The 100: Same as Me

by pirateboots

Sequel to The 100: Like Hell I Do. A year has passed since Lexa retook her throne. In that time, the Kongeda has enjoyed peace. But the unexpected arrival of Luna threatens to throw the Kongeda back into chaos, and the world is about to get a lot bigger. Threats emerge from all directions and Clarke and Lexa's progress at forging a better life for their people hangs in the balance.

1. Monin Houm

"We were both waiting for something to happen, Clarke, admit it," Lexa voiced her thoughts aloud. She wasn't sure if stating the fact helped or embittered her further though.

Clarke creased her brow and puffed out a breath. She bobbed her head. "Alright," she said, conviction in her voice now, "So now that something has, what are we going to do?"

Now Lexa managed a smile, a bright one. For although she had always been certain that something would one day interrupt their rather blissful life, she had also known that as long as whatever occurred was faced side by side, everything would turn out well. She and Clarke would weather every storm headed towards them together and come out stronger than ever on the other side. They always did.

---

Clarke let out a sigh as she took in Lexa's statement. She noted the way Lexa's jaw tensed in response to her own cynicism. 'We were both waiting for something to happen, Clarke, admit it'. Clarke didn't want to admit that Lexa was speaking the truth. She didn't want to confess that she had been placing mental bets with herself. Bets on exactly how long their quieter way of life would last. On how long they could keep up their routine, until something came along and thoroughly uprooted it. There was guilt in boredom. Shame in feeling like you are constantly waiting for some new excitement, when the content you've found should be enough. It was enough. But when something so big comes along, you start to question if that's how you truly felt. Clarke swallowed.

"Alright," she finally said, trying to find the strength to bolster herself and Lexa both, "So now that something has, what are we going to do?"

Her attempt at conviction made Lexa smile, really smile, and Clarke felt her heart lift just a little. The sight made her more certain that if they could just stick together, hearts and heads, then all would be well. If they could pull each other on like they always did, then the weight of the news they'd just received, however massive, would mean nothing. They'd see it through. They'd see anything through.

Her new found confidence was short lived however. Clarke's brow creased when Lexa did not respond to her prompt and then Lexa's smile faltered and faded back into a frown of concentration. Lexa dropped her eyes to the map of Europa, shoulders noticeably hunched. She glared at the map like solutions might suddenly leap off the page.

"We can't hide this from the Ambassadors," Clarke announced into the quiet, speaking aloud the first thought that popped into her head. It was something to fill the silence and start the dialogue Lexa was clearly unwilling to start herself. Clarke grappled for something to back her statement up with.

"Of course," Lexa agreed quietly, "They have a right to know. And it would be improbable that I could keep such an extended absence a secret. We'll call a meeting when we're ready." Lexa looked up from the map and met Clarke's eyes. There was a lightness in her green ones, a fire ablaze in the forest. Clarke could tell that their agreement on the first point had set Lexa at ease. Lexa's face was much less troubled.

"And they need to have time to prepare their clans. Just in case," Clarke continued her train of thought.

Lexa raised an eyebrow, "In case of what?" she asked and the confusion in her voice took Clarke aback. Surely Lexa was having the same thoughts?

"In case Europa means to attack," she said, "In case their invitation is just a way to measure us up."

Clarke squeezed her eyes shut and choked back a groan when her words made Lexa square up to her full height. Lexa's shoulders went rigid and her hands clasped behind her back. The facade of the Commander fell heavily into place and the atmosphere in the room shifted accordingly. Their agreement had been brief it seemed.

"I doubt that Luna would have come all this way and put her life in danger to invite us to a war, Clarke."

If Clarke wasn't already certain of Lexa's negative response to what she'd said, the way her name escaped Lexa's lips in a terse click would have confirmed it. Moments into their discussion and she'd already touched a nerve.

"I don't think that either. But we know nothing about the people who sent her back. And what if Luna's just a pawn to lure us in? We can't go without some sort of protection," Clarke stressed.

Lexa's response was instant, an icy and dangerous whisper, "You insult me if you think going without protection is what I intended. But there's a distinction between taking precautions and appearing as though you expect a war. I don't think we are heading into a war. But if we go dressed for war then we run the chance of causing one."

Clarke scowled. Lexa certainly had a point, but Clarke was not about to back down on the issue. Not when the safety of the Kongeda, of Skaikru, of her people, could be in the balance. "And going dressed for peaceful talks will make us look like easy targets. The Kongeda covers a large, mostly temperate area. It's a tempting prize to anyone willing to try something."

Lexa's eyes pierced into Clarke's own as they measured each other up. Despite the familiarity, the depth of love, between them, Lexa's intensity made Clarke bristle. Or perhaps more appropriately, the near tangible power the Commander wielded set the Ambassador on edge. It was always paramount that the couple remembered to leave their true selves at the door when they had duties to attend to. Most especially when those duties took a fraught turn.

"Lexa, going in weak could cause all sorts of problems and you know it. The Kongeda is strong. We shouldn't have to hide that out of fear of stepping on a few toes," Clarke argued. It earned her an unrestrained eye roll.

"That's a little rich coming from you," Lexa muttered. Clarke felt the words like daggers and glanced down at the floor, but she did not respond. Lexa wasn't wrong, even if admitting that hurt. "You were all for pushing my people into a more peaceful way of life when it suited you. But now that Skaikru are safe under my protection, you see no problem in forgetting that progress? In going in swords drawn and suspicions high, rather than taking a chance and believing that both sides truly just want to talk. There are lessons to be had from the meeting of our people, Clarke. Mistakes were made that I'd rather not repeat."

Clarke's response was out of her mouth before she could stop it, "Yes, I am fine with moving the goalposts. You and I know better than most how that can happen when it comes to our duty to our people." At last Clarke managed to catch herself and she gasped in a breath. Clarke was quite stunned at how much speaking those words hurt herself, considering the conversation she and Lexa had shared earlier that day. In contrast to Clarke's gawping at her own behaviour, the Commander's stoic face never faltered. Not in the whole time Clarke was delivering her verbal low blow, nor in it's tense aftermath.

The air in the throne room turned to static with all the things spoken and unspoken between the pair. Clearly, the atmosphere was too stifling for Lexa. Clarke watched with a frown as the Commander turned on her heel and stalked up the stairway and out onto the balcony. If it was a means of communicating that she was done talking after what Clarke had said, Clarke did not heed it. She chased Lexa down immediately, arms swinging at her sides, hands balled into fists.

The cool outside air was a welcome change. The pair maintained their stony silence just a while longer as Clarke took up a position at Lexa's left on the balcony. They both stared out over the city. The sun was starting to set behind the treeline of the forest beyond.

"A decision made out of desperation to end a threat that had plagued my people for fifty years isn't quite comparable to being cautious about meeting new people, Clarke," Lexa finally muttered. Her eyes still surveyed the capital, avoiding Clarke's intent gaze.

Clarke caught the way Lexa drew her bottom lip into her mouth after she'd spoke. It was the only tell Clarke needed to see. She had indeed hurt Lexa. Clarke winced and dropped her eyes to the floor.

"But if you want to talk about the mountain," Lexa spoke again when Clarke did not answer, "consider why they were able to do what they did for so long without their own people trying to stop it. We were faceless enemies to them. It's easy to attack someone when you don't know them personally. If we go to Europa, protected but not threatening, then Europa will know us as people from the start."

Lexa had a solid point, one that Clarke agreed on. Still, Clarke could not see how they could go protected enough without looking a little ready for a fight. She could not see where they could draw the line between the two. She sighed. "You're not wrong about the mountain," she admitted, "But Europa is a complete unknown. We just can't take chances."

Clarke heard Lexa give a low, nearly inaudible growl. When she spoke again, the topic of the mountain had been dropped.

"I trust Luna," Lexa said simply. Resolutely. "If she swears that these people have no ill will towards us, I trust that."

Clarke had to suppress a smile at Lexa's earnestness. It wasn't the time. Besides, celebrating Lexa's belief in hope only to have to be the one to take it down a peg would be nothing short of bitter after the damage already done. Clarke gulped. She stepped closer to Lexa. Not as close as she'd stand in a more intimate setting, but close enough to convey that for now, she needed their masks to slip a little.

"I understand your desire to trust Luna, Lex, I do. She was your friend, your sister. And now that she's back in your life you see a chance to make an important reconnection," Clarke said as gently as she could. "But even so, it's been a long time since you last saw her and who knows how much the past years have changed her, have shifted her allegiances. We have to be cautious."

"My personal feelings towards the return of a friend have no place in this discussion, Clarke," came Lexa's terse, resolute reply.

It was all the confirmation Clarke needed that trusting or not trusting Luna was the real problem for Lexa. She continued against all caution, "They do if they are going to affect political decisions." The words made Clarke wince even as she spoke them. She knew who she was sounding like, knew that Lexa would probably make the same leap. Clarke waited for more of Lexa's ire.

Miraculously, Lexa's face softened instead and she turned away from the view of the city. "Clarke?" she prompted, soft and comforting now.

Clarke frowned, "Ok, neither of us are doing so well at keeping our emotions out of this one," she admitted with a shrug. "I know you're shook up about seeing Luna again after so long."

Lexa narrowed her eyes, surveying Clarke as if she were reading the map left back on the table in the throne room. "And you're more upset about this news disrupting our evening with your mother and Raven than you've realised."

Clarke's mouth fell open at Lexa's deduction and the full force of how irate she was hit her. Clarke had made the one comment about losing their evening, but was certain she'd meant it as a throwaway line. She was more focused on trying to find a solution to Luna's news as quickly as possible, on trying to get to the bottom of what was bothering Lexa. In the process, Clarke had fallen into the trap of neglecting her own emotions. Of pushing them to the side, writing them off, and now she stuttered as she tried to process the realisation. "I guess I am," Clarke managed to get out, and then compelled to explain herself further; "I haven't seen them in a year, haven't known where they were, or if they were safe-" she trailed off with a sheepish smile and a half-shrug.

Lexa's expression softened immediately at Clarke's admonishment. She offered her own sympathetic shrug. "We rarely get to choose when big changes occur, Clarke, we just have to adapt accordingly," Lexa said in that wise, all-knowing voice she had. "It is understandable that you are upset. We were both looking forward to this evening," she added more sympathetically.

The accuracy with which Lexa had read Clarke, better than Clarke had read herself, and the affection in Lexa's eyes, made Clarke's sheepish smile turn to a much wider one. Clarke sighed. She was reluctant to say anymore. She was worried about how tenuous the ground around each of them might be now that they'd both identified the root cause of their frustrations. But Clarke didn't need to say anything.

Lexa closed the distance between them and took Clarke's hands into her own, what was left of the Commander's facade slipping away in seconds. "We should leave this discussion here for tonight, all things considered," she urged. "I told Luna she would have to wait until tomorrow for an answer, I didn't say when. We'll have the day to come to a solution."

Clarke nodded her head in agreement, glad to be able to put an ellipses on the heated debate for now. The shock of the revelation had made them both weary. "If those are the Commander's orders," Clarke tried for humour, hoping to dispel any lingering tension between them. Their duties were done for the day. They did not take them back to their private rooms if they could help it. "We should probably have an early night, it's been quite a day."

"A wonderful idea, Clarke. But first, you are to go and visit your mother, at least for a little while. Your evening doesn't have to be totally ruined."

Clarke responded to Lexa's suggestion by pulling Lexa into a tight, grateful hug. Lexa was right, there was still a little time to see her mother, and Raven if she was around. Clarke could explain why she and Lexa hadn't materialised for dinner. Clarke squeezed Lexa even tighter when she considered that Lexa was all but giving her the ok to go and talk to her mother about the testing discussion they'd just had. Lexa had to know that she would.

Clarke smiled into Lexa's neck when she felt Lexa tighten her own arms around Clarke's middle. Even with the looming prospect of having to return to their duties and their differences come the morning, having Lexa's arms wrapped protectively around her made Clarke's evening feel slightly rescued already.

---

Indra waited for the guard that had accompanied them to open the door to the bedroom. She stepped inside, Luna following behind her. It was one of the guest rooms, situated between the Embassy floors and Commander Lexa's private quarters. Comfortable but not lavishly decorated. Indra had briefly considered leading Luna to Clarke's old room but she had thought better of it. Though she was more than happy to see Luna alive and well, her old second had been gone for such a long time. Indra couldn't be sure exactly who the woman following her into the room was. To put Luna on the same floor as her Commander slept was a risk Indra was not willing to take.

"For a moment I thought you might be taking me to my old bunk," Luna let out into the silent bedroom.

Indra came to a stop in the middle of the space. She turned to Luna, trying to mask the surprise she still felt at seeing her so grown-up. "Perhaps I would have. But that room is no longer used, not since the attempted coup," Indra responded. When Luna creased her brow in response, Indra remembered how out of the loop Luna claimed to be. Indra sighed and straightened up. "You've missed a lot, Luna. I know the Commander wishes me to fill you in, but the tale is long."

Luna cocked her head and moved in silence towards the seating area, plopping herself down carelessly in a chair. She gestured to the couch. "Well, I'm not getting an answer from Lexa until tomorrow. We have all night," Luna said.

Indra considered the offer a moment. She was wary that spending too much time with this new matured Luna might somehow tarnish her memories of how they'd been years ago. Close. A near unstoppable force. She relented and sat down on the couch in the absolute centre of one of the cushions, shoulders rigid. Indra stared across to Luna.

"You never used to be this quiet," Luna observed, "Why don't you start from when I went to sea. That was five years ago now."

"Yes," Indra said and she thought back to that time. "You'd just agreed to Floukru joining the Kongeda. The first clan to ally with us. And then all mention of you disappeared from your people's' lips."

Indra recalled the birth of Floukru. The clan formed out of a group of people that had allied themselves to the runaway nightblood. They'd been convinced that Luna was a sign of change away from their ruthless way of life. The new clan had secured harsh territory, sandwiched by the coast between Trikru and Delfikru. Reportedly they lived on the wrecked ships there. Luna had steered the new clan from the shadows. She'd negotiated with Polis via her second mate, the man who became the Floukru Ambassador once they officially joined the Coalition. Still, it had been no secret that it was Luna in charge of the peaceful clan, even if her exact whereabouts was never discovered, mostly out of a lack of effort on Trikru's part. Commander Lexa never did send scouts looking for Luna, so Luna's need to go sailing off puzzled Indra greatly. She made a note to slip it into their conversation if she had the chance to.

"I didn't want too many people finding out what I was doing. The panic caused by my use of an old-world ship would have been enough to cause too much noise," Luna explained vaguely.

Indra nodded that she understood. "After you disappeared, Commander Lexa continued to secure alliances with the other clans, convincing them that it was in their best interest to join the Kongeda. It was bloody at times, but certainly not as terrible as it might have been under anyone else. Commander Lexa was uniting, not conquering. She avoided full scale wars by any means, worked with words and trade agreements. The odd skirmish, or single-combat where necessary. Eventually all the clans except for Azgeda had agreed to join the Coalition under Lexa's command."

"I can't imagine Trikru and Azgeda working together, not with the history between them," Luna cut in. "When I returned I was expecting to make my offer to Trikru and Floukru, maybe a few of the other clans, at the most. I never considered I'd be offering to open up communication between Europa and a complete coalition."

"Complete, but only just finding its foundations," Indra admitted. "You bring dramatic news at an interesting time, Luna."

Indra caught the way that Luna's face briefly fell into a frown, before it relaxed again. Luna tried to mask the slip with a smile, "So, how did Lexa get old Queen Nia to bend the knee?" she asked, bringing the topic squarely back to the Kongeda.

"I cannot be sure myself," Indra said, "Queen Nia was resistant to the last, panicked that the smaller clans she had terrorised were now united. She tried to break the Coalition with constant threats of invasion. When that wasn't working, she went straight for the head. Queen Nia had the Commander's niron captured and tortured. When this gave her no more information to use against Lexa, she simply tried to destroy the Commander. She sent Costia's head, bloodied and shaved, back to Polis. Had it delivered to Commander Lexa's bed."

"That's-" Luna's voice cracked and she scowled darkly, her eyes falling to the floor. "How was Lexa?" she managed, concern evident in her quieted voice.

"Bad, I believe. I wasn't here to see it, I was serving as Chief of TonDC at the time. But General Anya kept me informed whenever she passed through the village. They didn't think Lexa was going to move past it, she hid herself away for most of that year. Everyone was expecting the inevitable explosion of rage, waiting for her to call a war of the United clans against Azgeda in retaliation. But whenever the Ambassadors tried to push her towards war, she resisted. The small border skirmishes went on but never escalated. And then, one day, Lexa announced that she was taking an official visit to the Azgeda capital. When she returned, it was with a newly elected Azgeda Ambassador for the Kongeda. And with Nia's only son and heir as a political prisoner."

Indra felt her chest swell with pride as she recounted the tale. It remained extraordinary. Nobody knew exactly what had happened during Lexa's visit. As far as Indra could surmise in her wiseness, Nia had been panicked about the growing strength of the Kongeda. Her clan was slowly becoming the easiest target for the reapers of the Mountain to attack. She was sending her warriors to fight, or at the least to practice for war. The Coalition armies were largely at home and on hand to defend their people against the reaping. Soon enough, the people of Azgeda must have realised that joining the Kongeda was in their best interest. By acting to destroy it, their Queen was not putting her people's lives first as she claimed to be. Indra assumed that Nia had been deftly backed into a corner by Lexa, until she had no choice but to join the Kongeda or face an uprising of her own people.

"I'm not sure I could lose someone that close to me and not want some sort of justice," Luna admonished.

Indra narrowed her eyes. "I'm surprised by that," she said. The Luna she trained, the Luna that ran from the conclave and started Floukru had been vehemently against violence.

There was a moment of deafening silence, a moment of crackling tension in the air. The two women sized each other up, each trying to gauge how the other night have evolved over the years they'd been apart. Luna opened her mouth, looked like she was finally about to talk more about herself and Indra was excited to hear it. What Luna said instead disappointed her.

"But I can assume Queen Nia had more tricks hidden up her sleeve? You mentioned a coup," Luna spoke.

Indra was on edge now, certain that Luna was withholding her own story for a very specific purpose. Still, she set about finishing the tale to get Luna up to date. "It turns out Nia had been planning to conquer Trikru for a long time. The birth of the Kongeda was a boon. She had trained a nightblood in secret and that nightblood attempted to overthrow Lexa. She infiltrated the tower and slaughtered the novitiates. Thankfully, Lexa had already killed Nia by this time and the pretender floundered without that guidance. Lexa defeated the pretender in single combat and Lexa retook her throne at the head of the Kongeda. And now we have enjoyed a year of unmatched peace."

There was much more to the story Indra could tell. She hadn't touched on the arrival of Skaikru, nor the passing of the blood must not have blood law. She figured she could leave something for the Commander and Clarke to tell Luna about themselves. Besides, it was growing late.

"All the nightbloods slaughtered?" Luna repeated back, voice low.

"Yes. And now the rules of the conclave have been changed so that the next Commander need not be a nightblood. If you want to know why, you'll have to ask the Commander herself. She's told no one but Bandrona Clarke and I assume she intends to keep it that way."

"If she's hiding the truth, it's probably for a very good reason," Luna argued.

Indra suppressed a snarl. It was enough confirmation that Luna was aware that Indra suspected she was hiding things. And it was a warning to Indra not to press the issue. Indra tried to dodge around the warning.

"Luna, I have to ask," she began, "Why did you leave? The Commander clearly had no intention of hunting you down. My being alive and here talking you must make you realise that."

Luna jumped out of her chair, a clear sign of her defences raising. She turned away from Indra and clutched her upper arm with the opposite hand. "I couldn't be sure of that, Indra."

Indra stared at Luna from her own seat, eyes boring into her former second's back. "You seemed to be well protected by your clan," she said, "I'm just curious why you chose to leave them." Indra tried to keep any sign of judgement out of her voice.

She waited what seemed like an age for an answer. Eventually Luna lifted her head and glanced back over her shoulder, her mass of red curly hair hiding most of her profile even so. "I wasn't meant for that life and yet it tried to hunt me down. I kept running."

Indra sighed. It was as much of a confession as she was likely to get from Luna. She was frustrated that she'd found out nothing more about Europa, that Luna was being so mysterious about everything. She hoped that Commander Lexa at least would get more answers. Especially if she intended to accept Luna's offer to start communications with the world across the ocean. Indra rose to her feet.

"It's late. I should return to my duties," she excused herself and made her way to the door without waiting for a reply.

Indra's shoulders felt heavy with worry. She wanted to trust Luna. She wanted to be able to enjoy having her old second, the closest thing she'd ever had to her own child, back in her life. But everything about the rather one-sided conversation they'd shared had set Indra on edge. The woman who had arrived in Polis today was unmistakably Luna. But it was not the Luna that Indra remembered, not the Luna she had once poured her soul into training to be the best leader Luna could be.

---

Clarke rapped sharply on the door and waited. She hoped that her mother wasn't already asleep. That after missing the evening meal they'd planned, Clarke hadn't now managed to add further insult by disturbing her. She masked a sigh of relief when she heard footsteps approaching the door. It opened, and there was her mother looking quite alert despite the lateness of the hour.

"Clarke?" Abby exclaimed with a wide grin, "What a lovely surprise, I didn't think you'd be free at all. Come in." Abby all but tugged Clarke into the room and Clarke simply went along with her mother's enthusiasm.

"I'm glad you're not asleep, Mom," Clarke said. "I wanted to come and apologise in person for missing dinner with you and Raven. Lexa is sorry too," her apology came out in a quiet mumble. She gave a half smile when she caught her mother rolling her eyes,

"You don't have to be sorry. Bryan stopped by and told me you'd received a surprise guest carrying important news. Nothing can be done about these things," Abby reasoned.

"Still," Clarke muttered, for Abby's words hadn't exactly lifted her mood, "We were looking forward to catching up with you. I was really looking forward to hearing about what you've been doing in the past year, what you've seen."

"Well, we can start now can't we? It's a shame Raven has already gone to sleep. She took one look at the double bed she has to herself and came over exhausted." Abby laughed as she spoke, "I can't promise you the tale will be as colourful without her to help me tell it."

Now Clarke managed a proper smile as memories from her childhood filled her mind. "I don't know. I remember you being quite the bedtime storyteller," she said lightly. But then the memories were gone, replaced by worry that must have shown on her face. Abby's expression suddenly reflected Clarke's darkened mood back at her.

"There's something else you want to talk about instead, isn't there?" Abby guessed. She wrapped a comforting hand around Clarke's arm and pulled her daughter to the sofa.

Clarke sat down next to her mother and avoided Abby's curious gaze. Her own eyes fell onto the inked designs on her forearm. Clarke began to trace the shape of the knight chess piece just below her elbow. Her brow furrowed. "The news that our visitor brought was big," Clarke started quietly. "Really, potentially world-changing big."

Abby reached towards Clarke and took the hand that was tracing the patterns of ink on Clarke's arm. Clarke felt her lip wobble at the comforting contact, at being in the presence of her mother again after so long. But the events of the day had done their best to sour the reunion and Clarke could not find it within her to show any thanks for the support. She kept her eyes on her own arm. Her concentration shifted from the chess piece down to the Trikru symbol inked on the pulse point at her wrist.

"Are we in any danger?" Abby's question came out in a hoarse whisper, laced with concern.

Clarke almost laughed at the question. It was after all, the same conundrum that had brought her to her mother's room scowling rather than beaming. "Hopefully not. There's not much I can say about it," Clarke admitted, hating having to keep secrets from Abby. "Which is difficult when I just, you know, want to be able to talk to my mom about it."

Clarke let out a sniff when she felt Abby's grip on her hand tighten. She could feel her mother's eyes boring into her, trying to read her thoughts, no doubt searching for a way to make it all better. Clarke was struck with how similar she and her mother were sometimes. She knew that Abby would not let her out of the room again until Clarke had at least offered her something to work with. She opened her mouth, wanting to admit why she was in such a morose state, but at the same time totally reluctant to do so. Clarke jumped.

"Lexa and I have had quite the heated discussion about the approach we should take to the news," Clarke admitted. "Well, the Commander and I, I guess," she corrected herself.

Clarke heard Abby let out a sigh and the noise finally drew Clarke's full attention. She turned to her mother and saw nothing but love and support in her expression.

"So you've come to Mom to sound off about your girlfriend?" Abby said with a smirk.

"I know, and I hate that I have when there's so much stuff we need to talk about, that we should be talking about. You know, trivial things," Clarke's voice was hurried, a rushed sigh of words.

Abby shushed her. "Hey, putting the reason for the disagreement aside, you coming to me for relationship advice honestly seems like the most normal conversation we've had in a long time. So, it's a start."

Clarke tried to laugh, the noise was just a little pathetic.

"It must be frustrating, though. From what I've heard you've had a quiet year. Something coming along and disrupting all that is going to fray even the toughest nerves," Abby said sympathetically.

"It is. And to top it off, until we reach a decision, I can't even tell you exactly what it is we can't decide on," Clarke replied. She groaned and let her head flop back onto the couch cushion, her eyes drooping shut.

"That doesn't matter," Abby assured, "What matter is, do you think one of you is right, and the other just doesn't want to admit it?"

Clarke wrinkled her nose. Her first instinct was to point fingers and place herself firmly in the right. But she knew that wasn't entirely the case. "I guess, no. We are both right in a way."

"That's good, then," Abby said brightly, as if that was that.

Clarke furrowed her brow and looked at her mother expectantly. She didn't see how it was good, not after the evening she'd had, the things that had been said.

"Clarke, if you are both right then there must be a third option. A compromise that you just haven't found yet," Abby suggested with conviction, "And I'm sure you will find it."

Clarke nodded, taking her mother's advice in, trying to will it to settle her nerves. To some extent it did. Abby had to be right. There had to be some way that she and Lexa could meet in the middle. That was something they were normally quite good at doing. It wasn't the advice so much, but the faith Abby had placed in Clarke and Lexa's ability to find a solution that at last lifted Clarke's spirits a little. She pulled Abby into a grateful hug.

"I hope so," Clarke replied into her mother's shoulder, "Thank you for believing that we can. It means a lot."

Abby laughed as she pulled back from Clarke, but her hands remained on Clarke's arms. "I might have been gone a year Clarke, but it only took those brief moments in the sparring circle for me to know that my daughter has found a wonderful home here. It would take more than a lot to threaten that, I think."

Clarke grimaced, "Oh, don't tempt it," she said.

A silence fell over them as Clarke collected her thoughts, mulled over what her mother had said. She did feel like some of the weight of the day's events had been lifted from her shoulders. Her lips turned upwards just slightly.

"Do you have to go?" Abby finally spoke into the quiet.

Clarke gave a shrug, "No. I mean, I should try to sleep but I'm not that tired yet."

Abby seemed unusually satisfied by Clarke's admonishment that she wasn't in the mood to sleep. Clarke had expected to be, well, mothered. But then, it did mean the could salvage a little more time together. "Then you are welcome to stay here until you are tired enough, if you want."

"Are you sure? I don't want to keep you awake if you have to be up with the sun to get back to Arkadia tomorrow," Clarke said.

Abby hushed her daughter's concerns, "Raven and I decided we will stay a bit longer and let the Farm Council return ahead of us," she assured.

Clarke was happy to hear they were staying. Perhaps they would be able to find some time together somewhere. "Then I'd like to stay a while. Maybe now that we've got the motherly advice out of the way, you can tell me where on Earth you've been all year," Clarke suggested. She was still keen to hear about how Raven fixed her leg.

"Oh no, I'm the mother so I get to hear about my daughter's year first," Abby argued back. "Starting with this," she said, dropping her hand from Clarke's arm to point at the tattoo sleeve that covered it. Abby's pointing finger had homed in on the watch face inked on Clarke's bicep.

---

The late winter air had a keen bite to it and Monty shivered as he ate his breakfast alone in the outside eating area of Arkadia. He wished he'd thought to wear his jacket, but the sky was a clear blue and the low sun deceptively bright. Monty tried to make up for the chill by shovelling his breakfast into his mouth. He hoped that the wonderfully hot scrambled eggs would warm him from the inside out. Besides that, the eggs were delicious.

"Mind if I join you?"

The voice made Monty startle and he dropped his fork to the metal plate with a clatter. Monty peered upwards into his mother's face. His mouth was full of eggs, so he nodded and waved a hand to the empty chair across the table.

Hannah gave a warm smile at being welcomed and took her seat, and then she thrust a piece of thick material across to Monty. He peered at the offered item curiously and realised it was his jacket. He swallowed down his mouthful of eggs and offered a grin,

"Thanks, Mom," Monty said. He took the jacket and immediately put it on, snuggling into its warmth, "It's colder than it looks."

"Dry though. Farming in the rain is no fun," Hannah replied, "How are the eggs?"

"Delicious!"

"Right? We get them fresh from a nearby Trikru chicken farm. And even better, once they've bred the next generation of laying hens, the farm is willing to trade with us. Our first Skaiomis."

Monty gave a short laugh. He had to admit that hearing his Mother speak favourably of the grounders, let alone speak some of their language, was a little strange. A good strange. Since returning to Arkadia two days ago, Monty hadn't really built up the courage to approach his mother. The year away from the settlement and from all that had happened had done him good. Given him time to process. Still, returning and seeing all the familiar faces again had been harder than Monty had imagined it would be. Seeing his mother again and starting to clear the air with her had been at the top of Monty's list upon his return. And, as is so often the case, it was also the thing he most dreaded. He was glad that Hannah had jumped though Monty knew that both of them were still intent on avoiding mentioning the strain between them. The feeling of avoidance only grew as a silence descended over the mother and son. Monty attempted to say something but Hannah beat him to it,

"So, are you going to tell me what you've been up to this past year?" Hannah asked.

It wasn't the subject that needed discussing, but Monty could not bring himself to point that out yet. He swallowed another mouthful of eggs, emptying his plate, and then slouched back in his chair. Monty let out a sigh. "You know it's all a bit of a blur," he said, "There was a lot of driving and a lot of dead ends and then eventually we got lucky. We started in the mansion Murphy knew about. Found all the information we could about the company that had built ALIE and the City of Light. And then we went road-tripping."

"It sounds like fun, I'm glad you were with friends," Hannah said.

Monty nodded. "It's been good, for all of us that went I think," he admitted. Then as his memories become more clear, Monty grinned and sat up straighter, suddenly excited by all he had seen. "There's so many old-world buildings out there, mostly in tact. The bombs only hit the major cities, radiation did the rest, but it left so much still standing. Factories and labs just waiting for the return of power. Of course the grounders won't go near the places, so we were lucky enough not to run into too much trouble." Monty paused to snigger, "When we did encounter grounders, we just made sure they knew that they were in the presence of Wanheda's Mom. They were happy enough to give us shelter for the night and offer directions after that. Well at least until we crossed right into northern Azgeda, and then we tried to stay away from people."

Hannah gave a shrug at that. "You might have been alright. All news we get back from Polis suggests the relationship between the two clans is friendlier than ever. Our Ambassador assures us that the Commander and King Roan are good friends, so we don't worry," she explained.

It hit Monty how out of the loop his year away had made him. He found himself glancing around the yard of the settlement. Although calling it a yard was a bit of a stretch now, for the outside space had been almost totally filled by outbuildings and storehouses. There was even a miniature grounder camp tucked in a corner which was where the Trikru healers living in Arkadia stayed.

"As for the places you saw," Hannah spoke up again, taking Monty's silence as an invitation to keep talking, "I'm sure we could bring them to life again in time. But we must move slowly. So much progress has been made this past year, living alongside the grounders. Assimilating. We wouldn't want to destroy that progress. Not again."

Monty narrowed his eyes at the admission his Mother had made between the lines of her words. It was as much of an invitation to bring up the so called elephant in the room as he was likely to get. Monty returned his full attention to his Mother.

"It's- it's good to hear you talk like that, Mom," he started tentatively, "I mean, I know you were in a rough place. Losing Dad and-"

"No," Hannah cut Monty off with a vigorous shake of the head, "No, that's not an excuse for what I did. It's never an excuse. If grief doesn't make us kinder to those who still live, well then there's work to be done."

The sorrow in his mother's eyes made Monty squirm. She had always been a strong woman. Infinitely kind and loving, but a strong personality nonetheless. For her to open up like this was something Monty was not used to.

"I am genuinely sorry for what I did, for siding with Pike. In fact, I'm not sure I will ever forgive myself, let alone expect outside forgiveness. And I'm not just remorseful because it nearly cost me our relationship. I was wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. And all I can do now is admit that and try to do better, regardless of whether or not that's enough," Hannah admitted.

Monty tried for a supportive smile. He appreciated that his mother had not tried in anyway to justify her actions. It made him certain she was genuine. She was really apologising, not just excusing. Monty reached out and placed his hand on the tabletop and Hannah took it gratefully. Their hands clasped atop the metal table that divided them.

"I've done a lot of thinking over the past year. I think that's why I offered to go, more than anything. I needed the space," Monty gulped out. Speaking the words made all the progress he had indeed made seem somehow insignificant. "Damn, you know I keep expecting Jasper to just turn up at my side. With that stupid grin on his face, some new trouble thought up-" Monty paused to breathe back tears. "So thinking that I might have my Mom back, well, that really helps," he finished.

"You do," Hannah assured him, squeezing his hand tighter, "You do have me and you will always have me from now on."

Monty considered Hannah's promise. "Then let's just move on now," he suggested, voice shaky with emotion, "And say my forgiveness is a work in progress?" It was all he felt he could offer right now. Yet Monty was quietly confident that with some much needed time together, settling into their lives in Arkadia, he might indeed be able to forgive Hannah for the damage she had done to their relationship. Damage done at a time when Monty had most needed the support of his sole surviving family member. Of his mother.

It wasn't even the things she had done that made forgiveness so hard. More it was the knowledge that his own mother had the capacity to do such things, the capacity for such blind hatred, that was so hard to swallow. To have your perception of a parent so thoroughly shook up like that was a part of growing up perhaps, but that made it no more difficult to face. Until they'd come to the ground, Monty's naive idea of his parents as infallibly good people had never really been challenged. He imagined this must be how it would have felt to find out your parent was a guard back on the Ark. To learn that your parent was one of the people responsible for seeing friends floated for even the most minor crimes. It was a cruel right of passage.

"That sounds good to me," Hannah answered softly, accepting what Monty could offer with a thankful, bright smile. "Speaking of moving forward," she said after a recollective pause, "Have you given much thought to what you are going to do now you're back? The farm team could always use more hands, but I want you to make the decision. I want you to do what makes you happy."

Monty let out a whine at the reminder that he would have to take on some sort of responsible role now he was back in Arkadia. He really hadn't thought about it. "I honestly have no idea. There's a lot of things I like doing, that I can do," he said.

"Good. That's the answer I'd expect from a sixteen year old," Hannah said lightly. Then she frowned, "You were away for your birthday, we could have had a party."

Monty rolled his eyes, "There'll be another birthday this year," he said, "Funny how they work like that.

"I suppose," Hannah let up. She finally unclasped Monty's hand and sat back in her chair, looking across at him pensively. "You should come to the daily Council meeting at noon. They are open to anyone. Maybe getting caught up will help you make a decision," she suggested.

"Sounds good, I'll be there."

"And Monty?" Hannah said and she waited for Monty to meet her gaze before she continued, "Whatever you choose, just remember that you are still young, ok? Remember to let yourself be young, and to grow up in your own time. We are fortunate enough to be living in peace right now, and the chances that gives us shouldn't be wasted."

Monty grinned at his mother and nodded. "I'll do my best."

---

Lincoln waited with his arms folded across his chest. He watched the rest of the Arkadia Council members shuffle into the meeting room and take their places around the table. Lincoln had been the first to arrive at the daily meeting after Chancellor Sinclair himself. Punctual not out of eagerness, but simply because he'd had a quiet morning. There'd been no pressing matters preventing him from being on time. He idly tapped his foot and glanced about the dimly lit space. It was one of the only intact spaces right near the top of the wrecked arch that now served as the settlement's main building. The room was functionally kitted out with a table, a few illuminated boards for writing on, and little else.

The daily meetings were starting to feel more and more like formalities. Pointless necessities. The settlement ran smoothly enough these days. Though the daily meetings were open for anyone to attend, the rate at which non-Council members did turn up had slowly decreased over the year. Now, Lincoln was glad to see that Monty had decided to attend, for it felt like a novelty. Lincoln offered Monty and his mother a friendly nod of welcome.

Hannah was representing the farm team in the place of Bryan. Seeing her take a place around the table made Lincoln glance over to Miller as the guard entered the room. He knew that Miller was waiting for Bryan to return from Polis. In fact, the whole camp was waiting for those in the Trikru capital to come back. It was those people that might just help to bring a sense of progress back to Arkadia. There was nothing to complain about. The content that the settlement had found was a gift after its incredibly shaky founding. Yet there was a palpable eagerness, bordering on desperation, for more developments to be made. There was plenty of work to be done still.

"Good, now that everyone is here, let's get right underway," Chancellor Sinclair's calm voice broke into the quiet. Lincoln concentrated on the leader as Sinclair opened the meeting, "I want full status reports from you all, and then we see what our guest has to say. Is that agreed?"

A murmur of "Ayes" sounded in the room. Satisfied, Sinclair nodded his head for Miller to begin the reports.

"Perimeter is quiet," Miller began, utterly professional. He had taken to his new leadership role well and Lincoln was pleased to see his friend doing such good work for the settlement. He knew everyone felt much safer around the guards these days. Even though their jobs were quiet, Miller still managed to instill a sense of rigorous duty in the team. "Lookouts have reported no unusual sightings. Settlement is behaving itself, prison is empty. Harper did well on her first day as Lt. yesterday, I'm glad to have her back. All in all, situation normal."

"Damn it still feels good to say that without having to add the other part," Octavia piped up. It earned her a laugh from the room. Lincoln grinned widely. Octavia had taught him the word snafu and what it stood for, and it had certainly been a useful phrase to describe Skaikru's first months on the ground. Thankfully, that had changed.

"Then we can assume your report will be equally as brief?" Sinclair ventured with a smile.

Octavia gave a shrug, "That's right. Lincoln hasn't reported any issues with our resident Trikru healers. The trade between clans is going from strength to strength, with both our and the Trikru stall reporting no issues. Commissary is well stocked. But that's probably because people are trading for new goods. No hand-me-downs these days," Octavia listed off.

Lincoln listened to his partner proudly. Octavia was officially the liaison between Skaikru and the rest of the coalition. She oversaw any business in the settlement that involved more than just the Sky people themselves. Still, the role was getting smaller and smaller. More people were picking up Trigedasleng and finding it easier to conduct negotiations without aid. Lincoln knew that Octavia was growing a little restless. Though she was utterly professional in the meetings, she had admitted as much in private moments. Lincoln understood. Octavia was still evolving, still growing and trying to find her niche. That was one of the reasons why the couple had taken things quite slowly over the past year.

Lincoln knew that Octavia needed space sometimes, just like he did. They both had a loner streak that would always be a part of them. Finding the balance between letting each other have their own time, but also spending enough time together away from their duties, had been a slow process of trial and error. Lincoln could only be grateful that they had made it so far. Arkadia had, against all expectations, become a happy home for them. Lincoln felt more welcomed here, more useful and needed, than he perhaps had anytime in his life before. And he knew that for now, Octavia's dream of becoming a warrior had been sidelined. They'd both found themselves quickly adjusting to a more peaceful way of life.

"And Lincoln, how is the med team?" Sinclair prompted Lincoln. The meeting was moving quickly with so little to report on.

"We're fine. No major incidents. A few people are still recovering from Winter colds. As Octavia said, the Trikru healers are doing fine. Unless anything major happens that requires medical attention, we're on standby. Until Dr. Griffin returns and starts sharing her knowledge, there isn't much to be done."

Lincoln finished his report with a shrug. He felt himself smiling at mentioning the healers that dwelled in a small camp inside Arkadia's walls. It was also where Lincoln and Octavia had taken to living. They'd grown just as unsettled by the cold metal interiors of the main building as the Trikru had been. There was a sense of having the best of both worlds. No longer were Lincoln's loyalties split, the two halves of him had met in the middle and settled there. He was Trikru. He was Skaikru too.

"We'll get to our missing members soon," Sinclair assured. Lincoln was after all, only on the council until Abby got back. "Just the farm team report to go."

"Everything is running smoothly. We're still harvesting the winter vegetables and preparation for spring planting is well underway. There have been no issues between our people and the grounders. We're all waiting for the council to return with instructions from Polis," Hannah said.

Sinclair gave a nod, "Alright, good to hear all is well. I trust you to keep things that way, and to notify me of any changes," he said.

Lincoln was glad that the old engineering chief had been voted in as Chancellor. Sinclair was a vastly intelligent man, and a kind one. He was a very relaxed leader, trusting his council members to be competent at their own roles. Something that Lincoln knew never went unappreciated. It was important to know that your leader had faith in their people.

"Now, I know that there's been a bit of a plateau in our forward progress recently," Sinclair stated, reading the room perfectly. "And yes, we are waiting for our absent friends to get back so that they can bring their much needed expertise onto the table. Abby will be taking charge of med team once she's back. Raven will join the council as the new Engineering Chief, and no doubt start plotting to put my legacy to shame. But I ask you all to remember to appreciate and feel proud of how far we've come this past year. A plateau is not a step backwards. The trap of dullness should not outweigh our thankfulness that life is quiet enough for us to have developed a routine."

Nods and noises of agreement passed through the room as each council member took their Chancellor's guidance on board.

"And we do have Monty back," Sinclair gestured over to Monty with a warm smile, "What can we do for you?"

Monty smiled, "I guess I'm here to get an idea of where Arkadia's at right now. And figure out where I might fit into the settlement."

"Monty needs a job," Octavia offered. "I guess moonshine expert isn't really that helpful a suggestion?"

Lincoln laughed at the way Monty grimaced. Monty motioned his head towards his mother, silently telling Octavia to mind what she was saying in front of Hannah.

"That's just one of Monty's many talents," Hannah responded. She seemed quite unfazed by the reminder of her son's misadventures. "I think any of the teams would be glad to have him."

"I did not sign up for this," Monty whined out. He cringed comically at his mother's praise, "But yeah, I've sort of become a jack of all trades,"

"Master of none?" Octavia suggested with a grin,

"Master of moonshine," Monty corrected, "And other concoctions too. Maybe I should put my criminal past to good use and join med team. I mean, I've got nothing on Dr Griffin, but my pharmaceutical knowledge will be useful to pass on."

Lincoln gave a nod, "We'd be glad to have you, Monty. I'm sure if we combine our techniques with your knowledge, we could help a lot of people."

"Good, that's decided then. Monty, you are free to join med team for now. But by all means, if it doesn't sit right, please come back to the Council and we can discuss other options. I see no reason why you couldn't rotate duties until you find your place here," Sinclair said. "And that brings the daily meeting to a close unless there's anything else?"

"Can Monty be put back in charge of making the moonshine? Because the stuff we've been putting up with this year is awful," Octavia piped up.

"Technically, med team do also use it as disinfectant. So I think it now counts as one of Monty's responsibilities to ensure a good quality product," Lincoln backed Octavia up. He offered her a cheeky wink from across the table.

"Fine," Sinclair sighed, "But if Raion gets offended, I blame you lot."

The meeting ended with another laugh from the room. Lincoln was about to leave, when Octavia caught him by the arm and tugged him to a stop. Lincoln beamed down at her and waited for her to speak.

"So, are you busy right now?" Octavia asked, one eyebrow raised in expectation.

"Oh I don't know. I could count the number of bandages we have again," Lincoln teased but then he shook his head. "No, I'm free, meizin, what do you have planned?"

"Helios is due a run out. To your cave, maybe?" Octavia suggested and she placed her palms flat against Lincoln's chest as she spoke.

Lincoln was about to respond to Octavia's proposal by kissing her, but as his head bowed towards hers, a piercing whistle sounded in the room. Lincoln sighed and turned towards Miller.

"No propositions at the Council meeting," Miller laughed out.

"The meetings over," Octavia pointed out sharply, "Jog on, Miller."

Lincoln snorted as their friend took Octavia's advice too literally. Miller clowned about, jogging out of the room, knees raising up so high they touched the man's chest. Feeling equally playful, Lincoln gave Octavia another wink, and then he quickly swept her up off her feet and into his arms. Octavia laughed and swatted his chest as Lincoln carried her out of the meeting room. He had every intention of heading straight for the stables.

"Wherever you're taking me, gorgeous," Octavia sang out, "It better not be as short as that meeting was."

Lincoln smirked down at the woman in his arms.

---

The door to Raven's bedroom swung open without a knock or any other sign that someone was about to enter the room. Abby had to suppress a laugh when it was her daughter that swept into the room uninvited. It was a habit that Clarke had definitely inherited from her mother.

"Hey, you're both here, that's great," Clarke started, not bothering to wait for a hello either.

"Yes, Clarke. Do come in," Raven bit back from where she was lounging on the couch. Abby watched with joy that still hadn't worn off as Raven shifted quickly. Raven picked herself up off the low seat without a single trace of difficulty or pain. "Are you free for a while? I can maybe look past the rudeness if you're finally free," Raven stated.

Abby turned from Raven to look at Clarke in expectation. She too was hopeful that Clarke might have at least a little time to spare them today. Still, Abby wasn't surprised or resentful when Clarke's nose wrinkled and her daughter shook her head. Abby offered a supportive look, but she heard Raven's annoyed sigh and Clarke must have too.

"Look I know this sucks. You came here to surprise me and I haven't found the time to appreciate that. But Lexa and I don't want the other big surprise to disrupt our routine too much. Not until announcements are made at least. We've spent the whole morning attending to our daily duties so that we're free from now to think of an answer to give to Luna," Clarke explained in a rush. Clearly she was eager to get going. After their conversation last night, Abby could barely blame Clarke's enthusiasm to go and solve the problems she and Lexa faced. Raven however, was not privy to what had happened between the couple and it showed.

"Don't let your guests keep you waiting, then," Raven shot. The venom in her voice was there to mask the hurt, Abby knew.

Abby watched Clarke's expression closely. She saw the way her daughter's nostrils flared and Abby started preparing for the worst. Abby was pleasantly surprised when instead, Clarke stepped closer to Raven and held a flat palm in the air in surrender.

"I know. I hate doing this to you. It isn't fair. But we have to do something with the news we got yesterday soon or it could go bad for everyone. Can you at least understand that? Even if you need to stay angry at me?" Clarke said quietly.

There was a beat where Raven's expression remained stony. Then at last, Abby was relieved to see it soften. Raven pulled Clarke into a brief hug, before letting Clarke go with a playful shove on the shoulders.

"Alright. But you owe us big time, Griffin junior. Now go save the world, or whatever the hell you're up to," Raven let up. "You're probably not saving the world or you'd have already grovelled for my help," she added.

Clarke sniggered, "Alright, I owe you," she agreed. Then she glanced over at Abby and gave an apologetic smile. Abby shook her head, communicating that there was no need for Clarke to be sorry. The gesture turned Clarke's apologetic expression into a grateful one. "Listen, it blows that I can't play tour guide for you both, but it's a pretty great day and the city is open to you. Maybe you could go exploring, make the most out of your time here even if it wasn't what you originally planned?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Clarke," Abby said.

Clarke gave a nod like that was that, like she hated that it was all she could offer her mother and friend. "I really need to get going," she murmured.

"Of course, let me see you out," Abby offered.

Abby moved towards Clarke and the pair of them began to walk towards the door. Clarke turned and offered a quick wave to Raven as she opened the door. Abby didn't stop there and she ushered her just outside the bedroom, away from Raven's ears for a moment.

"Is everything alright with you and Lexa? I worried all night, you know," Abby whispered.

"Fine," Clarke assured, "We're good at keeping our personal time separate from our duties, it was totally fine when I got to our room. It's the resumption of the discussion I'm dreading."

Abby narrowed her eyes. She wanted to offer Clarke some sage advice about just how difficult, even detrimental it can be to try to separate the two halves of one's life so wholly. Both she and Jake had been on the Council. Abby'd had plenty of experience in juggling a personal relationship with a political peer. Still, she kept her wisdom back for the time being. It wasn't the time or place to go disheartening Clarke further. Abby feared that bringing up Jake when Clarke was already so clearly stressed out would not be the best idea. Besides that, sometimes it was best for people to learn things in their own time. She wanted above all, to protect her daughter's feelings.

"You'll figure it out, Clarke," Abby opted for simple reassurance instead. "You and Lexa will figure something out."

The grin that Clarke gave Abby settled her motherly nerves for the time being.

"Once we have, and we are waiting for whatever we come up with to happen, I can finally spend some time with you and Raven," Clarke mused. She was trying her best to sound like she believed herself.

Abby shrugged, "Just do what you need to do for now Clarke. You know where we are if you need an ear and a shoulder."

With that, Clarke gave her mother a nod and walked away to resume her momentous duties. Abby watched her daughter go until Clarke had rounded a corner and was out of sight. The weight on Clarke's shoulders was almost evident in her purposeful stride. It made Abby frown. She let out a breath and re-entered Raven's bedroom, hoping that Raven's calmness had lasted. When she moved into the space and looked Raven in the eye however, she saw that Raven's fiery temper had flared again.

"Raven?" Abby prompted delicately,

"I know. She has to go be Ambassador, or Wanheda, or whatever it is they call her these days," Raven said through gritted teeth. "But that doesn't stop it from hurting, right?"

Abby couldn't respond to that. She moved past Raven and sat herself down on the couch, hoping that the added comfort would set her more at ease. Make her more able to diffuse Raven's not unwarranted scowling.

"No, it doesn't. But this is Clarke's life now. These are her duties. She's out there keeping Arkaida safe and we have to let her do that. Even if it means sacrificing our time with her. Her job must be difficult enough without us piling guilt on her shoulders," Abby said as gently as she could. She could see both points of view and didn't want to invalidate either sides feelings. Still she felt that Raven needed the reminder that Clarke wasn't neglecting them out of personal choice.

Raven gave a tut and rolled her eyes, but then she immediately seemed to soften. Soon, she had plopped down next to Abby on the sofa, her prosthetic leg resting casually on the low drinks table in front of the couch. "I guess," Raven said, and then, "You've gotten a hell of a lot better at that, by the way."

Abby turned to Raven in confusion, "At what?"

"You know, at dealing with Clarke being who she is. In a big, scary leadership position," Raven explained further.

Abby hummed in understanding. "It took time," she said, "A lot of time. I don't think anyone who isn't a mother can really understand how hard it is to see your daughter, your little girl, making the decisions Clarke has had to make for us. When all your instincts are screaming at you that this is wrong, this isn't how it's supposed to be. You should be protecting her. You should be shielding her from the horrors of the world." Abby paused, quite taken aback with herself for sharing so much with Raven when she was usually such a deeply private person. "But in the end, I had to accept that Clarke is just better at leading than I am. She might have my impulsive streak, but she is more of a diplomat. I see so much of Jake in her."

Raven considered Abby a moment. If she was uncomfortable about Abby's sharing, she did well not to show it. "Come on, Doc, you're just awesome if different ways," Raven finally said with conviction. She clearly thought that Abby was looking to be cheered up. Though Abby wasn't necessarily after any sort of comfort, the seriousness of Raven's tone was something of a nice surprise. Abby felt her spirits lift despite herself. "I mean you did manage to fix my new leg onto my body in a lab that hadn't been used since before a nuclear apocalypse. Pretty badass," Raven said, motioning proudly to her prosthetic.

"I appreciate your confidence in me Raven," Abby said.

Raven laughed. "I appreciate your crazy medical skills," she shot back. Then she quieted again and met Abby's eyes. "Look, for what's it's worth, I think you're pretty awesome as you are. And if I could pick myself a Mom? Well, you'd be my first choice."

Abby felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. Raven's words were sweet, perhaps too sweet coming from the mechanic, but Abby accepted them with a graceful smile. "Thank you, Raven. Hearing that is worth a lot," Abby responded quietly. She sat a little easier on the sofa, slouching into the cushions. Abby found herself chuckling.

"What?" Raven prompted.

Abby shrugged, "I'm just wondering how I've managed to keep gaining surrogate daughters. Ones that manage to be just as stressful at times as my real one," Abby mused.

"Oh come on," Raven bit back. "There's no way I cause half as many wrinkles as your not-daughter-in-law," Raven claimed. Then her eyes grew wide, "Not that you have wrinkles," she added in a rush.

Abby was too amused to be offended and she shook her head at the young woman, "A fair point," she conceded. Finding out that your daughter had fallen for, essentially, the ruler of the world did really take the cake.

"How are you doing with that, anyway?" Raven asked, perceptive of Abby's thoughts.

Abby considered a moment, her hand reaching down to dust non-existent dirt off her jeans as she thought. "I'm good," she answered at last, voice certain, "Clarke is happy. Very happy. And the two of them clearly have something special between them. You don't need to spend more than a few moments with them together to notice that. It might seem strange to us, Lexa being who she is. But I trust my daughter's judgement, I trust that Clarke is as safe and happy as she needs to be. And as loved as she deserves. I don't doubt that for a second."

Even despite her conversation with Clarke last night, and the words they'd just had outside Raven's room, Abby was being completely honest. She was more than thrilled that her daughter had built a life in Polis with Lexa. Abby was just as confident as she had claimed to be that the pair could weather much more violent storms than the one they'd hit yesterday. All in all, Abby knew that there was little more a mother could want for her daughter than the happy and loving home Clarke had found. Even despite it's somewhat eccentric nature.

"Yeah, they're fools. Nothing more to it," Raven agreed.

"It'll come to you too," Abby argued, mock wisdom in her voice.

Raven let out something like a laugh, "I guess. When I'm ready."

Abby narrowed her eyes and offered Raven a sage nod, like she understood exactly what Raven was saying in so few words. She knew she wasn't likely to get any more out of the young woman.

Abby fidgeted on the couch. Thinking about the city had made Abby feel restless all of a sudden. She sprung off of the seat, overtaken with the need to just go somewhere. To start making more of her time in Polis, even without Clarke's company.

"Where are you off in a hurry?" Raven asked.

"I think I'm going to take Clarke's advice and explore Polis a little. I didn't really take it in the last time I was here. Are you coming?" Abby said.

Raven seemed to consider for a moment before cocking her head negatively. "Nah, I think I'm going to go work on the rover some more," she said. She gestured in the air with her thumb and forefinger, "I am this close to getting the adjustments right so I can drive it. And then I'll be able to get us back to Arkadia. Unless you plan on staying here until Clarke is finally free."

Abby was disappointed that Raven didn't want to join her in her exploration, but she got it. Raven was still hurt that their surprise visit had been, by all means, ruined. Abby knew that Raven was using the rover as an excuse. It was a much needed distraction until Raven was ready to sort through her feelings and calm herself down. Abby knew Raven almost as well as she knew Clarke by now. Abby almost let out a bark of laughter, for she found herself wondering if she'd ever get to know Lexa in the same, complete, way.

"Ok, you go do that," Abby conceded without further argument. "You'll probably find me in the market if you change your mind. If you decide you need company after all," she said, echoing in a way the same offer she'd not long since made to Clarke. Abby knew that she wasn't much of a leader, but she quite rated her abilities as a confidant.

---

Clarke offered a nod of thanks to the guard that opened the door for her as she stepped into the large dining room. She peered critically about the space, confused about why Lexa had decided to meet here. It wasn't one of their private rooms. The dining area was normally reserved for entertaining large groups of important guests. Or for the odd occasions when all the Ambassadors would sit and eat a meal together with their Commander.

Arms swinging deliberately at her sides, Clarke made a beeline for the long wooden table in the centre of the room. Lexa was already sat at the head of the table. When the pair of them made eye contact for the first time since Clarke had entered, neither could hold back a warm smile at the sight of the other. Clarke kept silent as she approached, nearing the chair closest to Lexa's own. She was quite moved when Lexa sprung gracefully out of her own seat and proceeded moved to pull Clarke's from under the table.

"Chof," Clarke mumbled with a wry smirk as she took the offered seat.

Lexa helped her to maneuver the chair closer to the table and then sat back down herself. The couple considered each other a few moments. The subtle candlelight that barely illuminated the long room, played beautifully on the definition of Lexa's features. Clarke let out a sigh. She was suddenly even more disheartened that she and Lexa had to resume their debate from last night.

"Why here?" Clarke broke the silence with her simple question. She was sure Lexa had a good reason for the unexpected location of their meeting.

Lexa sat rigidly in her chair. "I thought it might be a little less daunting than the throne room. More friendly," she offered in a low voice that would betray little if it wasn't Clarke she was speaking to. Clarke could tell that Lexa was equally as reluctant to start as she felt. She was equally as desperate to claw at some middle ground as soon as possible to take the strain off of them both.

"I see," Clarke said back simply. She felt herself frowning despite herself and it did not go unnoticed.

"Your check-in with your Mother and Raven did not go as well as you'd hoped," Lexa immediately stated. She reached out and placed a comforting hand on Clarke's shoulder. Her thumb brushed against the fabric of Clarke's shirt. It was as if in that second of gentle contact, Lexa believed that she could soothe all of Clarke's worries away. The moment soon passed however, and Lexa quickly retracted her hand, just as aware as Clarke was that now wasn't the time to be familiar. Not in that way, at least. Still, Lexa deserved an answer for her perceptiveness.

"Not exactly. My Mom understands, but Raven's quite hurt. I don't blame her, they made the effort to come here and surprise me. But surely she can understand that I want to spend time with her. I just can't," Clarke tried and failed to keep a whiny tone out of her voice. If she was honest with herself, she felt quite exhausted, both emotionally and physically. She and Lexa had been fine last night when Clarke had made it back to their room, more than fine actually. But it hadn't helped Clarke to get any decent amount of sleep. In fact, she'd spent most of the night sat up in bed whilst Lexa slept next to her. Clarke had used the few candles that they kept burning throughout the night to light her sketchpad. She'd started to draf out some designs for Raven's prosthetic. Designs she really had hoped she'd find the chance to share with Raven today. No such luck.

"I'm sure Raven does understand-" Lexa responded after some consideration of Clarke's words. Though the way Lexa trailed off made Clarke think she had more to say but had stopped herself short of saying it.

"But seeing her disappointment doesn't make this any easier," Clarke finished.

Lexa did not respond and Clarke was grateful. Lexa seemed to understand exactly how Clarke was feeling. Yes, Raven had hurt her. But it wasn't anyone's place to pass judgement when Clarke herself knew that Raven's response was valid. Lexa respected that.

Clarke put an elbow on the table and leaned her chin against her hand. "I did suggest that they go explore the city, make the most of the time here," she said in her own defence. "Whether or not they do-" Clarke trailed off. She waved her free hand in the air in dismissal, as if she was trying to literally waft the distraction away. "Anyway, let's just put that to the side for now, it isn't why we are here."

"If you are sure, we should begin," Lexa agreed but then she offered a half-smile, "But perhaps we can wait just a few more moments?" she requested.

Clarke became aware then that someone else had entered the dining room. She lifted her chin off of her hand and peered around at the sound of footsteps. A palace servant was making his way towards the table, carefully holding a metal tray laden with food in his hands. The servant skillfully set the assortment of snacks on the table and deposited a small plate at both Lexa and Clarke's place. His task complete, the man straightened up and bowed his head to the Commander.

Lexa inclined her head back in thanks and then silently waved the man away. Clarke waited until the servant had left the room before she broke out into a wide grin and dared to laugh a little.

"What is this?" Clarke asked.

Lexa glanced at her and then her green eyes dropped to assess the food on the table. There was a small assortment of cakes from the market; as well as gorgeous, fresh looking berries of every kind that grew in Trikru territory. A few types of nuts completed the snack pile, but it was the cakes that Lexa immediately reached out for.

Clarke watched, eyebrow raising in amusement, as Lexa picked out the lone honey cake in the pile. They were Lexa's favourite. Clarke was somewhat surprised then, when Lexa reached out and delicately placed the food on Clarke's plate instead of her own.

"Consider it a peace offering. Before time," Lexa answered Clarke at last.

Clarke sniggered. "We don't need a peace offering, Lex. We need a solution," she said and then she winced because it came out a little harsher than she intended. Lexa made no sign of being hurt and Clarke felt relieved. If she had of offended Lexa, she'd have been able to tell no matter how hard Lexa tried to mask it. The subtlest shift of her jaw, or a change in her breathing pattern would have been enough for Clarke to know. Instead, Lexa remained still, her face neutral and bordering on serene. It made Clarke narrow her eyes in suspicion.

The cake Lexa had set on her plate winked up at Clarke from the table and Clarke stayed quiet just a little longer. She gingerly picked up the piece of cake with both hands and then tore it into two smaller, almost even pieces. She placed the slightly larger piece on Lexa's plate. The metaphor within the act did not go unnoticed, because though Lexa nodded a thank you, she also rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

"So," Clarke said, "Have you had any thoughts since yesterday?"

"Yes," Lexa stated confidently, the Commander's persona falling into place. It made watching Lexa demolish her piece of the honey cake somewhat jarring. When she had finished, with not a single crumb left, Lexa set her shoulders and stared into Clarke's eyes. "If it is possible," she said, "We are going to take an army to Europa."

Clarke's eyes widened in shock. Of all the things Lexa might have said, Clarke had not been expecting that. She worked her mouth open but nothing came out. Her brain was grasping for the right words among the multitudinous questions that had sprang into her mind at Lexa's u-turn. Clarke merely snapped her mouth closed again to save face. She waited, hoping that Lexa would take the hint and explain herself. And Lexa did.

---

Abby wandered aimlessly through the tight, winding pathways in between the stalls that made up Polis's main area of commerce. The market was vast. It sprang up suddenly as you approached the centre of the capital, where residential buildings gave way to the wooden stalls. Occasionally, Abby passed a built-up store or smithy. Abby had tried to take in as much of the city as possible. When she'd left the tower, she'd chosen to face away from the low February sun so that it warmed her back. Then she had walked all the way through the city to it's border. To the edges where the treeline of a dense forest provided natural protection for the city's outskirts.

The foray into the residential area of the capital had been eye-opening. Homes made of timber and scrap metal were packed tightly together. There was no real semblance of order to where they'd been erected. Abby had tied to imagine the founding of the capital. The first months where life had started to bloom outwards from the safety of the interior of the old city. She'd imagined families staking their claims on a patch of land. It had only been a few generations ago and maybe the same bloodlines still resided in those homes.

Polis was surely nothing compared to the decimated city it had been built on, but to Abby's eyes, it was a marvel. The city teemed with life, there were certainly more people in Polis than had called the Ark home. And those lives had been playing out all around Abby as she had retraced her steps in a more random fashion. No matter where she headed, the tower in the centre of the city dominated the skyline. The flame burned brightly at the top like a welcoming beacon and there had been no need to worry about losing her way.

Abby had soaked up the sights and signs of life. Everything had fascinated her. The noises of rushed Trigedasleng emanating from homes. The open cooking fires that were dotted around in rare clearings, and seemed to be shared by several homes, along with the food that was cooked on them. Even the sight of clothes hanging out to dry on lines fastened between the roofs had been a marvelous sight. The clothes were so much more varied and skillfully tailored than Abby would have ever imagined.

At last, Abby had made it back into the market. Now, she dawdled around, enraptured by the charms of the city, and tried to take in every single stall she passed. Abby was sorry that she couldn't possibly see them all in one visit, but then she supposed she could visit the ones she missed later with Clarke.

Abby smiled at passersby as she walked and by and large, they offered a smile back. There was a wonderful atmosphere of content about the market. Abby was thrilled to see so many of the stalls positively bursting with wares, the rickety tables somehow managing to hold the weight of treasures stacked high. Abby knew that it was evidence of the year of peace the Kongeda had enjoyed. Traders had the time to go out scavenging for goods. They felt safe enough to travel to other territories and trade for items to bring back and sell on.

Abby made it into the last few rows of stalls, the ones closest to the foot of the tower. Most of them were food traders and Abby assumed that they were located furthest into the city for added protection. It was even more settling to see that the food stalls were equally well stocked. Though Abby did not feel hungry, she felt her stomach grumble when her eyes scanned a butcher's stall. She stared at piles of raw steaks and fat sausages. A wooden frame over the stall was covered in rope, and from each strand, poultry and hares hanged. An adjoining stall was trading ready cooked and cured meats. Abby inhaled deeply as she passed, the spices on the food heavy in the air.

There were still a few general wares stalls in the interior of the market. Abby found herself meandering towards a particularly haphazard display of rescued old-world oddments. Abby offered a nod to the stall keeper and then scanned over the wares, certain that she'd been drawn to this particular stall for a reason. A dull bronze glint of metal caught Abby's eye and she reached out and picked up a small candlestick, the type that one would use as a centrepiece on a table. Abby tested the weight of the thing in her hand and inspected the metal work. It was old and battered, tarnished badly, and yet it was still charming. Cute, even.

Abby could recall seeing such an item in many of the films she had watched on the Ark. She could picture any number of scenes of a couple enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner. Abby let out a sigh as she reminisced. She'd always wanted to recreate those scenes with Jake, they always looked so sweet. But the space station had kept strict regulations about open flames of course. Candles could not even be found on the Ark as a result. Abby figured that she could gift the item to Clarke and Lexa. They probably had hundreds of the things in the tower already, but Abby hoped that her daughter would understand the meaning behind the gift. Abby wished the best for the couple.

Decided on her purchase, Abby held the item up to the stall keeper to communicate her intentions. She reached into a pocket on her jacket and pulled out a small bottle of disinfectant and a bandage. She always kept some first aid supplies on her person, but there were plenty more back in the rover. Things scavenged during a year of travelling. Abby offered out the items to the keeper and he took them and assessed them with a critical eye. At last, the man nodded that it was an acceptable trade and Abby offered him a thankful smile before she turned and walked away from the stall.

Abby had barely walked a few strides when she jumped at the feeling of a hand wrapping around her arm. The arm tugged Abby along quite against her will. Abby's heart began to beat erratically from panic, but Abby focused herself and tried to identify who was holding onto her. Her eyes moved from the young, dimpled hand on her arm to the girl it belonged to. Abby let out a relieved laugh as she realised that it was the same little girl that had accosted Marcus and herself a year ago. Sure enough, the girl deposited Abby in front of the seafood stall. The same woman was in the middle of frying up some squid and Abby blinked away the feeling of deja vu.

"Hei," the woman said to Abby, glancing up briefly from her cooking.

Abby grimaced. Her time on the road meant that she hadn't really had the chance to pick up the language yet. "Hei," she offered back.

"Nou houmon?"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand you," Abby admitted with an apologetic look.

"Weron ste yu houmon kamp raun?" the woman tried, and then she considered a moment and said, "Spouse?"

Abby felt her heart lurch painfully as she realised what the stall keeper was asking. She was wondering where Marcus was. Abby gave a shrug,

"He wasn't my spouse," she corrected, trying not to let her voice break, "Marcus is gone." Abby frowned and tried to remember something of the language, "Wan op?" she ventured.

The woman looked taken aback for a moment and then her face softened into a sorrowful look, "Ah, I ste moba. Reshwe Marcus," she said.

"Sha, reshwe Marcus," Abby said, feeling moved. The words made more sense to her now she understood the context.

With no more to say on the matter, the stall keeper dropped her eyes back to the squid that was frying on the grill. A wood fire crackled underneath the grate. The keeper shuffled the food about a bit and then snapped a piece of squid up in a pair of tongs. She offered it out to Abby, an expectant look on her face.

Abby smiled, and this time she gratefully accepted the offered food. The squid was hot as she took it from the tongs and she winced. As she waited for it to cool, Abby couldn't help to consider the situation. Abby wondered if her determination to enjoy the sights of Polis had subconsciously been her way of honouring Marcus's memory. When they'd explored the market together a year ago, Abby had barely been able to process her surroundings, much less enjoy them. She had been too worried about getting to see Clarke. Marcus had taken it all in his stride like he always did. A year later, and Abby felt sorry that she hadn't bucked up her ideas and enjoyed the city with him when she'd had that chance. Abby felt tears welling in her eyes and she fought them back.

Remembering herself, Abby found that the food had cooled off enough and she took a healthy bite out of the squid. It was delicious. Abby finished the rest off and gave the stall keeper an eager nod of approval as she chewed.

"Amazing," Abby said when her mouth was no longer full. She hoped the keeper would understand her tone if not the word itself.

The stall keeper smiled back happily. It was then that Abby realised that she had nothing to trade in return for the food. She'd used her only valuable items to acquire the candlestick and was not prepared to lose that. Abby's concerns must have been obvious because the keeper started waving her hand in dismissal, to communicate that she didn't want anything for the food. Still, Marcus had insisted last year and Abby intended to be just as polite. She glanced around, as if she might pick out inspiration from thin air. Her eyes met those of the young girl. Thanks to the lack of familial resemblance, Abby assumed that the girl was an apprentice of sorts. She was also staring at Abby quite curiously.

"Chit?" Abby prompted gently.

The girl drew her lips into her mouth and seemed bashful at having being caught staring. She spoke quietly, "Yu feisnes laik Bandrona Klark."

Abby laughed brightly at the girl's keen observation skills. "Sha?" she answered with a raised brow. She struggled for the right words, "Ai laik Klark no- nomon?"

"Her mother?" the stall keeper asked for clarification.

"Yes," Abby confirmed.

The keeper looked at Abby with a new level of respect at the discovery. Abby's face lit up as inspiration hit in response. She turned back to the girl. "Your hair?" she said, pointing to her own ponytail to demonstrate what she meant. "I can braid it like I used to do Clarke's," she offered and Abby mimed the action of plaiting her own hair.

The stall keeper said something to the girl that Abby hoped was a translation. When the keeper had finished speaking, the girl nodded vigourously and launched forward to grab hold of Abby again. Abby assumed that they were going somewhere a little more out of the way and followed without resistance. As they went, the girl seemed to be looking out for someone in the crowd. Then the girl let out a loud yell that was quickly answered by another girl of similar age. The girl was shopping with her family, but after a few words, she came bounding over to join Abby and the stall apprentice.

Abby listened carefully as the young friends began to chatter. She was sure she caught Clarke's name and the word for Mother again.

"Abby," she offered to the girls, "Ai laik Abi."

"A-bi," the fish stall girl tested. She smiled, "Ai laik Lafaya," she introduced herself and then motioned to her friend, "Em laik Popi."

In short time, Lafaya and Popi had lead Abby to a small clearing out of everyone's way, and Lafaya had directed her to take a seat on the ground. Having gained more followers on the journey, Abby had a queue of over ten children all waiting to have their hair braided. In two plaited pigtails, just like Abby used to do Clarke's when she was their age.

---

The blazing camp fire in Arkadia's exterior was doing wonders for fending off the harsh evening chill. The sun was setting fast and even with the distortion of the orange flames dancing in her eyes, Harper could make out the first stars of the night. They glimmered in the cloudless winter sky. Harper craned her neck, staring up, back towards the place that had once been home. Her eyes tried their best to detect the steady darkening of the sky, even though Harper had learned by now that one couldn't quite manage to perceive it. Still she kept gazing upwards, her legs stretching out in front of her on the soft grass around the fire pit.

"Earth to Harper, chhhh, come in Harper." Miller's voice finally registered in Harper's ears as he mimicked talking through a radio.

Harper blinked and righted her head, so that the small group she was sat with came back into her line of vision. Miller was looking towards her expectantly and in his hands was a metal tray from the bar, laden with shots. He thrust the drinks out towards Harper and Monty, who was sat at her left.

"Now that we've got the meeting done, it's time for your real welcome back. Sorry it's a couple of days late, we were waiting for a fresh batch of drink," Miller explained.

Octavia snorted from where she was sat with Lincoln on the opposite side of the fire. The flames were low enough for Harper to just about make out the couple's faces. In the shadows of the evening, Lincoln and Octavia seemed to blur into one being, for they huddled so close together.

"A fresh batch isn't going to make any difference, I warn you both," Octavia said. Her face contorted in an exaggerated grimace. "Good luck. Don't think I'm cleaning up after you if you make a mess."

"It's fine, it'll be good for the grass," Monty pointed out.

Harper almost gagged, "Nice, Monty. Real nice."

Monty turned and offered Harper a shrug and she waved her friend off. With their warnings about the quality of the moonshine in place, Harper reached out and took the tray off Miller with a certain amount of trepidation. She laid the platter of drinks on the floor between herself and Monty and did a quick inventory.

"Six each?" she moaned out after she'd counted.

"Technically the sixth is the bonus round. None of us think you'll make it past five," Miller explained with a smirk. He knew that Harper had a hidden competitive streak. By saying that, he was as good as issuing his new second in command a challenge.

"You aren't going to demote me if I'm a mess tomorrow are you?" Harper asked, "Not after you've encouraged me."

Miller only replied with a cryptic shrug, to which the group laughed.

Harper considered her friends a while, trying to delay the challenge set before her. She let her eyes drift over Miller, to Lincoln and Octavia, and then finally to Monty. Everyone looked happy. Peaceful. It thrilled Harper that they had the chance to do this. To just sit around a fire and drink. To act their age for once. Not that her year away hadn't been fun. With Monty and Raven in tow, boredom had been quite impossible. But to finally be home, for that was what Arkadia was going to be from now on, and to be in the comforting presence of friends was something special.

Harper grit her teeth in determination as she met Monty's gaze. He narrowed his eyes at her, cocking his head to the side in challenge.

"A race?" he ventured,

Harper laughed, "Of course," she agreed. There was really no better way to down shots than to down them as quickly as possible and have done with it.

"Alright, both of you turn so you are facing the drinks. At equal distances away," Lincoln piped up with some ground rules. He was still the voice of reason just like Harper remembered.

Harper and Monty both followed Lincoln's instructions. They sized each other up from opposite sides of the drinks tray.

"Ok, hands at your sides until I've counted you both down," Lincoln said in a tone that suggested he was taking his role as referee very seriously. "After that, may the best Skaion win."

"She can't, she's not competing," Octavia piped up.

"You're right," Harper shot back without missing a beat, "Raven isn't here for her welcome back."

Octavia shot Harper a comically dark look across the fire at the suggestion that she herself wasn't actually the best Sky person. Harper gave a nonchalant shrug in response.

"Maybe we should leave the judgement of that to people outside Skaikru," Miller suggested,

Harper let out a scoff, "Like who? I doubt Lincoln or the Commander would be impartial," she said,

"Ahh, but that would give me two votes," Octavia interjected quickly,

"Yeah, after you voted for yourself," Monty answered and Harper saw him roll his eyes. "Now can we stop delaying the inevitable?"

"Three, two, one, go!" Lincoln suddenly exclaimed without further encouragement or fair warning.

Harper almost jumped and her hand flew out wildly towards the tray, grabbing hold of the first shot she laid her fingers on. She quickly raised the shot to her lips and downed the moonshine in one gulp. Harper winced at just how foul the stuff was and it set her throat to burning and her eyes to watering. Still, fully overtaken by the competition now, Harper did not let the poorness of the moonshine dissuade her. She tossed the empty shot glass aside and reached for another. This process repeated over and over, Harper barely paying any mind to her opponent's progress, for she was so determined to be done. She had counted five shots gone so far and Harper lifted the sixth and last to her mouth and gulped it down.

"And Harper is the winner!" Lincoln announced.

It was only then that Harper focused on Monty and saw that he was only just finishing his fifth shot. Harper grinned in triumph. Although her smile soon faltered and her vision went hazy. The rush of the challenge wore off, only to be replaced with the immediate onset of dizziness as the alcohol had already gone to work. Harper blinked slowly and tried to focus. She watched Monty down his last shot with the most hilarious look of disgust on his face.

"That. Was. Disgusting," Monty spelled out once he was done.

"You lost, Monty," Octavia made sure that Monty was aware that he'd finished second.

Monty sighed, "Yeah, well I don't think Harper has functioning taste buds so, who's the real winner here?"

"If I did have them, I don't now," Harper confirmed, and she swayed slightly as she spoke. However bad the moonshine had been, at least it had done it's job. "Now I think the rest of you have some catching up to do. Let Monty and I watch you suffer a little too."

"Because that," Octavia assured, "Is what friends are for. And on that note, welcome back to the both of you, it's good to have you home. Arkadia just got like five percent more badass for your presence here."

"Five percent? That was really generous of you," Lincoln shot at Octavia. Harper watched in amusement as Lincoln pulled Octavia closer and pecked her forehead.

"I'm softening in my old age," Octavia announced.

"Really?" Monty asked, "You look more shredded than ever to me."

There was an echo of guffaws and groans around the campfire, the loudest from Harper herself thanks to the shots.

"Damn that was even worse than a Jasper joke," Harper said without thought. Then her alcohol fueled thoughts caught up with her and Harper winced apologetically.

"Well, maybe I'm trying to keep his spirit alive," Monty let out.

The mood around the campfire had shifted so suddenly and Harper was painfully aware of how the group of friends might always live on a knife's edge. One wrong word could remind everyone of the hardships they had endured. Make them think of the things they had lost when by all rights, everyone was far too young to have put up with so much.

Harper chewed at her lip, "Well then, he'd be proud of you," she offered, trying to comfort Monty and make up for her slip. She had spent a year with Monty. She knew he had spent a lot of that year coming to terms with the loss of his best friend. Even so, Harper was well aware that a year was barely anything at all when it came to bereavement. She couldn't say for sure herself if she'd truly moved past losing Zoe, and that had happened only months after their relationship had begun. To lose a best friend, especially when Monty and Jasper were so close even back in school on the Ark, was a wound that could take even longer to heal.

"Maybe. Let's just hope he'll be proud of my attempts at making the moonshine on my own too. Though anything I make probably won't be as bad as the stuff you all just made Harper and I down," Monty responded. Harper was glad that his voice had regained some levity.

"In Raion's defence, Trikru's specialty is vodka. In most settlements, everyone's potato peelings are collected up and taken to the local brewery," Lincoln said.

Harper smiled at Lincoln's defence of the Trikru healer currently in charge of the homebrew. Harper hadn't really had chance to meet the resident grounders in Arkadia, but Miller had assured her that they were a friendly bunch.

"Well then, we need to start importing it here," Miller said, "Remind me to ask Bryan when he gets back from Polis. He can use his farming contacts."

"Yeah because vodka will be the first thing on your mind when he gets here," Harper scoffed.

Miller took Harper's suggestiveness in his stride and made no attempt to argue back. But Miller didn't know what was about to hit him. Harper had to hide her grin as her eyes glanced past Miller, to where a tall figure was approaching the group. His features became distinguishable as he approached the fire. Bryan moved silently until he was in range. He grabbed Miller on both shoulders and shook his boyfriend vigorously whilst letting out a howl. The way that Miller jumped, his body nearly leaving the ground, was a picture and Harper's resolve broke. She burst out into laughter. Harper couldn't help but be a little moved as she watched Miller crane his head back so he could see where Bryan was stood behind him. And then Bryan leaned down and kissed Miller chastely.

"I'm back," Bryan announced just loud enough for Harper to hear. He quickly plonked himself down in the circle, immediately wrapping an arm around Miller's shoulders.

"What skullduggery have I been missing?" Bryan asked,

"We were giving Harper and Monty their welcome back," Miller explained, "Shots were involved."

"How was Polis, Bryan?" Lincoln asked. He clearly wanted to gain some real information before the group inevitably descended into the chaos of drinking again.

"Uneventful," Bryan said, "For us at least. Although our meeting was interrupted by an unannounced guest. Abby and Raven stayed back for another day or two to catch more time with Clarke. Whoever it was that arrived, they seem to have thrown a wrench in the works."

"I'm sure the royal couple will sort it," Octavia said resolutely. She didn't sound particularly keen on the serious turn to the conversation. Harper saw Lincoln give Octavia a nod like he understood to drop the questions for now. "Are you staying for some drinks, Bryan?" Lincoln asked.

Harper saw Bryan glance towards Miller, trying to be subtle and failing terribly.

"No, I think we're going to turn in for the night," Miller answered for his boyfriend.

Harper shared a triumphant 'I told you so' look with Monty and then turned her attention back to Miller. "What about the vodka?" she asked innocently. Miller merely shot her a rude gesture.

"Save that for Bryan," Harper bit in response. As the reunited couple made their exit, Harper gleefully joined in with the cacophony of whoops that Octavia let out.

The loss of Miller and Bryan was quickly made up for by the arrival of some unfamiliar faces. The noise from the campfire had brought a few of the Trikru healers over to investigate. Harper scanned the faces and saw that most of the healers that had ventured over were of a similar age to herself and the rest of the group.

"Room for more?" the grounder at the front asked. He directed his question to Lincoln.

"Of course," Lincoln said, gesturing for them all to take a place around the fire.

"Yeah, come enjoy some awful jokes and even more awful moonshine," Monty joked.

The simultaneous hiss of embarrassment that Lincoln and Octavia let out made Harper frown in confusion. Then she caught sight of the expression on the face of the grounder who had spoken. He did not look at all impressed.

"What's wrong with the moonshine?" he asked sternly.

Harper's eyes flickered over to Monty and she gave him a look that silently told him he was in for it now. Monty winced back.

"Damn," Monty whispered and then louder, "It's Raion, right? I'm Monty," he introduced himself with a painfully awkward wave.

Raion stared down at Monty for a few moments, his face quite unreadable. Then, the young man erupted into a loud, infectious laugh. Raion rounded the campfire and took a seat right at Monty's side.

"It's good to meet you Monty," Raion said, sounding quite friendly now. He even offered out his arm. Harper watched as Monty tentatively reached out and grasped Raion's forearm in the traditional grounder handshake. "Maybe I do have a thing or two to learn about moonshine. Though I'm not sure that's why the Commander sent me here."

"What the Commander doesn't know won't hurt her," Octavia offered.

Harper barely registered the conversation after that, however. She was too busy looking at Monty. She was too busy trying to decide if it was the glow of the fire colouring Monty's cheeks, or rather the unmistakable blush of someone who'd just discovered a new crush.

---

Lexa sauntered purposefully down the corridor. Her long strides made it easy to cover ground as she walked through the twisting corridor that led to Luna's room. She heard a scoff emanating from just behind her, and then Clarke appeared at her right side in Lexa's peripheral vision. She'd had to quicken her own pace to keep up.

"What's the rush?" Clarke asked.

"I'm not rushing," Lexa answered back and she glanced over to Clarke with a smirk.

Lexa was feeling playful. She was relieved that she and Clarke had at last talked through a solution to their predicament. Managing to find a decent compromise had settled Lexa's nerves. Now, with no prying eyes around in the corridor, Lexa suddenly quickened her pace to pull a little ahead of Clarke. She stopped dead and span on her heel, so that Clarke almost walked right into her. Clarke halted just shy of Lexa's person and she sighed, glaring up at Lexa, not at all amused. Waiting for Lexa to stop messing around and start walking again. Lexa detected Clarke's eagerness to keep going in the way she subtly bounced on her heels as she stood. Lexa raised a single eyebrow,

"Now who's trying to rush?" she said.

"I want to get this done," Clarke argued, mouth set into a hard line and brow knitted. She stepped forward, forcing Lexa to shuffle backwards or have her toes trodden on. They went a few paces down the corridor like that and Clarke spoke as they went, "It'll benefit us both to get this over with. You can be as goofy as you please then," she said, trying to sweeten the deal.

Lexa couldn't help but grin. She made no move to right herself and walk properly again. "There's nobody here," she argued back, "Humour me a while." With that, Lexa started to move forwards. She switched the direction of their movements and put Clarke on the back-foot.

It was as if they were doing a simple dance in the corridor. Inspired, Lexa grabbed Clarke's hands and started to shimmy her hips, putting more rhythm into each step. Her moves made Clarke's lips turn up ever so slightly. Encouraged, Lexa raised Clarke's hands above their heads with her own and guided Clarke into a half turn. Then she pulled Clarke close, until her back hit Lexa's chest. Lexa's arms looped around Clarke's middle, taking Clarke's with them for their hands were still entwined.

Lexa, why?" Clarke protested. Still, her voice was quiet and undeniably tinged with a certain amount of bashfulness. Clarke's head lolled back against Lexa's shoulder.

Lexa did not respond, she just held Clarke tighter. She thought Clarke must know by now what had Lexa acting in such a way. Still, Clarke was right that there was some logic behind Lexa's playful behaviour. It wasn't just that they were totally alone at the moment, although that was a factor. Lexa and Clarke didn't hide their relationship, but there were boundaries. Displays of affection were reserved for private moments. The only thing they would allow themselves were the odd chaste touches when out and about in the city. Providing it wasn't an official outing of some sort, they did indulge themselves. A brushed shoulder here, or a hand held for just a few seconds there. But now wasn't exactly a private moment, nor was it downtime. They were on their way to deliver a plan that could potentially be a game changer. To a woman neither of them knew whether to trust. It was a strange, liminal moment between their duties and their everyday lives.

For Lexa, it was the perfect opportunity to steal a few soft moments with Clarke. But she understood that Clarke herself was still adjusting. She was still learning how to juggle the two often conflicting aspects of her life in Polis. The role as Skaikru Ambassador, and her existence as simply Clarke. Lexa hoped that encouraging this sort of closeness in stolen seconds would help Clarke to learn how to do that.

The couple had kept their personal and professional lives very rigidly separated the past year. Arguably, the time of extended peace had made that easy to do until now. But Lexa knew from past experience that the divide couldn't always be so clear cut. Sometimes the two halves of the self would bleed into one another. And sometimes it was important that you let that happen, rather than risk snapping yourself in two.

Then again, whilst Lexa had more years experience of such a balancing act, she too was a little out of practice. She had built her walls and relied heavily on the Commander's persona to get her through the losses and traumas she had faced. So perhaps it was best for both of them that they found the middle ground slowly, testing each new step before committing to it. Lexa felt herself squeezing Clarke even tighter to her as she thought, and Lexa sighed. She knew that she would move as carefully as needs be. She would give both herself and Clarke all the time they needed, to make sure that they stayed just how they were now. Happy. United. Just a little bit too soft.

"What are you thinking, babe?" Clarke asked quietly, and she tilted her head up and peered lovingly into Lexa's face. Lexa met Clarke's questioning eyes.

"I'm thinking how much I love you," Lexa answered in a low voice. It wasn't inaccurate. She had been thinking about Clarke's character after all, and it was a character that she adored through and through.

Lexa let up her hold on Clarke when she felt Clarke shift in her arms. Clarke used the extra room to turn again so that she faced Lexa and Clarke threw her arms around Lexa's neck. They hugged again. "Ai hod yu in seinteim," Clarke breathed her reply into Lexa's neck.

Lexa wanted to stay right where they were for the rest of the day. Knowing they couldn't, Lexa tore herself out of Clarke's grasp. "We should-"

"We should," Clarke agreed and the couple began to move again.

This time Lexa measured each step so that Clarke could keep up with her. When they arrived outside Luna's door, it was as close to shoulder-to-shoulder as their height difference allowed them to be. Clarke reached out and knocked firmly on Luna's door and Lexa glared at Clarke in mock surprise,

"I didn't know you knew how to do that, Clarke" she chided.

Clarke made a face at her. Lexa had to hold back a smirk as Clarke struggled to put her expression back to normal in time as the door opened to reveal Luna.

Luna glanced over the pair a second, before moving wordlessly aside and gesturing for them to enter the room. She shut the door immediately behind them.

"I was expecting to be called to the throne room," Luna stated. Still, she waved a hand towards the seating area to show that she wasn't uncomfortable with Lexa and Clarke's more personal visit.

"This doesn't need to be formal," Lexa replied and she took a seat on the couch, leaving the chair for Luna. Clarke silently dropped onto the other end of the couch, a respectful distance away from Lexa. Lexa fought the urge to look over at her and kept her gaze locked onto Luna instead.

"Am I to expect you two to come as a pair all the time?" Luna inquired as she took her own seat. She slouched messily and tossed a leg over the opposite knee.

"Not at all," Lexa said, "But we are both invested in the decision that we've reached. We both want to hear your response."

If Luna had more to say on Clarke's presence, she chose well not to voice her thoughts aloud. Instead she measured Lexa up and Lexa's posture righted itself in a natural response to feeling scrutinised.

"So? Do you agree to Europa's offer?" Luna prompted.

Lexa flexed her jaw, "Yes," she said first. She wanted to start as positively and as simply as she could. "We wish to make contact," she confirmed. Then, before Luna could respond, "How we do that however, depends on circumstances."

Luna's smile at hearing the word 'yes' faltered at Lexa's next words. "What circumstances?"

"We need to know how many people your vessel can carry across the ocean," Lexa said.

Luna seemed to hesitate. Lexa's question had raised her suspicions. "It's a large ship that Europa gifted to me to come here. It can easily fit over a thousand souls," Luna responded at last.

Lexa gave a nod of understanding. She measured her next words carefully, knowing that they could be misconstrued. Lexa and Clarke had found a compromise. But that didn't make Lexa assume that their plan would be easy to go along with. "Then I propose to take an army of five hundred warriors across the ocean with us. This army will remain at the port on the ship, whilst my small delegation will journey on with you to meet with the ruling body of Europa. The army will be there as a protective force only, and as an example of the strength and discipline of the Kongeda. They will be under strict orders to create no disturbances. They will not attack without first being provoked-"

"We're not going to attack you," Luna interjected forcefully.

Lexa grit her teeth against the interruption. She may have chosen a non-formal setting to deliver the plan to Luna, but Lexa still expected Luna to show a certain amount of respect to her. She was the Commander. Luna's Commander.

"And we don't think that," it was Clarke who answered. Whether she had sensed Lexa's annoyance, or simply wanted to be seen to be on Luna's side Lexa wasn't sure. She trusted Clarke to handle things either way and let her continue. "But you're asking us to go an awfully long way to meet people we know nothing about. You must understand us wanting to take precautions?"

"Us?" Luna repeated back to Clarke, "Or you?" She turned her attention back to Lexa, "We're practically sisters, Lexa. You should know you can trust me."

"A Commander knows not to trust anyone blindly," Lexa said sternly, "And we have been apart for a long time."

Luna tried to keep her face passive, but she was clearly out of practice. Lexa caught the way her eyes narrowed, the flare in her nostrils as Luna breathed. She was hurt, perhaps even offended.

"If you do not wish to agree to these terms, we have another option. You return to Europa without us. Arrange for us to meet with Europa's government alone on neutral ground between our two worlds," Lexa explained the alternative plan she and Clarke had decided on.

Luna frowned, "That would take months of travelling," she protested.

Lexa felt the urge to shrug like that wasn't her problem. Instead, she squared her shoulders and jutted her chin in a clear show of superiority. The display clashed with her next words, "It is your decision to make on behalf of your people."

"I thought the Kongeda were my people too," Luna responded.

"They are. But you are not here to represent their wishes. Nor do you seem willing to see things from their point of view. What you are asking of us borders on requesting we take a blind leap of faith. I cannot do that. I must protect the Kongeda first," Lexa snapped each statement out.

She had been prepared for Luna to react a little negatively to the plan to take an army, but this had taken Lexa by surprise. Luna claimed to still think of Lexa as a sister, and yet seemed incapable of affording Lexa the benefit of the doubt. Even when Luna was expecting that very same thing from the Commander. Lexa could not gauge where Luna's loyalties may lie. She had run from the Kongeda yes, but she seemed perfectly honest about Europa's intentions towards the world she'd escaped. It was an almost impossible situation to read, even for Lexa's trained mind.

"Fine," Luna responded at last, her own voice raising to a biting half-shout. "Bring your army," she said more quietly. Her brown eyes bore into Lexa's. "You've changed a lot," she muttered.

"So have you," Lexa answered, "It can't be helped."

"Don't say that," Luna said.

Lexa caught how Luna's eyes kept sweeping over to Clarke and she felt herself grow defensive. "I will call for a meeting of the Ambassadors tomorrow evening. We will announce our intentions and request for warriors from each clan to journey to your ship. I will choose my delegation and once that is done, we leave for Europa. Is that agreed, Luna?" she asked the question forcefully, giving Luna no room to dare to disagree.

"As you wish, Commander," Luna responded, and then, "Am I to assume Clarke kom Skaikru will be among your delegation?"

Lexa glowered at the question, "Of course."

"Is there a problem with that?" Clarke spoke again now, her voice much less diplomatic than it had been before.

"No," Luna said, unconvincingly.

Lexa gulped back an angry growl and spoke in a dangerous whisper, "Speak true, Luna." It was an order.

"I don't have a problem with it," Luna reiterated, "But I have to wonder how much of the plan I just heard was your own, Commander. If it is Clarke who pushed for the army, then I have a right to know that before I let her onto my ship."

"Clarke cares about the safety of the Kongeda. And she has a vested interest in keeping it safe now that her people are a part of the coalition," Lexa answered. "Yes she made the suggestion, but it was I who agreed to it on the belief that Clarke's points were valid ones."

"I thought so," Luna responded to Lexa's honesty with barely a trace of thankfulness that the Commander had chosen to be so transparent. Instead she sounded even more perturbed. "You may be the Commander, but I remember who you were before that," Luna carried on.

Lexa felt shifted in her seat. Every hair on her body seemed to stand on end. She was absolutely aware that Luna was about to cross the line. Luna went one better and sprinted over it,

"I knew your plan was too harsh to be entirely your own," Luna said carelessly. As if that barely concealed insult towards Clarke would somehow make Lexa feel better because the words absconded Lexa from guilt.

Lexa was in fact reeling. The suggestion that Clarke's influence had made her 'too harsh' was deeply unsettling. And uncomfortably ironic. It was a far cry from the rhetoric Lexa and Clarke had faced about their relationship in the past. In fact it was the total antithesis. Lexa could only watch, stunned and hurt, as Clarke shot up onto her feet and stormed out of the room without a single word to either herself or Luna.

Lexa stayed seated, giving herself time to collect her thoughts and measure her breathing. Feeling more in control, if not exactly calm, she she stood up in one graceful motion. Her posture went totally rigid, arms behind her back. The picture of a woman who knew she was in charge.

"Perhaps it is best that neither of us use what we once knew of one another to pass judgement anymore," Lexa let out in a chilling, icy growl. "I expect to see you at the meeting tomorrow evening. With an attitude more befitting to a leader of one of the thirteen clans of my Kongeda."

Luna made no response and Lexa had to hope that it was because she'd made Luna squirm. She'd intended to make Luna realise just how out of order she'd been. But frustratingly, Lexa also wanted to believe that there was some reason for Luna's poor behavior. That there was a motive behind her putting Europa over her own people at every turn. Lexa was sure that a division of loyalty was at the crux of Luna's statements, rather than any real ill will towards either Clarke or herself. She had to believe that of her old friend. But for now, the hurt had been done and Lexa cleared her mind of anything other than the need to do damage control. She stalked out of the bedroom and paced quickly towards the elevator, hoping to catch up to Clarke. Lexa's priorities lay squarely at making sure that Clarke was alright. Jaw working furiously, Lexa walked even faster.