Chapter 49

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Addison

It all made sense. The look she remembered when Finn introduced her to Raven at the Pod's crash site —that had made Addie uncomfortable—, down to the way she and Raven had just clicked, like they've known each other their whole lives. Even Finn knew something: the weird, familiar looks he gave when they first met —like he's looked into the same pair of brown eyes—, and how he turned on the "big brother" act when searching for seaweed to save Jasper. He tested the waters —and he was right.

But how? Was she never her mother's true daughter? Or even her father's real daughter?

She's had memories of her parents since she was able to comprehend what memories were. Are they her real parents at all? There's only one attribute that Addison's questioned all her life: where did the colour of her eyes come from?

Her mother's were the colour of —at the time— what she thought Earth's clear skies would look like, while her father's were grey.

No. She shook her head in denial. She's too much like them both. Maybe Raven had it all wrong. Raven had to be wrong . . .

"That's not possible," Addison's tears dried to her cheeks, the entirety of her body ridged and tense. She repeated the denial shake of her head.

"What do you want to talk about? I mean, we hardly know each other. So what could we possibly have to talk about?"

"More than you think."

"From what I heard, you weren't so short-tempered. He was wrong."

The words echoed in the back of her mind. She had almost forgotten about all Raven had said to her the night Lincoln was taken captive. "Will said the only person you ever lost your temper on was Murphy," Raven started, "but if he saw you now, he'd know that's not true anymore . . ."

"Are you—" Addison cut herself. What she wants to say versus what words zoomed a thousand miles per second in her head, intersect and confused the muscles of her lips to speak. She wants to —needs to— say something, anything, but she can't form the right words. "Raven . . ." her voice cracked, "I'm so sorry . . ."

"Don't be." Raven never missed a beat. "I'd do it again if it meant keeping you safe."

Addison turns her head down and plants her knees on the floor of the dropship, elbows resting on the surface Raven is laid on. She uses both hands to clasp around Raven's one and places her forehead on top of them. "How did you talk to him?" her voice muffled, then she looks up at Raven and rests her chin on top of their hands, "How were you able to talk to my father? To find him?" Addison asked louder. She has to know some of the truth. Her father and everybody on the Ark are dead. Raven's the only one who knows the truth that's alive.

"He found me," Raven hissed softly when she moved wrong.

"Raven."

Addison snaps her head to the voice—Finn. He holds the stretcher vertically between him and Dawson. "What's going on?" Addison asked, getting to her feet but still holding onto Raven's hand, tight.

"We're leaving," he replied, and walks further inside the dropship

"Octavia's waiting for you. She'll explain everything." Dawson said.

Addison turns her attention to Raven, "We'll talk later, okay?" she curses internally at Finn's amazing timing.

Addison nods, and slowly unclasps her hands from around Raven's. She takes one last look at her before she exits. The weight of the information clouds her thoughts that she doesn't even notice the entire camp is waiting just behind the entrance, packed and ready to go.

She autopilots to Octavia, like her feet knew exactly where she wanted, needed to go. "Octavia," she called softly, sounding like she hadn't slept since they landed three weeks ago.

Octavia turns around, "Hey, you okay? What happened?"

Addison remained silent. She heard Octavia but she doesn't have the energy to reply. Instead, she reaches for her pistol that's in Octavia's grasp and sticks it back in the waistband of her pants. She doesn't even reach for her rifle that's in Octavia's hold. "Dawson said you'd tell me what's going on," Addison said quietly, her eyes drifting to Finn and Dawson carrying Raven on the stretcher.

Sighing, Octavia responds, "We're leaving. The Grounder's are on their way." Addison nods, keeping her eyes trained on Raven.

"You know, I find it hilarious that you're jealous of her," she started, a sad smile playing on her lips, "of Raven, I mean." Addison occupies the left side of Octavia as they exit camp, "It would be weird if Raven and I even had the slightest of things going on," she chuckled to herself, especially when she saw the scrunched look on Octavia's sharp features.

"I'm not jealous," she snapped quickly.

Addison only chuckled more. "Turns out you and Bellamy weren't the only siblings on the Ark."

"What?"

Addison averts her attention to her boots that match Octavia's determined pace, "Raven just told me," her voice was quiet.

"Addie . . ."

"The universe hates me," Addison meets Octavia's eyes, "first my parents and now some part of my own blood that I could be killing? It's not a coincidence. It's a punishment. For everything I've done," she glances around the woods where Grounders could be lurching.

Pulling Addison to the side, Octavia places a hand on the lower part of her cheek, catching Addison's attention. "It's coincidence, not punishment. You're good, Addison," her thumb strokes over a dried blood-spot from Raven that's on her cheek.

Addison turns her gaze down with a shake of her head, "I don't believe that."

"I do." Addison snaps her eyes to Octavia's, "I know you are, and if I have to tell you that everyday, I will."

Addison's heart swelled and tears brimmed in her glossy doe eyes. She had never met anyone like Octavia or even imagined meeting anyone quite like her. Hearing those words completely melted her from the inside out, and she felt loved; not in the way her parents did or how Liam does.

The walls she kept up since being arrested have significantly crumbled due to Octavia, and she loved every exciting and scary moment with her. Even the week of torture after Dawson had kissed her, because if none of it happened, she likely wouldn't be 'hiding' behind a tree with Octavia while everyone else around them marched away from camp.

Addison's forehead closes in with Octavia's and knocks into the side of someone else's. She rips her head back, "Sorry to ruin the moment," Liam removes his head, glancing between his friend and Octavia, "but we need to keep moving."

Octavia narrows her eyes at him and uses the butt of Addison's rifle to push him away. "I know. I got this," she muttered.

Liam's hands shoot up near his head in defence, "Right, sorry . . ." he flickers his eyes between the two, ". . . carry on."

Addison cracks a smile at their interaction, and watched Liam round the tree on Octavia's side. "He's right," she sighed, and meets Octavia's eyes once again, "we shouldn't be stopping."

She merely nodded.

"Thank you," Addison mumbled before their trance could break further.

"I meant what I said."

She leaned into Octavia's touch, lips curling in a smile, "I know."

Octavia returns the smile and catches Addison's lip with her own in a short kiss that comforts Addison more than most words have ever done.

Pulling away, Addison eyes the handle of what appeared to be a sword of some kind. The memories of her and Octavia taking about gladiators brings a wider smile to her lips, "Badass sword wielding woman, huh?"

A sad smile forms on Octavia's lips quicker than Addison could blink.

"It's hot." Addison said, "Back on the Ark, I always loved the idea of getting together with a badass. Just ask Liam."

"Then it's a good thing you're dating one," Octavia nonchalantly said, the two moving closser towards the front of their people.

Addison's lips curl in a toothy grin. "Is that so?" she raised a brow.

In turn, Octavia meets her brown eyes and smiles, too, "Yes."

Wanting to tease her, Addison's grin is replaced by the best serious face she can muster, "Prove it."

Octavia lifts an arched brow and softly laughs, "What, our first night didn't seal us?" memories of the night flash Addison's mind, and she blushes.

Grabbing hold of Addison's arm and pulling her to a stop, she leans down and presses her lips to Addison's for all to see. It was different from the one they shared before Addison went underneath the dropship. This one was longer and more passionate.

Addison could feel Octavia's lips start to move away. At this point, she doesn't care about the multiple pairs of eyes on her, on them. Biting Octavia's lower lip gently, Addison brings her back to her lips.

Addison then pulled away first, her mood back up again after their kiss, "I don't know whether to be embarrassed and nervous, or excited and nervous." Chuckling, Octavia hands Addison her rifle back --that she slings on her left shoulder-- and switches to Addison's other side. Addison scrunches her brows, "What was that for?"

"So I can do this," Octavia's fingers thread through Addison's.

"You could've held my other hand."

"I'm right-handed," she raised her hand in front of them and wiggles her fingers, "I can't keep you safe if you're holding that hand, and you can't keep yourself protected if I'm holding your left-hand."

Smiling, Addison squeezes Octavia hand. As they trekked hand-in-hand, Octavia filled Addison in on where she really got the sword from and what was happening they walked; the Grounder Scouts that Lincoln had told Clarke and Finn about and their destination being the ocean. In turn, Addison told Octavia what Raven had said and exactly what happened underneath the dropship, and what she did to upset Murphy.

Sighing, Octavia's wary green eyes hardly ever left the forest that surrounds them.

"I hate him," she snapped under her breath.

"Murphy? I think everyone does," Addison said, her gaze falling on Raven atop the stretcher.

"Screw him."

"Yeah . . ." Addison's good mood was no longer in her words or tone, nor is it in the way she carries herself and expression. The debate inside her head continues; she should be the one dead or on the stretcher.

Liam

His eyes dart from everyone nock-and-cranny of the forest. Callie's at his side, a rifle in her hands now that waves from side-to-side.

"Do you anything?" she asked under her breath.

"No, you?" Callie's answer was the same. "I wonder how far the ocean," he said.

"Far enough to escape the Grounders," Callie snuck a glance at him. Liam feels her eyes, but his eyes stay trained on the stretcher. "What do you think of them?"

Liam tears his eyes away from Raven long enough to scrunch his entire face in question, "What?"

Callie motions to Addison and Octavia a ways up, clasped hands swinging comfortably together as they look around the forest, too.

Liam follows Callie's eyes. He studies Addison; even from a ways back Liam could tell how relaxed she is by being around Octavia, especially with their fingers intertwined.

"I've never seen her this happy," he said, a soft smile gracing his lips after a moment. "Even with Natalie," he muttered the last part.

"Who's that?"

Liam remembers Nat all too well, even though it's been almost a year since he's seen her. She was as close to him as Addison, if not closer. "A friend," he answered.

"A friend to you? Or a friend to her?" Callie's dark blonde, almost brown brows scrunched, trying to piece together his story.

Liam's answer was quiet, so quiet Callie strained to hear it, "To me."

Two years ago, the Ark.

Liam enters the Anderson's quarters, smiling when he shuts the door and hears the familiar friendly banter of Addison and her mother.

"Mom, this one goes here."

Her mother hums, her blue eyes never having lost their spark. She's gotten thinner in the last couple months and her skin's been paling faster in the past year. "Honey, that piece is a corner. And the colour is different," she said with a chuckle in the back of her throat.

"Then why does it fit better here? Stupid puzzle pieces . . ." Addison muttered in frustration, a faint smile appearing on her lips when she hears her mother laugh.

Addison's father, Will, chuckles from the small dining table that comfortably sits the Anderson's and Liam. Will lifts his cup to his lips and takes a sip of the contents inside, "Ah, Liam! Glad you could join us," he said, setting his cup back down on the surface.

Liam takes Addison's seat at the table to the left of Will, "Yeah, of course. Sorry I'm a little late today."

Addison's father waves it off, "Nah, it's all good, kid," his grey eyes drift back to his wife and daughter sitting on the ground around their much smaller coffee table. "Those two have been working on that all day," Will shifts his gaze to Liam, who in turn, meets Will's eyes, "Jane insisted they finish it in one day . . ."

"Let me guess . . ." Liam turns in the chair and watches the mother daughter duo laugh and bicker once more, ". . . a bird puzzle."

Teasing, Will slaps the back of his hand against Liam's shoulder, "How did you guess?"

Liam's smile widens. "The party's here!" a voice shouted in excitement from across the room.

A girl a year older than Addison exits from the bathroom, long fiery red hair in soft curls that reach down to her lower back. A path of freckles sprinkle the bridge of her nose and on both cheeks that connect on her pale skin.

"Hey, what about me?" Addison wore a look of fake hurt. Liam stands and wraps his arms around them when they wrapped theirs around him, "You're a stone cold traitor, Nat."

Liam and Natalie release one another and face Addison, smiles on each of their lips, "I would never," Nat played along.

Addison rolls her eyes, her voice lacing in sarcasm as she drawled, "Pft, right . . ." she clicks a piece of puzzle in on her side, her mother clicking them in much faster, since they're almost done.

Natalie laughs, and leaves Liam's side. She kneels down next to Addison, examining the puzzle, "I think Jane's beating you this time."

"What do you mean 'this time' ?  Mom's always good at puzzles," Addison grumbled.

"I have extra ambition today," Jane replied, clicking her last piece in, then brushes a thin piece of dirty blonde hair behind her ear.

Addison splits her pieces up and gives them to her mother, "My ambition is somewhere in those stupid pieces."

Jane and Natalie locks eyes and share an amused grin.

Addison waves them off, and finally, she clicks her last piece in. "Yes!" her hands raise themselves above her hand, "in your face puzzle!"

Jane, Will, Liam and Natalie all bust out in hysterics. Addison merely ignores them for only a second, until she's laughing with them.

Her brown eyes slit from how hard she's laughing and smiling, Natalie's own bright blue ones matching Addison's when they lock.

"Alright, you guys . . . it's time for dinner," Will called the girls, then gets up from the table to retrieve their meal.

"I'll help," Liam said, catching a glimpse of Addison and Natalie helping Jane to the table before his back is turned to them.

He comes to Will's side and grabs a plate full of all kinds of vegetables, more than a usual dinner at the Anderson's quarters.

"What's the occasion?" Liam asked, glancing at Will to his right as he picks out utensils.

"Jane."

Liam looks over his shoulder to find Addison and Natalie just now sitting Jane down in her spot, the three laughing and some nonsense one of them had said.

"You're a good kid, Liam," Will's words catches Liam's attention. He clasps his hand on Liam's shoulder, eyes locking.

"Thank you, Will. Between you and me, you're family is more mine than my own."

"You are family, Liam. You're the son Jane and I could never have. Never let that old man of yours especially tell you differently," Will said, "even if he is some high ranking Guard."

The freckles that coat Will's face bring out the grey in his eyes, the softness of them popping even more. Liam's lips tug up in a smile. His parents, let alone his father, have never looked at him with this much kindness and love like Will and Jane do.

"Let's have dinner, shall we?" Will removes his hand from Liam's shoulder. Liam agreed and followed Will back to the table. "Who's hungry?"  Will's enthusiasm has the entire room chuckling.

"Mmmm . . . vegetables," Addison drawled.

Natalie smiles at her from between Addison and where Liam had just sat down. Will places the other plates and utensils in the center, then takes his seat, "Best vegetables on the Ark."

"What I wouldn't give to have some meat our ancestors used to eat," Addison said. Will reaches across the table and ruffles up her hair.

"Hey!" Natalie reaches from behind and does the same to Addison again. She snaps her head to Nat, "Whose side are you on? See! Traitor," she flattens her hair down.

"Oh, Addie . . ." she trailed. Liam chuckles. Natalie turns her head towards him and smirks, "You're not getting out of this one, Liam." She ruffles up his brown locks even more than Addison's.

"Hey, no! I thought you were on my side!" Liam swats Nat's hand away with a laugh.

"Welcome to my world, Lee," Addison said, a smile on her lips.

"The girl," Callie looks at him, remembering the previous night she and him went to his tent. She remembers the way he couldn't take his eyes off of her. "She reminds you of Natalie."

Liam nodded. "Yeah," he was quiet. "She was family. Another sister I had, but not as reckless or 'Addison like' ."

"Is she . . ."

"I don't know," Liam muttered, lost in thought when his eyes snap to the back of that girl's head that reminds him so much of Natalie.

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Sorry for the wait, guys! I got super busy these past couple of weeks. Things at home have been super stressful and and are getting worse in the last month. I'll try to update as often as I can, I promise! Anyways, have a great day/night!