You're Ripped at Every Edge, but You're a Masterpiece

by BakeryHoePie

See chapter for summary.

'You're Ripped at Every Edge, but You're a Masterpiece'

A/N: Alrighty guys. Here is my newest adventure that I couldn't shake from my mind. I hope that you guys enjoy this. Don't worry about Barista's Choice, I will not abandon my main fic. I just couldn't fight this idea and I had to get it down. It's going to be slow burn af, so I don't even know when I'm going to have Clexa meet, but they are endgame.

Shout out as always to Randomme103 for reading through this and helping me tidy it up. She's awesome and as excited about this story as I am.

A few warnings before you guys jump in. This story is about domestic violence and has mentions of it and non-con in it. I am not going into heavy details in any of the chapters, but it will be mentioned. So, if that is a trigger for you, you probably shouldn't read this.

Feel free to let me know what you think on here or on tumblr. Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Summary

Clarke Griffin is a 21 year old married woman. She has a 3 year old son, Aden. Her husband, Finn, is an abusive jerk. One day he goes too far and their neighbor calls the police. Raven and Lexa come to Clarke's rescue and save her for the last time from Finn.

Lexa is a 25 year old police officer who likes to play hero. She has a super snippy partner on the force who absolutely infuriates her. Said partner is also the best friend that she's ever had. One day they rescue a blonde haired, blue eyed angel from a violent monster and from that day forward, fate keeps bringing them back together.

~*~Chapter 1~*~

Clarke's POV

Domestic violence. It wasn't something that Clarke every really gave much thought to. She had seen her fair share of Lifetime movies with her grandma and mom when she was younger but, that's exactly what she thought it was. Something that only happened in the movies. So, of course, she never thought that it would happen to anyone she knew, let alone her.

Needless to say, she was completely shocked that she was in her current position, sitting in her lawyer's office in front of a stack of papers. Papers that would forever change her life.

All it took to end Clarke's four-year marriage was a simple signature. All she had to do was scribble her name on the last page of the divorce papers. That's it. Just one simple signature and she would be free. She wanted out, of that much she was sure. Who wants to stay in an abusive marriage? Nobody that is in their right mind.

So, why did she stay for so long? Why did she put up with the verbal and physical abuse? The nights of Finn coming home completely drunk and beating the living shit out of her until she wished that she would just die? That maybe if he beat her to death, she could stop hurting for just one minute. And if he was drunk enough, he would force himself on her before passing out.

She had two reasons for being apprehensive about leaving. Her biggest reason for staying was her three-year-old son. Aden was her life. He was the one thing that kept her going through all of it. The only good thing to come out of her disastrous marriage was her little boy.

She can't even read the paperwork that she's about to sign. Both of her eye sockets are swollen from being hit, making all the words blurry. It doesn't matter though. Her lawyer turned to the page that she needed to sign and placed her hand right on the line. All she has to do is write down her name.

So, why is she having such a hard time signing the fucking papers? It's not like she wants to be married to Finn still. She'd have to be an idiot to stay any longer. This time he almost killed her, so why isn't her fucking hand moving?

"I can't."

"Clarke." Indra's voice is firm but not devoid of emotion. She's been a friend of her mom's for as long as Clarke can remember. "You need to do this."

"I know, but I'm scared."

"You have nothing to be afraid of. Finn is going away for a long time, and you have a restraining order against him."

"That's not why I'm scared, Indra."

"So, what are you afraid of, Clarke?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do. Where am I going to go? I can't go back to the house, I don't even want to. He froze our bank account. I literally have nothing. I can't pay for food or a hotel for Aden and I to stay in. So, what am I supposed to do?" Clarke's voice cracks as her tears begin to fall. She sniffs and immediately yelps in pain. She forgot about her nose. It's not broken, but it is incredibly swollen and sore.

"Do you not want to stay with your mother?"

"No. I can't stay with her and Marcus. I wouldn't be able to stand it. The way she looked at me when she got to the hospital. I can't take her looking at me like that all the time."

"Like what, Clarke?"

"Like I'm damaged."

"Aren't you?"

"Yes! Of course I'm fucking damaged, Indra. My husband just tried to kill me in front of my son."

"You could always stay with Gus and I. You know that our home is always open to you and Aden."

Clarke lets out a sad sigh as tears well up in her eyes. "I know that, Indra. And I appreciate it. You and Gus have always been so good to us, but I can't put you out like that."

"You could never put us out, Clarke. We love you like you're our own child."

"I know and I love you guys too." After a glare from Indra, Clarke relents. "Okay, we'll come stay with you guys. But only until we get on our feet."

"Okay. Now sign the damn paperwork so that you can be a free woman."

Free. That was a novel concept. She had never been free in her life. Getting married right after graduating high school would do that to a person. And it was the other reason why she was afraid to be on her own. She literally had nothing to her name. Just the clothes on her back and the shoes on her feet. Finn had control over all of their money, well his money, seeing as he never let her work. She had never joined the working world because Finn married her two months after they graduated.

She wasn't tricked into marrying him. He was a different person when they were in high school. He was attentive, charming, and affectionate. Clarke was in love with him. And she thought that he loved her too. He won over Abby and Marcus easily and they gave him their blessing for Clarke's hand. None of them knew how he was beforehand.

Maybe that's part of the reason that she stayed for so long. Because she loved him and she thought that he would eventually stop.

The first time that he hit her, Clarke chalked it up as an accident. They'd been married for a year when it happened.

She had noticed that Finn had controlling tendencies, but she overlooked them. He only allowed her to have contact with one of her friends. But their contact was limited to only phone calls and text messages. He gave her a weekly allowance for their groceries. At first she didn't have a car so she had to take the bus to and from the store. He expected to come home to a spotless house and a hot meal on the table. She was basically a modern day Cinderella.

Clarke knew that he had been stressed out at work, so he'd been more irritable lately. She made it a point to keep the house cleaner than normal, so as not to set his temper off. She was doing a pretty damn good job of it until the day that he came home from work early. She had just put dinner in the oven and was relaxing a little bit before cleaning up her prep work. He walked into the kitchen while she was dancing away to some song on the radio and he lost it. He gripped her wrist, spun her around and slapped her so hard in the face that it split her bottom lip. As she was slumped on the kitchen floor, trying to calm her breathing, he left the house without a word.

Later that night he came home reeking of cheap whiskey and cigarette smoke. Clarke had gone to bed a half an hour earlier, assuming that he would return late into the night. She was almost asleep when she felt his side of the bed dip down. A minute later he presses up against her back, wrapping an arm around her waist. As it turns out, drunk Finn was a very grabby Finn. He ignored the fact that Clarke was trying to sleep. He didn't listen to her when she repeatedly told him no, and he didn't care that she didn't want him that night. He got what he wanted before falling into a drunken slumber.

That was the first time that Finn forced her to have sex with him, but it definitely wasn't the last. The last time resulted in Aden being conceived. Even though Aden came into her world because of such a horrible thing, that boy was the light of Clarke's life. Finn on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with his son. After Aden was born, Finn started sleeping around with various women in town. Clarke was upset about it, until she realized that he had stopped taking advantage of her. So, she reveled in her newfound freedom, while it lasted.

It lasted a lot longer than Clarke thought it would. It was almost as if a switch had been flipped. Finn was acting like his old self again. He didn't lay a hand on her and his controlling ways were pretty much nonexistent. He was being affectionate and attentive again. He allowed her to go out and spend time with Octavia. But, the best part of all was the fact that he started spending time with Aden. At first, Clarke was nervous about letting Finn be alone with her son, scared that he might do to Aden what he's been doing to her. So, the first few times that he let her go out with Octavia, she suggested that Bellamy come hang out with him and Aden. She figured that if anything, the presence of another person would stop Finn from potentially getting violent with Aden. Finn was okay with hanging out with Bellamy, unsurprisingly seeing as they'd been close friends in high school.

Having Finn be so reminiscent of his old self was startling to Clarke. She tried to tell herself that it wouldn't last, and that she'd be a fool to fall for his act. That as soon as she let her guard down, he'd turn back into the monster that she had come to know. As hard as it was to deny, he wasn't the same guy that she fell in love with at sixteen. She couldn't fall back into his trap, even if her heart was begging her to.

So, it was definitely a huge surprise when two years later he still hadn't put a hand on her. They were living life like they were newlyweds again, and Clarke could not have been happier about it. Long gone were the doubts that had plagued her in the beginning. They were finally the family that she had dreamt about.

As per usual in Clarke's life, all good things must come to an abrupt and painful end. It all happened so fast that Clarke didn't see it coming. She didn't have a chance to prepare, at all.

The house next to them had been for sale for almost two years after the last occupant had moved into a retirement home. Clarke didn't think anything of it when she saw her and Finn's realtor hosting an open house, she'd seen many open houses over the two years without a buyer coming forth. So, when she woke up to moving trucks next door less than a week later, she was definitely surprised.

The new family that moved in was a woman and her three-year-old daughter, Tris. The woman's name was Niylah and she was super sweet. She had lost her wife to cancer two years ago and decided to move to get a fresh start.

A few days after the moving trucks left, Clarke went over to greet her new neighbors. She baked a few dozen cookies, got Aden cleaned up and made the trek next door.

Aden and Tris got along famously, as did Clarke and Niylah. Clarke was saddened to find out about Niylah being a widow at such a young age. She was only three years older than Clarke, just shy of twenty-four. Before she knew it, they were spending all of their free time together. Niylah worked from home, she was a pretty well-known author of children's books. A lot of their days were spent over at Clarke's house, Niylah working on her next book while visiting with Clarke. The kids would spend their time terrorizing the backyard, or Aden's playroom. It was great and Clarke had never felt lighter.

Six months into their blossoming friendship, Clarke came to a startling realization. She was just a tiny bit attracted to her new friend, maybe. Totally. Not that she would ever do anything about it. She was married, fairly happily, after all.

It wasn't the first time that she had been attracted to another woman. Clarke had known that she was bisexual since she was in middle school. Before she started dating Finn, she had a girlfriend, Harper.

She had a fleeting feeling that Niylah shared the same attraction. It was totally innocent flirting and playful banter and Clarke thought nothing of it.

Until one day when Finn came home in a rage. He slammed the front door as he walked into the house, throwing his briefcase on the kitchen table with a loud thud. The loud bang startled Clarke, which made her jump while she was cutting vegetables, and of course she nicked her finger. She hisses in pain, sticking her finger into her mouth to clean away the blood.

"What the hell, Finn? Why'd you slam the damn door?"

"Don't you what the hell me! It's my house, I'll do whatever the fuck I please."

"Please don't raise your voice, Aden is in the living room."

"I don't care. Is she here?"

"Who?"

"Niylah."

"No, she's not here, not that it matters any."

"I don't want you to see her anymore."

"What?! Why?"

"Because I don't like the way that she looks at you, Clarke."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Finn. She's just my friend."

"She looks at you like you're so much more than that. Octavia doesn't look at you the way that Niylah does."

"Finn, you're acting crazy. She's just my friend. Nothing more."

"I don't care, Clarke. I don't want you hanging out with her anymore."

"I'm not going to stop hanging out with my friend just because you are irrationally jealous for no reason."

"What?"

"I said that you're being irrational and it's ridiculous."

"I'm not being irrational."

"She's just my friend, Finn. There is nothing more to it. And Aden loves hanging out with Tris. That wouldn't be fair to him. Plus, she's our neighbor, so we have to see her all the time."

"I'm forbidding you from seeing her anymore, Clarke. That's final." Finn's voice raises to a dangerous level. Clarke knows that she should back down, because her husband sounds so angry. But, she's stubborn and it's been so long since he's raised his voice towards her.

"You're not my boss, Finn. I can hang out with her if I want." Her blue eyes narrow in defiance as her hands come to rest on her hips.

That was definitely the wrong thing to say to him. His fists clench in anger before one of them slams into the side of her cheek. She hisses out in pain as she feels her skin split open. The force of the next punch sends her to ground. His foot is the next thing to wreak havoc on her body, kick after kick taking aim at her torso.

She's pretty sure that she blacked out not too long after that because the next thing she remembers are the most mesmerizing green eyes that she has ever seen. Apparently Niylah had come over to return some Tupperware that she had borrowed from Clarke the week before. She was outside of the front door when she heard the commotion of the fight. Instead of barging in and potentially getting hurt in the process, Niylah ran home and called 911. Clarke was way too out of it to get the officer's name, but those green eyes are still burned into the back of her mind.

Lexa's POV

Domestic violence. Lexa has seen a lot of shit in her five years on the force, but seeing a battered person is not something that she can get used to. It irks her to no end when she responds to a call and comes face to face with a bloodied and battered boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife.

There really is no reason for her to hold such a hatred for this particular crime. Her parents, well adoptive parents are still happily married. Nyko and Anya took her in after her own parents died in a car accident when she was only two. They were close friends of her parents and since Lexa had no other living relatives, they were named in her parent's will to watch over her should anything happen to them. Nyko had never so much as raised his voice at Anya, let alone put his hands on her. She had never had any friends that had abusive partners, and she had never had one either.

There was still something about abuse that irked her to no end. Whenever she responded to a call and had to deal with any domestic dispute that involved violence, all she saw was red. She had to compartmentalize and basically go on autopilot so that she didn't do something to the suspect that would get her reprimanded, or fired. She had to admit that there were a few times that she may have been a little rough with abusers when she was loading them into her squad car, but Raven always had her back when it came to those calls.

The day started out just like any other. Lexa woke up to the blaring of her alarm at four thirty in the morning. She stretches out her limbs to loosen them, sighing as her joints pop. She hops out of her bed, pulling on some spandex shorts and a sports bra before leaving her room. As she makes her way into the bathroom, she can hear Raven snoring away on the couch, right where she left her last night. They don't have to be at the station until seven thirty, so she decides to let her partner sleep in. Usually she would wake Raven up and force her best friend to exercise with her, but today she is going to make an exception.

She grabs her earbuds and slips on her running shoes before heading towards the front door. She flicks Raven in the nose on the way out, laughing at the frustrated grunt that her best friend lets out. Lexa puts her earbuds in and locks the door, even though she's pretty sure that Raven sleeps with a gun under her pillow. She'd rather not have to arrest her best friend for shooting somebody, even if they broke into their apartment. She puts on her exercise playlist, which consists of a lot of Halsey and Hayley Kiyoko. Raven named the playlist, 'Tragic, gay mess,' which isn't far from the truth. That definitely didn't stop Lexa from tit punching her best friend when she noticed it.

Running early in the morning is her absolute thing in the world. She used to be a night runner before she joined the police force, but there is something about running while everybody is still sleeping that makes her feel free. Plus, she usually works early morning shifts, so she doesn't often stay up late anymore. Unless Raven forces her to stay up and drink with her while watching crappy horror movies. Luckily for Lexa, that usually only happens on the weekends. Raven tried to have an impromptu movie night last night, but she ended up passing out on the couch before the movie was halfway over. So, Lexa turned everything off, finished the rest of her best friend's beer, and went to bed.

Since she decided to leave Raven at home today, she decides to run ten miles instead of her usual five. She only gets the chance to run the ten mile stretch when she is alone, because Raven always bitches around mile four. As soon as mile five happens, Raven will tell Lexa to fuck off before heading over to her favorite café for a coffee. Plus, they still have to hit gym after work, and Raven is a whiny ass when she's overworked after a workout. Lexa knows that Raven hates gym days with her, because she pushes her best friend to her limit. Lexa knows that the best way to ease Raven into an after work gym session is to bring her coffee and breakfast, so that is on her agenda after her run.

She starts off with a light jog, letting her muscles warm up and stretch out. By the time she gets to her usual spot, she is ready to go. The day is already warm, and unseasonably so for it being only March, but Lexa doesn't mind the heat. If anything, it will help her work up a sweat faster.

Her usual ten miles is over faster than she would like, but she doesn't have time for any more today. At least not if she wants to have time for breakfast before work. She makes her way over to Raven's favorite café, ordering her best friend's usual mocha latte and breakfast sandwich. She flirts a little with the barista, Stephanie, because she's cute and why not? She's dreadfully single and the flirting is innocent really. Too bad she didn't order a drink for herself this morning, because Stephanie had finally worked up the courage to slip Lexa her number. Oh well, she thinks to herself, there's always next time. Lexa thanks Stephanie with a wink and a wave as she leaves the coffee shop.

Raven is still fast asleep when Lexa gets back to the house and it's almost six. Lexa grins devilishly as a plan comes to mind. She sets Raven's coffee and food down on the living room table before making her move. She gets a running start and jumps up on the couch on top of Raven, covering her best friend with her still sweaty body. Raven lets out a pained groan as she is unfavorably woken up.

"What the fuck, Woods?"

"Get your lazy ass up, Reyes. It's time to get ready for work."

"Fuck you, dude. Get your fat ass off of me. You're really sweaty."

"Duh. That's what happens when you go jogging in the morning. You get sweaty."

"Well you smell like Lincoln's armpit after a training session."

"You're being incredibly sassy to the person who bought you coffee and breakfast."

"I love you so much and you smell like roses."

"It's too late. I'm going to drink your latte and eat that carbohydrate loaded sandwich that you insist on eating."

"You wouldn't dare." Raven's eyes narrow in mock anger. Lexa laughs heartily as she gets off of Raven.

"Wanna bet?"

"Lexa. You hate fru fru coffee. And your insides wouldn't be able to handle eating my heavenly sandwich." Raven sits up on the couch with a grunt, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"I don't really like processed meats and fake cheese, so I wouldn't eat it anyway."

"I'm sorry that not all of us are food snobs who require our meat, dairy and produce to be antibiotic and pesticide free. Organic as fuck and straight from the goddamn cow's teat."

"Alright, ass, your caffeine is on the table. I'm going to take a shower. Be less grumpy when I get back or I'll be forced to give you a purple nurple."

"Dude, no. The last time you did that, my whole tit hurt for like a year."

"You're being dramatic."

"That's why you love me. Don't all lesbians love drama?"

"Not all of us, no." Lexa narrows her eyes at Raven's comment. "Wait a second, don't you date women as well?"

"Yeah, but I occasionally enjoy the company of a man. So, I choose not to label my sexuality."

"Raven, when is the last time that you 'enjoyed the company of a man?" Lexa accentuates her point with air quotes, mocking her best friend.

"How old am I now?"

"Twenty-six."

"Okay, so it was eight years ago."

"So, you last slept with a man when you were eighteen?"

"Oh, no. Gross. I didn't sleep with him. The only time I enjoy a penis is when it is made of silicone and attached to a woman. I'm as straight as the fuckin' rainbow, dude."

"And that was so eloquently said and not crass at all."

"Well, I aim to please. Now go wash your stinky ass, please."

"My ass is not stinky."

"You don't know that, you can't smell it."

"But you can?"

"Maybe. Now go away so that I can have alone time with my scientifically processed meats and cheese."

"Are you going to eat the sandwich, or have sex with it?"

"Possibly both. I haven't decided yet."

"Okay…so I can't tell if you're joking or not. Whatever you do, just try to keep it down."

"I make no promises. Now, go. The sandwich is giving me sex eyes."

"It probably has eyes because of the antibiotics."

"Whatever, Commander."

"I swear to lesbian Jesus, that is exactly what happened."

"You're telling me that you actually managed to eat a fifteen pound burger. All because of a drunken bet that you lost?"

"Yes."

"There's no way, Raven. You're so small. Where did you put it all?"

"I have no idea. I was so wasted that I don't remember what happened after I ate the burger. I'm pretty sure that I passed out."

"That's so disgusting. I don't know why you would do that to yourself." Lexa taps her fingers on the steering wheel, keeping up with the soft beat coming from the radio. They've been on patrol for the last five hours and have literally had one call. A call that ended in them saving a cat from a tree for an old lady.

"Because the burger was delicious. And I was trying to impress the girl that I made the bet with."

"Did it work?"

"Huh?"

"Did you impress her?"

"I think so. We ended up sleeping together a few nights later."

"Not that first night though?"

"Oh god no. I ate a fifteen pound burger. If I tried to have sex after that, I would've spewed everywhere."

"Gross."

"I'm sexy and I know it, babe. Now, can you please get us a call from dispatch? I'm so fuckin' bored that I'm about to die."

"I don't have control over the calls."

"Sure you don't."

Before Lexa can respond, their car radio crackles with a call. Raven's eyes widen with excitement over the potential of an adventure.

"Car 2123, we have a call of a possible 273D on Beachwood street. Are you able to respond?"

Raven's eyes snap over to meet Lexa's. Her brow furrows in worry as she watches Lexa's facial expression darken. She grabs the walkie to respond to the call.

"10-4 dispatch, we are in route."

"10-4. The call came from a neighbor, so we don't know the situation."

"We're on it, dispatch." Raven hangs the receiver back on the hook with a sigh, turning her attention to her partner. "Do you want me to drive, Lex?"

"I'm fine."

Lexa's hands tighten on the steering wheel, her knuckles whitening from the force of her grip. Her jaw is clenched, green eyes ablaze with fury. Raven knows that she needs to tread carefully right now as Lexa is a bit of a loose cannon when it comes to domestic violence. She doesn't worry about her safety, but if she lets her partner get too worked up before the apprehension, the suspect might be manhandled a bit. Instead of prodding, Raven lets the subject drop. She flips the sirens on as Lexa speeds off in the direction of the call. Raven turns the volume of the radio down, placing her hand gently on Lexa's knee in what she hopes is a comforting gesture.

"It's going to be okay, Lexa."

"I just don't understand why somebody would think that it is acceptable to physically harm their significant other."

"I know. It's disgusting. That's why we're going to take care of it."

Lexa offers a small smile that doesn't completely reach her eyes as the pull up to the house in question. She stops the car, puts it in park and turns the engine off. They both exit the squad car with their side arms drawn and ready as they walk up to the front door.

"If things are bad in there, Reyes, I need you to make sure that I don't lose control."

"I've got your back, Woods."

"I know you do."

"Right then. Let's bust this motherfucker, yeah?"

Raven slams her fist against the hard, wooden door.

"San Diego Police Department, OPEN UP!"

Lexa can hear commotion inside the house and she's pretty sure that nobody is going to come to the door. After another swift knock from Raven, Lexa makes an executive decision. She lifts up her government issued work boot clad foot and slams it into the door. The kick is hard enough to break open the door, the wood slamming hard against the wall.

The scene inside is enough to make Lexa want to vomit. In the living room there is a boy, no more than three years old, sitting on the floor crying. The television is blaring with the sound of some random cartoon that Lexa has never seen before. But the boy isn't paying any attention. His focus is zeroed in on what is happening in the kitchen.

A young blonde woman is splayed out on the kitchen floor, lying in a puddle of that Lexa knows is blood. There is a man kneeling above her, one hand toying with the button of his slacks while the other hand pulls at the woman's underwear. Lexa can tell that the woman is passed out, because she isn't trying to fight the man off.

"Jesus fucking Christ. Reyes, get the kid please."

"Just don't kill the dude, okay?"

"I make no promises. Just get him out of the house."

"Okay."

Raven makes her way into the living room to grab the little boy, saying something into her walkie as she does so. Lexa is too focused on the man in front of her to make out what her partner is saying. The man on the floor has not noticed, distracted by his task at hand. Lexa clicks the hammer on her service weapon, holding the gun out towards his face.

"POLICE! Freeze!"

The man continues to ignore Lexa, sliding the woman's underwear down her legs. Lexa knows that she isn't going to get the man's attention regardless of what she does. So, she slips her weapon back into her holster, pulling her taser out.

"Sir, I'm going to ask you one more time. Stop what you're doing and put your hands up."

The man doesn't even look her way, so she points the taser at his neck and deploys the weapon. It hits its mark and immediately stops him, dropping him to the floor. He convulses as the electricity flows through his body. Lexa roughly turns him on his stomach and cuffs him while he is incapacitated, maybe kicking him as she does so.

As soon as the suspect is subdued, Lexa kneels beside the woman. Her face is bloodied slightly, eyes swelling shut from damage.

"Ma'am. Are you alright? Can you tell me your name?"

The woman mumbles something before her brilliant blue eyes slip shut. She doesn't open them again, losing consciousness from the pain. Raven comes up next to her, followed by the emts that she apparently called.

"Her name is Clarke Griffin. The dbag is Finn Collins, her husband. The little boy is Aden."

As Lexa watches them load the woman onto the stretcher, all she can think about is her blue eyes. The pain circling behind those cerulean depths makes Lexa's heart ache. She grabs onto Clarke's hand, squeezing the other woman's hand comfortingly.

"You're going to be okay, Clarke. We've got you."

Clarke's POV

"Are you sure that you're okay with us staying with you, O? I don't want to put you out."

"Clarke, you could never put me out. You're my best friend. Of course I am okay with you and Aden hanging out with me. Since we're both painfully single now. Well, I've been painfully single for two years now."

"Has it really been two years since you and Harper broke up?"

"Yup, it most definitely has."

"Weird. Seems like it was only yesterday."

"Tell that to Octavia Junior. She hasn't had any action since."

"Wait, what?" Clarke's eyebrows raise in shock, almost disappearing in her hairline.

"Yeah."

"That's terrible. You need to remedy that, immediately."

"Oh yeah. Like it's that easy."

"It is. Especially for you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Please. Don't act like you don't know that you're hot."

Clarke sits back on Octavia's couch, taking a sip of her glass of wine. The bruises around her eyes are healing well, the swelling almost completely gone.

"Oh, I do know. I don't want to just hook up with some rando."

"God, you're getting old. Eighteen-year-old you was all about hook ups."

"Shut up. I was so not."

"Okay, maybe not. But you did have a few."

"Well, not all of us met our Prince or Princess Charming when we were fifteen." Octavia's eyes widen as she realizes exactly what she said. "Shit, fuck. Clarke, I am so sorry."

"It's fine, O."

"No, it's not. That was incredibly rude of me."

"Seriously, it's fine. You didn't know what he was like."

"Still. Open mouth, insert foot." Octavia drains the rest of her wine, sitting up so that she can grab the bottle and pour another glass. She tops Clarke's glass off as well. "If I ever see Finn again, I'll fucking kill him."

"Speaking of Finn getting murdered, have you told Bell about everything?"

"I told him what you've told me, which isn't much. But, I figured that you would tell me what you want, when you're ready."

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"I'm not going to ask that of you. Not unless you want to share. It's only been a week since everything happened. I don't expect you to be able to talk about it."

"Of course I want you to know." Clarke's voice cracks as she forces the words out. "Just bear with me, because it's probably worse than you think."

"Okay. Should I go get the hard stuff?"

"No. I don't want to get wgw. We have to pick Aden up from my mom's early in the morning."

"Ugh, fine. Way to be an adult. But, you are going to finish the rest of this wine."

"Okay." Clarke tips back her glass, swallowing the rest of her wine. She grabs the bottle and fills her cup again, taking another long drink before setting it down on the table. "So, it's been like this since before Aden was born. It all started like a year after we got married. He started to get really possessive over what I was doing. He didn't want me to hang out with you, Bell, or my mom. He gave me a weekly allowance, but it was only to be used for food. I had a list that he made me of what food he wanted me to pick up each week. I was expected to have dinner ready and the house clean by the time he got home from work. The first time that I didn't have dinner ready for him, he hit me so hard that it split my lip open."

"Oh, Clarke."

"Yeah." Clarke sniffles softly as her eyes well up with tears. "He would go out with his co-workers on the weekends and get really drunk. Those were the really bad nights. The ones when he was particularly violent."

Octavia scoots closer to her best friend. She wraps her arm around Clarke's shoulders, pulling their bodies together.

"Clarke. Why didn't you tell me what was going on sooner?"

"I was worried. One night when he was really drunk he told me that he would kill me if I told anybody."

"Clarke, I would've found a way to get you away from him. Plus, Wells and Bell would've beat him within an inch of his life."

"I know. I just thought that nobody would believe me, I guess."

"Why wouldn't we believe you?"

"Because Finn was so charming and nice to everybody. My mom and Marcus loved him."

"You know, I never really liked him. I just put up with him because he was Bellamy's friend. And then you started dating, so I figured that he was going to be a part of my life whether I liked it or not."

"You really never liked him?"

"No, not at all. There was just something that felt, I don't know, off."

"I guess that I can see why you would think that." Clarke takes a drink of her wine, slumping back against the couch.

"Yeah. He just kinda seemed too perfect. Like maybe he was trying too hard to make people like him. If that makes any sense."

"It makes sense."

"Did he do anything else to you? Besides hit you? Did he ever hit Aden?"

Clarke's gaze drops to the ground. She sucks in a deep breath, trying to fight back the tears that are building in her eyes. She knows that she is unsuccessful when she feels warm trails on her cheeks.

"Clarke."

"I...I can't talk about it. Not now. He never put his hands on Aden, though. Thank god."

"Motherfucker. I'm seriously going to stab him directly in the nuts if I ever see him again."

"Please don't tell Bellamy about anything I told you. I don't want him to look at me like my mom and Marcus do. I can't stand seeing the pity on their faces."

"Clarke, Bell would never."

"Why not? Everybody else does...it makes me sick."

"People aren't pitying you, Clarke. We are suffering with you. If anything, we are all beating ourselves up over what happened to you."

"You guys have no reason to feel bad."

"But we do. Because we all love you. And we didn't see it. We didn't see any signs of abuse, so we couldn't save you from that piece of shit. Instead, you had to suffer through years of him treating you like his own personal punching bag. And the pitying looks aren't what you think they are. It's not easy to see somebody you love suffer like you have been. So, the way that Abby and Marcus look at you right now is because they don't know what else to do. They are angry for not seeing it sooner. They are beating themselves up because they can't erase what happened to you. And nobody wants to see their child or loved one hurt."

Octavia wipes angrily at her eyes, swiping the tears away. She lunges forward so that she can engulf her best friend in a tight hug. The hug is what sets them both off, breaking the dam and allowing their tears to fall freely.

"I am so sorry that I wasn't there to keep you safe. I will never let anybody hurt you again."

"You don't have to apologize to me. I could've told you at any time and I didn't."

"I still have to apologize. Because I should've seen it. I knew that you were withdrawing from me, distancing yourself. But I just thought that it was part of growing up. Friends grow apart sometimes. I just thought that maybe I did something to make you mad."

"Oh god no. I love you, O. You're like the sister that I never had. We will never grow apart. I was just so afraid that if I told you what was going on, he would hurt me, or worse, Aden. Or even come after you. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if he hurt you."

"Please. I would so kick that pansy's ass. Ten years of Krav Maga. Fin would never stand a chance against me."

Clarke lets out a watery laugh, tightening her hold on her best friend. "That's true."

"Now, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of this crying bullshit. Let's watch some trashy television, yeah?"

"Real Housewives of Atlanta? Or maybe Project Runway?"

"Ohhh...Project Runway, bitch."

"Yasss..."

Lexa's POV

One Week Later

'This day could not have been any worse.'

This is Lexa's first thought as she walks into the precinct with Raven. They still have four or five hours left until they are off duty and she is absolutely dreading it. So far today she had been punched in the face while apprehending a suspect, puked on by a drunk person that they picked up. She fell into a giant mud puddle while chasing a suspect, and to top it all off she didn't have a change of uniform in her locker like she usually did. Needless to say, Lexa Woods was not having a good day. Raven was thoroughly enjoying Lexa's misery, and had happily taken a few hard punches to her shoulder when Lexa got too annoyed with her.

When the call came in for an armed robbery at a convenience store, Lexa was hoping that somebody else would volunteer to check it out. All she wanted to do was finish her lunch so that something in her day could go right. But, no, of course her partner jumped at the chance to take down a robber. So, instead of getting to relax and eat her sandwich, Lexa had to settle for shoving the food down her throat. She quickly changed before they left, stealing Raven's back-up uniform. There was no way in hell that she was going to answer this call still covered in mud and puke.

She made Raven drive, mostly because she wanted to use the extra time to calm herself down before their arrival. She didn't want to go into this call hot-headed, because she knew that she would be more liable to make a mistake if she wasn't entirely focused. Unfortunately for her, Raven being as keyed up as she is makes it impossible to calm down. By the time they reach the convenience store, she is in as foul of a mood as she was back at the station.

Raven parks right in front of the entrance, jumping out of the car at an alarming speed. Lexa follows behind, drawing her pistol and pulling the hammer back. Raven pulls open the door, service weapon held out in front of her as they barge into the store. The suspect is still at the front counter, shoving a bunch of cash and merchandise into a duffel bag. He doesn't look much older than she and Raven are, but by the wild look in his eyes, Lexa can tell that he's desperate. He has a 9mm pistol pointed at the clerk's face.

"San Diego Police Department!"

The man's eyes widen as he hears Raven's voice. Two things happen in very quick succession, fast enough to make Lexa's head spin. The man fires his weapon, shooting the young clerk in the shoulder. The girl can't be much older than eighteen, her face wet with tears. She lets out a pained cry as she crumples to the floor. Before Raven or Lexa can get a shot off at the assailant, he takes off running, out the back door of the store.

"Fuck!"

"You check on the victim, Woods. I'll go nab this dbag."

"You sure?"

"Yup. See ya in a bit, partner."

Raven winks at Lexa and then takes off in a sprint, heading in the same direction as the suspect. Lexa holsters her weapon and walks behind the counter to check on the clerk. After verifying that the girl is okay, she radios in to dispatch to get an ambulance sent to their location. The paramedics arrive a few minutes later, taking over for Lexa so that they can load the girl up on a stretcher.

Lexa makes sure that everything is okay before heading out in the direction that Raven and the suspect went. She's hasn't heard her partner call over the radio, but that could just mean that she's busy chasing after the guy. After a few minutes of searching with no real success, she really begins to worry. She turns on her walkie so that she can find out her partner's location.

"Reyes, do you copy?"

Her call goes unanswered, radio static being the only thing that comes through after her call. She continues to search the area, looking for anything really. Signs of a struggle, blood, bullet casings, anything really. After another few minutes she decides to try and call Raven again.

"Reyes, it's Woods. What is your 20?"

"Woods?"

Relief immediately floods her body at the sound of Raven's voice.

"Yeah, it's me. Where are you?"

"About a quarter mile away from the convenience store. He took a left at the street next to the store and continued down that road for four blocks. Took a right on 12th Street and kept going. I lost him about three blocks down, he might've gone into a house or something. I'm searching the area now."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just winded. Lots of running."

Lexa takes off at a jog, heading in the direction that Raven went. It's hotter than she would like, and she's quickly working up a sweat, but she wants to get to her partner. By the time she makes it to the area where Raven told her she was, she is sweating pretty profusely. Damn summer heat. She spies her partner standing at the front door of a house, fist raised to knock on the door. She makes her way up the driveway, joining Raven as the knock is answered. An elderly man opens the door with a smile.

"Sorry to bother you sir, I was just wondering if anybody has come into your house in the past fifteen minutes."

"Not that I'm aware of, officer. You're actually the first person to knock on my door all day."

"Very well then. Just be careful answering the door. There is a robbery suspect somewhere around this neighborhood."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you for letting me know."

"You're welcome, sir. Have a good day."

"You too."

The man shuts the door with another small smile and a wave. Raven returns the wave before turning around. She heads down the stairs of the porch towards her partner.

"Took you long enough, Woods."

"Shut up. I had to clear the scene before I came after you. Too bad you lost the perp."

"Fuck you, Woods."

"No thanks, babe. You're not my type. Too much of an asshole for me."

"You would be lucky to have this asshole."

"Gross, dude."

"Yeah, it doesn't want you either. So, whaddya say we go find this dude?"

"Sounds like a plan to me."

The two women begin a brisk walk, scouring the area for the perpetrator. They walk around for a good twenty minutes without any signs and they are ready to give up. It's hot as hell and they are both more than a little sweaty. They just have one more house in the neighborhood to check before they can leave. There is an abandoned house at the end of the block, it's pretty dilapidated and it's been vacant for years. It is the ideal hiding spot for somebody trying to escape the police. They decide to split up so that they can get through the house faster. Raven takes the back half while Lexa takes the front. The search is quick, Lexa moves through the front end of the house as fast as possibly can, eager to get back to the station so that she can go home.

She's so focused on searching the first bedroom that she almost misses the yell come from the backyard. Almost. If Raven wasn't so loud, Lexa definitely wouldn't have heard it.

Lexa hears her partner yell 'FREEZE' at who she assumes is the perpetrator. As she makes her way towards the back door to back up Raven, she hears something else. Something that makes her heart stop beating for a split second.

Two gunshots in rapid succession.

She feels her heartbeat pound through her ears as the panic sets in. Her feet carry her to the back door before she can even think about running. She squares her right shoulder, slamming it into the door and knocking it off of its hinges. She stumbles slightly but corrects herself, lifting her weapon into the air as her eyes frantically search the area.

The suspect is sprawled out on the ground, a bullet wound in his chest. He isn't breathing when Lexa kneels down to check, but judging by the giant hole near his heart, she's not surprised. Instead of feeling relief, Lexa feels fear because she only sees one bullet hole and she definitely heard two shots. Which means that either Raven fired twice, or he got a shot off at her partner. FUCK.

Lexa's eyes scan the area, in search of Raven. She sucks in a breath when she zeros in on her partner, who is lying on her back in a similar position to the suspect. Lexa rushes over to her partner, sliding in the dirt next to Raven's prone body. Her eyes are closed, but she's breathing. So, that's a good sign.

Maybe the second gunshot didn't hit anybody. Lexa holsters her weapon, bringing her hands to cup Raven's face.

"Rae."

"Hmm?"

"Reyes, wake up."

Raven's eyes flutter a few times before opening and Lexa can immediately see the pain in them. Her hands move down Raven's body, searching for a wound. Of course her idiot partner didn't wear a vest today, because she hardly ever does. There is a gunshot wound on her left side, just below her breast. Raven hisses in pain when Lexa's hand brushes over it.

"Fuck. That's tender."

"You idiot. Why didn't you wear a vest?"

"Because I hate the way those things feel. They make me all sweaty."

"You've been shot, you asshole."

"Yeah, I can tell. It fuckin' hurts like a bitch."

"You're lucky that it hit you where it did, because he wasn't too far away from hitting your heart."

"That's because he was a shitty shot. I hit him right in the blood pumper."

Raven laughs before moaning out in pain. She coughs, spitting out what looks like blood. He may not have hit her in the heart, but something vital was damaged and is causing her partner to bleed internally. If Lexa doesn't get help there soon, Raven will likely bleed out. She pulls away from Raven, grabbing for her radio. Raven reaches out and grabs her wrist, stopping her. She manipulates Lexa's hand so that she can high five herself. Even though her partner is injured, Lexa can't help but laugh at her antics.

"Yeah, you did. I need to radio for help now. So, I need you to stay awake for me."

"Why would you say that to me? It's not like he shot me in the heart or anything."

"I know that you fool. But you're bleeding out of your mouth so he had to hit something vital that's causing internal bleeding."

"So, now probably wouldn't be the best time to tell you that I can't feel my legs, huh?"

"Yeah, probably not."

Lexa moves away again, this time grabbing her radio.

"Dispatch, this is Officer Woods. I am on the southeast corner of 12th street. I have a suspect that has been gunned down and is deceased. I also have Officer Reyes, who has been shot and is bleeding internally with possible spinal damage. I am requesting an ambulance to our location."

"10-4 Officer Woods. I have an ambulance in route. ETA five minutes."

"Thank you, dispatch."

Lexa drops her radio, dropping down ungraciously in the dirt next to her partner. She pulls Raven's back against her front, pressing her hands onto the wound to try and slow the bleeding. Raven grunts out in pain but places her hands over Lexa's to hold them in place.

"Trying to cop a feel, Woods? All you had to do was ask."

"Fuck off, Reyes."

Lexa laughs softly, partially relieved that Raven can still find humor in this situation, even though she is petrified out of her mind right now. She's fighting a losing battle about trying to keep calm. If it weren't for Raven needing her to be strong, she'd absolutely lose her shit. Especially with how much blood her partner is losing right now.

"Hey. Are you crying?" Raven's voice is scratchy, rough with pain and fatigue.

"No. I'm just sweating."

Raven looks up at Lexa, who is in fact crying a little. She shakes her head, scoffing at Lexa.

"From your eyes?"

"Shut up, Raven."

"Hey. I'm going to be alright, Lexa."

"Yeah? You'd fucking better be. If you die, I'll kill you."

"Seems impossible, but okay. Is it alright if I close my eyes now? I'm really tired."

"I know you are, but I need you to stay awake for me. Just for a little while longer."

"I'll try."

"The paramedics should be here soon."

It's only two or three minutes later when the ambulance comes to a screeching halt outside of the house. By the time they pull the stretcher down and make their way to the back yard, Raven has lost consciousness. Lexa is definitely freaking out on the inside, but she is able to keep her usual stoic mask on. The paramedics allow her to ride with Raven, as if she'd let them say no.

The ride to the hospital feels like the longest ten minutes of Lexa's life. Watching the paramedic hang a bag of blood and hook Raven up to a heart monitor is disconcerting and it's enough to break the last bit of Lexa's resolve. She slumps back against the side of the truck and lets herself cry. She's exhausted, scared, and covered in her best friend's blood. The paramedic is thankfully busy tending to Raven so he doesn't notice Lexa sobbing in the corner.

The emergency room is chaotic and full of people. Lexa follows behind the paramedics, hastily wiping her tears from her dirty face. She gets stopped as they take Raven behind a set of doors, to what Lexa assumes is the operating rooms. Lexa flops down in the nearest waiting room chair, completely boneless and spent. She has no idea what to do with herself. All she knows right now is that she needs Raven to be okay.

TBC