Chapter 30

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

Addison awakes to inaudible muffles and continuous footsteps stumbling past her tent, groaning at the rude awakening. She looks around the mostly dark tent with squinted eyes, taking note of Raven's nonexistent figure. With a confused sigh at the inaudible ruckus going on outside, she gets to her feet, freeing her loose ponytail as she makes her way to the tent's exit.

She's immediately met with a girl that runs up to her, eyes wide with fear as she frantically looks around. Addison's own eyes widen, fingers freezing in her hair that she had started to finger-brush.

"Uh... can I help you?" Addison asks with knitted brows, taking note of the girl's trembling and shaken body.

"Th-They're coming..." she trails, repeating the same sentence a few more times. "They're coming for us!" she suddenly yells frantically before scurrying off, repeating the same nonsense, but louder.

Addison rapidly blinks her confused brown eyes, head tilting to the side. She quickly ties her hair up in a messy ponytail, walking further into camp and away from her tent. Delinquents scramble all around camp; some excitingly or fearfully yelling nonsense, like the girl, and some confused of their whereabouts while others were scared of their own shadows.

"What the hell is going on?" she whispers under her breath, the previous events with Octavia fading as she tries to comprehend her surroundings.

Her wrist is suddenly grabbed, meeting eyes with another girl, her blonde hair done in a braid that goes down her back. "Am I..." she trails off quietly, avoiding Addison's increasingly confused eyes, and looks around them. "Am I pretty? Do you think I'm pretty? I'm not pretty am I? Oh god..." she rambles, beginning to cry.

Addison's eyes widen, "Uh... n-no, no, I think you're pretty." She answers quickly, the girl's sobs stopping at her words.

Her glossy blue eyes light up, "Really? You I am?"

Addison is quick to rapidly nod, going along, "Yes. Very pretty, now, uh..." she trails off, eyes darting until they land on a nearby campfire. "Let's sit you down, alright?" The blonde girl nods, allowing Addison to set a hand on her back, "Come on." She guides her to a log that sits near the slow burning fire, helping the girl sit, "There. Now, stay here. Okay?"

"No, wait!" she cuts Addison off, her hand barely leaving the girl's shoulder until she's pulled back. "Will you stay, please?" she asks smally before nervously looking around.

Addison blinks at the girl, loss for words. She doesn't want to leave the frantic and desperate girl alone, but she also wants to find someone that isn't going crazy to figure out what's happening.

Feeling obligated, she agrees. With a kind smile, she takes a seat next to the girl in the spot she had patted, the moist bark immediately soaking through her pants. Addison wiggles around uncomfortably but immediately stops with wide eyes when the girl leans her head on her small shoulder.

Her muscles tense, body freezing in even more discomfort. "Uh, what are you doing?" Addison attempts asking in a nice way that backfires.

The girl shrugs, lazily and almost drunkenly smiling up at the brunette. "Can't we just cuddle?" she whines, scooting closer to Addison.

The brunette nervously chuckles under breath, "Uh, not to be rude, or anything, but, uh..." she trails off in search for the right words, throat clearing in an attempt to say it nicely, "I—"

"Addison!"

She whips her head around, relived to have a distraction from the girl that practically clings to her. "Excuse me," she dismisses herself quickly before getting to her feet and walks to the voice.

"You have no idea how perfect your timing is..." she trails with a small chuckle before her brows scrunch. She sighs, "Please tell me you're not part of the craziness..." she mumbles, searching her best friend's confused and disoriented face.

"I-I-I—"

Her hands toss up in the air, scoffing. "Great! You took whatever everyone else has taken," she grabs his arm with a hand while her other rests near his shoulder blades, guiding him to the same fire where the girl's at. "Sit. Right here," she demands.

Liam plops down in the spot Addison was previously sitting in, eyes repeatedly blinking and squeezing shut. "Can we—"

"Cuddle with Liam." Addison is quick to cut the girl off, draping one of Liam's arms lazily around the girl's shoulders. Her lips curl into an amused smirk, "He loves to cuddle," she chuckles quietly under her breath at Liam's obliviousness.

Liam let's the girl curl into him, seeming to enjoy himself once the moment of confusion wore off. She straightens her posture with a huff, satisfied at what she's done.

"Addison."

She snaps her head to the mew voice, brows scrunching as she walks away from the girl and Liam, but not at the fact they don't look crazy. "Aren't you supposed to be—"

"Resting?" Finn cuts her off, his own eyes surveying camp. "Not with this happening," he eyes a staggering delinquent that gets too close to them.

Addison shakes her head, arms crossing over her chest, "What is even going on?"

"They're high," Raven answers, coming to their sides.

"Everyone?"

"Yeah..." Raven trails quietly in response to Addison's question, lips pressing together as she joins the duo in looking around at the high delinquents.

"Great." Addison sighs out. "How exactly are three people gonna contain an entire camp of high teenagers?"

"I'm sure we'll figure it out," Finn says, rushing to a girl that gets close to the fire Addison came from.

"Okay, well... you two can keep them in line, I'm gonna see if there is anyone else that isn't high off their asses to help." Addison conjures quickly before leaving Raven's side in a random direction.

"Addison—"

"Let's just deal with this first, alright?" Addison answers quickly, stopping in her tracks and faces Raven. She can see the hesitation in Raven before she slowly nods, Addison gratefully praising the older girl in her head. She spins on heels to continue her search, but stops, facing Raven again. "In case I forget to say this... thank you. For last night," she smiles gratefully at Raven, who in turn, nods and gives her a smile.

Satisfied she's gotten her thanks in order to Raven, she continues her way around camp, helping the more chaotic ones and attempting to stray further from the needy ones. She rounds the corner of the dropship, slamming directly into a body that knocks her back with such a force.

"I know you're high and all, but jesus... watch where you're going!" She annoyingly yells, lifting her head.

Her eyes widen—it's the Grounder, dressed in her people's clothing. His own dark eyes widen, figure frozen like Addison's.

"How did you—" she inhales sharply at the realization. "Octavia," she breathes out, completely ignoring the loose Grounder, and rushes around him, no longer paying any attention to the high teens that aimlessly wonder camp. "Octavia!" she shouts when entering the dropship, looking for her. "Octavia Blake!"

Addison groans in frustration, starting to pace the lower level of the dropship with a hand resting on her forehead. She anxiously waits for Octavia to appear, to call back to her calling. Contemplating on whether or not to go up makes her stop in her tracks, but she doesn't want to face her. Not after their fight.

Addison eyes the ladder for a brief moment before reluctantly climbing it, the urge and need taking over. "Octavia?" she pokes her head out of the hatch hole, but nothing.

She finishes the climb, eyes bouncing around the level as she walks to where the Grounder stood. Addison lifts a chain that rests on the floor, the Grounder's blood staining it and the metal floor where he'd been for several days. Images of the night Bellamy and Raven tortured him flash her mind; the Grounder's agonizing moans and groans from the electricity Raven jolted him with, the sound of the metal buckle from the seatbelt Bellamy used when it clashed with the Grounder's muscular body.

Addison finally drops the chain with a gasp, like the chain burned her from the memories she was reliving. She steadies her breathing, backing away from it, "Tave, you in here?"

She looks around some more, but there was no sign that anyone had even been up here. In defeat, Addison sighs; she knew coming up here was a waste of her time. The memories of the water tent surface, her head shaking from side to side as her movements to the hatch cease.

"Now's not the time, memory." Addison snaps to herself, taking deep breaths to calm herself and rid the memories.

"Addison?" her eyes snap open. "What are you doing up here?"

Dawson finishes the climb, blue eyes confused and slightly wide. Addison's brows furrow, eyes scanning his body from head to toe, "You're not high?"

He shakes his head, coming to a stop in front of her. "No, I'm not high, and you're not either."

She narrows her eyes, "Thank you, Captain Obvious for your impeccable detective skills."

"I could say the same about you," he gestures with a hand her way.

"Touché," she answers with a tilt of her head, the anger she once get towards the boy having disappeared. "What are you even doing up here, Dawson?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he counters with the same question, arms crossing over his chest with a lift of his brow.

Addison shakes her head, "I asked first, but, since you're up here..." she points over her shoulder with her thumb, "What the hell happened to the Grounder?"

Dawson glances in the direction of the Grounder's vacant spot, lips parting. "Uh... I don't know, you were up here before me."

Addison hums, unconvinced, and studies  the way his eyes had widen slightly, like when he came to the level when seeing her. How they held a genuine sense of shock and unexpectedness.

"Where's Octavia?"

Dawson shrugs, "I don't know. She's probably outside high off... whatever everyone else is high on."

Addison nods, taking last look at the unoccupied chains, and takes her leave. Dawson follows with a small sigh, climbing down the ladder after her.

Addison patiently waits for the boy, standing at the entrance of the dropship. She hears his feet hit the floor with a thud, then his footsteps coming next to her. She crosses her arms and leans against the archway, eyes landing on a campfire where Finn and Raven deal with delinquents.

"You know, I say we should wait this out." Addison randomly speaks, glancing at Dawson, whose eyes remove themselves from a certain spot in camp. "I've already dealt with enough of them," she elaborates at his confused face.

Dawson crosses his arms, too, widening his stance to a more comfortable one. "I'll follow your lead," he replies.

"Alright..."

Addison exits the dropship, veering off to the right to a more secluded and less bothered area of camp. She takes a seat on a stomp, watching Raven with a small chuckle as she deals a boy that keeps going up to her.

"This is actually the most fun I've had in a while," she says in amused.

Dawson chuckles lowly, sinking to the ground and sits with his arms resting over his knees. Silence passes between them, Addison chuckling every once in a while. Dawson joins in every now and then, soft chattering flowing between them soon after.

"I'm sorry," he suddenly says, his tone changing from a joking one to a more serious one.

Addison's smile slips from her lips, a soft sigh slipping through instead. "Dawson—"

"You need to hear it." He cuts her off, their eyes locking with one another. Even in the mostly dark section of camp she can see the genuine apologetic look in his expression. "Everything I did last week, it was out of line, and I really am sorry."

Addison's lips press together, eyes averting to the fern that rests by her feet. Her fingers begin playing with it, teeth chewing on the inside of her cheek.

"Alright..." she says quietly, finally meeting eyes with him again. "I'll forgive you, but no more surprises. Got that?"

Dawson is quick to nod, a relived smile gracing his lips. "Thank you, Addison."

She nods, her index finger coming up. "Just this once, but you owe me."

Dawson's smile widens, "I expected that I did."

"What happened to the Grounder?" His smile's gone, lips parting once again, and head turning to the ground. "The truth, Dawson.

You owe me the truth."

He reluctantly sighs, lifting his head to the dropship. "We set him free," he says quietly, poking at the tall grass that grazes his fingertips.

"You and Octavia?" Dawson nods, Addison humming. "Her idea, I'm guessing?" He nods once again, avoiding any form of eye contact with the brunette. "Why would she go to you for help?"

"Addison—"

"The truth," she cuts him off, continuing to search for his eyes.

"You want the truth? Fine, I'll tell you the truth." He raises his voice, finally connecting their eyes. "She wanted you to forgive me," he answers. Addison's brows furrow, her head rocking back slightly. "She figured that if I helped her with this, you'd find a way forgive me."

"I don't understand... why would she want me to forgive you?" She asks in pure confusion, eyes slitting with her brows.

"I'm not sure. I'd ask her," he answers with a sigh, tossing a piece of grass.

"Does she think that me forgiving you would mend our..." she makes random hand motions. "Mend our..." she tries again, groaning in frustration.

"Mend your guys'... what?"

"I don't know, our, whatever you call it. Friendship, friend not friend thing, too friendly to be friends thing..." Dawson chuckles at her rambling, glancing at the flustered girl. Addison narrows her eyes him, "What's so funny?"

"You, that's all." His attempts at containing his laughter fails, Addison groaning and shoves the boy.

"Shut up."

"Or what, huh? What are you gonna—"

"He's gone!" Miller shouts, interrupting their banter, "The Grounder's gone."

"Looks like everyone's high finally wore off," Dawson says, getting to his feet, Addison following his lead.

"So it would seem.." she follows after him, letting Dawson blaze a path through the crowd of frightened delinquents.

"He'll kill us all," a boy says in a scared voice, the large cluster forming in a tighter circle near the fire.

"Or worse," a girl says louder and less frightened.

Dawson and Addison come to the front, theirs eyes flickering to one another. "Let the Grounders come." Bellamy's voice booms over the chatter of delinquents.

Addison moves her eyes away from Dawson and to Bellamy, him and Clarke making their way forward, each one lugging something over their shoulder. Her brows knit, being able to see Bellamy's busted and beat face, and the spot of blood that trails from Clarke's hairline and curves down to the side of her eye.

"We've been afraid of them for far too long, and why? Because of their knives and spears," he answers his own question in a bored tone. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being afraid."

Silence follows, not one teen making a pee about Bellamy's words. He and Clarke then glance at each other, giving each other a short before they each drop what they were lugging to the ground. The makeshift bags open, revealing automatics rifles.

"No way."

"Whooaaa..."

Addison's lips curl into an astonished smile at the rifles, eyes flickering to Dawson, who looks just as astonished as every one else. "These are weapons, okay, not toys, and we have to be prepared to give them up to the Guard when the dropships come." Clarke starts, the brunette's attention turning to the two leaders. "But until then, they're gonna help keep us safe."

"And there are plenty more where these came from. Tomorrow, we start training..." he pauses, "And if the Grounders come, we're gonna be ready to fight."

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After Bellamy's speech, the delinquents dispersed; some going back to their own groups, and others going to sleep for the night. Addison didn't travel far, having caught sight of Octavia leaned against the wall, gazing into the forest.

The brunette stood further behind the girl, leaning against a nearby tree with her arms folded over her chest. "You should give this to her," Bellamy says, coming to Addison's side with an orange blanket in his arms.

She glances at him, uncrossing her arms and stands fully. "We'll eventually mend things," she answers, jutting her chin towards the boy, "You're her brother. You two should mend your sibling bond before any other."

"She's my sister, and I know what's best for her." He replies, re-handing the blanket for Addison to take when she pushed it to home "You're what's best for her." The corner of her lips curl into a wide smile, her head turning down to the ground to hide it. Bellamy chuckles softly, forcing the blanket in her hands. "Take it. Her and I will talk later, you guys need to talk now," he simply says before walking off to not give Addison anytime to protest.

"Bellamy, wait!" she calls, the boy stopping in his tracks. He looks over his shoulder at the girl, "I was wrong about you." She tells him, "You're not a bad guy."

"I'm not a bad guy?" Bellamy repeats with a raised brow, turning to face Addison more, leaning on a leg, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Addison sighs softly, eyes flickering to Octavia's figure by the wall, before moving to brother Blake's. "Since the day she was born, every decision you've ever made, whether it's been on the Ark or in this camp, as been for Octavia." The brunette stops in front of Bellamy, her lips curling into a small smile, "Every boy you've scare off that chases her, the times you've tried to push and scare me away..." his own lips curl into a smile. "And if I had a sibling, older or younger, I would've done the same thing."

Bellamy shifts his eyes to his sister, smile still playing in his lips. "I'm glad I didn't chase you away," he finally says softly.

Addison's eyes widen in surprise, "Really? Does Bellamy Blake approve of me as his sister's—"

His eyes move to the girl's, his genuine smile changing to his infamous smirk when he cuts her off, "Don't push it, Anderson."

The brunette laughs, "Good one, Blake."

He chuckles, face turning more serious. "I meant what I said, about not chasing you away." Bellamy begins backing away with a satisfied nod and smile before turning around and continuing his walk.

Addison smiles, glad she finally has Bellamy's approval, even if it's not in the dating sense towards Octavia. Any approval from Bellamy towards his sister is a huge step, and Addison knows this as well as the next person.

She grips the blanket in her hands tighter, looking over at the Blake girl across the way. With a nervous sigh, she walks towards her, draping the blanket comfortably around her shoulders.

Octavia grips it, shrugging it closer. Addison moves the fabric around so it's covering her more before dropping her hands, and backs away. The raven-haired girl glances over her shoulder, shock written on her face at the girl.

Addison nervously looks down at her fingers that twiddle in front of her, clearing her throat. "You looked cold," she finally gets out quietly.

"Yeah, uh... thanks." The Blake girl responds, Addison's lips pressing together as she awkwardly nods.

She sighs softly, lifting her head. "Well, I'll leave you alone. Goodnight, Octavia." She says with a small smile, backing away from the girl.

"Addison," the girl stops in her tracks, slowly turning her body to face her. Octavia's head shakes from side to side, "Don't go. Please," she whispers.

"Only if you answer this question," the brunette says, Octavia nodding. "Why did you want Dawson to forgive me?"

"You know?"

Addison nods, slowly taking steps closer until she's directly in front of Octavia. "Yeah, he told me. I won't tell your brother," she says softly.

Octavia keeps their eyes locked, taking a step closer to Addison. "Everything that happened that day, it was the gossip of camp. I heard about all of it," she says, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat. "I knew you'd somehow figure out how he got free," she refers to the Grounder escaping. "I thought that if he helped me, you guys would talk, and you'd forgive him. If you can forgive him, then maybe..." she sighs softly, averting her eyes shamefully to the ground. "Maybe you could forgive me. For everything I've done to you this week."

Addison bites the bottom of her lips, moving her eyes elsewhere, too. "I can't just easily forgive you after what you put me through. I shouldn't, but..." she inhales sharply, "I will." Octavia's head snaps up in shock, "I'll forgive you. I don't know even why I should, you put me through hell," she whispers with a small shrug of her shoulders.

"I know..." Octavia shamefully admits.

"You better make it up to me, Blake. Because you're a pain in my ass," Addison jokes with a small smile, shoving the girl's shoulders.

Octavia chuckles with rapid nods, "I will. I promise," she chuckles out, grabbing hold of the brunette, and engulfs her in a hug, the orange blanket draping around both girls.

Addison buries her head in the middle of Octavia's neck and the blanket, warming her face. Her hands fold in between their chests, finding more warmth between them than behind the Blake's back. The raven-haired girl's  arms stay locked around the younger girl, moving the blanket around so it covers her, too.

"Promise me something else too..." Addison mumbles into her hair, Octavia nodding. "Please don't put me through that again," she whispers, the Blake's dark strands flying in front of her when she speaks.

Octavia's hold tightens, re-situating her head so her lips brush against Addison's ear. "I promise. I promise I'll never hurt you, again."

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