Chapter 24

~~~~~~~~unedited~~~~~~~~

Questions rise within Addison as she navigates her way through camp. With each dance she does between a delinquent to move out of their way, one question after the other pops up. What could Raven possibly need that Addison has to be there for? The girl is more than capable of figuring out how to contact the Ark; she proved that by rigging up the flare launchers. Addison isn't mechanically inclined to do nearly what Raven's done in the short time she's been on the ground.

She swipes the, newly constructed, red and white tarp that covers the entrance of the dropship out of her way, entering at a quick pace. Her pace ceases when she locks her eyes onto Finn, observing his current state; sweat that glistens under the dim light covers his skin that had turned a sickly pale in a matter of hours. Clarke paces around the table he's laid upon, continuing to check his vitals and the newly piece of cloth she tied tightly around the blade.

Raven sits further inside the dropship at a much smaller table, working and mumbling nonsense to herself in frustration in front of random electrical objects. Addison slowly walks around Finn, keeping her sights on him until she reaches the older brunette haired girl. She swallows the dryness in her throat, turning her gaze away from the boy to the back of Raven's head.

"You requested me?" she asked softly, her hands coming together in front of her.

Raven nods, pointing at something that rests on the far corner of the table. "Hand me that," she demanded, continuing to fiddle with the multiple wires in front of her. Addison moves with slightly furrowed brows, leaning over the table and to what she now sees is a small knife.

Raven quickly yanks it from out of her hand, using its sharp blade to peel back a wire. "Is that all you needed me for?" Addison raises a brow in slight frustration, "To grab a knife on the other side of the table you're sitting at?"

She glances at Addison with a plain look, "No. Monty told me you have a mechanical mind, so what better person than you to help me contact the Ark," she replied, looking back at the pair of wires she stripped and pinches them together, moulding them into one. "And we need to talk."

Addison's already slightly furrowed brows scrunch even more, "Talk? You're on a time crunch to build a radio, and your boyfriend—"

"It's the only thing keeping my mind off him." Raven cut the smaller brunette off in a harsh tone. "I need you to splice these wires," she points to the rest of wires on the table after a moment of tense silence.

Addison brushes Raven's comment off, immediately shaking her head with wide eyes, "No way. Me and electricity aren't friends," she rushed out, remembering the multiple times she's zapped herself on the Ark from goofing around late at night with Liam.

"It's easy. Just do what I tell you and you'll be fine, got it?"

"Oh, god . . ." the younger brunette whispered under her breath, "I hope you're a good teacher, because I do not want to die from electrocution today. Or ever, preferably."

Despite her boyfriend dying on the table, Raven manages a soft chuckle under her breath in amusement, a faint smile forming on her lips as their eyes meet. "Don't worry. All you do, is this."

"I don't like that smirk of yours," she replied, Raven begins showing her, telling her the do's and don'ts when splicing. "This is a terrible job to put me on, Raven. Have me do something else!"

The older girl snorts with a raised brow, "You're not scared of going outside the wall where the Grounders could kill you at any second, but you're scared of a little electricity?"

"I'm not scared. Just . . . concerned. There's a difference," Addison defended, taking the knife from Raven and starts to carefully peel the tips of the wires back, like Raven had showed her. She then stands up, collecting what she needs from the table. "Uh, where are you going?"

"Upstairs," Raven simply said and climbs up the ladder, disappearing.

Addison nervously sighs, releasing a ragged breath as she looks at the wire in front of her. "You so owe me for this," she whispered to herself, glancing over her shoulder.

She peels a small section of the soft plastic covering the wire, preparing herself to do another section until she hears a voice, "You're still not done with the first one?"

"I told you, me and electricity are a no go, did I not?" Addison tells her with a lifted brow. In response, Raven rips the wire and knife from her hands, doing it herself. "It took a lot of pep talking just to do one slice, and that's progress for me."

Raven chuckles softly under her breath while Addison just sighs, reaching across the table and grabs a slim piece of metal, beginning to twirl it around in her hands out of boredom. She hops on the table, her legs dangling off the edge and listens to the rain softly hitting the dropship. "If I would've known you were so afraid of electricity, I wouldn't have sent Liam to ruin your moment with Octavia." Raven teases, a hint of smirk and tease in her voice as she glances at Addison.

She un-amusingly tilts her head with narrowed eyes and answers just as unamused as her expression, "Really."

"You guys have chemistry," Raven answers simply, continuing with her work. "I approve."

Addison sighs, ignoring her comments and goes back to twirling the piece of metal in her hands. The rain starts harder, her eyes flickering between Finn and the exit of the dropship as her legs begin to sway back n forth. Finn's soft groans begin to get louder, filling the dropship's once silent air. Her legs start swaying quicker, her eyes moving between the two quicker.

She jumps, startled at the hand that lays on her knee. "Are you alright?" Raven asks, her eyes scanning the girl.

Addison quickly nods, swallowing the dryness in her throat. "Oh, yeah, just . . ." she sighs heavily, shaking her head, "It's nothing, Raven."

"You sure?" She asks unconvinced, ceasing her work.

"Why do you care?" Addison snorts harshly, the piece of metal in her hands twirling faster in her hands. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that, it's just . . ." she sighed softly, keeping her eyes on the metal in her hands.

The déjà vu of Finn hanging onto his life flashes her memory. She's back in the middle level, knelt next to Jasper, his groans and moans of pain screeching in her ears. How sickly pale he looked, even worse than Finn does now. The way his head would rock from side to side, the rolling of his eyes when he would fall in and out of conscious.

Addison clears her throat, shaking the memory away. "What did you want to talk about?" she changed the subject, flickering her eyes to Raven. "I mean, we hardly even know each other. So what could we possibly have to talk about?"

"More than you think," she quickly responds, peeling one of the last wires.

"Okay, if riddles are going to be our 'talk'—" she air quotes, "—then I'm out of here."

Raven stops her work, facing Addison, "No."

Addison folds her arms across her chest with a confused raise of her brow, "Then what is it?" she asked impatiently, tapping the piece of metal against her arm.

Raven scans the girl in front of her with sightly furrowed brows, "From what I heard, you weren't so short tempered. He was wrong," she said, turning her attention back to peeling the last wire.

"What?" Addison's face falls and her heart stops. She hops off the table and sets the piece of metal where she was at seconds ago, inching closer to the girl. "Who are you talking about? Did Liam—"

"Slow down, Speedy Gonzales." Raven sarcastically cuts her off, moulding another set of wires.

Addison slams her hands on the table with a loud thud, "I'm loosing my patience, Raven." The older girl merely looks at her from the corner of her eye, pausing her work to do so. Addison widens her eyes in realization and slowly retracts her hands from the metal tabletop as she takes a slow step back, "I-I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to—"

"Don't be. I get it," Raven meets Addison's soft desperate brown eyes that are eager for an answer.

Dawson's the first person that comes to mind. Could Dawson be the one she's talking about? As soon as the question surfaces, it disappears quickly— he doesn't know her as well as Liam does. It couldn't be him. Then there's Liam. The two seem somewhat close with all the interactions they've had, but then another, unlikely male figure came to mind. Her father. Dr. Griffin and her father are close, both of them working alongside one another in medical. If Dr. Griffin was able to find and contact Raven on the Ark, maybe her father had done the same.

Addison decides to remain silent, eager to hear Raven's words as the girl's lips part, but her voice never comes. Multiple quick footsteps race up the ramp, the tarp beginning to blow harshly out of the their way. Clarke's the first to enter with glossy eyes and a worried expression, making a b-like for Finn. The delinquents start piling in one by one, the booming of thunder beginning to rumble and shake the dropship.

"Addison, I need you to find Octavia and help her." She says quickly, setting supplies down on a nearby surface.

The brunette gives her head a short nod, disappointed that Clarke came in at this point and time, but Finn's the priority. Not her so called talk with Raven. It can wait, Finn can't. She glances at Raven, her lips parting to speak, but Raven beats her to it. "We'll talk later," she says quietly, nodding her head to where Clarke came from.

Addison bits the bottom of her lip and nods, flickering her eyes to Clarke. She carefully situations different surgical instruments in their designated spots, periodically moving her eyes to Finn in the process.

Addison rests a gentle hand on top of Clarke's trembling one, "Hey..." she coos softly. Clarke's glossed orbs stay locked on the surgical tools, "He'll be okay, Clarke."

Addison wants to believe her own words, but with each passing second Finn is getting worse and slipping closer to death, and her belief in words slipping away with him. Clarke turns her gaze away from the medical instruments and to the brunette that comfortingly grasps her pale hand, "What if Raven isn't able to contact the Ark in time? I can't save him without my mom," she says under her breath.

Addison flickers her eyes to Raven's fast working figure, stating confidently, "She will."

"I hope so," Clarke whispers back, sniffling quietly with a shake of her head and slips her hand out of Addison's. "Just... find Octavia."

Addison frowns, watching Clarke move back to prepping for the upcoming surgery to remove the blade from Finn's chest. She waits a second longer before moving to the exit, flickering her eyes between Finn, Clarke, and lastly Raven before disappearing out of the dropship.

The sky's now pitch black with the occasional lightning that lights up the sky up seconds at a time. Addison takes a deep breath, walking into the pouring rain in search of Octavia. Her clothes quickly become soaked, clinging to her body. She strips her jacket off, tossing it aside on a nearby work station. Her brown hair stinks to any part of her body it can find.

Addison swipes loose strands out of her eyes and immediately finds Octavia's figure scurrying around camp, a look of determination etched onto her sharp features. The brunette makes her way to her with squinted eyes, watching as the girl picks up and moves certain objects out of the way in search of something.

She raises a brow, stopping behind Octavia's bent frame, "You're not playing in the rain, are you?"

Octavia snaps her head up to the girl with a smile, yelling over the storm, "I could ask you the same thing."

"Rain's not really my thing. Too cold," the brunette shivers, a chill crawling through her skin.

"But you're in the rain," Octavia says in confusion, getting to her feet.

Addison gives a short nod in agreement, "Yes, I am out in the pouring rain, aren't I?"

Octavia chuckles softly at her dramatics, nodding to Addison with her chin. "Then why are you out here if you don't like the rain?"

"Clarke."

At Addison's response, the Blake's demeanour completely changes from loose and playful to tense and rigid. Addison notices and frowns, "What did Clarke want that you have to be in the rain for." Octavia's question comes out as more of a demand, her tone having turn almost bitter.

She turns back around, going back to search for an unknown object or objects. Addison rapidly blinks in confusion, unsure of where Octavia's tone came from. "To find you and help you. Quite rudely, now that I think about it," she finishes quietly, brushing off Octavia's previous tone.

"So you didn't just come out to see me?" Octavia looks over her shoulder at Addison.

"I would've came sooner, but I was with Raven."

Octavia scans the girl, "What did she want?"

"You're asking a lot of questions. Are you okay?" Addison asks softly, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear.

Octavia sighs not so quietly, getting to her feet and continuing her search. "I'm fine," she answers shortly, walking off to a different spot in camp.

Addison follows after her, the mud slushing underneath her boots with each step she takes and the rain stinging her skin. "You're a terrible liar, Octavia." She says with a small smile, ducking inside the tent behind her. The smiles wiped off her face when Octavia faces her. "What's wrong? Is it the—"

"I said I'm fine, Addison." She cuts her off, Octavia's back facing her once again.

The brunette's brows raise up in shock and confusion. Mere minutes ago she was fine, but now, it's like a switch flipped, and her playful side is no longer present. She watches Octavia rummage through the tent Addison recognizes as Monty's moonshining area.

"I don't think now's the best time to be drinking," she says in confusion, hoping that her comment will release some of the tension between her and Octavia.

Octavia continues searching, not once sparing the girl a glance. "I don't drink." Her tone is less bitter, but Addison can still pick up on the bitterness she tries and fails to hide.

Addison grabs the girl's wrist, stopping its quick movements. "Octavia, please. Talk to me," she finally gets her attention. The Blake girl glances at her over her mostly bare shoulder, "Did I do something wrong? Or say something that offended you? Because if I did, I—"

"You didn't, Addison." Octavia cuts her rambling off.

The brunette's brows knit, taking a step closer to the girl, her grip tightening around Octavia's wrist. "Then please...tell me what I did in a matter of minutes that upset you."

With pressed lips, Octavia straightens her posture and faces Addison. "You didn't do anything," she says softly.

"Then why are you acting like this?" Addison asks in a whisper, "Because earlier today, you weren't. Hell, even minutes ago you weren't acting like this."

Octavia sighs softly, removing her wrist out of Addison's grasp. She tucks a strand of wet hair behind the brunette's ear, "You didn't do anything. It's everyone else I'm upset with," she tells the girl in a soft voice, any hint of bitter and hardness disappearing. "I'll tell you one day, just not right now, okay?"

Addison smally nods, relief filling her that it wasn't her she's upset with. She knew Octavia was upset with Bellamy, but she didn't know about anyone else. "I was worried I did something. That wouldn't be a great first start to our forever getaway trip," she jokes with a small smile.

The corner of Octavia's lips curl into a smile, her hand staying locked on the lower part of Addison's cheek. "I don't think I could ever be upset with you," she responds honestly, Addison's smile growing.

"I'm glad we're on the same page, Blake."

Octavia's turns her head with a small laugh, "Come on. We need to find something for the moonshine," she tells Addison, gesturing with her head to the barrels of moonshine Monty's made.

Addison nods, getting out of out Octavia's gentle touch in dismay. She walks to the other side of the tent, searching for anything she can use as a cup. "Why does Clarke need moonshine? Isn't that going to mess up the surgery?"

"No, Addie..." she laughs out, the girl's continuing to rummage through Monty's stuff, "Clarke said she needs something sterile."

"Monty's moonshine'll definitely do the trick," Addison mumbles.

"I found some!" Octavia yells in triumph, lifting up two metal canisters.

Addison spins around quickly, coming to Octavia's side and grabs one of them from out of her hand before she hoists it in the air. "Ahh! You beautiful cylinder," she exaggerates, causing Octavia to giggle at her dramatics once more.

The brunette grins, following Octavia to an opened barrel of moonshine. She dunks hers in, keeping it in for a few seconds before taking it out. Her and Addison trade, the Blake now filling Addison's up.

"Alright, I think that's enough. Let's go," Octavia rushes out, walking as fast as possible to the exit without spilling her moonshine.

Addison hurries after her, matching her pace until she reaches the dropship. She slows down, careful not to slip on the ramp as she enters the dropship with a shiver behind Octavia, the large metal canister in her hand. Clarke turns around, grabbing the canister Addison holds out for her and sniffs it.

She scrunches her face, brining it away from her nose, "Ugh...Monty's moonshine?"

Addison shrugs, "Pretty sure no germ can survive it." Octavia says, beating her to a response.

The boom of thunder and lighting shake the dropship, an eerie feeling creeping within Addison. Back on the Ark, the storms she had read and learned about were fascinating, but now that she's in a real one, her opinion is indifferent. She swallows the nervous lump in her throat, looking up at the metal roofing above their heads.

"I hope it doesn't cave in on us," she mumbles out nervously from beside Octavia, listening to her dip and shake the moonshine off the tools Clarke's going to be using to remove the knife.

"The storms getting worse." Clarke sets the canister of moonshine in her hand down on the surface just big enough to collect what she needs that Octavia's using, "Monroe, close the doors."

Addison snaps her head away from the metal roof to Clarke with wide eyes, "What?"

"We still have people out there," Monroe protests.

"Monty and Jasper still aren't back yet. Neither is Bellamy," Octavia says, glancing just behind Addison to the exit.

The brunette flickers her eyes around the dropship, searching the many faces that reside inside. Liam's sat in front of the radio instead of Raven, but her nor Dawson are no where to be seen. "Dawson and Raven are gone, too." Addison flickers her eyes to Clarke with a shake of her head, "You have to wait, Clarke."

"It's alright," she glances between Octavia and Addison, joining the raven-haired girl in cleaning the instruments, "They'll find somewhere to ride it out, and Raven should be here any minute."

Addison stressfully rakes her fingers through her soaked hair, watching Clarke's figure move around. "Look. One suture needle," Raven rushes over to Clarke, relief flooding Addison that Raven's inside the safety of the dropship.

"Thanks," Clarke breathes out, gratefully taking the suture needle, "I still need something to close the wound."

Octavia glances up at Clarke, "There's some wire on the second level. I use it for the tents," she informs.

"Let's see it," Octavia nods in response to Clarke, gesturing with her hand for Addison to follow.

"Stay away from the blue wires that run through the ceiling," Raven points up with her fingers and does motions, "I rigged it to the solar cells in the roof." Octavia brushes past her, like she's not listening. "That means they're hot. You got that?" Raven says in a louder more hard and snarky tone.

"Yeah, I got that." Octavia replies with just as much hardness and snark.

Addison passes Raven with a raised brow and a 'really' face, "You could be a little nicer to her, you know. She hasn't done anything."

"I said we'd talk later, and later, is not right now." Raven continues in her snarky tone, "Just go help your girlfriend," she breathes out, pointing in the direction Octavia went it.

Addison presses her lips together and follows after Octavia. She barely starts her climb until a girl yells, "Hey, they're back!"

Addison's movements, as well as Octavia's stop. "Bellamy," the older girl says softly.

"Is that a Grounder?" A confused boy asks, the girl's brow furrowing.

It's the Grounder that took Octavia and stabbed Finn. Miller and Dawson drop him to the floor with a thud. Secure ropes rest around move of his badly beaten body, with a white cloth tied around his eyes and a gag in his mouth.

"Dawson?" Addison asks in a small voice. He snaps his head up with wide eyes, meeting her confusion and hurt brown ones.

Addison was with Harper and Miller when Bellamy came for him, but he was with another boy. Where was he and why did Dawson take his place? Was it because he's stronger and Bellamy wanted someone stronger? She didn't know, but she was hurt. Hurt that Dawson went through with such a plan. The Grounder is beaten into a bloody mess that couldn't have just been Bellamy's doing, but all of theirs.

Octavia jumps off the ladder, startling Addison with a small jump and averts her eyes elsewhere. She can't bare to look at Dawson any longer. "What the hell are you doing?" The girl asks in confusion, walking closer to her brother.

Bellamy locks his with Octavia, "It's time to get some answers."

"Oh, you mean revenge?" Octavia retorts angrily.

"I mean intel," Bellamy replies, glancing at Miller and Dawson. "Get him upstairs."

Clarke moves away from Finn, coming directly in front of Bellamy. "Clarke, honey, we're ready."

Dr. Griffin's voice comes through the radio. Addison's lips curl into a faint smile; she knew Raven could do it. "Look, this is not who we are." Clarke tells Bellamy.

"Clarke?"

Bellamy flickers his hard eyes to the radio, Octavia, the beaten Grounder, then Clarke before answering. "It is now," he replies with little to no emotion.

Addison's eyes widen in shock at Bellamy's response. She refuses to believe Bellamy and his opinions, time and time again she has. This time is no different. In Addison's eyes, Clarke is right; broodily beating up someone, regardless of their origins, is morally wrong. They, as delinquents invading the Grounders homes, have crossed that line once before, and Addison refuses to be apart of crossing it again.

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