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The Sacrifice (WillowVX & littlerooster)

Annie blinked.

"What? He brought me here? Did he have something to do with..." She shook her head. "Okay. I will deal with him later. But not now. Right now the important thing is saving Robbie." She looked at him fiercely. "Clarke, we can't leave him there. You said yourself, you are the sheriffs son. You have access to the jail house. Keys. We have to get everyone together and go to the cave. We need a plan." Annie was moving fast. Gathering all of the fliers and papers, shoving her feet into her sneakers, and her jacket.

"It's time for a rescue mission." She said with determination. The steel will of Annie strikes again. She didn't know how but she knew that if Clarke was in this situation, as much as they didn't like each other, Robbie would do the same for him. They were a team. All they had was each other. It was them against the world at this point. And nobody gets left behind.
 
"Look first we save us, we go to the cave and hide these fliers, if they catch us as well, it won't help Robbie, I will call Julia, Ruth, Sam, Billy & Dean and make sure they are ok, we will meet at the cave, that is step one" he said, not wanting more misplaced emotion fucking things up.

He called them all and they agreed to meet, they jumped in his truck and drove off to the cave.

Clarke and Annie got there first, "We have a box buried here, we'll put the fliers in there and then see the others. Later I will go to the police lock up and see Robbie, no more bullshit premature actions" he said.
 
Annie nodded her head. That was a good idea. They needed to be smart about this. If they were going to save Robbie, they would have to make sure they were safe themselves. She trusted Clarke. As long as they all stick together, it would be okay. They were a family now. They had to look after each other. That thought was followed by another grim thought and Annie no longer had any amount of hesitation. If Julie, or Ruth, or Jenny got chosen... Annie would undoubtedly go in their place. She had never been more certain about anything in her life.

"Okay." She said. She followed him out to the truck and he called Julie and told her to round everyone up and meet at the cave. They had to be especially careful. Now the counsel knew there was a resistance. Annie thought of what they could be doing to Robbie. She felt sick. "Clarke..." Annie started but hesitated. "How far do you think they would go? You don't think they would.." She swallowed hard. "Torture him, or anything do you? For information. About the resistance."

Annie couldn't imagine them hurting Robbie. It made her angry. He wasn't bad. She didn't know how she knew but she did. He was wounded. His outside was cold and callused but she knew there was more. He didn't deserve to be tortured. She saw the same steel reserve inside of him that she had in herself, no matter what they did to him, he wouldn't tell. She could almost picture his bitter smile as they attempted to torture him. Annie shivered.

They stuffed the fliers in the box and buried it back into the dirt. Annie nodded at him again as they sat down and waited for the others. "Just be careful." She whispered and lowered her eyes. "What can I do?"
 
Clarke looked at Annie and a part of him was thinking this all happened because of her, the new girl in town who tries to change everything without understanding the culture of the place and how sensitive and dangerous it all is. She had encouraged Robbie, Robbie went off and did this without wanting to wait, he was keen to act and probably wanted to save Annie as well by not having her around during the flier posting.

"The idea of doing this in teams was to have someone act as a look out" Clarke said pissed off at Robbie.

Clarke just looked at Annie when she asked about torture, she was in a town that sacrificed a virgin to a mob of men every year, of course they would treat him harshly, she still didn't understand this religion and town.

Sam & Dean turn up "Has anyone heard from him, have they allowed him his call?" they asked.

Julie and Ruth then appeared "They announced the start of the Festival this morning" Ruth said looking sad.

"Billy is staying in town, his father wants him to help build the stage, he wouldn't let him leave" Julie then explained.
 
The way Clarke didn't answer Annie when she asked of they would torture Robbie, the look he gave her, sent chills up her neck.

Sam and Dean walked into the cave, asking if anyone's heard from Robbie yet. Clarke and Annie just shook their hands gravely. Julie and Ruth followed slowly after. Annie was just about to wonder about Billy when Julie began. She sighed. Julie was right. All of them had their family parts in the festival. Poor Billy. He had to help with the terrible thing that got Robbie locked up to begin with. Annie felt sick. She couldn't stop thinking about this was all because of her.

"This is all my fault." She shook her head and buried it in her hands. "I encouraged him. This was a bad idea. I could have gotten you all in trouble." She looked at them, her mouth in a grim line. "I'm sorry."
 
Julie comforted Annie, "No, it's ok Robbie is just like this he gets angry and acts without thinking. Don't blame yourself" she said to her.

"Well I will go into town and just do a recon and see what is happening, you guys stay here or atleast out of town I don't want them adding too much up, we don't know if Robbie has told them anything yet" Clarke told them.

He looked at Annie, "Julie will take care of you Annie" Clarke said leaving the cave and driving away to town.
 
Annie shook her head. She didn't believe Robbie would sell them out. She found that she wasn't quite sure, though. Robbie seemed like one of those people that looked out for number one. He was fierce, he seemed like the type that would strive to be on the winning side. Annie could only hope that she was right about him - or it was over for all of them.

Clarke gave Julie specific instructions to look after Annie. She sighed at this. She wasn't a child that needed protecting. She could take care of herself. After he left, Annie turned to Julie.

"Julie," She began. "I can't just sit here while Robbie rots in jail. Who KNOWS what they're going to do to him. I have to do something. I got him into this and I have to get him out." Annie looked at Julie intensely. "He is my responsibility now."
 
"What is your plan Annie, Clarke wants us to stay put" Julie said.

"We are in this mess because one person didn't listen, we need to think about that" Dean pointed out.

The rest nodded still worried about Robbie.

"Lets see what Clarke finds out first" said Ruth a little shy that she was going against Annie but felt she had support.
 
Annie looked at Ruth. She wanted to hug the small girl. She reminded her of Taylor, her best friend from back home. She could tell that Ruth wanted to take her side, but she was afraid. Annie didn't blame her.

They were right. Annie knew that they were right. But they didn't understand. She couldn't just sit here. Things have changed. It was more dangerous for everyone now. She needed to come up with a plan.

"I'll tell them it was me." Annie said out loud, before she really had a chance to think about what she was saying. "I can be the decoy." She gave Julie a hard look. If anybody understood what Annie wanted to do, it would be her. "I can be the diversion. Think about it. I'm new. I'm scared. I don't know the rules. My uncle is the big bad, apparently. Worst I'll get is a slap on the wrist. Or keep me locked up during the festival, so I don't cause any problem." Annie felt like this was a good idea, despite how terrified she was. "They will realize it's a misunderstanding, and let Robbie off the hook. I'll tell them that I was working alone and that I didn't understand. My aunt didn't really tell me much, they don't know how much I know. You guys can continue the plan."

She stopped and thought. "Maybe not the flier idea anymore, it would be too obvious. You guys would have to do something else. And you would have to make it count. Things are different now. They know something's up. This may be the last year that we have a chance." Annie looked at all of the faces, trying to convince them.

"There is only one condition." She added. "We can't tell Clarke. He would never let me do it."
 
Julie's phone rang "Hi, yes Clarke, wha.. ok... yeah.. ok bye"

Julie looked at the rest of the guys, "Clarke says that they have Robbie locked up, he is ok, he spent some time talking with Robbie and it seems he didn't say anything about us, Clarke is talking to his dad now and your Uncle Annie. He is trying to straighten it all out" she said.

"I really admire your courage Annie but I don't think you would have had much luck anyway" Dean told her.

"Girls especially this time of the year aren't taken seriously here" Ruth told her.
 
Annie sighed. Robbie hadn't sold them out. She knew he wouldn't. For some reason, she felt like she wouldn't feel okay until Robbie was safe and back here with everyone.

Annie looked respectfully at Dean and smiled. She looked at the others and scratched the back of your head. "Maybe they aren't. But I'm not FROM here. What reason would I give for them not to take me seriously? As far as they know, I am completely foreign to this and I'm scared. Which is motivation enough that they wouldn't need to question it. They already knew I tried to run away, Clarke stopped me. So that right there proves to them that Clarke is on their side. They wouldn't put it passed me to try something else." Annie knew that her words made sense. And the look in Dean and Julie's face confirmed it. Ruth and Sam didn't look too convinced, but they were scared. They all were.

"How about this," Annie suggested. "If Clarke's plan doesn't work, if his dad won't listen, and if he can't free Robbie and clear this up as a misunderstanding, we go with my plan. Deal?" She looked at all of them with her steel will.
 
"Sure thing" said Julie, "But did I miss something? Do you think Clarke is on their side?"

"Regardless of whether you are new or not, maybe more so because you are new, they would punish you more harshly" said Dean getting frustrated that she just didn't get it.
 
Annie hadn't meant it that way. But now that Julie said it, Annie felt uncomfortable. That brought her back to her earlier thought when she first met him. Uncomfortable that he was the sheriffs son, how he was out looking for girls trying to run away. She couldn't let herself think like that, it hurt to think like that. Clarke couldn't be on their side.

Annie shook her head. "I don't. But if we could have anyone be the mole, our guy on the inside, it would be Clarke. He's the sheriffs son. If they believe he's on their side, that's what matters" She could tell Julie understood.

She could tell that Dean was getting frustrated. They were having a hard time understanding each others points of view. Annie was getting frustrated as well.

"Maybe they will. I don't care." Her strong tone matched his and it seemed to take him off guard. She turned to Julie. "Julie, you said yourself that you would volunteer for sacrifice if it meant it would save the others." She looked to Dean. "And that is exactly what I'm trying to do. This is was my idea. I have to deal with the consequences. It's not fair for Robbie to be hurt because of me. And it's not fair for you guys to be in danger of exposure." She took a deep breath and held her stubborn ground.

"I know that you all think, that because I'm new, I don't understand how dangerous and scary it is." Annie shook her head. She thought of Robbie. Of all people, she had a feeling he was the only one who had any faith in her. "You have no idea how wrong you are. My uncle brought me here to be this years sacrifice. He's the big man, the head of the counsel. He draws the names. I already know how this is going to end." She came to this conclusion on the truck ride to the cave, shortly after Clarke's confession of what he knew about her uncle. Annie didn't think Clarke had put that together. Or he didn't want to believe it. She drew in a ragged breath and felt the tingle of emotion in her chest. "I don't know what happened, but I have a feeling he did the same thing to my mother. So I am just as much a part of this town as all of you. And this is something that I have to do."

Annie gave a bitter laugh. "I'm going to be sacrificed anyway, if we don't find a way to stop it. So I suppose I don't really have anything to lose." Annie was cold as snow right now, she couldn't feel anything. Which was good. If she let herself feel or think about what she was doing, she was afraid she would jump off the bridge and join Selena.
 
"Clarke is not working for them!" Ruth yelled out, not hearing or wanting to hear that Annie didn't mean it that way. Overwhelmed with emotion she crossed her arms and looked angry.

"Do you really think they would rig the draw? They take this so seriously, or seem to anyway, I am not sure they would do that, but then again, they are under pressure to change, to stop the festival, perhaps they think by choosing an outsider it would be more acceptable for the townsfolk and their families, you know, to keep up the festival with less of a sacrifice, so to speak" said Julie thinking aloud.

They looked down and then at Annie like she was on death row, because she kind of was, maybe.
 
Annie flinched. She stood up and walked over to the emotional Ruth. She sat next to her and put her arm around her fragile shoulders.

"Ruth..." Annie said softly. "I know Clarke isn't working for them." She looked her in the eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. "I know that he would never do that." Her head went up and listened to Julie speak.

"I don't know their logic." Annie said to Julie, and to everyone else. "Clarke told me that my uncle wanted to sacrifice 'one of his own.' If he went through all the trouble of bringing me here because he wanted me to be sacrificed, I wouldn't put rigging the draw past him." She didn't like the way they were all looking at her. It made her self conscious. She was starting to let herself feel afraid. She had to think about something else.

"But that's not important right now. If my plan works, and they let Robbie go, you guys will have time to try and stop it." She smiled sadly at them all. How did Annie suddenly get so mature? She shook her head and sighed. She hoped Clarke never found out about this. She walked over to Julie and spoke to her personally.

"Julie..." Annie started slowly. "You understand why we can't tell Clarke..."
 
Ruth nodded her head understanding that Annie was just speculating about Clarke not assuming anything.

"I think he might already have an idea, that it might be rigged, but no, we won't tell him that we will try and stop it, that we will get you out if it does happen" Julie said thinking this was her last drawer and if it wasn't herself than that was good enough.

Sam rang Clarke and asked him how it was all going. "Clarke, yeah buddy,.... oh ok.. yep.... shit... bye" .

"It looks like they will let Robbie go, they understand he was stressed, they are starting to atleast pretend to be more understanding, he isn't allowed to leave his house though, not until the draw so he is kind of under house arrest until then" he explained.
 
Annie frowned. She needed to go see him.

"When are they letting him go?" She asked. She felt a little better, not having to turn herself in as the flier culprit. But she still had more problems ahead.
 
"They will let him go soon, soon as his father picks him up, none of us will be able to see him, maybe Clarke but that is it." Sam explained to her.

"I think the key is with the boys, we need to know if they will just refuse to errrr, well you know the virgin, if enough refuse they could just start a rebellion right there" suggested Julie.
 
Annie cursed under her breath. She needed to see him. Maybe Clarke could sneak her in. She didn't know why she felt that way, but she wouldn't feel okay again until she saw him for herself, that he was safe.

Annie looked at Julie with a smile and nodded her head. Julie listened to what Annie said when she first came here. About everyone refusing. "Exactly." Annie said to her. "It starts there. If we can get enough people to just REFUSE to participate, we will have a chance." She let out a shaky laugh and scratched the back of her head. "And trust me when I say, I won't be a very willing sacrifice." There was a fire in her eyes and she was ready to go down kicking and screaming. She wondered if her aunt knew. She wished her mom and dad were here. Then she thought of her little brother. She imagined him having to do these things and it made her angry. This stops now, she decided.
 
Clarke came back in the cave, "They have taken him home, he is ok, they made a lot of noise but didn't hurt him, how has everyone been here"

He saw the fire in Annie's eyes. "Oh no, what now?" he asked semi joking
 
Annie didn't want to worry Clarke. He's been through enough already. He looked tired. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Nothing." She said too quickly, before anyone had a chance to say anything. He gave her a look like he didn't believe her. "Really. I was just worried about you and Robbie. I'm glad your both safe." Annie knew she looked pale. The others did too. She hoped Clarke would let it go.
 
"They know about us" said Clarke deciding to ignore Annie's false face and words.

"They know about resistance that people are starting to fight against the festival, maybe it isn't such a bad thing, that they know" he explained.
 
They all looked stared at Clarke, dumbfounded and confused.

"What are you talking about?" Annie asked. "Do they know it's us? How is it not a bad thing?"
 
"No, they don't know it's us, they have some suspects in mind though, so we have to be careful for their sake. Well they are getting an idea of how unpopular this is and they are starting to worry that news of this festival might make it out the mainstream press, they have always been able to hide it before with all their power and influence" Clarke explained.
 
"What would happen if outsiders found out what they were doing?" Annie asked. Maybe they'll be scared, she thought. Maybe they'll call of the festival.

"Is there a chance they'll cancel the festival?" Annie looked hopeful.
 
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