Chapter 1
"I don't want the next Commander, I want you!" Clarke could barely see Lexa through the tears in her eyes, but she never stopped looking into Lexa's eyes.
Lexa smiled, "I'm so cold and so tired."
"I know, but you have to stay awake. Look at me Lexa, don't look away." Clarke pressed the cloth to Lexa's abdomen with all the strength she had. "What the fuck are you doing, Titus?! Help me save the Commander!" Titus only continued to calmly unpack his strange ritual kit, which Clarke knew was a bad sign.
Just then Octavia entered, growing eager to leave for Arkadia, "Clarke, it's time to- what the fuck happened?!"
Upon Octavia's appearance, Clarke was hit with an idea. It was risky as hell, but she would do anything to save Lexa; she needed her. She wanted her. "Octavia, go bring your horse around to the nearest door." Quickly, Clarke stuffed the swath deep into Lexa's wound and tied a long strip around her as tight as she could, hoping it would keep the bleeding under control for long enough. Lexa quickly fainted from the pain.
After checking Lexa's pulse, Clarke rinsed her own hands of the Nightblood in the still-full bathing basin, Clarke collected herself, grabbed a stack of furs from Lexa's bed, and calmly walked back over to where Titus was now running a bloody black finger down his own forehead. "Titus, wrap her in these."
Titus did not move, "I need to complete the first part of the ritual; I need to pray over her before she dies."
"She is not going to die!" Clarke grabbed his kit and shoved in hard to his chest, "now wrap her and carry her to Octavia's horse.
Again, Titus did not move, he simply began to set up the tools once more.
Furious. and without thinking, Clarke grabbed the gun from the floor where Titus had dropped it and held it against the man's head. "Get up. Wrap her in these and carry her to the horse. Or do you want the death of the Commander and the end of the conclave to both be your fault?" Slowly, Titus re-wrapped his instruments and did as he was told.
When they reached the doors, Octavia was waiting with two horses; her own and the one Semet had ridden in on. She then helped Titus carefully drape Lexa's almost lifeless body over the front of Octavia's horse, pulling the blankets from her face. Mounting the horse behind her, Clarke looked down at Lexa and gently brushed the woman's long brown hair behind her ear. "Stay with me, Commander," Clarke whispered.
Octavia jumped onto Semet's horse and led the way back to Arkadia.
After what seemed to Clarke like an eternity, they finally reached the gates of Skaikru territory. Quickly, Clarke pulled the blanket over Lexa's face to hide her presence from the guards. "I am here to ensure that peace is kept." Reluctantly, and with their weapons drawn, the guards opened the gates and allowed the women's passage.
Having heard the commotion outside, Abby ran and embraced Clarke as she dismounted the horse, "Clarke! Thank God you're back home safe!"
"I'm fine, mom, just really tired. Let's go to my room." She wrapped her arm around her mother's waste and made sure that Octavia was the one to unload Lexa- presumed by everyone else to be Clarke's luggage from Polis- and led the way inside.
When they finally reached Clarke's room, before Abby could ask any questions, Octavia gently laid the bundle of blankets on the bed and unwrapped the Heda. By now, the dark blood inside her had soaked all the way through the dressings Clarke had placed.
Abby quickly stepped back, "Clarke, are you insane? You can't bring her into Arkadia! You know what Pike has been doing with all the Grounders, even the ones close to death!"
"I had no other choice, mom! I need her to live for this alliance to work! She is the only thing keeping us from going to war with the Grounders!"
"Clarke, it is too risky. We can't take her to the infirmary and suspicion will quickly be raised when I try and bring all the supplies I need into your room!"
"Mom, please. I love her!" Clarke could not hold her composure any longer, she broke down into tears and all by collapsed on her bedroom floor, only just being caught by Octavia grabbing her and leading her to the edge of her bed. Abby simply stood there in stunned silence.
Fed up, Octavia grabbed the former Chancellor by the shoulders and shook, "Abby. Abby! What supplies do you need?"
"Ummm just tell Jackson I need supplies for an abdominal bullet wound."
After Octavia ran out and shut the door behind her, Abby knelt down next to her daughter and placed a hand on Clarke's knee. "Ok, sweetheart, I'll do the best I can." She got up and bent over Lexa to check her vitals, which were very weak; "but I'm not sure she'll make it."
"She is the Commander of the Thirteen Clans, she will make it. She has to." Clarke knelt by the side of the bed where Lexa's head was rested and bent down to kiss her forehead.
Having seen the strength and leadership that Clarke possesses, witnessing her daughter's heat breaking caused Abby to whisper almost inaudibly, "how did you grow up so fast?"
Octavia soon returned with a bag of supplies, "I would have come sooner, but Jackson had a lot of questions. What do you need me to do?"
All Clarke could do was watch in an almost catatonic state as Abby hurriedly exposed Lexa's wounds and instructed Ocatvia. After stopping most of the black fluid with hemostats and sutures, Abby carefully reached in with forceps and removed the bullet from Lexa's body. Almost immediately, another flood of darkness flowed from the wound. "Shit. Shit. Shit. Octavia, grab those gauze and apply as much pressure as you can." Abby grabbed frantically for the portable laser cautery and took over Octavia's position, burning the flesh closed. Just when they thought they were in the clear, the small vitals monitor began to flat line; "We're losing her! Clarke, you need to start CPR. CLARKE!"
Like being woke from a dream, Clarke quickly climbed onto the bed and began the rhythmic compressions. As she leaned down for a second time to breathe life into Lexa, she placed her tear-stained cheek against Lexa's and whispered "please don't leave. I love you."
Before Clarke could begin a third round of compressions, Lexa rolled on her side and coughed up blackness. The three women surrounding her sighed in collective relief and exhaustion. After releasing Octavia from a very unexpected hug, Abby smiled as watched as her daughter gently wiped the mouth of the woman she loved. Without saying a word, she grabbed Octavia by the elbow and led her out of the room.
Not recognizing her surroundings, Lexa attempted to sit up, "Clarke?"
"I'm right here, I'm right here." Clarke caught Lexa's shoulders before they touched the bed again and sat so she was supporting the weight of the Commander's upper body with her own.
"The conclave," Lexa whispered, confused.
"They're going to have to wait, because I am nowhere near done with you, Heda." Clarke smiled and kissed Lexa's forehead once more. She placed a finger on Lexa's lips, which were prepared to protest. Gently, she replaced Lexa's shoulders on the bed and laid next to her so they were facing each other, "we can talk later, for now you need to rest."
Right before they both drifted to sleep, Lexa managed to mutter, "I love you, too."