Author's note : This is my first ever story. I warn you that English isn't my mother tongue, so there probably will be mistakes.

To put things in context, I wanted to write a story starting mid season 3 but including Lexa. It will definitely have a lighter tone than the TV show. Thus, I've "resuscitated " several characters who died in the series, beside Lexa of course. I let you read and find out which ones.

And as you will see, for the same reason, I have changed some events, particularly Bellamy's actions, as I feel that his participation to the massacre of the grounder army is hardly forgivable.

And finally, I've put aside the city of light plot. So, no COL, no ALIE and no chips.

I have some ideas to develop this story further so it could become quite long. If you're interested that is.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1 : Introduction

Clarke was standing in the middle of the woods, deep in thought. It was over. Finally.

Pike was lying dead, face down, a few meters away from her.

They hadn't meant to kill him. They were simply supposed to deliver him to the Grounders, so that they could take him to Polis and exert any kind of revenge they would deem fit. This was only fair considering the man had orchestrated the massacre of the Grounder army the Commander had sent to protect the Sky People.

Getting rid of Pike was the only solution to the delicate situation they were in. It would put an end to the blockade the Commander had been forced to set up.

Clarke knew they were lucky. As she had promised, the Commander had taken Clarke's needs as her own and had settled on enforcing a blockade, the most favorable measure she could decide considering the circumstances. Blood must not have blood. Useless to say, the Grounders hadn't been happy with that decision. Clarke feared it would have consequences for the Commander. But she couldn't dwell on that right now.

After the instauration of the blockade, Clarke, Octavia and a reluctant Murphy had hurried back to Arkadia.

Clarke and Octavia had indeed stumbled upon a beaten up Murphy on their way out of the Grounder city. He had been caught outside of Polis while he was proceeding to rob a traveler. Not his first try apparently. The grounders had taken him back to Polis and imprisoned him. But Murphy, resourceful as ever, had managed to deceive the guards and escape.

Clarke had explained the situation to Murphy, that he had no choice but to come with them if he wanted to live. Murphy had finally agreed, but he was clearly not overjoyed with this development.

They had made their way toward Arkadia, but they couldn't just barge in the camp. They knew they weren't welcomed. So Clarke had secretly made her way inside the camp and managed to reach her mother and Kane without being seen. She had been happy to see her mother again but the reunion had been short-lived as there were more urgent matters to attend to. They had debated every single solution they could think of. It was obvious that there was no way Pike would surrender. He was too far gone in his madness. If possible, the blockade had reinforced his hatred toward the grounders. They had to find a way to capture him and to hand him over to the grounders.

It had taken a long time to elaborate a reasonably good plan and set it up in motion. Weeks spent in fear of being discovered. They knew Pike had suspicions.

In the end, an event occurred that had forced them to move into action, even though they weren't quite ready. Pike had indeed announced his decision to execute Lincoln, who was being held in custody with other grounders. Of course, Octavia had pushed them to act before it was too late.

Fortunately, Pike had made the mistake to proceed with the execution outside the walls of Arkadia. This had been the perfect opportunity. It was risky, but they had no choice. They just couldn't let him kill Lincoln.

With the help of the people who were opposed to Pike, including Monty, Miller, Harper and Bellamy, they had managed to capture Pike. His supporters had been put in custody.

Clarke had then made a speech to the people of Arkadia to get them to open their eyes on the situation, to try to convince them that the grounders were not the enemy, despite a rough start. Most of people seemed relieved. There hadn't been that many people who had openly been in favor of Pike, but those who weren't convinced by his vision had been afraid to oppose and that fear had allowed the whole situation to degenerate.

Then, Kane had contacted the grounders to set a meeting. They had made their way to the agreed place, a tied up Pike escorted by Bellamy and Miller.

But the fool, rather than accepting his fate, had put a struggle at the sight of the grounders waiting for him. In a last show of cowardice, he had managed to get rid of his two guards, and had taken a run for his life. The reaction of the grounders, ever vigilant, hadn't been long in coming. One of them had thrown his spear toward Pike, hitting him in the back, right through his heart. Pike, frozen mid movement, had fallen down, face in the mud. Lifeless.

The grounders had their revenge, even if not how they had wanted. Clarke supposed they had originally planned to submit Pike to a death by a thousand cuts, allowing the families of the warriors Pike and his fellows had killed during their sleep to get some closure.

As Clarke remembered the horror of this camp filled with so many bodies, her thoughts went to Indra. The blond didn't know where the warrior was at the moment, but she sensed that she would not be thrilled by this outcome. Clarke couldn't blame her but there was no coming back. Pike wasn't a threat anymore and that's what mattered.

Things were finally clearing up. Her people were not in immediate danger of annihilation by the grounders anymore. Now that Pike was dead, the Commander would lift the blockade and the Sky People could try to build a new life, and hopefully, a strong alliance with the grounders. Well, she doubted that things would be that easy. At the very least, the grounders will hold a grudge against the Skaikru for an indefinite amount of time. But she hoped things would get better eventually. Her people had to keep a low profile for the time being. No more waves.

Clarke planned to stay in Arkadia for one more week. Her people had to choose a new Chancellor and this time, they couldn't afford to make a wrong choice. But she had faith they wouldn't make the same mistake again. Once everything was settled, she would be able to return to Polis. And to the Commander.

She had tried so hard, these past weeks, to not get distracted by the thought of Lexa. But the fact was, she missed her deeply.

She thought back to the day of her departure from Polis. An emotional roller-coaster to say the least. It had taken a desperate situation to bring out their feelings toward each other.

During her time in Polis, Clarke had been stubborn. She didn't want to forgive Lexa. She had felt so betrayed by the Commander's decision at the Mountain. Maybe she had been naive to think that the grounders would respect the terms of the alliance. After all, they hadn't known each other for long.

But if she was being honest, that wasn't what had hurt the most. The departure of the grounder's army had considerably complicated the situation. But her people had been able to adapt and find another way. Even if the outcome of her actions had cost Clarke her peace of mind.

No. What hurt the most was what she considered to be a personal betrayal. She had developed feelings for Lexa in the short amount of time they had known each other. So when the Commander had accepted the deal and left the Sky leader to a probable death, Clarke had understandably been devastated.

When she was brought to Polis, against her will, there was no way, in her mind, that she would forgive the Commander. But Lexa had been patient and resilient. And Clarke had caved, little by little. She had discovered another facet of Lexa and had found solace in their companionship.

Yet, Lexa, as respectful as ever, hadn't dared making the first move to take their relationship further. And for the wrong reasons, neither had Clarke. Until that last day in Polis.

She had showed up in Lexa's room to say goodbye. To see Lexa so open and vulnerable had been overwhelming for Clarke. All the feelings she had unconsciously repressed had suddenly been unleashed. She just couldn't go without telling Lexa, or rather in this case, showing, how she felt. So she had made the first move. The moment they had shared after that had been the most intense experience of Clarke's life. She hadn't thought possible to share such a strong intimate connection with another being.

Consequently, their separation, happening so soon after finally having found each other, had been crushing. They were full of hope for a future together, but in the same time, all too aware that there was no certainty that they would indeed meet again.

A hand on her shoulder suddenly brought Clarke back to reality. "Come on, Princess. Time to go home", Bellamy said gently.

Home. Clarke wasn't sure where home was anymore. Most probably not Arkadia though. She has been gone for too long. And her stay in Polis had changed her vision of the grounders. This city was full of life, so different from what she had known since she set foot on Earth. And of course, there was Lexa.

Clarke turned toward him and gave him a slight smile before answering. "Alright. Let's go."

She was glad Bellamy made the right choice in the end. Kane had told her that they have had their doubts about his loyalty when Pike became Chancellor. It was well known that the young man was not a big fan of the grounders, especially after what happened at Mount Weather. Clarke could hardly blame him. Unlike her, he never had much opportunity to spend time with the grounders. All he had known from them was violence and betrayal. Not very engaging.

After Pike's election, he had been inclined to side with him because they shared a common vision. But soon enough, Bellamy had realized that Pike intended to take extreme measures. The first of them being the detention of the grounders present in Arkadia, Lincoln included. Bellamy couldn't condone such decisions. He knew that Lincoln was a good man and didn't deserve that kind of treatment. Without forgetting the reaction of Octavia should anything happen to her lover.

So after a first period of confusion and a constructive talk with Kane, Bellamy had come to his senses and rallied the opposition. Luckily, when Pike had decided to cowardly wipe out Lexa's warriors, he hadn't summoned Bellamy to take part to the massacre.

Clarke was relieved to still have Bellamy by her side. He was her friend and they understood each other. She knew she had hurt him when she left a few months ago. Since her clandestine return, they hadn't have much occasion to talk. She would make sure to do whatever was necessary to mend their relationship. She promised herself that she would not let him down again.

Back in Arkadia, the atmosphere was more serene than it had been in a long time. Once the grounders would have delivered Pike's body to the Commander, the blockade would be lifted. The Sky People could then go in the woods and hunt to get fresh supplies of food again.

The sun was low in the sky, bathing Arkadia in a soft glow. Clarke was sitting at a table outside the Ark, catching up with Monty, Raven, Bellamy, Miller and Harper.

Octavia had left them a little earlier to spend time alone with Lincoln who only narrowly escaped death earlier in the day. Both of them deserved some peaceful time together.

Clarke was realizing how much she had missed her friends. She never thought she would think that but it actually felt good to be back.

The group spent hours talking about what happened while they were apart.

They told Clarke how they had settled into some form of normalcy while she was away. They even had a decent relationship with the Trikru as Kane and Indra got along fairly well. But all of this had come to an end when Pike became Chancellor.

For her part, Clarke shared her enthusiasm about Polis and the grounder culture. The rest of the gang listened to her stories with surprise. The only grounders they had met where warriors. So they had a hard time imagining a city full of regular grounder citizens.

At one point, as nobody had yet broached the subject, Clarke finally dared ask : "How is Jasper doing?" She had been so busy and preoccupied these last weeks that she had barely spared a thought for Jasper.

The sad expression on Monty's face at the mention of Jasper told her that things were not good.

"He is lost", Monty replied. "He hasn't been able to get over Maya's death. And at this point, I'm wondering if he ever will."

"He is wasted all the time," Raven added, "wandering aimlessly and verbally assaulting anybody who tries to reason with him. He's being a total jerk if you want my opinion".

Monty looked at Raven with fire in his eyes. "Come on Raven. You can't say that. He's just grieving."

"I know he is your best friend Monty but you can't defend his behavior" Raven countered. "Not anymore. He had time to grieve. As should be. But now, he is just slowly destroying himself."

This last comment from Raven made everybody around the table uneasy. They knew she was right but they didn't know what more they could do to help their friend.

"Maybe I should try to talk to him", Clarke said tentatively, "apologize to him for Maya's death."

At that suggestion, her friends looked up at her as if she had grown a second head.

"That is the worst idea ever", Raven said.

Bellamy, who had been rather silent until that moment, added, "He basically holds you responsible for everything bad that happened to him. So Raven is right. I don't think it's a good idea for you to approach him. Besides, he has been rather aggressive lately and he could try to hurt you."

Clarke was sad for Jasper. He had been such a goofy boy when they landed. And now he had become a pathetic ghost of his former self.

It took time, but Clarke had made peace with her past decisions. Many people were dead because of her. But if she had to do it over again, she would. For the sake of her people. And she won't apologize for doing what it takes to keep her people alive. She only hoped that Jasper would find a way out of the darkness that was devouring him.

Changing the subject, Miller asked "Where is Murphy? I don't trust that bastard. He'd rather not be setting up a dirty little scheme of his or I'm gonna hurt him very badly." He turned toward Clarke, adding, "Why the hell did you take him here with you in the first place?"

"You know why", Clarke answered, "The grounders would have killed him if we hadn't."

"Well, maybe he deserves to die", said Miller bad-temperedly.

Clarke replied with a sigh, "Maybe, maybe not. But he is still one of us. Yes he has done terrible things, but then again, we all have. You're right though. We can't trust him. So we'd better keep an eye on him. I don't know what he intends to do. Stay in Arkadia or go back to Polis with me after the election. I'll talk to him."

"Are you saying you'll be leaving again?" Bellamy stepped in, addressing Clarke, "Why don't you rather stay with us and enter the election? I'm sure you'd likely become the next Chancellor. People know how much they owe you."

"No. I've talked to my mother and Kane and we agreed that I will go back to Polis as the ambassador of the Sky People. I'll be more useful that way", Clarke explained. "But that's no big deal, really. I will come in Arkadia regularly. It's not a long journey now that we have the Rovers. And I hope you will all come to visit Polis as well. You'll see. This city is amazing." "And Raven", Clarke added playfully, "there is a lot of old technologies that I'm sure you would like to tinker with."

The group continued to talk joyfully for a while before finally making their way inside the Ark to their respective rooms. It's been months since Clarke has last spent the night in the small quarters she shared with her mother, consisting of a living area and two small bedrooms. It was a strange feeling to be back in this confined environment. She couldn't help her thoughts to wander back to her vast and luminous room at the top of the Commander's tower in Polis. And inevitably, her mind filled with the image of the Commander. Clarke sighed. Not much longer to wait. In a week, she will be in Polis and she hoped, in Lexa's arms.

The next day, Indra came in Arkadia to inform them that the Commander had lifted the blockade. A hunting trip was immediately organized by Bellamy as the food supplies were running low.

Clarke spent the next few days taking part to the organization of the election. There were only two candidates, Marcus Kane and David Miller. Clarke was surprised her mother had decided not to run for Chancellor. But she had noticed that Marcus and Abby were rather close, so she had no doubt that if Kane was elected, her mother would be a member of the council.

Clarke was relieved. The candidates were both moderate and reasonable people. Kane was likely to be the new Chancellor though. He wasn't very popular back on the Ark, but he had changed for the best since arriving on Earth. He was more open-minded and willing to deepen the Sky People's relationship with the grounders. Miller's father was a good man but Clarke didn't think he would be as good a leader as Kane.

The election took place on the fifth day after Pike's demise. As predicted, Kane was appointed Chancellor by a majority of Arkers and his opponent accepted his defeat with grace.

The new council comprised four members, including Abby. Kane also proposed a seat to David Miller who agreed wholeheartedly, and surprisingly, to Bellamy. For the sake of representation, the last member was from the Farm Station. Kane was cautious and wanted to take an eye on the former farm station's people as he didn't want a Pike situation to occur again.

That evening, Clarke was enjoying a quiet moment, comfortably installed on the couch in the quarters she shared with her mother. She was leafing through her sketchbook, recalling the scenes she had drawn since arriving on Earth : The dropship, majestic trees, Finn, a two-headed deer, the mighty Commander in full warrior attire and war paint, Polis, Lexa teaching the nightbloods, Lexa sleeping on a couch. Well, she had to admit the last pages of her notebook were mostly filled with Lexa. As always since their separation, Clarke felt a deep sense of longing at the thought of Lexa. She was so engrossed in her memories that she didn't even noticed when her mother entered the room.

"I've been looking for you," Abby said.

Startled, Clarke closed the book hastily and raised her head toward her mother. "Is there a problem?" Clarke asked.

Abby chuckled. "No, Clarke. Everything is fine. I just wanted to spend some quality time with my daughter."

"Sorry," Clarke replied sheepishly. "I know everything seems to be settled but I'm kind of always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Old habits will be hard to change".

"Well, I don't want to appear overly enthusiastic, but we should be able to breathe a bit for the time being," Abby said, smiling.

"It would be a nice change. I hope it will last", Clarke answered.

"No need to worry tonight," Abby said, approaching the couch and taking a seat close to her daughter. "How are you feeling? It's been so long since we had the occasion to talk about anything but war and strategy."

"I'm alright, mom. And you? You seemed all cozy with Kane earlier," Clake said teasingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Abby replied in an offended tone. But the glimmer in her eyes gave her away.

"So, you and Kane, eh? Who would have thought?"

"He's a good man, Clarke. I didn't care much for the Marcus of the Ark though he did have his moments. But he has changed. He's…wiser if I dare say."

"You don't have to explain, mom. I was just teasing you. Actually, I'm happy for you. And I kinda like this new Kane."

"Enough talking about me. What about you?" Abby said with a smirk. "Have you found someone to your liking in Polis?"

Clarke blushed at that unexpected turn in conversation. Oh yes, she had definitely found love in Polis. But she wasn't about to admit it to her mother. She wasn't ready for that. Besides, she wasn't even sure what the status of her and Lexa relationship really was. Clarke decided that this discussion would have to wait. So instead, she said with a serious face, "Well, now that you're talking about it, there was this tall and strong warrior, body covered with tattoos. I'm sure you would have loved him. But it didn't work out. You know, he didn't have much conversation." Clarke laughed at the shocked expression etched on her mother's face. Abby chuckled and relaxed when she realized that Clarke was just joking. "No mum, I've been very busy while in Polis. No time for relationships," Clarke lied.

She was really enjoying this carefree talk with her mother. She hated to put an end to it, but she had to address the subject of her departure. "But maybe when I'm back in Polis, I could spare some time to make new grounder friends," she said casually.

"When you're back in Polis," Abby echoed, a frown on her face. "I had forgotten for a minute that you won't be staying with us. I assume that you will be leaving soon then."

"I'll leave the day after tomorrow," Clarke confirmed. "I must return in Polis as soon as I can. The ambassadors of the other clans might try to push decisions that aren't in our people's best interest. I doubt the Commander would allow that, but then again, she isn't in the best of position right now. Even if we, Sky People, have a hard time seeing it that way, the blockade was the most favorable course of action she could decide for our people. But the other ambassadors were furious. So I'd rather be there to avoid bad surprises."

"I understand," Abby replied softly, "and I'm proud of you. But as a mother, I would rather you stay with me, where I can protect you".

"I know, mom," Clarke sighed. "But I'm sure we'll see each other more often now. And Raven has given me a radio so I can contact Arkadia while in Polis. Everything will be fine."

Her little speech was supposed to be reassuring, but she could see that it didn't have the intended effect. Abby looked upset and her eyes were filled with unshed tears. So Clarke moved closer and put her arms around her mother. "Please, don't be sad. We still have the evening and tomorrow. Let's not waste that time moping." Abby raised her head to look at her daughter and gave her a tired smile.

Trying to lighten the mood, Clarke then directed once again the conversation toward Marcus, exasperating Abby in the process. Clarke was glad to reconnect with her mother. Their relationship hadn't always been easy but it was worth trying to salvage.

The day after, Clarke packed the few belongings she had in the prospect of her return to Polis. It was agreed that Bellamy would give her, Octavia, Lincoln and Murphy a ride to the grounder's capital. With the Rover, the trip was short. Forty-five minutes only.

Murphy had decided to return to Polis but hadn't been willing to share his reasons. However, Clarke was under the impression that he wanted to go back to look for someone. Maybe he had made some friends. She didn't know.

She spent the day with her friends. Monty and Raven were all excited by the project they had been working on for some time. They wanted to take control of a satellite to explore and map the area they were living in. It would give the Sky People a strategical advantage and maybe allow them to protect themselves better against eventual attacks from the grounders. They had made significant progress and they now thought it was a matter of days before they succeeded.

Later in the afternoon, Clarke was talking with Kane and her mother in the council room when they heard a commotion. They hurried outside to see what was happening. Bellamy ran toward them and said "There's someone at the gates. A boy on a horse. A grounder. He is asking for you Clarke."

"Who is he?" Clarke asked, surprised.

"I don't know. He didn't tell us. He is young and seems rather inoffensive. Come and see for yourself".

The little group walked toward the entrance of Arkadia and went up the guard tower. Clarke glanced down at their visitor and was utterly stunned to recognize Aden, Lexa's favorite nightblood and potential successor. "Aden," she gasped, a feeling of dread settling over her. Something had to be terribly wrong. Lexa would never have let Aden venture in the woods on his own this far from Polis.

Marcus, Abby and Bellamy all turned their head toward her in surprise. "Do you know him?" Marcus asked.

Clarke ignored him. "What are you doing here Aden? Is everything alright?"

Aden looked at her intently, a troubled expression on his face, and said. "I need your help, Clarke of the Sky People. Heda is in a great danger."

Clarke's fears were confirmed and she was overcome by panic. "Open the gates," she yelled to the guards who where keeping watch. "Let him in."

TBC