lowering him to the ground. Lily was quick to move closer to take a better look at his wound.

It was still raw, but she had been right—it wasn't bleeding anymore. The Grounders had smeared a thick, greenish paste over it. It clung to his skin in streaks, some of it dried, some still wet.

She crouched, frowning. The texture wasn't uniform. There were fibrous strands—leaves, maybe—mixed with darker grit, something like crushed bark or… was that ash? She wasn't sure.

Whatever it was, it worked for now, she thought. But she wasn't sure how long it would help. At some point, they would have to change it, but she didn't know when.

On the Ark, they'd been taught to use sterile dressings, synthetic gels. This was the opposite of sterile.

"You think you can replicate it?" Clarke asked behind her, quietly.

Lily didn't answer right away. She reached out, gently picking up a small flake of dried paste that had fallen onto the grass, glancing up at Jasper to be sure she hadn't hurt him—but he was passed out.

"I don't know," she said, turning her attention back to the poultice in her hand. "But I can try."