Between Law and Heart - The 100 Fanfiction

The hunting party had been walking for about an hour. Lily wasn't paying much attention to the path ahead; she was too focused on scanning the ground for the plants she was searching for. The others in the group clearly didn't appreciate her presence—some thought she was delusional for trying to help Jasper, others acted like they had to protect her, and a few muttered that she'd end up lost just like Trish and Pascal, the couple who had disappeared two days earlier.

Lily didn't even bother to argue. There was no point. They saw the world differently, and she couldn't force them to think like her. She just wanted to find what she needed as quickly as possible and get back to the dropship.

At some point, they reached the river, and Lily almost cried from relief when she spotted seaweed clinging to the rocks at the bottom. Without hesitating, she stepped into the water. It reached only her waist when she stood, but she got completely soaked when she knelt down to collect the plant. Her fingers trembled slightly from the cold as she grabbed hold of the slippery strands.

She noticed Bellamy looking at her like she was insane, one eyebrow raised—but before he could say anything, something rustled in the woods nearby. His attention snapped away. He was sure he'd spotted a boar behind the trees, and immediately urged her to move. Lily obeyed, shivering as she pushed herself upright, Atom had been kind enough to reach a hand to pull her out of the water.

They resumed their march through the forest, but the boar had vanished. Still, Bellamy was certain he'd seen it, and since he was their leader, no one questioned him. They followed him deeper into the woods without complaint.

Lily felt the chilly wind cutting through her soaked clothes, clinging to her skin and chilling her to the bone, but she forced herself to ignore it. She needed to find the remaining plants.

It took her another hour to find a bush of yarrow nestled in a clearing dappled with pale light. Her breath caught. She ran to it, kneeling beside the delicate white blossoms. She had seen some yarrow samples in the labs on the Ark, dried and labeled—but seeing them here, alive and blooming in the open, was something else entirely. It was beautiful.

But she didn't have time to admire it. She had to pick them.

Lily touched the flowers delicately with her fingers, brushing over the petals as if afraid to harm them. They were so white, so impossibly pure. She plucked one and gently crushed it between her fingers, eyes narrowing as she studied it. She knew yarrow was supposed to stop bleeding fast—but could such a candid flower really turn greenish when smashed?

Maybe there's something with it if this is the plant, she thought, a flicker of panic rising. She wished it were just a plant. She didn't have time to figure out what other components the Grounders might have used on Jasper's wound. But as the crushed petals smeared between her fingers, she was disappointed to see no color change at all. Was it not the right one? Or maybe… maybe it was?

With a sigh, Lily began picking the flowers. She couldn't afford to leave anything behind—not after the promise she'd made. And even if it wasn't the plant they'd used, yarrow could still prove useful later.

She gently folded the collected blossoms into one of the strips of cloth she had tied around her thigh—makeshift pouches she'd prepared back at camp. With practiced fingers, she tightened the knot to secure them in place, making sure none would scatter during the walk back.

"Don't stay behind. I won't be coming back to look for you," Bellamy's voice came from behind her, cutting sharply through the silence.

Lily took a breath, steadying herself. "Why am I not surprised?" she muttered, then stood, brushing her wet hair from her face as she secured the flowers deeper into her pocket.

"Because I'm right to think this is a waste of time," he replied, walking past her with his hatchet in hand, eyes scanning the trees ahead. "You know it's true."

Lily let out an annoyed chuckle as she observed his back, "I don't, but believe what you want." 

 "Why are you so stubborn?" He asked, pushing a branch out of his way, "Can't you see that he won't make it?" Lily took a breath as she kept up with him. She had already heard those words and she didn't like to hear them again.

"Until he is alive, he deserves to be helped," she answered, feeling again the same anger that she had felt that day when she had argued with Marcus for a similar topic. "Everybody deserves to be protected." He turned to look at her, his dark eyes were not hard this time. That surprised her. It was the first time that he almost observed her softly, not showing a smirk or ready to shoot back a quick remark. They observed each other for a moment, before they felt a rustling sound. Bellamy stepped forward, in front of Lily, looking at the woods closely. 

Lily felt her blood freeze. She had not seen what it was, and she was afraid that grounders could attack them again. But Bellamy's eyes shone when he looked at something in the distance, Lily let out a shaky breath when she saw a boar. It was just a boar. 

"Stay close," Bellamy whispered to her, before he gestured to Atom and the others to make their way in the direction of the boar. Lily quietly followed, checking if the yarrow and the seaweed were still in her pocket, taking a breath of relief when she closed her fingers around the two selfmade packaging.

Bellamy shushed them, stepping forward. "She's mine," he whispered. But just as he was about to throw his hatchet, a twig snapped behind them.

They all turned at once. Lily felt her heart hammering in her chest at the thought of Grounders. But when Bellamy threw his weapon toward the noise, the blade embedded itself into the trunk of a tree—and standing just beside it was a little girl.

"Oh God," Lily muttered, feeling a surge of both worry and relief at the sight of the child. The sudden movement had startled the pig, which bolted and disappeared into the forest, and the four boys who had been with them immediately ran after it.

Lily took a deep breath, placing a hand over her chest as she walked cautiously toward the girl.

"Are you alright?" she asked gently, and the girl gave a small nod. Lily recognized her—she had seen her back at camp. She had always wondered why someone so young had been locked in the Skybox, but she hadn't yet had the chance to speak to her.

"Who the hell are you?" Bellamy asked, approaching them with narrowed eyes.

"Charlotte," the girl answered, her body still tense and unmoving.

"I almost killed you," he said, stepping forward to retrieve his hatchet from the tree. "Why aren't you back at camp?"

Charlotte looked down, her expression weighed by something heavy. "Well… with that guy who was dying, I just… I couldn't listen anymore."

Lily and Bellamy exchanged a look—silent, conflicted.

"There are Grounders out here," Atom said, his tone firm but not aggressive. "It's too dangerous for a little girl."

"I'm not little," Charlotte replied quickly, almost offended.

Lily watched her closely. She was clearly scared, but doing everything she could to appear brave. She didn't know what to say to comfort her—but Bellamy, as usual, didn't seem to have that problem. His gaze had shifted, softened. There was something almost kind in his eyes as he looked at the girl.

"Okay, then…" he said with a small smile, reaching to his side and pulling out his knife. He handed it to her. "But you can't hunt without a weapon."

Charlotte looked at the blade, then slowly reached out to take it from him.

"Ever killed something before?" Bellamy asked, his voice calm but serious.

Lily kept her eyes on him. He was behaving so differently from the man she had come to know. Until now, she had only ever seen him show softness toward Octavia.

Charlotte shook her head in response, but Bellamy didn't seem to mind. He gave her another smile and added, "Who knows? Maybe you're good at it."

The girl didn't seem convinced, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth nonetheless.

In the meantime, Lily could not take her eyes off of Bellamy. She really couldn't understand him; the more she knew him, the more she got confused. He could be ruthless and violent, unforgiving even. But then he would have these moments of softness and kindness, or times where he would really protect them.

Who was the real Bellamy?

"What?" he asked her, when he noticed Lily staring. She stood quiet for a moment, wondering if she should keep quiet, keep her thoughts to herself. But somehow, she decided against it.

"I can't figure you out," she answered with honesty, once Atom and Charlotte walked ahead of them. Bellamy frowned silently for a moment. He was surprised by her words, and his confusion was genuine, or at least that's what she thought. Then again, the usual mask came back.

"There's nothing to figure out," he answered, his face colder than before. Lily observed his face, and somehow she knew he was lying. She didn't know what he meant, but she knew he was hiding something. More things than she had previously thought. Bellamy was complicated, secretive, and somehow she felt like that part she could understand. And she decided that she didn't want to push the topic. So she looked away and started to follow where Atom and Charlotte had gone.

"I too can't figure you out," he said from behind her, walking not so distant from where Lily was. "I wonder what you are hiding." Lily frowned, and she had to fight herself not to turn. A quick reaction would have made him think that he was right, and she knew that he had some questions about her.

"What should I be hiding?" she said, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"When the real you will come out, for once," his words confused her, and this time she turned with a frown. She had thought that he would have talked about Marcus once again, but she would have never guessed such an affirmation.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, stopping on her tracks, making him do the same. He was looking at her with a smirk, but it was not reaching his eyes—he was looking at her inquisitively, not trusting.

"Your little act," he said, stepping closer. "Playing the good little girl, but there must be a reason why you ended up here."

"You think I'm lying?" she said quietly, holding his gaze. "My morals had nothing to do with the mistakes I've made. What about yours?"

Bellamy didn't answer. For a moment, he just stared at her—really stared. The sharp edge in his expression softened slightly, shifting into something she couldn't quite read. His jaw clenched, and the smirk he'd worn seconds earlier was gone, like it had never been there at all.

Lily felt her breath hitch. There was something in his eyes—conflict, maybe. Or guilt. Or the simple, unsettling fact that, for once, he didn't seem to have a comeback.

But then his gaze flicked upward, toward the trees. And he frowned.

A strange stillness fell over the forest. The wind dropped. The light changed—just slightly. The air seemed… thicker.

"Do you see that?" Atom's voice broke the quiet, cautious now. "There—look."

Lily turned, squinting toward the horizon. A strange yellow fog was beginning to seep between the trees—dense, unnatural, silent. It rolled low to the ground, curling around trunks and swallowing the underbrush.

Bellamy took a slow step back. "What the hell is that…"

He didn't finish. Because by then, the fog was moving fast.

Charlotte whimpered. Atom grabbed her by the arm. "We need to go."

Bellamy's eyes snapped to Lily. He didn't hesitate. He reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Run," he said before pulling her with him.

They ran.

Branches whipped against Lily's arms as she tore through the underbrush, her breath sharp and shallow in her throat. The forest around them had shifted into chaos—the light now thick with yellow fog, curling low and fast, swallowing everything in its path. The air wasn't just heavy—there was something wrong.

"Come on!" Bellamy shouted, glancing over his shoulder at the others. His hand was wrapped tightly around Lily's wrist, pulling her through the forest with sharp, determined strides."There are caves this way!"

She stumbled over a root but he didn't let go, yanking her forward before she could fall. The air around them felt wrong—too still, too heavy. It pressed against her skin like a warning.

Then she heard it—Charlotte's voice, breathless and scared.

"Charlotte!" Lily called.

Bellamy looked back. "I've got her," he said urgently. Then, he turned to Lily, "Go! Keep moving!"

He pushed her ahead, releasing her wrist at last, and turned back to grab Charlotte's hand. Lily obeyed without thinking—she had to. Her feet pounded the ground as she ran, weaving through trees, ducking under low branches, not even sure if she was breathing anymore.

Leaves slapped her face. Her still damp clothes stuck to her body like ice. She could still hear the others behind her, Atom shouting at the others to keep running, footsteps scattering through the brush. The fog was chasing them like a wave, curling along the forest floor, thick and yellow, swallowing everything it touched.

Then—there. Just ahead, carved into the mossy side of a hill, a black opening.

A cave.

Lily sprinted for it, her whole body aching. She ducked inside without slowing down, stumbling on the slick stone floor and catching herself with one hand against the wall. The air was cool and damp, but breathable. Safe.

A second later, Bellamy rushed in behind her, dragging Charlotte with him. But no one followed. Lily gripped the little girl's shoulders as she clung to her waist, then felt a slight wave of panic when she heard Atom's voice calling for Bellamy.

He was still outside—and as the fog reached him, Bellamy began to cough. Lily gasped, pushing Charlotte back toward the rear of the cave, her eyes fixed on Bellamy running inside.

"Bellamy—" she called, just as he stepped in front of her and gently pushed her farther back, toward where Charlotte stood. Their eyes remained locked on the cave entrance. Lily couldn't see anything beyond it—just a wall of that thick, yellow fog. But luckily, it hadn't reached them where they stood.

They remained silent for a moment, as if the fog might be drawn by the sound of their voices. Then, after what felt like hours, Bellamy let out a relieved breath.

"I think we're safe," he said, turning to look at both Lily and Charlotte. The little girl looked scared, one hand pressed against the rock wall as she asked, "How long will we have to stay here?"

Bellamy and Lily exchanged a glance. There was no way for them to know for sure—they had never seen anything like it before.

"I'm sure we'll be out soon enough," Bellamy said, forcing a small smile in the girl's direction.

Lily backed him up. "We've walked for hours," she said, looking at Charlotte. "We could use a bit of rest. It'll be a long way back to the dropship."

Charlotte nodded, still scared, but she decided to do what they were telling her. She walked a little further toward the back of the cave and sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest.

Lily and Bellamy watched the girl for a moment, then Lily turned toward him.

"What the hell is happening?" she whispered, glancing from him to the yellow fog outside.

Bellamy shook his head. "I don't know," he said—just before a sharp hiss escaped his lips.

"What is it?" she asked quickly, following his gaze as he looked down at his hand.

The skin on the back of it was slightly reddened. Lily frowned and instinctively reached out, taking his hand in hers to examine it more closely.

"No, I—" he started to protest, but she cut him off.

"You don't need to act tough all the time," she said, studying the irritated skin with care.

The redness wasn't spreading, and there were no blisters—just a flush of color. It didn't look like a burn, more like a reaction. Still, her breath caught in her throat for a second.

"It's probably the fog," she murmured, her thumb brushing over the edge of the redness. But as she kept looking, her expression relaxed slightly. "It's not getting worse. I think you're okay."

When she finally looked up, Bellamy was already watching her. His gaze was softer than she'd ever seen it—quiet, almost thoughtful. But then he looked away, pulling his hand gently from hers.

"We should get some rest," he said, not quite meeting her eyes.

Lily pressed her lips together, nodding as she shifted her weight back.

"Yeah," she murmured. "We probably should."

They all sat down, and waited in silence. Lily had hoped that the fog would have lasted just a couple of hours, but instead the sun had begun to set, until night fell upon them. Lily felt how restless she was becoming. Her mind was thinking about Jasper, as she held the plants in her pocket. She was wasting time, that fog was the last thing she needed.

"Stop moving your leg," Bellamy said grumpily, but in a whisper to not wake Charlotte from where she was sleeping, "It's driving me crazy."

Lily closed her eyes, trying to stop herself from moving, "I'm sorry, I was thinking about Jasper," she said quietly. 

Silence fell between them, heavy and still. The kind of silence that seemed to grow thicker with every second, wrapping around them like the fog outside. From the shadows, the occasional drip of water echoed softly against the stone walls—a reminder of how deep and cold the cave truly was. Charlotte's slow, even breathing was the only other sound, faint and steady in the darkness.

Then, Bellamy's voice cut through it—quiet, but not unkind.

"Why do you care so much about that kid?"

The way he asked took her by surprise; there was no judgment in his tone, only genuine curiosity. And because of that, she found herself answering.

"On the Ark, I knew an old woman," she began, a small smile forming on her lips at the thought of Grace. "She was my neighbor. I'd known her since I was a child. She always helped me and my mother."

She would take care of Lily when her mother had to work, give her candies, and read her stories. And when her mother died, Grace had stayed by her side.

"A year ago, I found out she was gravely ill," Lily continued. "She was alone—her son had been floated many years before. At the time, I already worked as a medical technician, so I knew which medicine could ease her suffering. But since she was old and without hope, no doctor was allowed to give it to her."

Lily still remembered how badly she had argued with Marcus over it. She'd begged him to help her, insisting that if a Councilor intervened, Grace could get the treatment she needed. But he had refused, telling her that they couldn't waste medicine on someone who was going to die anyway. That was the law.

Her eyes filled with tears at the memory.

"She had always been so kind to me," she said, taking a steadying breath. "I just didn't want her to suffer. So I stole the medicine. But I got caught… Grace died, and I ended up in the Skybox."

For a few moments, Bellamy said nothing. He looked at her—not with mockery, not with suspicion, but with something softer. Quieter. His brow furrowed just slightly, lips pressed into a thoughtful line.

"You took a risk," he said finally, his voice low. "For someone else. That's not a mistake."

He tilted his head slightly, eyes still on her.

Lily blinked, surprised by the gentleness in his voice. Her gaze dropped, a faint breath catching in her chest.

But when she looked at him again, he had turned away, facing the cave wall, his voice even quieter now.

"Not many would've done the same."

Those words hit her differently. And suddenly, she realized how little kindness Bellamy must have received in his life. How hard he had fought to protect his sister. How fast he had lost both her and their mother—for something that hadn't truly been a mistake by anyone.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, almost without thinking. "About what happened to your mum."

Bellamy's shoulders tensed, just barely, and for a second, it seems like he didn't breathe. Then his jaw shifted slightly, as if he was holding something back. His dark eyes looked down, away from her, fixed on the stone beneath his boots, and in that quiet pause, something fragile passed between them.

Lily didn't say anything more. She didn't need to.

And just then, a sharp cry pierced the silence. Making them both gasp.

"No!" Charlotte was turning and twisting in her sleep, her voice echoing through the cave. Bellamy was next to her in an instant, gently touching her knees to wake her up.

"Charlotte, wake up," he said, shaking her slightly, while Lily stood up to get closer. The little girl finally woke up, looking around her frenetically. She must have had a terrible nightmare. Her breath was laboured and she was sweating a little.

"I'm sorry," she whispered ashamedly. 

But Lily shook her head, speaking calmly, "You don't have to apologize," she said, kneeling next to Bellamy. He looked at her for a moment, before turning towards Charlotte.

"Does it happen often?" he asked gently, but Charlotte sighed. Lily could see that she felt almost guilty that they had figured out that she was having nightmares. "What are you scared of?" Bellamy asked again, never forcefully, but Charlotte didn't seem to want to answer and he realized that immediately. "You know what?" He said, "It doesn't matter," Lily found herself looking up at him being so gentle with that little girl, and her expression softened without her realizing it.

Maybe it was the dim light or the weight of exhaustion in her limbs, but for a second, the lines that usually sharpened Bellamy's face didn't seem so harsh.

"The only thing that matters is what you do about it," he kept saying.

"But I'm asleep," Charlotte answered, with a little frown on her face.

Bellamy smiled at her, "Fears are fears," he said, "Slay your demons when you're awake, they won't be there to get you when you're asleep." Lily wondered if that was what he was doing. That all of his behaviours were a shield to the many fears he might have. They all had them, but she realized that maybe she had forgotten that Bellamy could be scared too.

"Yeah, but… how?" Charlotte asked quietly.

Bellamy looked down, "You can't afford to be weak," he said, "Down here, weakness is death, fear is death." Lily observed him, Bellamy was a very complex person, he could be quite extreme, and Lily didn't agree with him many times, but he could also be kind and protective. Maybe they should have stopped buttheads with each other, maybe knowing that his behaviour came from fear would help in finding a way to dialogue with him. To find a middle ground.

"Let me see the knife I gave you," he said to the little girl, who folded it into her pocket to take out the little weapon. She handed it to him, who held it in between them. 

"Now, when you feel afraid," he said, "You hold tight to that knife and you say, 'screw you, I'm not afraid'."

Lily watched as Charlotte clutched the knife, nodding solemnly at Bellamy's words, repeating them each time more strongly. 

"Slay your demons, kid," he said with a last smile. "Then you'll be able to sleep."

Lily didn't say anything, but her gaze lingered on Bellamy longer than she expected.

There was something heartbreakingly raw in the way he spoke to Charlotte—like a man trying to armor a child against the same world that had already hurt him so much.

You can't afford to be weak, he had said. And maybe he believed that. Maybe because he felt he had no other choice.

Lily wasn't sure she agreed. But for once, she didn't feel the need to argue.

She just sat there quietly, watching Charlotte clutch the knife like a talisman, and this time she understood Bellamy. Her hand moved almost without thinking, reaching out to his shoulder.

Bellamy tensed beneath her touch—his whole body stilling as if unsure how to react. His eyes turned toward her slowly, guarded as always, but not cold. Not this time.

"You don't have to fight your demons alone," she whispered. Her voice was low, meant only for him. "On the Ark, we all were alone, but not anymore. We can be better," his gaze dropped to where her hand still rested on his shoulder for a moment, before looking back at her. And as their eyes met Lily offered him a soft smile. 

"Goodnight, Bellamy," then she pulled her hand back slowly, almost reluctantly, and stood. But just before she turned away, he spoke. Barely audible.

"Goodnight, Lily."