I woke up to a warm weight laying against me. I opened my eyes and smiled at the sleeping figure in my arms, her arm wrapped loosely around my waist and her leg thrown haphazardly across mine. I squeezed her tightly and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. She shifted slightly, her arm tightening around my waist as she exhaled softly against my shoulder.

I took a moment to glance around the unfamiliar room. My home. It was odd to think that I actually had a place to call a home. A home that was mine and that I didn't have to share it unless I wanted to. It was sparse. Only a bed, table, a couple of chairs and a wash basin were its contents. There was a fireplace against the far wall from the bed and it had a small fire going in it.

I felt Ava's breathing change and looked down at her as she looked up at me, smiling. She lifted herself slightly and kissed me languidly. I hummed against her lips and my hand traveled down her side until it rested against her hip. The kiss deepened and she slid until she was on top of me, her legs straddling my hips. My hands gripped her hips as I started to rock them against my own. We both moaned at the feeling and I arched my head back as her lips created a path down my jaw and neck. Her teeth nipped my neck and I couldn't help the deeper moan that escaped my lips. She did it again and my hands jerked her hips more forcefully. She continued to travel downwards and I damn near bucked her off me when she took a breast into her mouth, making her squeal slightly. She resettled herself and my hands traveled up her back and then back down, fingernails pressing into her skin, making her groan at the feeling which sent shivers down my body. There was nothing I could do but roll through the sensations and feelings she was creating in me, making me wet with want. It was exquisite torture and I didn't want her to stop. She was making me feel things that I had only dreamed of and when her mouth found my wet center, I screamed out as her tongue circled my clit. I arched my back as she found her way inside with her tongue and clutched the bedding tighter. I felt myself drawing to the edge and nearly lost it when she inserted the first finger and withdrew it slightly before plunging it in once more. I couldn't help but follow the tempo she set as she trailed kisses up my body, taking a breast in her mouth once more, making me moan even louder. I couldn't take it any more and I pulled her roughly upwards and crushed her mouth to mine. I flipped us over and grinned against her mouth when my own hand found her wet and wanting. I teased the folds, stroking them lightly and making her shudder and widening her hips. My thumb circled her clit as I continued to tease making her groan in frustration. I took my time tasting every inch of her skin as I continued the tease until I came to her breasts. I spared a glance at her face and found her begging me with her eyes, biting her bottom lip. At the same time, I took her breast in my mouth, my teeth grazing her nipple, I thrust into her deeply. She screamed out as I continued the force, using my hips to drive my finger deeper into her. Her hands raked my back and I knew that there would be marks later on. I lost myself in the sounds she made as I pushed her near the edge again and again until neither of our bodies could take it anymore. When she reached down and inserted her own fingers into me, a loud guttural moan escaped and I could no more than drive us to the edge and plummet over as we came together. We pulled out the exquisite sensations for as long as we could until I all but collapsed against her, gasping for air as my muscles trembled. I could barely move my arm to cup her face and bring her into a kiss, but I managed and soon fell asleep, exhausted and filling complete.

When I woke again, I moaned as I shifted and I heard Ava chuckle breathlessly beside me. I opened an eye and glared at her. She looked at me with smiling eyes and I felt my annoyance flee and kissed her. We shifted until we were both comfortable and I kissed her exposed neck as my arm tightened around her waist.

"I was not expecting this when I woke up yesterday morning," I said.

She chuckled, "What were you expecting?"

"To wake up alone, but instead I wake up with a beautiful woman in my arms, naked, sated, sore, and happy."

"I've made you happy," she asked, surprised.

"Hmm, yes," I replied, kissing her on her shoulder. "I may only know your name and that you are beautiful, but you have made me happy by spending this time with me. By choosing to be with me last night."

She shifted until she could look at me fully, her arm circling around my waist and pulling me closer, "You are just as beautiful as you think I am, Rook. I have watched you since Nyko began walking you around the village. You drew my eyes as no other woman has before. I am happy that you allowed me this chance."

"I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I was the Skaigada who killed the Bounstoka," I teased or tried to, but it didn't quite reach my eyes.

She saw this and moved her hand to cup my face, making me close my eyes momentarily. She gave me a light kiss and said, "That had been the initial reason for watching you, but that is not the reason why I continued to watch you or that I am here in your arms right now. I see you, Rook. I see your strength, your courage, your beauty. I even see that you are uncertain and insecure. Scared. I see you as you are and I wish no other place to be than here with you."

I couldn't help the tear that fell from my eye at her words and I pulled her tightly against me and pushed my face into her neck. She just held me and let out comforting sounds as I felt a flood of emotions and allowed myself to feel them. I loosened my hold on her when I felt more in control of myself and shifted backwards so that I could look at her again.

"Thank you, Ava," I said, softly. "For seeing me."

"We all see you, Rook. It's time you start seeing yourself."

I nodded and then in embarrassment, my stomach growled loudly making me blush and she laughed out loud. I glared at her as she extricated herself from underneath the bedding and pulled on the dress from last night. She walked over and stoked the fire until it was burning more brightly and the room became more noticeably warmer. I sighed and got out of bed, dressing as she went about the room and started pulling food out of cabinets that I hadn't noticed before. I poured water into the basin and washed my face, wincing slightly at the soreness along the left side of my face.

"Why the face," I asked as I turned around and sat at the table, biting a late season apple.

She looked at me in confusion and I gestured to the tattoo. She nodded in understanding and said, "Indra wished to make sure that you could not be mistaken for the Skaikru. Your eyes are already question enough to doubt who your people are."

I nodded in understanding, "Yeah, brown and green eyes seem to be the prevailing shades of eye color around here. Is it the same in other clans?"

She shook her head, "No, you will see different eye colors outside of Trikru lands."

"Do you think I will," I asked curiously. "See outside of our lands?"

"I think Indra believes to make a warrior out of you," she said as she poured me a drink and then sat beside me. "If that is the case, then when the Commander calls for warriors than you shall follow and go where she commands."

"And the Commander is the leader over all of the clans?"

She nodded, "That's right. The Commander's home is in Polis, our capital. She leads over a group called the Coalition. It's made up of twelve ambassadors. One from each clan. They are the ones that govern over all twelve clans."

"Huh," I said, mostly to myself. "A governing body much like the Council on the Ark."

"The Ark," she asked, looking at me strangely.

"It's a large metal object in space. Floats among the stars," I said, trying to figure out an easy way to explain it to her. "Thousands of people live up there, but they are starting to die because the air is running out, turning bad. It's why we were sent down here. To see if the land was survivable and at the same time to give them more time to find a solution."

"Do they know," she asked, worriedly.

I shook my head and shrugged, "Monty and I were trying to get our communications back up on the dropship. It had been damaged during the landing, but we weren't having any luck in repairing it. I don't know if anything's changed since then. I don't even know how long I've been here."

"You've been here for about a month," she answered. "You actually healed pretty quickly. Nyko was thinking at least another month before you'd get full use of your shoulder."

I grinned, "Must be the clean air and Nyko's magic medicine. Or getting bit by the White Wolf has changed me into some mythical creature that heals quickly."

Her eyes widened in fear and I had to quickly tell her that I was joking. She relaxed, but only slightly. So, I teased her until she had relaxed completely.

"Tell me how you came to be named Rook," she asked when things had calmed down.

"Do you know what a rook is," I asked her in return and she shook her head, "It's a type of black bird that is in the same family as crows and ravens. Black birds that caw and can learn to mimic other sounds. They're also prone to stealing shiny objects."

She nodded in understanding, "I've seen those. They can be quite the pest."

I chuckled, "I'm sure they are. Anyway, when the earth was full of humans and animals. When the ruins we see were not ruins, scientists, people who studied various things, ran tests on a breed of bird called rooks. They found out that they are great at solving puzzles. Using things and manipulating them to get at the reward. When I was younger, my parents and teachers discovered that I was great at solving puzzles and traps. The more complex, the better I did. One of my teachers compared me to a rook and the name stuck."

"So, you were not born with this name," she asked curiously.

I smiled, "No, but I have been Rook since I was five. I was born Sarah."

"Sarah? No, that does not suit you. Rook is a much better name. Odd, but better."

I laughed and leaned over to kiss her, "Hence why no one knows my real name anymore."

"You also have a new name that is being passed on in the village," she said, bemusedly.

"Oh," I asked, arching my brow. "I'm not sure I like the idea of being given a name."

"It is an honor to be given a name, or really a title, Rook," she said, taking my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "It means that you have done something that warrants attention."

I sighed and said, "I have a name because I killed the wolf, don't I?"

She nodded, "Pakripa, Wolf Killer."

I shook my head, "That…is…not bad. All things considering."

Ava laughed and tugged my hand closer to her, making me fall forward and captured my lips with hers. When we parted, I laid my head against hers and breathed her in deeply. She smelled of ink and woodsmoke and I knew that I would know her anywhere just by her scent. I just worried that maybe that this is all it would be between us. Last night and this morning.

"What are you thinking about," she asked quietly as she tilted her head up to look at me.

I looked down at our hands, my thumb absently stroking the back of hers and said, "This is going to sound stupid, but I'm wondering if after we both walk out that door that this'll be it. That this is just a one-time thing for you. Ava, you're a lot of firsts for me. I've never kissed a girl before you or had sex before last night. I've never had someone tell me I'm beautiful or spend this kind of time with me. I've never had someone treat me like you have."

She took her other hand and with a finger under my chin, lifted my face to look at her as she said, "Rook, this can be whatever you want it to be. If you only wish it to be these last twelve hours than it shall be. If you'd like to see if there is anything beyond those hours, I'm open to that too. Or anything in between. I may not know much about you, Rook, but what I do know, I like."

"You do," I asked, surprised and at the same time giddy.

"Yes, Rook," she said, sounding exasperated. "I like you. Now, stop worrying about it and kiss me."

I laughed and pulled her onto my lap, surprising her. I pulled her head down and kissed her passionately enough that she moaned. Unfortunately, at that same moment there was a knock on the door and we both moaned in unison.

"Give us a moment," I called out.

She gave me one final kiss before she got off my lap and smoothed her dress down. I got up and walked over to the door and opened it to find Artigas waiting outside.

"It's time for training, Rook," he said with a grin.

"Alright," I said and turned my head to look at Ava, "I guess I'll see you later?"

She walked up behind me and gave me a hug and a quick kiss and replied, "Yes you will."

With that she gave me a slight push and I was out the door and following Artigas to the training fields. That morning I came face to face with the mountain of a man called Tomas, my teacher and mentor. By the end of training, I found myself cursing his name in the same breath that I wished for death. When I got home, Ava was waiting for me with hot food and warm hands making me thank all that's holy that she was there and that she wanted me.

That day marked the beginning of a new routine. My days were spent training with Tomas and then heading over to Nyko's to learn healing. At night, Ava and I would spend it talking as she taught me more about the world I was now living in. My feelings for her grew as the nights got longer and the days colder.

My world became that of my new home and I rarely thought about the people that I had left behind, both in the sky on the Ark and here on the ground at the dropship. That all changed one night as Ava and I were walking around the village, speaking of inconsequential things, when a sound drove our gazes upward. I recognized the sound as that of a large object breaking through the atmosphere and watched as a dropship plummeted down to the earth. Nothing firing to slow it down, no parachutes deploying. There was nothing to keep it from becoming a metal death trap. My chest squeezed tight as it crashed and an explosion of light and sound reverberated through the land. I found myself unable to move, breathe, think as I watched the fire burn and the smoke begin to choke the sky.

It wasn't until Ava shook me and calling my name that I was able to focus on her.

"Rook, do you know what that was," she asked, glancing fearfully at the flames that could still be seen.

I nodded numbly, "It was a dropship. From the Ark. No one could have survived that, but what made it crash? The retro thrusters didn't fire. The parachutes didn't deploy. How could they have a complete systems failure? That's impossible."

"Rook, what are you talking about," she asked desperately as others started to come out of their homes at the noise and were staring off into the horizon that was slowly fading back into the night as the fire died down.

I shook my head, trying to clear it of all of the things that could have caused it to crash as it did, and focused on her and said, "It shouldn't have crashed like that, Ava. It should have landed exactly like the dropship that was carrying me did. That sound we heard, was it breaking through the Earth's atmosphere. At that point, the reverse thrusters should have fired, slowing it down. The parachutes would have deployed, slowing it down even further to make sure that those inside would survive the landing."

"I still don't understand," she lamented.

I growled in frustration, but said, "It's fine. It's okay. All I'm saying is that it shouldn't have crashed. There are things on that ship, tek that is supposed to prevent such a tragedy from happening. Everyone on that ship is dead. They would have died on impact and not felt a thing. They didn't feel their deaths."

"So, more Sky People were trying to come down," Indra said, startling me because I hadn't realized that she'd come over towards us.

"Yes, the camp must have found a way to contact the Ark," I replied. "Or it's getting that desperate up there that they took a chance and sent more people down. I won't know the answer to that question unless I go back to camp."

"Which you are not doing, Rook," she said, giving me a steely gaze.

"I understand that, Indra," I replied. "I'd be killed or captured on the spot anyway if I came close to the camp. I no longer look, speak, dress like they do anymore and wouldn't be trusted enough to get any answers."

"I'm glad that you are not going to argue with me on this. Do you think they will try again?"

"It's possible, but I don't think they have any more ships that are near complete enough or could be completed in the time they have left before the air runs out," I replied, thinking.

"You should head inside, Rook," Indra said in a voice that brokered no argument, so I nodded and headed home.

When I crawled underneath the covers and allowed Ava to pull me close to her, I couldn't help that my mind tried to figure out what could have caused the crash and I slept very little that night.

The next day, I could barely concentrate on my training and was nearly skewered several times before Tomas got angry at me and called a halt. He all but dragged me to Indra's quarters and I then got to spend what seemed like an hour outside of them as they spoke heatedly. When it finally silenced, I jumped as the door opened and Tomas jerked his head for me to enter and he left, closing the door behind me.

"Tomas tells me that you were untrainable today," she said as I came to stand in front of her.

"I am sorry to say, but that is true," I replied. "I am having difficulty moving my mind away from the crash because I cannot figure out why it did."

"Would traveling to the crash help solve this riddle that is now plaguing you?"

I looked up at her and said, "I do not know. It might, but it may only lead to more questions. No, traveling will give me no answers, but may I ask if I may take the rest of today and tomorrow to work through this on my own. If I allow myself a time limit, I will be able to focus on my training once that time is up. It has worked for me in the past."

She looked at me thoughtfully and then she nodded, "Yes. I will allow it, but do not travel beyond the village."

"Thank you, Indra," I replied, bowing my head. "I won't be leaving my home."

"Rook, I am sorry that you witnessed such a horrible end to your people."

"I have a feeling they weren't my people. I think my people are already gone," I said and left after waiting for a dismissal from her.

I walked through the village, my mind already pondering the possible answers to the questions that ran roughshod through it. I nearly walked past my home, but Ava was waiting for me and caught my attention.

I looked up at her startled making her chuckle as she took me inside, "You really do lose all sense of awareness when you are thinking deeply."

I gave her a wan smile, "Now, you can understand how I got lost in the first place, Ava. All of my focus turns inward and I give little thought to what is going on around me. I have even forgotten to eat or sleep many times when I come across a problem that is not readily solved."

"Then tell me, what were you thinking about the day that you got lost in the forest," she asked as we sat on the bed.

"A number of things, really," I answered as I held her. "I was trying to remember if I had ever seen schematics, maps, of communication for the dropship. Possible ways to get it working. Thinking about two girls that I've had crushes on for what seemed like a lifetime. Remembering why I got locked up."

"You were locked up? As in a criminal," she asked, looking at me in surprise.

"All of the hundred are criminals, Ava," I said, evenly. "It's why were sent down instead of scientists. The Council sent us down because we were expendable. If we survived the landing and found the ground livable then we gave them a solution. If we didn't, we bought them more time to figure something else out."

"So, they just threw you away? Like trash? For what?!"

"To keep the human race alive," I said. "For however long as they could because they did not know that the human race was alive down here."

"That's not right, Rook," she said, shaking her head in disgust. "Do they value life so little that they risk throwing it all away."

"They don't see criminals as being deserving of life. Anybody that commits a crime over the age of eighteen is executed. From stealing food to murder. It's all met with the same end. Those of us who are under the age of eighteen, when we are caught, we're locked up until we turn eighteen. Depending on the crime and how well we behaved, we had a chance to be let go and move on with our lives."

"Why were you locked up?"

I sighed and as I looked up at the fireplace, I answered, "I nearly beat a man to death because he wouldn't stop harassing me."

"Why was he harassing you," she asked quietly.

"Because I am attracted to women. I tried to ignore him at first, but he came at me every day. Spouting the same nastiness, calling me names, and just plain making my life so miserable to the point that I seriously thought about killing myself. One day, I just snapped and started beating him and I didn't stop until I was pulled off of him and dragged away. I wasn't put on trial. I wasn't given the chance to defend my actions. I was just thrown in Lockup and left there."

"I'm sorry, ai hodness," she said, pulling me closer to her. "No one should have to go through what you did. You should be allowed to love who you love."

I nodded against her chest and hugged her tightly, "That was a little over four years ago. I was fourteen when it happened, in case you were wondering. And I know that I would have been dead if they had waited a week before sending the dropship down."

She hummed in sympathy and continued to hold me. After a while she spoke again, "Tell me about these girls you liked before you met me."

I sat up and looked at her quizzically and asked, "Really? You want to know about the girls that I crushed on before I met you?"

She smiled and replied, "Yes. I want to know what made them special to you."

I sighed and knew that I couldn't avoid answering, so I said, "Alright. Well, there was Raven. I met her when we started training to become mechanics. She just always had so much energy about her, like she couldn't stand still for very long. Always had to keep moving, you know? She's super smart. Like, crazy smart. Always at the top of the class. Always came in first. She was always in a good mood and her laughter was infectious. I loved the way she laughed. She was intimidating too, but it was because she was just so damn good and smart. She had plans to be the youngest zero-g mechanic on board the Ark. During one of my last stints in general population where I could mingle with the other inmates, I came across her boyfriend and he told me that she had become one. I thought that was amazing and it just made me like her more."

"What does she look like?"

"Probably about average height, I guess," I said, picturing her. "Straight brown hair that she always wore in a ponytail to keep it out of the way. Brown eyes, cute nose, kissable lips. She had curves, but there was very little fat on her. She was toned muscle. Lightly tanned skin."

"And the other girl," she prompted.

"That would be Clarke," I said, sighing. "The opposite of Raven, kind of. Blonde haired, blued eyed, creamy pale skin. Average height. Real curves that had softness to her. Intelligent, caring, self-sacrificing, thoughtful, compassionate. A generally nice person. Loved to hear her laugh too and I found her voice soothing to listen to. She came down on the dropship with me. She was arrested because her father was executed for treason. They both knew that the Ark was dying and wanted to let everyone know so that they could come together to come up with a solution. Her father was turned in before he could announce it and she was thrown into solitary so she couldn't tell anyone else. When I left, she was becoming one of the camp leaders."

"They sound like very beautiful women, Rook and that you like them for different reasons."

"They are very beautiful, but they are nothing compared to you, Ava," I said, nuzzling her neck with my nose. "I find all of those things in you and more."

"So, I am not just a passing fancy," she teased as her arms tightened around me when I nipped her neck lightly.

"No, you are not," I said and pulled her down into a kiss.

That kiss led to hours of not thinking about the crashed ship or the two girls that I once spared my thoughts and feelings for.