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Clarke paced back and forth across the dorm room.

 “Stop worrying, oh-so-great leader,” Jasper said mockingly. “We’re safe here. You heard the president.”

 “I know, but since when have we ever been  safe ?” Clarke’s mind went back to that room. The grounders, held in cages like untrained dogs, being drained of their blood. She couldn’t get the sick image out of her mind. She needed to do something, to get them out, her people, the grounders, whoever she could.

 Jasper wouldn’t believe her. None of them would. They think they’re safe, and they won’t let that go. She looked up to the camera on the wall, watching them all, and snagged Jasper and Monty by their shirts.

 “Just sit down and listen!” Clarke hissed drawing them onto her bed. “We aren’t safe here!”

 “Of course we are,” Jasper said. “Look around, Clarke. No grounders to worry about, no risk of starvation, no need to lead ourselves anymore. We can just step back and be normal teenagers. Isn’t that what you want?”

 “Jasper, listen, as much as I want that, it can’t happen. Not now, not ever.” She took a deep breath. “There are grounders here, and if we don’t leave soon, we’ll end up like them.”

 “Clarke, Jasper’s right,” Monty said. “We don’t have to be in charge here. If the grounders attack, they can protect us. We won’t end up like them.” 

 “No, no, listen to me!” Clarke took an unsteady breath. “They’re kidnapping the grounders. They’re inside the mountain, in cages being drained of their blood!”

 Jasper snorted. “Sure, whatever you say.”

 Monty leaned forward. “You’re just not used to being able to take a step back. Give it a few days. You’ll warm up to it.”

 This was hopeless. “Okay. Fine. I’ll stop trying to convince you to leave because you obviously won’t.”

 Jasper grinned. “She finally gets it.”

 Monty clasped her shoulders. “You’ll warm up to it. I know you will.” He smiled at her and left to join Harper.

 Clarke sighed, her mind straying back to the bodies, hanging upside down, white as paper as all the blood left their bodies.

 ‘Safe.’ Yeah, right.

 She’d just have to save them herself then.

 -

 After dinner, Clarke excused herself to go to the bathroom. There, she squeezed herself into the vents.

 She unfolded the map she’d been given. The mess hall was on the fifth floor, and the commons were one level below, the president’s office the only thing beneath that. She’d go there first.

 She crawled until she reached a path down, sliding to the next level. The commons weren’t hard to find, loud only from the number of conversations being held. Moving farther down, the vents curved downward beneath the gyms.

 Clarke peered out of the vent cover into the office of President Wallace. It was a small room, with only a single opening into the ventilation. Her face furrowed in confusion. Looking at the map, the President's office was the only room on the seventh floor, and yet the vents extended further in either direction.

 Crawling past the office, she tried her hardest to keep quiet. On level six, there was enough going on to mask the noise she made. Down here, the only noise was carried down from the above levels. The entire seventh floor was silent.

 The next room she looked down into was empty. It looked vastly different than any other one in the bunker. Instead of being the normal perfectly proportional, concrete-walled room, this one looked like it was carved straight out of the mountain. The walls were solid rock, the floor mostly even but the walls curved and sloped like no one had bothered to even try. The only thing in the room was a medical exam chair sitting in the center, with straps hanging off either side. It was meant to restrain.

 There were multiple other rooms identical to that one, all lining one side of a hallway. As she went farther, she began to hear sounds coming from ahead. Not the polite chatter that could be heard in the commons upstairs, this sounded like it was the start of a mental asylum. Hooting and roaring, loud cheers and an occasional scream. She recognized the chants. She’d heard them before when escaping from Anya with Lincoln.

 The sounds only got louder as she moved on until she reached the final opening in the ventilation. Looking down into the room, it was the same as all the others, but this one was occupied.

 Held fast to the chair was a girl who couldn’t be much older than Clarke. She was dressed in only dirty trousers and a binder, the rest of her body covered in a thin layer of dust. The straps went over her arms and torso, wrapping back and forth from shoulders to feet. Her head was tilted to the side, a layer of dark chocolate hair covering her face. Her stomach was covered in blue and purple bruises, her legs and arms even worse, but her neck was what sent chills down her spine. Her head was tilted in just the right way to expose the side of her neck, and there was a spider web of black spreading down her shoulder and onto her chest, fading out as it went along. 

 Clarke listened. The sounds were fading, moving farther away now, and she took the risk. She bunched her feet up in front of her and kicked the cover of the vent off. It clattered to the floor loudly. She winced, watching the room carefully. No one came in and the girl barely even twitched. She dropped through the ceiling.

 Looking around, she could now see that the room wasn’t completely empty. By the singular door were a desk and a cabinet. A chair was situated in the corner. Atop the desk was an empty medical gun, and next to it was a large vial of something red.

 Turning back to the girl, Clarke moved to stand next to her. She looked even more roughed up from up close, her skin caked in a thin layer of dirt, her hair oily and matted from what had to be at least a week of mistreatment. This girl had been in here for who knows how long. Clarke gently touched her shoulder and her body jolted to life beneath her fingers.

 Clarke recoiled and the girl woke, thrashing against her restraints. Her head whipped up and eyes locked onto Clarke, full of fury. 

 Clarke held her hands up in surrender. The girl hissed, baring her teeth. “ Ai na nou gon won kom yu Ripa, grous Maunon !”

 “Listen, I’m not going to hurt you,” Clarke said, keeping her hands in the air. “I know you can most likely speak English, so if you can please cooperate, I can try and help you.”

 She looked skeptical. “ Nou na kom au .”

 Clarke tried a different approach. “I don’t know what the Mountain Men have been doing to you, but I’m not one of them. I’m a prisoner here, too, even if it doesn’t look like it.”

 The girl barked out a hoarse laugh. Clarke grinned. “So you can understand me.”

 She snarled, which Clarke had to admit was a bit terrifying even if the girl was restrained. The area around her eyes was smeared with black, giving her a ghoulish look. “ Laik nou yu krei briyon .”

 She was stubborn. So was Clarke.

 “Then we’ll compromise. You answer my questions and I can answer some of yours.”

 The girl finally switched to English but didn’t relent. “You do not order me. Perhaps we haven’t attacked you yet, but you’ve taken the commander. This will  not  be ignored!”

 Clarke was startled by her words but pushed on. “Okay, commander, then how about something else. You answer my questions, I can tell you everything I know about what’s happening to your people inside this mountain.”

 She could see the shift in demeanor. The girl hesitated to respond, her face softening just a bit as she considered. She refocused her eyes on Clarke. “Fine. Talk , maunon .”

 She doubted the commander would talk first. If she wanted anything, she would have to trust that this grounder would keep her word.

 “They’re using you as medicine,” she began. “The Mountain Men can’t go outside without a hazmat suit or they’ll start to burn. The only way they can survive past that is with your blood.”

 The commander growled. “So they are killed. I already knew that,  branwada .”

 “Not all of them.” Clarke took a breath, remembering back to the rows upon rows of helpless people waiting for their death. “They’re kept in cages. I’ve seen it. They have at least a hundred alive, maybe even twice that much, that they cage up until they get strung up and drained of their blood. From what I’ve seen, I doubt any of them survive past then.”

 “You  maunon  are crueler than we expected,” she seethed. “Perhaps I would appreciate it if I wasn’t waiting for my inevitable death by  your  hands!”

 “For the last time-” Clarke groaned, closing her eyes for just a second. “I’m not a Mountain Man.”

 “Oh really?” She snapped. “Then what are you?”

 “I’m one of the people who came to the ground in the dropship. I believe you call us  Skaikru .”

 “ Skaikru .” Her gaze turned cold. “You’re no better than the  Maunon . You burned three hundred of my warriors alive.”

 “You sent them to kill us. What else could I have done?”

 The commander caught her slip. “You are the one who burned them.”

 “And I repeat, you’re the one who ordered our death.”

 She huffed but made no retort. “Why are you here?”

 “I’m in this room because I was curious. I’m still here because we can help each other.”

 The commander raised an eyebrow. “You are negotiating with your enemy’s leader while she is strapped to a chair?”

 “We don’t have to be enemies,” Clarke insisted. “Both of our people are held prisoner by the mountain.”

 “And what do you suppose I do?”

 Clarke stepped closer. “If you can promise me an alliance, or at least a ceasefire, I can get you out of here.”

 “If you could set me free, I would be in your debt, but not enough to start a war on your behalf. If you want an alliance, you’ll need a better reason.”

 Clarke desperately searched for an offer. “The Mountain Men have tormented you for a long time. How much would you give to have them defeated?”

 “You are making me the same offer you just did.”

 “Just answer the question!”

 The commander considered. “If not for the acid fog, I would have broken through the doors already. The acid fog would demolish any army I sent, no matter how strong.”

 An idea was developing in Clarke’s mind, one that sparked hope deep within her. “Commander, what I can offer you is a chance at taking down the mountain. No, no, hear me out.” The commander was taken aback by her brash behavior, closing her mouth. Clarke continued. “I have a map of the entire mountain. I know who the leaders are, I know my way around, and I know their technology. I also know a way to sneak you in.”

 The commander scoffed. “The front doors are the only way in.”

 “No, they aren’t. The reaper tunnels that run through the mountain connect to the rest of the facility. If you could get some men into the reaper tunnels undetected, you could infiltrate the mountain from the inside.” Clarke prayed she would take the offer. She couldn’t think of any other way to get her people out, at least not yet. Not when they didn’t want to leave.

 The commander dipped her head, trying to be formal, though that was difficult when you are strapped to a chair. “Very well. I accept your offer…”

 “Clarke. Clarke Griffin.”

 “I accept your offer,  Klark kom Skaikru .”

 Clarke relaxed slightly. “Thank you, comman-”

 She jerked up, lifting her head toward the door. “Quiet. They are coming.”

 Yes, they were. Voices drifted down the hall. “Shit. I’ll be back tomorrow to get you out,” Clarke said, grabbing the chair and dragging it to the wall underneath the vent. She picked up the cover and pushed it in, pulling herself up after. She put the cover back on, meeting the commander’s gaze one last time before the door opened and she dropped her head. Clarke scurried back the way she came, already formulating a plan in her mind.

 -

 Clarke lay awake the entire night, only getting snippets of sleep. She’d studied the map last night, searching for any clues as to how to navigate through the reaper tunnels. There were none. She spent the entire night stressing about whether or not she could actually follow up on the deal she’d made. What if she didn’t get the commander out of the mountain? They’d both die, most likely. Then both the forty-seven and the grounders would be doomed.

 She left during breakfast, unable to wait any longer and knowing delaying wouldn’t benefit anyone. She slipped out the same way she had before, navigating back to the commander’s room.

 When she removed the vent cover, the commander seemed to have been waiting for her. “ Klark kom Skaikru .”

 “Commander.” Clarke glanced toward the door nervously, not dropping into the room yet. “I’m going to get you out.”

 “Then do so.”

 “Not yet.” She ignored the scalding look she got. “Have they let you out since you got here?”

 “Once.”

 “Okay. Who unlocked the restraints?”

 The commander caught on to what she was getting at. “The fisa   had the keys.”

 Clarke pursed her lips. “I don’t know what you mean by ‘fisa.’”

 “She called herself a doctor.”

 “The doctor. Okay. Does she come daily?”

 The commander glanced at the desk, where a full gun of the red was sitting. “Twice. Once to ‘sample my blood’ and once to put the odd red liquid in my neck.”

 “Do you have an idea of when she’ll come next?”

 “Soon. One of the guards just came to fill up the  gon .”

 “Does she come alone?”

 “Yes.” The commander grinned slightly, looking at the door. “She is weak.”

 “Good. When she comes in, I’ll drop down and knock her out. We’ll get you out of here.” She put the cover back on and sat back. Neither spoke for a while until the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard. Clarke readied herself, positioning so she could drop in as quickly as she could.

 The door creaked open and a woman stepped in, full doctor gear on. Dr. Tsing. She was the one who’d healed the ‘arrow’ wound. She had to stop herself from growling at the sight of the woman, looking at the commander like she was some sort of experiment.

 “Ready for your daily dose, savage?” The commander snarled, tucking her head to her chest to make it harder to access her neck. Dr. Tsing took the gun, checking that it was prepped before stepping closer. 

 Clarke waited until she stood directly beneath the vent before dropping, crashing straight into her. Dr. Tsing went sprawling across the floor, her head slamming on the rock with a loud  crrack . Her skull had to be fractured, and badly. Clarke didn’t feel a shred of remorse about it.

 She rummaged through the pockets of the jacket until she came across the keys. Undoing the many locks as quickly as she could, the commander was soon free from her chair. She sat up, wincing slightly but pushing on. She swung her legs over the side and stood, her legs wobbling shakily after days of misuse. Clarke moved the chair back underneath the vent. “Come on. I’ll help you up.”

 The commander looked up at the vent with distaste. “You cannot expect me to clamber through such a space.”

 “Well, either that or I leave you here.” They stared each other down for a moment before the commander relented. She refused Clarke’s help as she tottered to the chair. Clarke went up first, reaching down and pulling the commander up after her.

 “Okay, from here, we’ll have to get to the tunnels, and then-”

 “You said my people are in the mountain,” the commander interrupted, grasping Clarke’s arm. “Take me to them.”

 Clarke’s mouth went dry. “Commander, with all due respect, that’s a terrible idea. That decreases our chances of escape tenfold.”

 “So you can lead me there?”

 “I could.” Clarke paused, searching the elder girl’s face. “If that’s what you want, I won’t say no, but it will make things all the more dangerous.”

 The commander squeezed her arm tight. “Do it.”

 Clarke led her through the vents, wincing at the grunts and gasps she hears from behind her as the commander forces her hurt, neglected body through the tight space. She had to help her up the slopes despite her many complaints until they reached level four.

 Clarke found the vent she’d taken from the medical bay to the cage room and twisted around, putting a finger to her lips. “We’re almost there. Keep quiet.” The commander scowled at the order but didn’t dare speak up against it.

 Clarke stopped in front of the vent cover, listening. The room was relatively quiet, save for the obvious sounds of human life. She popped the cover out, careful to not let it fall to the ground. She felt many eyes on her as she slipped out before they all turned to the person behind her.

 “Heda!” They began to speak all at once, many reaching out from their cages toward their leader. The commander raised her hand, silencing it all with a single movement. Clarke felt a rush of admiration for the girl. A young boy began to speak hurriedly in his native language, but a familiar brunette hissed at him. “ Shof op !  Yu gada in Heda op gon don lok ?” He shut up quickly.

 The commander’s eyes widened and she rushed toward the cages, her footfalls barely making a noise. “ Onya .  Fos , is that you?”

 The now recognizable Anya grinned. “Indeed it is,  Leksa . Surprised?”

 Newly-named commander Lexa dropped to her knees in front of Anya. “I thought you died in the blast!”

 “Obviously not, though I will die here soon if I remain.”

 Lexa grabbed the lock. “If I can get you out, you can escape with us.”

 Anya met Clarke’s gaze. They held the stare for a minute before Anya nodded to her, turning back to Lexa. “No. You must leave now. Get back to TonDC and put your genius mind to work. You’ve seen what’s in here. You can get us all out.”

 “I can’t leave you here! You will die,  fos !”

 “We’ll all die if you don’t get out of here and make a plan of action!” Anya reached through the bars, grabbing Lexa’s wrist. “Promise me,  Leksa . Get out of here. Make a plan. Don’t let your love for me make you falter. Do what is best for our people!”

 Lexa grasped Anya’s hand in both of hers. “I will. You’ll be out of here soon, I swear it.”

 “Good. And  Klark ?” She stiffened, stepping closer to the cages. “Make sure she gets out of here. I’ve seen your desire for peace. Even if our actions say differently, we wish for the same.  Heda  can make it happen.”

 Clarke nodded. “I know she can. Even if she couldn’t, I don’t want to leave you in a cage. I may not like you very much, but I wouldn’t want you to die here.”

 Anya’s eyes gleamed. “Then get out of here.”

 “ Klark! ” Lexa grabbed her shirt and pulled her against the wall, effectively breaking her conversation. She looked warily at the door. “People are coming.”

 The last time she’d said this, Lexa had been right. Clarke didn’t doubt she was right this time as well.

 The vent was too far away to reach, but a set of metal doors stood next to them. Clarke pushed the button to open them and they whirred to life, opening quickly. The pair moved inside, the doors slamming shut just as the doors inside opened.

 They both sighed at the close encounter before looking around. Clarke froze as she realized they had nowhere to go. The doors in front of them were the only way in and out. And there wasn’t a button on the inside.

 The alarm on the wall blared red and then the floor opened up beneath them.

 -

 Both girls cried out in alarm as they fell down. Clarke landed, dazed, on something firm yet somewhat spongey. Reaching for something to pull herself up on, her hand slid over rough skin. She looked up and jerked away from the dead body, gasping as she realized she was surrounded by them. 

 She almost screamed as a hand grabbed her arm. “Let’s go!” Lexa hissed, pulling her over the side of whatever body disposal this was. She snagged clothes from a pile in the corner, quickly pulling them over her head. She turned to say something else but paused as she saw Clarke, still staring stunned at the bodies.

 “ Klark .” Lexa walked up next to her, brushing their shoulders together. “We cannot save those who are dead, but we can save those who live. We have to leave.”

 Clarke closed her eyes, sucking in a shuddering breath. “You’re right. Let’s go.” She turned to follow the tunnel out but paused at the sound of footsteps in the hallway, a shadow stretching out in their direction. She snagged Lexa by the shirt and pulled her into one of the carts, trying her hardest to ignore the bodies lying there, still fresh. Lexa held back a gasp as she fell onto the hard surface, the bruises sending a shock through her system. 

 They both held deathly still as a single person, gender indistinguishable through their hazmat suit stepped past them. Clarke held her breath, which she almost lost as another body was tossed directly on top of her. Lexa gently touched her shoulder.  Calm . She focused on her breathing, keeping as quiet as she could and squeezing her eyes shut.

 More bodies thudded into the cart before there was a sudden jerk and they were moving. The rough vibrations only served to worsen her already roughed-up body, and she couldn’t imagine what it was doing to Lexa. As they went, Clarke began to pick up on a familiar sound. The loud hollers coming from up ahead froze her in fear. Reapers. They were being delivered to the reapers. They were  food .

 A body was lifted off of her as movement stopped. She felt as if she could breathe again. Risking cracking her eyes open, she watched the body be carried off and the loud cheers of the reapers from what couldn’t be more than a dozen feet away. She winced as she heard a fleshy  rrrip . 

 She felt Lexa grip her arm, planting her once again in their reality. Lexa was sitting up, her eyes fixed on the shadows of the reapers from just around the bend. Clarke grabbed the side of the cart, breathing heavily and allowing Lexa to heave her up and out.

 She shook off her unsteadiness as best she could, focusing on the goal. Lexa’s hand slid down her arm and grasped onto her wrist firmly. With no clue where they were going, Clarke let Lexa lead.

 They ran aimlessly, picking and choosing paths with no idea where they led. Both of them were panting loudly enough to cover the sound of more footsteps, this time more than one.

 They skidded to a stop as a group of four men in hazmat suits turned the corner in front of them. The first gun was raised and Lexa yanked Clarke to the side, pulling her into a sprint for their lives. Without a large, bulky suit weighing them down, the girls were faster than the guards, but they had no idea where they were being herded to. 

 Clarke yelped as Lexa pulled her to the left so hard it felt like her arm just popped out of its socket. She gasped in pain but kept going. Lexa led her straight on, ignoring the occasional side paths that appeared. Rounding a curve, Lexa held her back from toppling over the edge of a huge waterfall.

 Clarke gaped at the large spray of water but didn’t get the time to admire it. The four men appeared behind them, guns raised high. They focused on her. “Clarke Griffin, step away from the edge and get your hands where I can see them!”

 Clarke lowered her head in surrender. They were cornered.

 “Oh, no you don’t,” Lexa growled, tightening her grip on her wrist and running backward, pulling Clarke over the edge with her.

  Clarke barely had enough time to scream before she slammed into the water, the force of the waterfall pushing her down. Bubbles flew up as she fought to resurface, flailing wildly. She’d lost Lexa on impact and had no idea what to do.

 The water burned her eyes, filling her nose and mouth. She felt like she was choking. Her feet hit the rocky floor and she scrambled to go up, jumping off only to be pushed back down. Her vision began to blur, her peripherals darkening as she breathed in nothing but water. 

 The next thing she knew she was being heaved up onto a pebbled beach, Lexa’s arm hooked around her own. She coughed up water, gasping for the sweet, fresh air she’d been deprived of in the mountain. Lexa collapsed beside her and Clarke tried to ignore the wet clothes sticking to every dip and curve of her body.

 She stared at the clouds, allowing her heartbeat to calm and her breathing to slow. When she looked back at her companion, Lexa was staring right at her. The commander met her gaze unabashedly, clearly not caring what Clarke would think. “We cannot stay here too long. They will not want me to make it back into my own territory.”

 Clarke sat up, sighing heavily. “Then let’s go before they catch us.”

 Lexa led the way, keeping a steady jog that Clarke could easily keep up with. After a while, the sounds of pursuit could be heard in the distance, and Lexa stopped them.

 “What the hell are we doing? They’ll catch up!” Clarke hissed.

 Lexa pressed a finger to her lips, scooping up a glob of mud and reaching up to smear it all down Clarke’s hair. Clarke recoiled, growling, but Lexa held up her hands. “Cover yourself. I will do the same. It will help to mask us. Your golden hair is not exactly discreet.”

 Lexa was right. Clarke internally groaned, dipping her hand into the mud and lathering herself up in it.

 They rushed. The sounds of their pursuers only grew louder and they got the fuck out as soon as Lexa deemed it good enough. Clarke felt a bit of disgust at how heavy and soppy her hair was now, but was more concerned about not getting shot.

 They paused up on a slope. Lexa peered down, noticing the black figures pushing through the brush. “They cannot possibly still be following us. The  Maunon  are not trackers.”

 “Trackers…” Clarke perked up. “That’s it! Commander, I need you to feel all over your body. If you have any unnatural bumps, tell me.” Clarke did the same to herself. She doubted President Wallace would put a tracker in her, but safety first.

 “I found one.” Lexa had her left sleeve rolled up, revealing a bump under the skin of her forearm.

 “Good. We have to get it out. If I could just find something sharp-” Lexa interrupted by digging her teeth into her skin and ripping the tracker out with her teeth. Clarke stepped back in surprise. She spat the tracker out to the side and looked back at Clarke, raising an eyebrow. She nodded slowly. “That works too, I guess.”

 “Good. Then we must go.”

 -

 Clarke didn’t even realize where they were headed until they got there.

 The dropship looked like a scene from a horror movie. The ground was blackened and burnt, ashen skeletons littering the area, most half-crumpled by now. The dropship was open, revealing that the inside was completely empty. No one was left.

 “You did this to my warriors.” There was no question about it. Looking back, Lexa’s face was stone cold. Her eyes were on the scene.

 “I had no choice.”

 “There is always a choice.”

 “What else should I have done?” Clarke asked, sounding more like a plea. “I killed some of my own people in that blast as well. I did it to keep those I could alive.”

 “Your people trespassed on my land, kidnapped one of my warriors and opened fire on a peaceful meeting  you  called for. I had every justification for calling for your demise.”

 “We didn’t even know people lived down here! We thought there was no one else left!” Lexa finally looked at her, face void of emotion. “Yes, we took Lincoln, but that was a misunderstanding. If you know we took him, you probably also know that we let him go and that he’s in a relationship with one of our own.”

 Lexa’s eyes narrowed. “And the meeting?”

 “Another misunderstanding. A few of my people didn’t want peace and would rather have gone to war. Some of them unknowingly followed our party and opened fire against my orders.”

 “So you are a weak leader. I see.” Lexa’s hand reached for her waist, grabbing at something that wasn’t there.

 “The people I was leading were a bunch of criminals. They do what’s best for them; they don’t care about what other people think. I did my best.” She scowled. “I’m sorry that I can’t organize them into an army like you can.”

 Lexa hissed. “You walk a thin line,  Klark kom Skaikru .”

 “Have you already forgotten our deal?”

 Lexa was silent for a moment. “I have not. As much as I would like to kill you for burning my warriors, I am a woman of honor. I will keep my side of the deal.”

 Clarke nodded. “Will we be returning to your home?”

 “We will go to the nearest city. Negotiations will begin there, and if we can, we will move from there. If necessary, we can fall back to the capitol.” Lexa’s eyes rose to look above her. “Unless you know what that is?”

 Clarke spun around. A large, red sheet was held in the air like a balloon, many miles northeast. Her eyes widened. “It’s a signal.”

 “From who?”

 “My people.” Her chest clutched at the realization. “The Ark. We saw it fall the night of the attack, but we didn’t see what happened to it.”

 “You are assuming that is a signal from your people?”

 “If it’s not one from yours, then yes, it has to be mine.” Her heart raced excitedly. “We aren’t alone anymore.”

 “Then it seems our options have widened.” Clarke glanced back to Lexa. “We can either carry on to the city, or I am willing to investigate your people. If they truly are who you say, then I would be willing to meet with them and forge a treaty. Though if I am killed, my army will lay waste to the entire population.”

 Clarke exhaled. “I can’t promise that. But if they do, would you be willing to listen? Not communicating is what led to this battleground. I don’t want to repeat that.”

 “Neither do I.” Lexa tilted her head. “We will investigate this ‘Ark’ of yours. I warn you, though, I do not make empty threats.”

 “I believe that.”

 -

 They set off northeast. The signal had since been taken down, but Lexa had an impeccable sense of direction and knew exactly where to go. Without much worry of pursuit, they took a more leisurely pace, finally relaxing for the first time in a while. Neither spoke. There wasn’t much to say. There was too much to say.

 It was dark when the first signs of life could be heard. The bustling of an active camp, of people, a lot of them. The trees were thick and they hid in the bushes to observe.

 It was the Ark. A huge piece of it, sticking out of the ground, but looking like it was still being occupied. Around they had set up a wire fence. Guards stood at the gates, guns clutched in their hands. Above the gate was a sign with the words ‘Camp Jaha’ carved into it.

 Lexa stared intently at the ship. “That thing is what you called home?”

 “That’s a part of it, yes.” It was impossible to see in the low light, but Clarke still looked desperately through the wires for a sign of someone she knew. More specifically, her mother. She sighed heavily. As much as she wanted to rush to the gates, demand entry, she couldn’t do that. Not with Lexa by her side. “We’ll have to be careful. It doesn’t look like they’re too trusting of you.”

 “If they know about our disagreements, I would guess not.” Clarke snorted. ‘Disagreements’ was a light way of putting it. “You know these people best. How do you suggest we approach?”

 “Slowly. Hands raised. No sudden movements.” She stood, resting her hand on the tree beside her. “I don’t know what their policy for using those guns is.”

 Lexa stood up beside her. “Remember,  Klark , if I die, the wrath of my entire army will fall down upon you.”

 “Remember that if you don’t die, you swore to make temporary peace to get our people out of the mountain.”

 “I shall.”

 Clarke looked back at the guards and froze. The unmistakable  click  of a gun safety sounded in the stillness of the twilight. She turned and saw a gleam of metal just in time for a bullet to be shot.

 She lunged into Lexa, knocking them both to the ground. Another shot rang out and Clarke cried out as pain flared in her shoulder. Lexa pushed her off, crouching over her as three guards emerged from the woods. She snarled, leaping at them. Clarke watched with blurry vision as Lexa threw her fist into the face of the first one, effectively breaking his nose. She got a solid kick into the side of another and spun to wrench the gun away from the third, throwing it to the side. She kneed him between the legs and turned, throwing her elbow into the stomach of another. The second came up behind her and slammed the butt of his rifle into the back of her head. She went down like a rock. 

 Clarke gasped, a mixture of pain, guilt, and dread. More guards swarmed around them. Two grabbed her by the arms, not taking any precautions to keep her comfortable or keep her wound still. With their roughness, they would only damage her shoulder more. 

 Her sight was flickering black. Sharp jolts of pain rocketed down her spine and spread over her entire body, setting her aflame. There was a commotion around her, movement on all sides, and she raised her head to get a glimpse of where she was. They were inside Camp Jaha, the people crowding around them to get a glimpse. Clarke realized that they had no idea who she was. They probably thought all of the hundred were dead, and she doubted looked the same as the last time anyone from the Ark had seen her.

 People began to yell and she winced. Her head was pounding, her body protesting each movement, but she felt a moment of relief when someone ducked into view. She blinked, clearing her vision, and felt a rush of emotion. “Mom?”

 Her voice was raspy and dry but Abby didn’t care in the slightest. “Yes,” she gasped, taking Clarke’s face in her hands. “I’m here. We’ll get you better, I promise.”

 “Lexa,” she croaked. “Help her too.”

 “She’s a grounder, honey. They’ve been attacking you since you got down here.”

 “You have to help her.” Clarke’s head lolled loosely on her shoulders. “She’s our only hope.”

 Everything began to fade around her. She felt the delicate touch of her mother’s fingers on her face, feeling her, but it barely registered. The pain was overwhelming, and she stopped fighting it. Her body shut down, plunging her into unconsciousness.

 -

 When Clarke woke up, it was to bright, UV lights streaming down onto her.

 She blinked, rubbing her eyes, trying to adjust to the light. Her entire body ached, her shoulder stiff, her head pulsing. It hurt to move even slightly but she pushed through it. Sitting up, she looked around the room. 

 She was in the Ark’s medical bay. An IV connected to her arm, a bandage wrapped around her shoulder, all familiar and comfortable in a world where everything was unknown. Turning her head, she saw that she wasn’t alone.

 Lexa was asleep on the bed next to her. She wasn’t hooked up to anything, so Clarke assumed she didn’t have any substantial injuries. Her face had been cleaned off, clear of the dirt and blood that had once covered it. She was startled at how soft she looked. Clarke had been looking at her as if she was somehow above human knowledge, somehow supernatural, but looking at her now, she could see that Lexa was human. Beneath all her tough exterior, she was just a girl. 

 Clarke lay back, admiring the commanders -  Lexa’s  - face. The way her eyelids fluttered lightly, how her face scrunched up, her lips twitching up and down. 

 She couldn’t say how long she sat there, but Lexa eventually began to wake up. She woke slow, the effect of getting knocked out with a hit to the head. She groaned lightly, a hand reaching up to clutch her head. She squinted against the artificial light. Looking over to Clarke, her eyes widened and she immediately sat up, wincing slightly. “ Klark .”

 Her lips twitched into an amused smirk. “Hello, commander.”

 Looking around the room, Lexa frowned. “Where am I?”

 “We’re in the Ark.” Lexa’s head whipped back to her in surprise, standing up instantly. She wavered, hissing and reaching back up to her head. Clarke disconnected herself from the IV, stumbling over to her on wobbly legs. “Sit down, Lexa. You definitely have a concussion.”

 To her surprise, Lexa obeyed, sitting down without a word. Clarke sat next to her. There was silence. “What are you going to do?”

 Lexa scowled. “I was attacked by your people. I should have them executed.”

 Clarke recoiled. “Commander, with all due respect, you have been attacking us since day one when we didn’t even know you existed. You can’t at least excuse it as a mistake?”

 Lexa looked at her incredulously. “Their  fayagons  hurt you, and you don’t demand justice?”

 “It was a mistake. One that shouldn’t have happened, but hopefully it will teach them to look before they shoot. Please don’t have them executed.”

 “An attack on the  Heda  is punishable by death.”

 “First of all, they didn’t know who you are. Secondly, you technically don’t even hold power here. I know you could wipe us out easily, but you promised to talk this out.”

 Lexa growled. “I also promised to slaughter you all if I was killed.”

 “You weren’t killed. At least  talk  with us.”

 Lexa was silent. “With you.”

 “What?” Clarke sat back, ignoring the flash of pain. “Me?”

 “I made a deal with you, not with these people. If you want an alliance, you will be the ambassador. No one else.” She turned her head to Clarke. “Unless you would rather break our deal?”

 “No! No,” she breathed, taking a moment to let it sink in. “Wouldn’t it be better to let the leaders handle this?”

 “I made no deals concerning these people. The only deal I made was with you regarding those trapped in the mountain. I am in no way obligated to even speak with these people.”

 Clarke suddenly had a lot more pressure on her, but it also somehow made her feel better. Everything good that had come her way on the Ark had always been because of who her parents were. Her large, comfy room; her extra rations; even Wells she never would have met without her mother having been on the council. It had always been  Griffin . Never Clarke. But Lexa didn’t want Abby, didn’t want Jaha, she wanted  her . And though it shouldn’t, it made her smile. “Okay. I accept.”

 “Good. Once I leave, I will arrange for a party of my people to come and retrieve you after some time. I will not make you come without having had time to speak with your leaders.”

 She sighed, her smile softening. “Thank you, commander. For a lot of things. I would have never made it out alive without you.”

 “Neither would I,” she replied. “Even if this deal does fail, I will be in your debt.”

 Clarke shook her head. “Commander, you are not-”

 “ Leksa .” Clarke was surprised to see the commander’s face turning slightly red. “Please, call me  Leksa  in private. We will be seeing much of each other. I would like to be on good terms.”

 “You already were.” Clarke hesitated, considering her options, and finally gave in to her desires. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Lexa.

 Lexa stiffened. “ Klark -”

 “Thank you,  Leksa ,” she breathed into her shoulder. “For believing in me.”

 At the sound of her name, Lexa softened. She slowly folded her arms around Clarke’s back, ever so careful, as if she was something fragile. Clarke squeezed her slightly and felt Lexa relax into her, an unwilling sigh escaping.

 Clarke held onto her for longer than was appropriate, soaking in her warmth and the way that Lexa made her feel  safe . Safe in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time. She reluctantly pulled back, resting her hands on her shoulders. Her eyes met Lexa’s forest green ones, the one thing she could never mask. They were full of emotion, glistening slightly. 

 “I’ll show you out.” She stood up, legs shaking so much she almost couldn’t stay upright. Lexa stood up beside her, wrapping an arm delicately around her waist and holding up most of her weight. Clarke gave her a smile, and to her surprise, Lexa offered a very small one back.

Leaning into Lexa’s side as they hobbled slowly to the door, Clarke felt more at home than she ever had. This girl, who she’d only known for a day and who had been the ultimate enemy prior to, had somehow taken all of her sympathy and kindness and  love .

Clarke wholly trusted her. Against all odds, Lexa was becoming an ally. A friend. Someone who kept their promises to her and who accepted her affections with no reason other than she wanted to.

Clarke knew she shouldn’t give her affections so freely.

 She couldn’t help but give them all.