Hi guys, hope you're enjoying the story. I'm not actually completely sure where I'm going to go with this yet, I'm kind of just seeing where the story takes me. Just let me know what you think!

"Well you've had a sudden mood change, what's got you grinning like an idiot?" Raven immediately questioned Clarke before she could even get out the door. Clarke cringed slightly, knowing Lexa would be able to hear.

"Shut up Raven" Clarke retorted, quickly trying to close the door behind her, which didn't go unnoticed by her friends. Octavia simply raised her eyebrows at Clarke, demanding an explanation. "Let's just start walking" trying to get her friends away from such close proximity to her room, she knew her door wasn't the most soundproof of things. Lexa had only just opened up and she was pretty sure she wouldn't appreciate her gossiping to her friends about it.

"So?" Octavia asked after only getting to the end of the hall, and Clarke almost found herself chuckling at her friend's impatience.

"So Lexa and I are… I don't think friends is the right word, but we talked and we are having a fresh start I guess" Clark smiled.

"Well that's good, how did that come about?"

"She apologised for earlier, as did I, and she asked if we could start again." Clarke saw her friends both with raised eyebrows, she knew what they were thinking- as she always seemed to - why that had made her so happy, "I'm just glad I might be able to get on with the person I'm living with eventually"

Both Raven and Octavia dropped it after that, and they headed towards The Ark, a restaurant they'd discovered in the first week of college, great food but not too expensive for their student budgets. They sat at a table towards the corner where it was slightly more peaceful and all ordered burgers, they were to kill for in this place.

"So O, what's this I hear about someone called Lincoln?" A grin similar to that of Clarke's from earlier quickly took over Octavia's face.

"Um, well he's in my English class. He's absolutely gorgeous, tall, muscly, his eyes are so intense and yet gentle. He's quite reserved and quiet, but everything he says just seems so… powerful and intense, like he means every word."

"You do realise everyone is quiet compared to you, O." Raven retorted.

Octavia ignored her comment, carrying on "I think there's this party this weekend that he's going to, I was going to ask you guys…"

"Oh that's it, ask us to come because of some guy, you say the sweetest things" Clarke winked at Octavia.

"Yeah, I know. So you guys will come?"

Raven quickly agreed, "You know I'm always up for a party". Clarke sighed knowing, once again she wouldn't get out of it even if she tried. "Please Clarke" Octavia begged as she flashed her puppy dog eyes, "Fine, I'll come" she relented.

"Wow, don't get too excited Clarke." Clarke laughed at that.

Once they had finished off their food they headed over to a bar just down the road. It was pretty packed for a Tuesday night, but Clarke was hardly surprised considering they were pretty relaxed on fake IDs, which of course Octavia had supplied Raven and Clarke with soon after starting at college.

"Just a couple of drinks O, and then I'm heading back"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, come on!"

They found themselves sat in a small booth towards the side five minutes later, each sat with a beer. They surveyed the crowd, looking around at those already rather drunk even though the night was still young. The music in the bar was quite loud making it difficult to keep up much conversation. After a couple of drinks Octavia dragged Clarke and Raven over to the dance floor, Clarke not at all a confident dancer, knowing she wasn't drunk enough at all for this excused herself after a few seconds to go to the toilet. She was thinking of an excuse to go home, she wasn't much of a drinker and she knew Octavia would only be encouraging her to get another beer when she went back.

That was when she saw him. Finn. It was almost as if her spotting him alerted him to her presence. He looked up directly at her, a look of pure happiness and relief almost covered his face. How could he look at her like that? After everything he had done. Clarke had to get out of there, she wasn't in the state of mind to process talking to him right now. She stormed out of the bar and headed back to her dorms, no thought towards Octavia or Raven, she was only thinking one thing at that point in time. She had to get away from him.

She was close to running down the street now, tears filling her eyes as the memories flooded back to her, how he hurt her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she span round, as soon as she registered that it was him she flew her hand out slapping him. He looked shocked, and put his hand up to his already reddening cheek.

"Clarke, please, just hear me out. I'm so sor-"

"NO! DO NOT TOUCH ME." Clarke spat as her rage took over. "You have no right to ask that of me or follow me or even look at me. You are scum of the earth Finn." She winced slightly saying his name, it still hurt, it made her feel weak. "You lost that right when you treated me like shit. You are nothing to me now, nothing. You can't say anything to change that, you lost my respect and trust a long time ago. If you see me, turn and walk the other way. I never want to see you again." With that, Clarke span on her heel and almost ran back to her dorm, tears spilling over the edge, she couldn't control them anymore.

Clarke stumbled into her room, her sight blurry now from the tears pouring. She was angry at him, and not just him but herself also, for letting herself feel like this, for losing control over someone who didn't deserve to have any control over her.

"Clarke?" Lexa jumped out of her bed, calling Clarke out of the current daze she was in. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Even in Clarke's current state she couldn't help but wonder if that was actually concern she heard in Lexa's voice, and that warmed her a little bit. She rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away her tears and stifle her sobs. Clarke took a tissue that she saw Lexa holding out in her direction, as she was standing somewhat awkwardly, clearly no idea what to do.

"Thank you. I'm sorry, I…" Clarke didn't know what to say, she was sure Lexa didn't want to hear about Finn. "I..." As Clarke struggled, Lexa seemed to win some internal battle she was having with herself and moved over to Clarke who was now sitting on the edge of the bed. Lexa sat next to the girl timidly, making sure to leave enough space so Clarke wouldn't feel too uncomfortable. That simple gesture, as awkward as it may have been seemed to give Clarke a little courage. "I ran into someone I didn't want to see. I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"Clarke, you are upset, do not worry about waking me up – which you didn't by the way. Would you like to talk about it or simply be left in peace?" Lexa felt nervous waiting for Clarke's reaction, even though Clarke should have no reasoning to confide in her, Lexa didn't want to be rejected by the girl, and she didn't know why.

Clarke felt Lexa was being genuine with her offer of talking to Clarke, and Clarke felt almost as if she cared why she was upset. She knew she wanted to let it off her chest, so decided to give it a shot. "I wouldn't mind talking about it, but I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, so you don't have-"

"Clarke, just talk to me" Lexa interrupted, her voice firm and commanding and it made Clarke feel like she wanted to obey, and yet Lexa's voice was soft all at the same time. She gave Lexa a small smile, hoping she would understand it was her way of thanking her.

"Well… I ran into my ex, and the last time I saw him, well… it was when I left him because he had just…" Clarke began to stumble over her words, she always struggled when she had told people of this. Those people only being Raven and Octavia, but still. She felt Lexa shuffle closer slightly, putting her hand on Clarke's shoulder to comfort her, encouraging her to finish her words. "He… he beat me" She felt Lexa tense up beside her, Lexa moving her hand from her shoulder to wrap her whole arm round the girl. Lexa knew Clarke needed comfort right now, to feel safe, and Lexa would try to do that. She saw the blondes blue orbs welling up once again, and gave her a slight squeeze.

Lexa found herself speechless, not that she was one to talk much anyway, but she wanted to somehow comfort Clarke with words, and yet she could not find the right ones. Before she could try she found Clarke talking once again.

"It's not as if I'm weak, it's just, he turned into a monster, he was drunk and out of control, I couldn't defend myself" Clarke didn't know why she'd felt the need to say that, why she didn't want Lexa to look at her as if she was weak. Maybe it was because she already felt weak enough having stormed into their room crying her eyes out, that had to be it. "As soon as he seemed to calm down slightly he seemed to realize what he had done. But I didn't care, I could only see him as the monster he had become in that moment. When I could summon enough strength, I ran out of there, shouting at him that we were over, and well… I've never seen him since, that was nearly a year ago now. I thought I was past it, but seeing him again, it just… it brought it all back to me, made me feel all the pain again."

Lexa was disgusted that Clarke could have been treated that way by another human being, she was angry for Clarke at someone she didn't even know. "You are not weak Clarke, believe that. Scars never completely go, although they do fade over time, whether that be emotionally or physically."

Even though Lexa said little on the matter it comforted Clarke somehow. But she now felt a wave of exhaustion running over her, the events of the night having worn her down and she let out a small yawn.

"You should go to bed, rest, it will all feel slightly better in the morning." Lexa told Clarke moving back over to her own bed. Clarke simply nodded, missing the contact around her shoulders. She stood up to quickly slip into her pyjamas before climbing in to her own bed, where despite the emotions running wild in her head she quickly found herself in a deep slumber. Lexa, sat and watched for a few minutes when Clarke had fallen asleep, concerned for the girl she had barely spoken to just 24 hours before.