So I'm back with a Clexa fic! Yay? I fell so hard for this ship and I am in love with the show, the producers are remarkable for actually putting such amazing characters to good use; maybe some OUAT makers could learn from it . Also, due to recent events not only in this fandom, but in many others, I just want to put out there to respect actors/actresses; their lives are not easy and we should all be grateful to them and mind that each person is different and unique. Anyway, this will be sooo full of fluff that it may or may not be sickening in later chapters. At this point I don't know how long or where this may go; I guess it's up to you guys! Enjoy!
Chapter 1
The birds and the early risers of the Grounders became a sort of morning alarm for Clarke. At first, she had abhorred the ruckus of the dawn, which began at the cacophony of the morning birds such as the lark, the tawny owl, and the song thrush; yet as time passed, she had come to welcome it. The luminescence of the arising sun streamed through the material of the large tent and made the interior glow warmly. Everything sparkled as the furniture, décor, and such bathed in the low lighting, creating a serene and comforting environment that Clarke almost loathed to leave.
Using her slightly sleep numbed arms, Clarke slowly rose and sat up. She rubbed at the grogginess that pulled at her eyes before blinking as her sensitive pupils adjust to the room's lighting. The furs that kept her warm each night fell to pool around her hips as she stretched her arms and back, twisting and writhing slightly until she felt satisfying pulls and cracks throughout her body. With a yawn, Clarke glanced over to the spot next to her, noticing large pillow filled with the softest feathers in the place of her favorite provider of heat and comfort. A smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she collapsed into the pillow, relishing in the a few more minutes of sleep induced euphoria.
"Klark, your Noumon requests your presence in the Healers' tent," Indra's stern voice informed her from outside the closed entrance, which was without a doubt guarded on each side. Clarke sighed annoyingly, knowing full well that this was the part she hated most about the mornings. Sensing the lingering presence outside of her dwelling, Clarke rose again before calling out, "Thank you Indra, I will be out shortly."
Quickly jumping out of bed, Clarke dressed and exited the tent, nodding to the two guards on each side of the entryway. On the way to the Healers' Clarke glanced around at the bustle of TonDC. Grounders were performing their duties: a group of hunters returned with large and small fauna in their grasps, slung over their backs, and most noticeably a large deer tied to a stick, which was carried upon the shoulders of two large hunters. They were acknowledged by their peers as they walked by, awarded with smiles, claps on the backs and shoulders, and praise. They soon disappeared into the crowd of working people, depositing certain catches to the butcher and the smaller game artisans to create furs and the like. Throughout the makeshift city, the sound of metal upon metal thundered as various training sessions performed, Grounder against Grounder, Grounder against Skaikru, even the Seconds were mock fighting as each participant honed their skills or learned new techniques. After the collapse of the Mountain, the Grounders and the Sky People have become harmonious. They took their conjoined victory as a sign that they could benefit from their alliance. Now, three months later, the Tree and Sky people continue to live prosperously, helping one another.
Clarke smiled at the sight of her friends conversing at the center of the city with seconds who are learning English. She waved as Bellamy caught her eye, who returned the gesture and leading the rest of the group with smiles and waves. Chuckling, the young blonde makes a left at and arrives at the Healers' tent. She was not even five feet away from the entrance before she heard her mother's firm tone, indicating that she was in full on Doctor Abby mode.
"Good morning," Clarke greeted upon entering, witnessing her mother helping Raven, who was sitting upon a high table, with her morning stretch routine for her leg in an effort to strengthen the muscles. As of late, the mechanic's leg has been excruciatingly painful and she had failed to report this to Abby. Unfortunately, this resulted in a bickering match between the two women that lasted a few days but luckily they quickly reconciled and settled to work together to help remedy the situation at hand.
"Ah finally you decide to show," Abby teased as helped her patient extend her leg slowly, to which Raven rolled her eyes.
"I wouldn't blame her…"
Abby pushed and held the leg in place, causing Raven to flinch in pain, "Okay! Okay, sorry! God, take a joke!"
"I do not want to even think about that at this moment," Abby stated as she relaxed her grip on her patients leg. "Alright I think you are good for right now. Make sure to put the brace back on and to come straight to me if the pain fluctuates at all, understand?"
"You got it, boss," Raven replied with a smile as she began strap on her brace.
"You're here earlier than I thought. When did you arrive?" Clarke asked while busying herself with organizing medicine vials, herbs and poultices.
"Our escorts came early so I decided that we should leave as soon as possible," Abby explained as she helped Raven down from the table. With a wave and a promise to meet up later, Raven limped out of the tent and into the direction of the Bellamy and the rest of the gang. Abby turned and made her way over to her daughter and embraced her. She pulled back, brushed a few strands of hair from her face before placing her hands upon her cheeks, "How have you been? Are you eating well? Did you make any new friends? How abo-"
"Mom, this isn't my first day of preschool," Clarke smiled, "Everything's great. Everything has been running so smoothly, everyone is content with the alliance and how things are operated. To be completely honest, if you had told me a few months ago that things would end up like this, I would probably have laughed."
Abby dropped her hands and moved to stroke the length of her daughter's hair, "That's because you have put a lot of work into making this alliance successful."
"Lexa largely contributed to the peace, too you know," Clarke said, raising an eyebrow in speculation. She knew that her mother wasn't the Commander's biggest fan, after the scenario regarding the missile and then, of course, the almost betrayal at the mountain.
"Lexa, please don't do this," Clarke pleaded, tears building up within her eyes and threatening to spill out.
"…May we meet again, Klark," and with that the Commander turns away and without a cursory glance over her armored shoulder, walks into the woodlands with her troops flanking her.
Clarke stood frozen, unable to take her eyes from the retreating form of Lexa until long after her departure. Her vision blurred as the pain that emanated from the back of her eyes became too great, allowing droplets of tears to flow down her cheeks. Her throat felt raw as she strained to keep back the growing need to scream or cry out; she honestly couldn't bet on what she would have done.
Unknowing of how long she stood in the same spot, Clarke hears a shuffling noise behind her, snapping her out of her dumbfounded daze. Monroe stopped a few feet away, trying to give Clarke the space that she most likely needed.
"Where are the Grounders going?" she asked as Clarke began to move once more. She watched as her blonde leader walked around her and towards the tunnels.
"They are leaving," came the response in a gritty tone. Clarke did not turn to face her but continued on her route.
"Why are they leaving? We just got the door open!" she shouted to Clarke's retreating form.
"They got what they wanted and now they're leaving; we'll finish this ourselves." Clarke replied darkly as she did not break stride. Monroe only stared at the determined woman, wondering how on Earth they are going to save their friends.
…
"Clarke! Why did the Grounders retreat? What's Lexa planning?" Octavia asked as Clarke came into view inside the tunnels. Clarke did not respond immediately as she marched up to the secured door and withdrew her gun from the holster and aimed at the control pad. Octavia jumped into action and grasped Clarke's arm in an effort to stop her.
"Stop! What are you doing? That's not part of the plan, you'll get us killed!"
"There is no more plan, Octavia! Lexa was offered a deal that exchanged the Grounders inside of Mount Weather for the retreat of the Grounder forces. They are all gone now. They abandoned us!" Clarke explained loudly, her voice straining under the weight of the emotions tempesting inside of her. In pure frustration and rage, she hammered the butt end of her gun against the steel door, "Open!"
Once again, Octavia intervened, "Clarke, stop. Don't let this disgruntle you; we'll figure this out, we always do."
"No you don't understand. They just left! We would have been victorious and kept our peace, but they left without even thinking. She left us!"
"I'm sorry," Octavia offered, "I understand that you and the Commander…"
"I hate her," Clarke growled, "She led me on and dared to say that she harbored some feeling towards me and then turns around and does this."
Octavia placed a hand on Clarke's trembling shoulder, "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry as well."
Turning at the sound of the voice in the darkness of the tunnel, Octavia and Clarke heard the marching of heavy footsteps reverberating inside the walls of the semicircle. Readying their weapons - Clarke aiming her gun in the direction and Octavia unsheathing her sward from its scabbard – they anticipated a battle and prepared to fight for their lives as the enemy had them cornered.
Emerging from the shadows, Lexa's fixated her hard gaze on Clarke, who returned her stare with a ferocious scowl.
"What is this some kind of game to you?"
"You sincerely thought I would abandon this battle… you?" The Commander asked, an eyebrow rose in inquiry as she slowly strode closer to the furious Skai Prisa, who tensed at each step. Stopping two feet away, Lexa awaited her answer, staring at the shaking irises that fleeted back and forth between the Grounder troops and the Commander herself.
"It was a ruse. I sent a third of my men back to camp, to make it seem we completely retreated, while the rest of us took off into the trees. I apologize if you thought my actions were genuine."
"Maybe you should settle this later, we have people to rescue and a mountain to take down," Octavia interrupted respectively, her sword pointed as the steel door behind them.
Lexa turned to her before glancing at the door and back again, "You are right, Oktevia," She said, turning to the impenetrable door and with a flick of her hand the Grounders advanced. "Are you ready, Clarke?"
….
"Yes well, let's just say she has a lot of proving to do before she can win my trust back. If it were up to me-"
"Yes we know. Honestly…" Clarke sighed, only slightly discouraged that her mother had a grudge on Lexa.
Abby knew that her thoughts regarding the young Commander upset Clarke, since the two have a "thing" going on, to her dismay. With a long inhale, Abby smiled and added, "But I am very pleased with both of you and how well things are going. On second thought, where is she? I've been meaning to speak with her but Indra claimed she was busy?"
Clarke shook her head, "I don't know, she wasn't in the tent when I woke up…"
Uh oh.
Abby turned to her daughter once more, considering what she said, "Wait, what?"
"Nothing…" she tried to play off, a blush on her cheeks. She glanced at the entrance before backing towards it, "Oh hey I think I hear someone calling. I'll catch up with you during midday? We can have lunch."
"Clarke Griffin don't you dare."
"Okay bye, see you soon!" and with that, she turned on her heel and bolted out of the Healers' Tent, her mother's voice becoming less and less audible as she ventured further away. Clarke chuckled over her shoulder in the direction she came from, until she heard someone clear their throat directly in front of her. Stopping in her tracks, Clarke whipped her head around and beheld the sight of the Commander, caked in dirt and blood.
"Lexa, what the heck happened to you!? Come on, let me take you to the Healers'-"
"Clarke, I am fine; it's just some earth."
"You are covered in blood!"
"I assure you, it's not mine."
Clarke placed her hands upon her hips, "Oh, and who's is it?"
A devious smile made its way to the Heda's lips as she gestured with a wave of a hand behind her, where five of the largest Grounder warriors Clarke has ever seen walked through the front gate of TonDC with a large bear, ten feet tall and easily two thousand pounds, upon their shoulders. The people wandering the streets stopped and marveled at the kill and thinking how great that night's meal would be.
"Winter is approaching and I desired to get you lined boots and a thicker blanket for the cold."
Clarke's heart fluttered at Lexa's actions. "You could have been killed, that thing is huge."
"He was a worthy opponent but nothing can take my soul from my body while you are here."
"Except that pauna," Clarke joked, the memory causing a laugh to erupt from her lips.
Lexa only smirked as the five Grounders placed the beast down, the earth shaking beneath its weight. The men stood silently as they awaited an order from Lexa. The Commander placed a leather-gloved hand upon its massive head, patting it as if it were a devoted pet.
"Yes the pauna was an issue; but I've had countless experiences with beasts of every kind. I was a child when I slayed my first: a wolf that was terrorizing a nearby village. My experience had only expanded since that moment, yet this time, instead of looking after my people, this kill was in your honor."
Clarke shook her head. She looked at the beast before placing a loving hand on the Heda's firm upper arm. She wanted to chastise her for being so reckless and playing the part of the charmer, but she couldn't bring herself to do so as she looked at the smirk hinting at the corners of the brunette's lips, "Lexa…thank you."
"Anything you need or desire will be yours, I will be sure of that," Lexa replied, slightly bowing forward and gently grasping the hand that was on her arm before bringing it to her lips, placing a kiss up it while maintaining contact with the hand's owner. Clarke's heart stopped at the sight and she was sure a silly grin adorned her features. Her cheeks burned at the feel of warmth upon her hand which traveled up the length of her arm and spread throughout her body, leaving a tingling sensation resonate within her soul.
"Clarke?"
Lexa's voice snapped her out of her own mind, "Yes?"
Lexa smiled, "I asked if you accept."
"Oh, yes I love it. Thank you my valiant provider," she said only half-jokingly as she affectionately squeezed the hand that continued to hold her own. This was not the first time Lexa had gone out of her way to do something for Clarke. Like a month ago, she had presented various art supplies to Clarke which she explained were from the Capitol. Once she seen the outcome of Clarke's love of art, Lexa sent her quickest rider to find the finest supplies that anyone could buy and retrieve them. Within two days, the rider returned with boxes and bags of different assortments. When given to Clarke, the reaction was far greater than any treasure or wealth. It goes to show how much Lexa truly holds Clarke's happiness.
Lexa smiled brightly before addressing the five warriors who stood silently off to the side, telling them to bring the bear to butchers and ensure that the fur be taken to the artisans. After lugging the monstrous bear upon their shoulders, they marched away. Lexa turned to face Clarke once more.
"Has your mother arrived?"
"Yes this morning. Oh and if she seems a little more hostile than usual, just ignore it."
Lexa cocked an eyebrow before slowly beginning to walk in the direction of her tent, Clarke keeping pace with her, "And what have I done to deserve your noumon's wrath?"
She thought back at the moment that had her verbal slip u in front of her mother, "Let's just say we should double the night and morning guards to avoid unwanted investigations."
And there you go, leave a review btw for ships that you want included, once I pick it will be unlikely of changing since this is a happy (maybe) fic, and besides Clexa, im pretty lenient regarding shipping in this fandom. Anyway, until next time!
Huntress