Chapter 44

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

Addison

She couldn't believe what happened. It seemed like she was in her head replaying one of her day dreams she's been guilty of having. Nothing was there to stop them. Not Bellamy -who was too busy worrying about the Grounders attacking and now food supplies— Liam wasn't there to interrupt, too busy with his worry and conflict-ion on certain matters—unknown to Addison— No Raven or Dawson, or even Clarke. And most importantly —too Addison especially— no Lincoln.

It was just her and Octavia. Granted they're in a camp full of delinquents no older than 18, aside from Bellamy. But they've been too busy too worry about anyone else.

Here Addison lays —hair undone and out of its usual ponytail— naked and under Octavia's many blankets with her. It was a euphoric experience. And she'd do it all over again, as long as it was with Octavia Blake.

Addison's never experienced anything as intimate as what she and Octavia had done. Sure, she's had a couple of girlfriends and boyfriends in the past, kissed and made out with them, but that's it.

"Was that your first time?" Addison asked, shyly, continuing to draw random shapes on Octavia's bare chest.

"No." Lincoln. "You?" Addison stayed quiet for too long to come up with some bullshit explanation as too why it was. Octavia's warm breath on top of her head brings her out of her thoughts, "It's okay if it was, Addie. . . ." she spoke, gently, bringing her face up by cupping her cheek.

"Seems a little embarrassing. Considering you lived in the same room for 16 years and have already slept with someone, whereas I didn't and just now had sex." Addison scoffed, mainly at herself. She feels Octavia tense by her words and immediately regrets mentioning Octavia's past. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry," she sighs and averts her eyes elsewhere.

"I know." Addison's eyes widen, shocked by Octavia's answer in such a calm tone, considering the mention of her life on the Ark, but the brunette doesn't question it. "I'm glad I was your first."

The shock is wiped off, and her face heats up, the entirety of her body flushing with a warmth-ness that's all too familiar when being around Octavia. "Me, too."

Octavia chuckles at her shyness and catches the brunette's lips in her own. Addison kisses back, eager to taste her dry lips once more and breathe the same air Octavia breathes.

A distant demanding voice cuts through the air. Addison sighs against Octavia's lips and pulls away, glancing at the closed tent flaps. She wants to stay exactly where she's at, but her curiosity starts to get the better.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Octavia mutters.

Addison tears her eyes away from the grey flaps, lips curling into a teasing smile, "That didn't sound convincing."

"Maybe not, but..." Octavia situates so she's hovering above Addison, a smirk tugging at her lips, "I can convince you to stay"

A soft giggle erupts from Addison as their lips meet. She changes their position, now hovering over Octavia with her hands on either side of her head. Not a moment later, more demands sound, ruining the moment again. They pull away with heavier sighs and annoyed groans, Octavia's head falling back into the match shift pillow.

"Are you sure it's nothing?" Addison takes one last breath and sits up, already missing the warmth of Octavia's touch.

She uncovers herself and scurries around the tent for her clothes, separating hers from Octavia's. Gathering her pants up, she starts to slide back into them when she hears Octavia shift and get up, too.

Addison buttons her pants up then bends down to collect her shirt and jacket, leaving her pistol on the ground for a moment longer. "I wonder what all the fuss is about, anyways," Addison said, glancing over her shoulder when she slips her shirt back on. The commotion had only grown.

"I don't know." Octavia pulls her jacket on and bends down for Addison's pistol while Addison slips her own jacket on, smiling when she sees Octavia move toward her in her peripherals. She holds up the 9mm, "Don't forget this."

Addison moves forward to grab it, but Octavia yanks it back with a teasing smirk. "Octavia," the brunette groans, a chuckle in her voice.

Octavia stops in front of her, "Let me do it." She raises the bottom of Addison's torn shirt and uses the index and middle finger on her free hand to pull the waistband towards herself. Addison keeps their eyes locked together when Octavia slowly slides her pistol back in its place, "There."

She releases the waistband that smacks softly against the metal of the gun. Addison's flushed cheeks flush even more from the action. "Octavia Blake..." she looks down, grinning from ear-to-ear and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

Octavia chuckles, her hands staying on Addison's waist. "Yes, Addison Anderson?"

She shakes and lifts her head, "Nothing." Octavia hums unconvincingly. "But—" she drapes her arms around Octavia's neck, "—I'm going to see what has so rudely interrupted us."

Addison pecks her lips with a smile and exits Octavia's tent. She stops at the entrance and gathers her hair, surveying the several small groups that form around camp. Each group is armed with spears and one person per group armed with a rifle.

Addison ties off her ponytail and starts forward, occasionally pulling and itching at her scalp when her baby hairs pinch.

"You look rough"

Addison glances at Dawson when he joins her side. "That's because I was sleeping," she's able to lie smoothly, avoiding his eyes after.

"Bruise says otherwise," the smirk and teasing in Dawson's voice has Addison glaring at him.

She's quick to zip her jacket all the way up to hide the hickey. "Shut up," the corner of her lips tug into a smile she can barely hide.

Dawson chuckles, readjusting his rifle that hangs off his left shoulder while Addison's is on his right.

"Where's Liam?" Addison squints her eyes as she sweeps them around camp.

Dawson shrugs, he and Addison beginning the walk up the ramp of the dropship. "I don't know. He's acting weird, though."

"Weird?" Dawson nods, Addison's brows scrunching even more. "How so?"

"Just different. Off, I guess. You should talk to him."

Addison nods and enters the dropship first, Dawson holding the tarp to the side and out of her way. Bellamy is in the center, passing out rifles and giving orders about what weapons to use on animals and which for Grounders. Which was obvious to Addison, but she didn't question it. Some people in camp had to be told.

"Hey, wait." Dawson stops her from going any further inside. He slides her rifle off his shoulder and holds it out to her by the strap, "You forgot this earlier. Good thing I didn't try to give this to you when you and Octavia were—"

"Addison, good." Bellamy cuts Dawson off. She couldn't have been more happier at Bellamy in this moment. "You have your rifle," he barely spares Addison a glance as he sweeps his eyes around the dropship.

Her moment of happiness was gone. "You are not sending me outside of these walls with a group of unwary teenagers."

"Addison—"

"I will use all seven rounds in my rifle on them and save the ten in my pistol for the Grounders." She made her point clear by the sternness in her voice, then adds a "maybe'" at the end.

Bellamy sighs, shifting his weight to one foot, "Addison, this is serious."

"I am being serious," her serious expression doesn't falter.

Bellamy just sighs and mutters inaudible nothings under his breath. Addison smirks to herself, thankful that she's not being a body guard.

"Dawson, you're with Liam and Ryder." Bellamy orders.

Addison's lips form an even bigger smirk as she looks at Dawson's un-pleased expression. "Ha."

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With Liam and Dawson on the hunting trip, Addison patrolled her usual section of the wall. She had gotten a brief run-down of what was going on from Clarke before she, Finn and Myles ventured outside the safety of the camp's walls. She still couldn't believe she and Octavia had slept together. It seemed so fast, but it wasn't, and she loved every minute of it. The excitement leading up to the most euphoric moment of her life was her favourite.

She didn't expect Octavia to be as gentle as she was. It was like she could sense how nervous Addison had been. Addison didn't know what the hell she was doing. She went with her instincts and gut when she was giving, and her gut and instinct seemed to have been on her side.

Her lips tug into a grin so hard her cheeks start burning from how hard she's smiling. She couldn't focus on the woods surrounding camp, too busy deep in her mind.

Addison was only able to pull herself together for a moment at a time when a neighbouring patrol delinquent would get close to her. She tried to suppress her smiles, but she simply couldn't when she'd catch Octavia's eyes across camp throughout the remainder of the day.

Night had fallen, and she still patrols. Groups start to come through the front gates from their hunting trip with loud and victorious hollers. From what she could see in the dim glow of the torches, game is slung on some of their shoulders and some on a large stick between two kids. Her brows shoot up in surprise at the amount of game they were able to bring. She was impressed.

More groups entered, and she became less intrigued. Addison goes back to staring into the dark forest, her mind going straight to Octavia.

"Addison!"

She spins around and out of her thoughts, and smiles softly at the voice. "Hey, Monty. What's up?" she studies him; how he strides to her with purpose and, when he gets close enough for the dim light of the torch she's by to light his features, she notes the worry etched on his face.

"Clarke, Finn and Myles are still not back."

Addison's eyes widen, "What?" Monty waves for her to follow, and she does, but no before ordering the first person she sees with a rifle to her post. "We need to—"

"Don't worry," Monty easily cut her off, leading her to the dropship. "Raven's been working on these walkies, radios all day."

"Is there nothing that girl can't do?" Addison chuckled and shook her head, impressed with Raven's skills. Monty offers a small chuckle before stopping at the ramp of the dropship.

"I'll go tell her. Wait here," he said, then disappeared up the ramp and into the dropship.

Addison turns her back to the dropship and surveys camp, a trait that's become second nature when waiting or out of pure boredom. And sometimes both. She slings her rifle on a shoulder and starts to hum the same tune her parents once sang countless times then catches sight of Liam and Dawson's familiar figures by one of the main campfires.

Her humming had gotten quieter as she eyes them out of curiosity. Liam's weird and nervous body language, then there was Dawson's usual laid back yet defensive stance. She jumps out of her skin when a hand touches her shoulder.

"You scared me," Addison breathed out, her brown eyes closing as she released an airy chuckle.

"Scaredy-Cat," Octavia teased.

Addison shoves her in a playful manner, "Shut up."

Before any more words were spoken between them, Monty and Raven came walking down the dropship's ramp while Bellamy came emerging from the tents. He explained the plan while Raven distributed the radios, and then they were off.

"I call the radio," Addison snatches the radio from Raven's hands before she could say anything as she, Raven and Octavia exit under the gate of camp. The boys break off to their assigned areas.

"Hey!" Raven tries taking it back, but Addison puts it behind her back.

"Why do you want the radio so bad?" Octavia asked, her voice just as confused as her expression.

"Yeah. You've got the guns," Raven pointed out as they trekked further from camp.

Addison removes her rifle from her shoulder and slides it onto Octavia's shoulder, then takes her pistol from her waistband and holds it up for Raven.

She eyes it weirdly, "Why can't you just give me the radio?"

"Who cares," Octavia started, "I've got the rifle."

The corner of Addison's lips curl into a small smirk when she flickers her eyes to her. The radio is suddenly snatched away from Addison, her expression falling when she snaps her gaze to Raven.

She hands the 9mm back to Addison and securely holds the radio in hand, checking to make sure Addison hadn't switched stations by accident. "Sorry about your bad luck," Raven's sarcasm has Addison rolling her eyes and huffing like a little kid.

"Don't worry, babe. You'll have your chance with the radio," Octavia slung an arm over Addison's shoulder as she spoke, smiling and chuckling softly at the brunette's pouty expression.

"Babe?" Raven asked, skeptically eyeing the two on her left with a raised brow and curious expression.

Addison smiles up at Octavia, who in turn, returns the smile down to her. Addison didn't know what she and Octavia were. But she like—loved wherever this is going with her.

"Yep," Octavia answered, then removed her arm from around Addison's shoulder, now holding the rifle with two hands.

A nudge from Raven has Addison glancing at her. She lifts a teasing brow, Addison being able to hear each of her silent teases clear as day. She mouths, 'shut up', and continues down the path.

Octavia waves Addison's rifle around, searching the forest forest for any unwelcome Grounders on Raven's left while Addison had moved on Raven's right, her pistol waving out in search, too.

"Where are they?" Raven wondered, aloud and in worry after trekking for a couple of hours.

"We'll find them," Octavia reassured, continuing to warily wave Addison's rifle around the dark forest.

"I thought you said you were heading west. Where are you?"

Monty's voice came through the radio in Raven's hands. Addison steals a quick shared glance with Raven before she goes back to mimicking Octavia; the only difference being that Addison has her pistol.

"Just keep the moon on your left, and you'll find us."

Bellamy responded. Radio silence then followed, and Addison jumped ahead of Raven and Octavia a couple of feet.

"This morning, all I could think about was how much easier this would all be if Finn was just..." Raven's voice cracked when she trailed off, but Addison couldn't hear what was said after. She had to strain to hear what she had caught.

"You didn't wish this into being, Raven." Addison's lips curl into a small smile at Octavia's gentle and reassuring tone, happy that the two are finally getting along, considering the circumstances. "Stop torturing yourself."

"Yeah, Raven..." Addison halts and waits until she can somewhat see Raven's face, instead of the outline of her figure, "It's not your fault."

The three girls start walking again, and that's when the signal to the radio begins to screech ominously. Shivers run down Addison's spine, and her skin prickles up in goosebumps.

"Is anyone else hearing this signal?"

Monty had asked, worriedly. Raven presses a finger on over a button, and speaks, "Just keep your eyes open," she removes her finger off the same button with a click.

"I think it's the same thing we heard in the black box."

"Damn it, Monty, pay attention."

Bellamy's voice came through the radio, Addison's forehead creasing at Monty's words.

"Do you see anything?" Bellamy gives Monty a couple seconds before he's speaking again, "Report."

Nothing. The signal continues to ominously static before it screeches and statics again. A set of bushes a few feet away of them then begin to rustle ever so softly. Addison and Octavia both aim their guns.

"There's someone in the bushes," Raven quietly spoke into the radio.

Addison is the first to creep, her safety having been flicked off since the moment she exited camp. Octavia leaves Raven's side and joins Addison's, the two stealing a quick glance and shared nod.

"Raven, stay behind us," Addison whispers.

The bushes come closer, her and Octavia rounding each of its side before they rush at whoever is behind them.

Addison's eyes widen, while Octavia is the first to speak, "Myles?" she rushes to his side, "Myles, what happened?"

He moans and groans in pain. Addison moves her gaze away from him and continues to be on look out, in case. You can't be too careless. Bellamy then emerges and joins Raven and Octavia beside Myles.

"Where are they? Clarke and Finn, where are they?" Raven pressed Myles.

"Grounders took them..." he struggled to get out through a pained and strained voice.

"Take it easy," Bellamy spoke, softly. "We have to get him back to camp."

"Bell, what about Clarke and Finn?" Octavia asked, before Addison had time to comprehend their words, too busy to make sure she and everyone are safe.

There was a long pause. "Raven, I'm sorry."

Addison sighs softly. Who knows what the Grounders are doing to her friends. She doesn't want their fate to end up worse than what they did to Lincoln, but she also doesn't want Myles to die. He's in front of them and alive, right now; they could save him. For all either of them know, Clarke and Finn could be dead and they'd just be going after ghosts.

Raven was quiet. "We need to make a stretcher."

"Monty, we're heading home. You copy?"

Silence. Addison's heart starts bumping in fear, her concern no longer being the Grounders that wounded Myles and took Clarke and Finn, but Monty's safety.

"Monty, can you hear me?" Silence again. "Monty...Monty, where the hell are you? Report. Monty..."

Addison's heart dropped to her feet, and her stomach sank lower than any quick-sand she's read about. Monty's missing in the forest infested with murderous Grounders, and there was nothing she or anyone could do about it.

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