DEIMEIKAGEDA

After receiving an unexpected proposal from the Sun nation, a small group of skypeople leave for Delphis, the capital of the grounder's sun nation clan. Reluctantly, Abby and Marcus agreed to a fallacious plan to prevent any diplomatic incident. A plan which will make them realize that the tension between them might be a little more sexual than they thought...

Notes: This fic takes place after the season 2. No city of light, no Pike, no kabby kiss for now, nothing of the season 3. This is a crack fic, so it could be a little "out of character" even if I do my best to keep their personality. Clarke had leave the camp for some months, but she is back now.

Thank you so much to Tinkbooklover for her help !

Chapter 1 :

« I shouldn't be here,» Abby muttered for the fiftieth time since they left Arkadia.

She was sitting in the passenger seat of the rover, her arms crossed over her chest and her skin shining with sweat due to the sweltering heat of the desert. They had been on the road for three days now and she neither enjoyed the travel nor the destination.

Since they left the Rover had broken two times and if at first, the chancellor didn't want Raven to come along because of her leg, she had definitely changed her mind now. Indeed, the sand was so fine that it seeped into everything and the mechanic was the only person able to fix things like this. The rover wasn't the only one to be indisposed because of the sand. Abby felt like each of the fold of her skin were itching and she had never felt so dirty in all her life.

«As I said before, Jackson can perfectly handle the camp. He isn't your student anymore, he is a doctor now, and a good one. You taught him well,» Marcus tried to reassure her as his hand left the wheel momentarily to lay gently on her knee.

A bitter smile tugged slightly on the corner of the chancellor's lips. Stoking her ego wouldn't make her become more compliant. In fact, she was really worried about the camp but really she just didn't want to be there at all.

«Kane is right Abby. Besides, you have to give them an answer personally, especially if it's a no,» said Lincoln who was sitting in the back of the rover.

«If? Of course, it's a no,» Abby exclaimed as she turned around and gave him a dirty look.

«Of course,» Lincoln nodded with a slight smirk as some chuckle was heard in the car.

«That's not funny,» Abby took offense as she gave Marcus a withering glare.

«No it's not, » Marcus agreed but she saw him bite his lower lips to hold back another chuckle.

«Come on mom. You should be flattered,» Clarke said with an amused smile on her lips.

«Flattered? Are you kidding me?» Abby exclaimed with an astonished look on her face.

«First, the prince is young enough to be my son. Secondly, we are not in the Dark Ages anymore. No offense Lincoln but arranged marriage are...well, that's not the way we do things. And thirdly I've only met him once and we've barely spoken. That's not funny or flattering at all,» Abby asserted with annoyance.

«Yeah, I see your point but from their point of view, it's a great honor. The Sun nation is very...well, very warm with people from other clans but they only marry each other,» Lincoln explained, his eyes suddenly more shifty.

«What do you mean by warm with people from other clans,» Abby asked with a frown.

The grounder let out a little chuckle as he exchanged a knowing look with Clarke.

«I...», he started to speak but Raven cut him off.

«He means having sex,» the mechanic clarified with a smirk, stretching out between the two front seats to take the bottle of water near Abby's legs.

«Oh god,» Abby exclaimed as she turned around again to face the road, her hand on her forehead.

«Marcus can confirm, right?» Raven added maliciously, giving a kick on Marcus' seat.

The chancellor felt her heart skip a beat in her chest.

«Wait. What?» Abby asked as her eyes traveled from the mechanic to Marcus.

«Oh, oh, trouble in paradise between mom and dad,» the mechanic whispered causing some new giggles in the back of the rover.

«Stop calling us like that,» the chancellor reprimanded her before staring at her councilor.

«Marcus what does she mean?», she asked him with a hint of reproach in her voice.

«Nothing I swear,» he defended a little too quickly.

Abby kept staring at him and raised an eyebrow.

«It's just-», he started to say but he stopped to let out an embarrassed sigh.

«Thanks Raven,» he mumbled between his teeth.

«You're welcome,» the girl answered with a grin.

Abby was still looking at him, waiting for the story.

«Okay, the truth is that at the banquet, the queen's sister asked me to...well, she made explicit advances to me but I politely declined of course. Nothing happened,» he finally explained, his forehead covered by more drops of sweat than a few seconds earlier.

Abby blinked a few times. She opened her mouth to speak but she changed her mind at the last moment and shook her head instead. The story made her feel something strange in the pit of her belly, something unexpected and not appropriate. Something that a chancellor wasn't allowed to feel toward her councilor. Marcus probably guessed what she was thinking because after having taken some look at her, a slight grin stretched discretely on his lips.

Since they landed, and even more since they came back from Mount Weather, the relationship between them had changed. Of course, they still argued but in a different way. It was like they were now able to listen each other, to understand each others arguments and admit when they were wrong. Furthermore, Abby saw him more and more often like a partner and not just as her councilor. During the weeks when Clarke was missing he had been an unfailing support. When he wasn't there to make sure she was okay, he was leading a mission to find her daughter. To be honest, she didn't know if she would have been able to have gotten through it without him.

«I heard her say that she wanted to feel his beard o-», Raven started to speak again but she didn't have time to end her sentence.

«Raven !» both Abby and Marcus exclaimed at the same time.

«Okay. Okay, I'll shut up,» Raven resigned herself.

After that, everybody remained quiet except for Lincoln who told them about the Sun nation culture. According to him, they weren't really good on a battlefield but they had the best spies and murderers. He told them how the Sun nation had won some war by assassinating the leader of the other clan and how they were known for possessing the best poisons and biological weapons. They were the only ones to live in the dead zone, in a former holiday complex. With some embarrassment, he also explained that they were known to be very liberated and that fidelity wasn't a part of the wedding vows. According to them, sex was the best way to celebrate and keep the peace.

Contrary to Abby and Marcus who felt more and more uncomfortable, Raven seemed very excited about this little trip. In fact, she even made some comment that made Abby roll her eyes and Kane clear his throat with discomfort.

«When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right?», Raven said with a conniving wink toward Bellamy and Clarke.

«We don't need any diplomatic incidents Raven,» Marcus warned her seriously.

«Don't worry Kane, I'll do my best to keep the peace,» she answered with an impish voice.

Marcus and Abby both let out a sigh but didn't say anything.

In turn, Clarke told them that the Sun nation had the best tailor and that almost all the outfit worn by the clan's leader at summits, came from their city: Delphis. She told them that during her 'healing trip', as she called it, she had met a woman from the Sun nation who had explained to her that they could live in the desert thanks to an underground river that runs below the city.

Kane and Raven seemed to be very interested in hearing how these people had managed to use former oil pumps to ensure a steady supply of water but Abby remained quiet, her arms crossed even tighter over her chest and her eyes fixed on the sand all around them. To be honest, since Lexa's betrayal she was even more distrustful of grounders. The relationship between Arkadia and the Trikru was cordial, almost friendly thanks to Marcus and Clarke but Abby knew that the peace was hanging by a thread. She also couldn't forget the dirty looks that some of the clans' leaders had given her at the Polis summit a few months ago.

Around one hour later, Octavia appeared on her horse behind a sand dune and signaled them to stop the car. She told them that the wind turbine indicated by the messenger of the Sun nation as a safe place for camp was about two miles away. The sun was still high in the sky but it would be more prudent to spend the night there. The sandstorms could be treacherous. Besides, Delphis wasn't much further and if they broke the camp soon, tomorrow morning they would be able to arrive in the city by the middle of the day.

When the tents were finally set up and the fire was burning, Octavia and Lincoln asked Marcus to come with them to check the area to make sure it was safe. Abby stayed with Clarke, Bellamy and Raven. They started to make dinner but soon, Clarke put the potato she was peeling on the table and stared at her mother.

«Are you okay honey?», Abby asked her with a frown.

«Yes, yes I'm Okay. It's just...Can you put the knife down for a moment and sit, I have something to tell you,» Clarke said by taking her mother's hand to pull her toward the fire.

«You're scaring me, Clarke, what's going on?» Abby asked as she watched her daughter sit down under the cover near the flames.

«Nothing bad I promise but, please, sit,» Clarke answered, tapping her hand next to her.

Abby finally did as the girl asked, still worried.

«Okay,» Clarke started before taking a deep breath.

«Don't be mad but…. Well… Lincoln think that the Sun nation might be offended by your rejection. So he well…. he thinks that it would be better if we and you said that Marcus and you are well...you know… engaged,» she explained with a slight wince.

Abby blinked a several time as the words started to make sense in her mind.

«What? You're kidding?», she finally exclaimed, shaking her head.

«Oh come on Abby, it won't be a big deal, you two already act as if you were married,» said Raven with a smirk.

«No, we don't,» Abby took offense, eyes wide open.

«Really? So I imagined the eye-sex, the «I'm okay if Marcus is okay with it too», the unnecessary touches every moment you can?» Raven mocked her, rolling her eyes.

«We don't...», the chancellor started to deny while Raven's smile widened.

«Clarke?» Abby asked searching for her daughter's help.

The latter let out a chuckle and shrugged.

«Sorry mom but Raven's right,» she answered with an amused smile on her lips.

This time, Abby turned her head toward Bellamy but he raised his hand in front of him.

«With all due respect, I agree with her,» he said a little embarrassed.

Abby glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. Deep down, a part of herself knew the kids were right, or at least not completely wrong but she wasn't ready to admit it out loud. She was aware of the way her eyes sometimes landed a little too long on Marcus' lips or of the way she felt shivers run down her spine when his hand touched her. But anyway, he was Kane, or rather Marcus now, and she was Abby. She was the chancellor and he was her councilor. There was so many ghosts between them, so many years of hate and loathing on both sides.

«Marcus won't agree,» she finally objected, unable to find anything else to say.

This time Raven guffawed.

«Oh, he will agree, for sure. Look, he finally will be allowed to touch your ass instead of your shoulder-» the mechanic started to say but she was cutting off by some exclamation.

«Raven!» Abby shouted at her.

«Raven, please you're really not helping,» Clarke sighed, shaking her head, desperate.

«That was gross,» Bellamy told the girl as he threw her some peeling.

«But that was true,» Raven retorted with a grin.

«Stop it! All of you. Stop it right now,» Abby exclaimed as she stood up, her fingers rubbing her temples.

«Hey look! The groom is coming,» the mechanic whispered before giggling, a few seconds later.

«Shut up Raven,» the chancellor mumbled between her teeth.

Abby looked up at Marcus, the way he was offering her a shy smile told her that he was now also aware of Lincoln's plan.

«So...they told you?» he asked her as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

Abby nodded, biting her lower lips.

«Please tell me you said no,» she pleaded after a few seconds of embarrassed silence.

Marcus lowered his gaze and put his hands in his pockets.

«It would be weird for sure, but-» he started to speak again, his gaze fixed on the tips of his shoes.

Suddenly remembering the kids presence he stopped to speak and cleared his throat.

«Guys, can we have a moment please?» he asked them.

«Of course,» Bellamy said as he grabbed Raven's arm to pull her with him.

Abby swallowed hard and started to play absentmindedly with the ring between her breasts as she watched the kids walk away.

«I think Lincoln is right,» Marcus finally said seriously when the others were far away enough.

Abby stared at him and opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She didn't expect him to agree with this stupid plan.

«Please, listen,» he pleaded her as he put his hand on her forearm like he always did when he wanted her to calm down.

Abby stared at his hand as Raven's previous words came back to her.. «He finally will be allowed to touch your ass instead of your shoulder». She flinched a little under his touch but fortunately she was able to keep a straight face.

«Look, we can't afford to irritate any other grounder clans. This proposal seems to be very important to them and there is a possibility that they will take offense to a negative answer. They might not understand. This fake engagement seems to be a good plan and we don't have to anything we don't want to do. I mean, we're not teenagers we don't have to kiss in front of everyone or touch each other like well….you know what I mean,» he argued seriously before offered her another shy smile.

Abby stared at him, considering his words. Being already engaged was, with no doubt, the best reason to say no to this proposal, besides, Marcus was right, they were way too old for any public making out. They could handle that, she could handle that.

«This is madness but...well okay, let's do it,» she finally accepted, shrugging.

«Okay,» Marcus nodded.

As she always did when she was nervous or worried, Abby started to play with Jake's ring and the contact of the cold metal against her fingers made her think about something.

«Do you think we should...,» she started to ask, pointed out the ring by a look at it.

«No !», Marcus answered a little too abruptly.

«I mean, it belongs to Jake, I could never, no...no rings are okay, it's not like if we could go to the jewelry shop,» he specified in a softer tone.

«Yes, you're right, but do you think it would be better if...if I ask Clarke to keep them?» Abby asked as she touched her own ring around her finger.

«Your choice. They know that Clarke is your daughter and that she's not mine so it wouldn't be strange if you choose to keep them. You know, if we really were a couple I would never ask you to take them off. I mean, Jake is a part of you, you loved him and you always will so...,» Marcus answered, his eyes becoming more and more shifty.

Abby felt her heart unexpectedly tighten in her chest. His words did something to her but she couldn't have explained what. In a way, it felt strange to hear him talking about what he would or wouldn't do if they were a couple and for some time Abby couldn't help but wonder if he had ever thought about that. The thought made the pit of her belly clench a little so she forced herself to stop thinking about that.

«Well, as I said, it's your choice,» he concluded, squeezing her arm softly.

«Okay,» Abby breathed with a smile.

«I'll go tell the kids,» he said before turning around.

«Marcus,» she called after him without thinking.

«Thank you,» was all she succeeded in saying when he turned to look at her.

«For what?» he asked, raising an interrogative eyebrow.

She remained speechless a little. Thank you for understanding what those rings mean to me. Thank you for telling me that you'll never ask me to take them off, no matter what. Thank you for being you.

«Just thank you,» she said with a shy smile at the corner of her lips.

Marcus stared at her a second and then nodded.

«You're welcome Abby,» he said with the special look he always kept for her, only her.

During the dinner, the kids hadn't stopped joking about the fake engagement. Marcus hadn't seemed to be really bothered by it but Abby had soon become less and less comfortable. She could barely look at Marcus and she couldn't help blushing at almost all of Raven's words. It could have been funny if the most of it wasn't true... if the day where Octavia had found her staring at a shirtless Marcus had never existed, or if the night where Marcus had punched one of his guards for having said something rude about her had never happened.

Between two laugh, Clarke had proposed that they had been engaged for two months but that they had only made it public a week after the summit. Everyone agreed and Abby took it as an opportunity to go to sleep.

Once Abby had settled for the night, she heard Clarke enter the tent and she felt her lay next to her. Abby turned around to face her and offered her a tender smile.

«Are you okay honey?», she asked softly.

The girl nodded as she crawled under her sleeping bag.

«Yeah,» she answered with a smile.

«And about the plan?», Abby specified before biting her lower lip.

Even if it was a fake engagement, Abby couldn't help but worry a little about her daughter's feelings. They still haven't spoken about Jake's death since that day at TonDC. Abby had tried several times to broach the subject but Clarke had always ended the conversation even before it started.

«It's a good plan mom,» Clarke sighted.

«Yes, but that's not..., I mean, I don't want you to feel bad about what the others say... You know, about Marcus and I...That's not...», Abby started to explain but she was cut off by Clarke's hand on her arm.

«Don't worry, whether it's true or not, I'm okay with it,» the girl said before leaving a gentle kiss on her forehead and turning around.

Abby remained quiet a few seconds, considering her daughter's words. « Whether it's true or not». Did her daughter just say that she would be okay if she and Marcus...was she just okay with the joke or did she really believe that there was something between them? Thousands of questions were invading her thoughts but she was interrupted by the girl's voice.

«Dad would have wanted you to move on,» Clarke added in a low voice, her back to Abby.

A sad smile stretched Abby's lips at the mention of Jake. Clarke was right, she knew it. In a way, she could almost hear Jakes voice in her head telling her that. On the Ark, she would have answered that she never would, that she didn't want to move on but now...Now, on the earth, with this new life in front of her, she might consider it.

«You too,» she finally said back, thinking about Finn, as she raised her hand to gently stroke the girl's hair.

«I know,» Clarke whispered.

«Good night mom,» the girl added after a few seconds before letting out a sleepy sigh.

«Good night sweetheart,» Abby said back with a tender smile on her lips.