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LET''S GO FOR A SWIM

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"If you were born with the weakness to fall you were born with the strength to rise"

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After Clarke broke the news of being miles away from food and maybe even water Althea didn't leave her side.

At the moment Peter joined the two girl as Clarke was drawing something on the map.

The steps on the metal door were heard as Wells made his way to them.

"We've got problems."he addressed himself more to the blonde as Althea rolled her eyes not in the mood for another Jaha.

Instead she noticed Peter blush.

"H-hi Wells."he mumbled in a manly voice.

"Hey Peter."he mumbled before turning his gaze back on Clarke."The communication system is dead.I went to the roof.A dozen panels are missing.Heat fried the wires."

"Great."Althea muttered not facing them.

"Well all that matters right now is getting to Mount Weather."Clarke reassured him."See?Look this is us.This is where we need to get to if we wanna survive."she showed all three the map with her drawings which pointed where they needed to go.

"Where'd you learn to do that?"Wells asked confusion on his face.

Clarke didn't look at him,but the hurt look on her face seemed to give Wells the answer.

"Your father."

"Cool,a map.They got a bar in this town?I'll buy you a beer."Jasper barged in their conversation making Althea chuckle at the way he talked to Clarke.

"Jasper,are you high?"she asked him amused.

But Wells grabbed his arm and pulled him behind.

"You mind?"

"Hands off of him Wells!"Althea snapped at the boy.

"Hey,hey,hey!"a boy with hair gelled like Bellamy's but with brown hair shouted.He also had large blue eyes and a crew of boys behind him.

"Like she said,hands off of him.He's with us."

"Relax.We're just trying to figure out where we are."Wells stated trying to fix the situation.

"On the ground.That not good enough for you?"a voice shouted making Althea turn around to see Bellamy next to his sister.

Wells shook his head and then walked to Bellamy annoyed.

"We need to find Mount Weather.You heard my father's message.That's our first priority."Wells said trying to knock some sense in the teenagers as Althea and Clarke walked next to him.

"Screw your father."Octavia spoke looking disgusted at the Jaha boy.

"True but we need to find Mount Weather."Althea said earning a slight glare from Wells.

"Sorry."she whispered to him in a child like tone as he nodded facing the Blake siblings again.

"What?You think you're in charge here?"Octavia said in a harsh tone"You and your little princess?"she said smirking at Clarke.

"Do you think we care who's in charge?We need to get to Mount Weather!"Clarke spoke for the first time in a while"Not because the Chancellor said so,because the longer we wait,the hungrier we'll get and the harder this'll be!"

"And I am not eating any of you!Just to make it clear!"Althea said earning many other glares from fellow delinquents.

"How long do you think we'll last out there without those supplies?We're looking at a twenty mile trek.Okay?So if we wanna get there before dark,we need to leave.Now."the blonde finished.

"I got a better idea."Bellamy spoke.

"Oh dear Lord."Althea muttered making Monty who stood now next to her chuckle.

"You three go.Find it for us."

"Pardon me?"Althea rose her eyebrows at him annoyed.

"Yeah,let the privileged do the hard work for a change."the older Blake said making kids agree with him.

"You're not listening.We all need to go!"Wells said trying to be calm until he got pushed by the boy who confronted him earlier.

"Look at this everybody,it's the Chancellor of Earth."he mocked Wells making his friends laugh.

And that is how Althea remembered him.John Murphy.She met him when some of the delinquents were forced to take some Earth Skills class with Charles Pike which she didn't get why to do them until now.

"You think that's funny?"Wells asked finally annoyed.

Murphy took one look at him before pushing him,causing his ankle to hit a rock so badly that even Althea heard how his bone cracked when he fell.

"Wells!"Clarke tried to help him but a friend of Murphy's pushed her back.

"No but that was."Murphy said as other cheered at him beating up Wells.

"Althea shouldn't you help him?"Jasper said aware of Althea's fighting skills that her father taught her in case someone attacked her back on the Ark.

"Still debating it."Althea said as she sighed seeing Wells struggling to stand.

She walked up to the boys even though she couldn't stand Jaha.It didn't have anything to do with Wells.

"Leave him alone Murphy."she shouted to him making him scoff looking at her.

"Or what?"he said pretending to throw a punch at Wells making Althea harshly grab his arm.

"I told you to leave him alone."she said with ice in her voice as her attention was taken by Finn jumping from the dropship between the fighting boys making everyone shut up.

"The kid's got one leg.How about you wait until it's a fair fight?"Finn asked a mad Murphy whose arm was still in the ginger's grip.

"Hey Spacewalker!"Octavia said waking them making Althea loose her grip on Murphy's arm."Rescue me next."she seductively said making Althea scoff and Finn smile as Murphy left the group.

"You were ready to kick his ass weren't you?"Finn asked Althea making her chuckle.

"Something like that."she smirked and then walked to Monty,Jasper and Peter.

"You okay Jasp?"she asked her friend who nodded.

Two arms grabbed the three making them turn around and face Clarke and Wells.

Finn squished between Althea and Jasper.

"Five of us.Can we go now?"Finn said.

"Where are you taking me Tarzan?"Althea joked at Finn who smiled.

"Sounds like a party.Make it six!"Octavia said cheerfully waking to them with Bellamy behind.

"I think I better stay with Wells.To watch out for his ankle."Peter followed them as they nodded.

"Good idea."Clarke said making the boy smile.

"Hey,what the hell are you doing?"Bellamy snapped at his sister making Althea roll her eyes.

She understood that he wanted to protect her but she wasn't a baby.At least not anymore.

"-this wristband transmits your vital signs to the Ark!"Clarke's voice snapped the redhead out of her thoughts"Take it off and they'll think you're dead."

Althea glanced at Bellamy who suddenly looked very interested in the wristbands even though he didn't have one.Then looked at her own who was still tight on her wrist but already got used to it.

"Do you want them to follow you here in two months?Because they won't if they think we're dying."Clarke scolded Finn."Okay,now let's go."

"Al?"Monty asked the ginger who glanced at the Blakes.

"I'll catch up.Go."she said after seeing Octavia kissing her brother's cheek and then running after the group.

"Hey Tinker Bell!"she shouted taking Bellamy's attention.

He rolled his eyes at the nickname.

"What?"

"Why so suddenly interested in the wristbands?You don't even own one."she asked seeing him shift uncomfortably.

"None of your business Ginger."he said turning to walk away before turning back to face her and sigh.

"I saw you're friendly with my sister.Please...watch out for her."he almost whispered softening the girl up a bit.

"Sure Tinker Bell."she said."Oh and the other conversation?Yeah,not over!"she yelled as she ran after the five as Bellamy scoffed.

—

Five out of the six teens,stopped to admire rocks with grass and purple small flowers.It was beautiful,the trees with green and brown,the flowers,the beautiful bright blue sky.

Althea looked in front of her to see Finn put one of the flowers in Octavia's hear.The younger girl must be trying not to faint.

"Now that my friends,is game."Jasper said impressed making the redhead scoff.

"That,my friend,is poison sumac."Monty said making Octavia quickly throw it out of her brown hair.

"What?It is?"she asked.

"The flowers aren't poisonous.They're medicinal.Calming,actually."Monty exclaimed taking a bite from the flower."Hey Al,want a medicinal flower crown?"

"That would be great!Thank you!"Althea exclaimed pressing a kiss on Monty's cheek.

"His family grows all the pharmaceuticals on the Ark."Jasper told the other two.

"Hey,guys,would you try to keep up?"Clarke called after the five.

"Come on,Clarke.How do you block all this out?"Finn asked amazed by the blonde's ability not to stop and stare at everything around her.

"Well,it's simple.I wonder,why haven't we seen any animals?Maybe because it's because there are none.Maybe because we've already been exposed to enough radiation to kill us!It sure is pretty though.Come on."Clarke snapped then again started walking fast.

"We just got Clarked."Althea whispered making Monty who was still working on her flower crown chuckle.

"Someone should slip her some poison sumac."O said making Finn giggle and Jasper full on laugh.

"Jas,she's totally crushing on Finn."the ginger told her friend.

"I don't know what you mean."he said.

"Come on-"Althea started but got interrupted by Finn.

"I gotta know what you two did to get busted."Finn asked finding out about Althea's crime back on the Ark.

"Sumac's not the only herb in the garden.If you know what I mean."Monty said smirking.

"Someone forgot to replace what we took."

"Someone's apologized like a thousand times."

"Here is the crown."Monty quickly pushed the crown in front of Althea.

She took it with a small smile and placed on her head.

"What did they get you for?"she heard Jasper ask Octavia.

"Jasper no-"Al tried to stop the conversation but the Blake girl interrupted.

"Being born."she whispered and then ran away to Clarke.

"I promised something to Blake."Althea whispered and went after her.

"You okay?"she asked after catching up with O.

"Yeah.Gotta get used to the fact that people are gonna either ask me or they already know and gonna gossip about it."she said but got shushed by Clarke.

The blonde pointed to the girls to crouch down next to them.

When they did,Althea was amazed as a smile grew on her lips.

"It's beautiful."she whispered when she saw the deer,who was peacefully eating grass.

"No animals huh?"Finn mocked Clarke's previous speech,then stepped ahead of the group,probably trying to get to the deer.

But he stepped on a twig.And that was a moment Althea would never forget.

The deer looked up and showed all of her face.Her head grew another one.Flesh showing between the heads.Two of the eyes stuck with each other.

The group gasped and took a step behind.

"What the-"Finn whispered shocked.

The kids stood there shocked and actually a bit scared.

—

"Hey,you know what I'd like to know?"Finn asked another question.

"Why the Earth is round?"Althea asked bored,tired and hungry.

"No,why send us down today,after 97 years?What changed?"the boy finished.

"Who cares?I'm just glad they did.I woke up rotting in a cell,and now I'm spinning in a forest."Octavia said actually spinning by a tree trying to impress Finn,who walked past her.

"Don't try to hard O."Althea chuckled at the disappointment on the younger girl's face.

"Maybe they found something on a satellite.You know.Like an old weather satellite,or-"Monty fantasized but Clarke burst his bubble of imagination.

"It wasn't a satellite.The Ark is dying."the blonde said like it wasn't a big thing making the others stomp on their feet shocked."With the current population,there's roughly three months left of life support.Maybe four now that we're gone."

Fuck,fuck,shit,fuck.

That was all Althea could think.Her mom was still up there,sick as fuck but up there.The oxygen.It was going to be gone.

"So that was the secret the locked you up to keep?Why they kept you in solitary?Floated your old man?"Finn asked the girl multiple questions due to the shock.

Poor Jake Griffin.Althea liked him,he recommended the Harry Potter books to her.She adored the first chapter.

"My father was the engineer who discovered the flaw.He thought the people had the right to know.The council disagreed,my mother disagreed.They were afraid it would cause a panic.We were gonna go public anyway when Wells..."Clarke told the story like she had a sore throat.It probably hurt,is most likely hurt.

"What?Turned in your dad?"Monty asked.

"Anyway,the guard showed up before we could."the blonde quickly ended the story."That's why today.That's why it was worth the risk.Even if we all die,at least they bought themselves some more time."

"They're gonna kill more people aren't they?"Monty asked scared.

"No no no."Althea whispered to herself the thought of her mother never leaving her head.

Clarke doesn't respond but her silence is enough for the group.Althea feelt like someone poured water with ice on her back.

"Good.After what they did to me,I say float them all."Octavia said jumping from a higher ground and then running off.

"You don't mean that."Jasper rushed after her.

Althea didn't wanna hear any more of it so she ran after the two carefully so the crown won't fall off her head.

Jasper stayed behind for some reason but Althea walked after Octavia to see a river.She has only seen them in very old pictures and paintings and heard about them a lot from books.

The water was almost crystal clear.Making it look irresistible.

"Wanna go for a swim?"O asked with a smirk on her face.

"Hell yeah,I stood in that damn cell all by myself for almost a year.I wanna live!"Althea exclaimed as Octavia chuckled and took off her jacket.

Althea did the same and then put her flower crown down before getting off her pants,trying not to get intimidated by the fact that the guys were there.She barely knew Finn and showing him her purple underwear isn't exactly the way of becoming besties.

Octavia went for it with no issue.Her jumpsuit wear gone leaving her in her bra covered by a tank top and her black panties.

The two climbed on the little cliff which was hiding the river from the distance.

"Althea!Octavia,what the hell are you doing?"Clarke shouted from the distance annoyance in her voice.

The two glanced at the remaining of the group as Octavia smirked,grabbed Althea's hand and threw the ginger a look before the two nodded at each other and ran off the cliff jumping in the river.

Althea felt like flying for a few seconds before her skin met the warm water.

She felt like her body felt a warm embrace.It was nothing like the short showers on the Ark.

Her legs met the wet sand which was like mud.She stood up,her upper part which wasn't in the water anymore met the cold as her shirt was sticking to her body as well as her hair to her head and neck.

She smiled like a child before running her hands on her head.

"Althea!"Monty shouted after his friend.She saw the others looking excited by looking at the two girls."We can't swim!"Monty said looking at Octavia who had only half of her head up.

"No,but we can stand."she responded taking the same position as Althea before chuckling.

Althea playfully splashed some water at O.

"You want a war Sparkles?"Octavia challenged raising her eyebrows.

"I sure do Blake."Althea joked before Octavia jumped at her splashing more water making the two tackling each other in the water.

Monty and Jasper started taking their clothes off while Althea shortly glanced to see Clarke smile widely.

She walked in the water at her after ending the water fight only for Octavia to splash some water at Jasper who was still on the cliff.

"Waiting for you C."Althea said with a smirk making Clarke laugh.

"Althea,Octavia get out of the water!"the ginger heard Jasper speaking to them in a harsh-worried tone.

Everyone looked weirdly at the river hearing a weird sound.

Octavia turned around to something swimming at them.

"Get out of the water now!"

But O didn't have time as something grabbed her and swished her in the water dragging her along.

Althea grabbed the cliff desperately trying to get back on it.

Finn noticed her struggle and grabbed her arms dragging her up.

Althea groaned in pain as her ankle got almost stuck

between two rocks but with Finn quickly grabbing her middle she was quickly back up with a big scratch on her ankle.

The teens looked at the river which looked normal.Everyone looked after the Blake girl.Althea and Jasper probably being the most worried.

And from the deadly noise Octavia rose up from the water struggling with the what looked like a huge snake.

"There!"Monty shouted everyone getting up following the creature which held O captive.

"What the hell is that?!"Monty asked freaked.

"We have to help!"Finn said something clever.

Althea got up harder but still managed to follow them.Not hearing the rest of the conversation only noticing them struggling to move a huge rock and push it in the river to distract the snake which worked but Octavia can't swim so that was another problem.

"It worked!Jasper shouted.

"It let her go."Monty announced.

"Octavia,get to the shore now!"Jasper said rushing after her.

"Octavia can't swim and neither can you!"the ginger shouted trying to go after him.

Jasper jumped in the river grabbing the girl but the snake thought of going there too.

"It's coming back!"

"It's headed right for you guys."Monty screamed scared.

Althea finally got to the cliff closest to them and tried to grab Jasper's free arm.He decided to push O on the cliff.

"Come on!Come on,keep moving!"Jasper shouted at the girl as Althea helped her get up noticing a nasty bite on her tight.

Jasper quickly followed next to O and the others joined too.

Althea sat on her butt sighing,her ankle terribly hurting but then her and Jasper looked at Octavia's wound which was bleeding much more than Althea's scratch.

Clarke noticed the wound too.Ripping a piece of Jasper's shirt using it to take care of the wound.

Octavia hugged Jasper thanking him.

"You're gonna be okay."Clarke whispered."I'll take care of your ankle in a minute."she said looking at Althea.

"Listening to you doc."the ginger giggled.

"Note to self:Next time,save the girl."Monty joked patting Jasper's shoulder as everyone laughed.

"Note to self:next time put your pants close by because my ass is freezing."Althea said making everyone laugh again."No seriously,can someone go grab my pants please?"

—

Althea's ankle was feeling better as Clarke took care of it last night after they found a place to sleep.

The ripped parts of clothing would get too bloodied and needed to be changed as Althea kept feeling itchy and scratched the wound.

She walked better which was a very good thing.

The six were now making a a big long vine so they could cross the river and make it to the other side.