May We Meet Again

XIV. 2199

"Bellamy... if you can hear me... if you're alive. It's been 2199 days since Praimifaya. I don't know why I still do this every day... maybe it's my way of staying sane, not forgetting who I am... who I was. The bunker's gone silent too. I haven't made contact with them either. It's been safe for you to come down for over a year now. Why haven't you?"

I pause and look out over the desolate landscape, placing the transmitter at my side. I know that Maddie and the twins are waiting for me in the Rover; well at least the twins are. I can bet that Maddie is still sleeping. I had made my peace with the fact that my friends weren't coming down, but Maddie had encouraged me to continue with the daily radios. I sigh and pick the transmitter back up.

"Anyway, tell Raven to aim for the spot of green and you'll be able to find me..." I trail off as the sound of a rocket fills the sky and a dark spot ascends from space, getting larger with each passing second. "Nevermind, I see you!" I scramble to pack the radio up and race to the rover. Jude's head pops out of the back.

"Clarke!" He yells in Trigedasleng. "What's that sound?"

"It's them, Jude! It's them!" I run around the side of the Rover and jump into the back, startling Abba awake

"Geez, Clarke," Abba snaps grumpily as a yawn makes it way out of her. She brings her hand up to her head and rustles her ginger hair, messy and nappy from sleeping in the Rover. "Can't a girl sleep without being interrupted?" I smile in adoration; why are my little Nightbloods so adorable?

I brush past Abba and reach Madi who is still curled up in a ball, her beanie covering her eyes and light snore coming from her lips. "Wake up my little Nightblood!" I say in a singsong voice, already anticipating Abba's groan of disapproval and annoyance.

"Clarkey!" Abba whines. "It is too early for this!" Madi groans from below me and I reach down to adjust her hat. Her eyes snap open and she looks at me with suspicion.

"No training today, Clarke," Madi says with a yawn. Abba yawns in response but nods her head in agreement.

"No, my little Nightbloods," I say, eager for them to learn the news. "Today's the day- they're here!"

Madi's eyes widen in surprise and Abba gasps in response. I smile at them both, glad for their happy reactions. "You mean that Bellamy and them are here?" squeals Abba. Whenever I told Madi and the twins stories of my past, Bellamy was always Abba's favorite, not that I could blame her because he was my favorite too.

"Clarke!" yells Jude from outside of the Rover. "I thought you said it was a small ship?" I can hear the worry and wonder in his voice and my heart is suddenly filled with fear. The girls look at me in confusion as I scramble from the back of the Rover. It was a small ship, I don't understand. I grab my gun with the good scope and race to Jude's side.

Jude looks at me with concern in his small face, his tiny nose scrunched up. We stand together on the side of the hill and watch as a monster size ship descends from the sky. I hear the girls scrambling to gather their things to join Jude and me, but I am unsure now. "Jude, go back to the Rover with the girls. Don't leave. Tell Madi to get in the driver's seat and wait for my signal." Jude doesn't argue and scrambles up the hill to get to the Rover. I hear Abba shout in protest but I tune them out as I train my scope on the giant ship once more.

This is definitely not my friends. I'm worried about who it is, or even possibly what is on the ship when the words "Eligius Corporation" and "prisoner transport" come into view. My breath catches. It can't be.