'Come on, Octavia!' Clarke shouted as they dragged Raven into the cave.

Raven woke, eyes wide. When she noticed Lexa, she stiffened for a second and then launched herself at her. Clarke warned Lexa back in case she tore her stitches and Lexa's eyes flashed with annoyance but she accepted Clarke's words. Clarke, Bellamy and Monty struggled to restrain Raven and get her into the cave as Raven fought viciously to get at Lexa. They tied her as best they could to the cave wall.

'What the hell happened to her?' Bellamy demanded.

'I told you on the radio, Raven is not Raven anymore.' Jasper grimaced. 'None of them are.'

Clarke felt some relief at seeing Octavia follow them into the cave. She glanced at Jasper who was determinedly looking anywhere but back at her.

It was the first time she had seen him since she had left Arkadia. There were still dark circles under his eyes but his hair was much shorter and he looked thinner. Clarke figured that the last person Jasper would take care of would be himself. He didn't wear his goggles either, Clarke couldn't fail to notice.

'Jaha's been chipping everyone.' He explained. 'He's using the chips to control everyone. You swallow it and it changes you. You forget who you are-'

Clarke furrowed her brow as she thought of the Flame.

'- and you see this thing ALIE, only she's not really there.'

Octavia looked at Jasper as though he really was insane.

'She made Raven slit her own wrists.' Jasper's voice faltered and he pointed to the bandages wrapped around her arms. 'She was trying to get it out of her head. I was trying to help her but-'

'So let's help her now.' Sinclair stated, swallowing back his emotions. 'Did she say how?'

Clarke wondered if they had grown close again. She knew Sinclair had watched over Raven on the Ark and that he was a mentor to her. He might just be the only person left that Raven truly felt a strong connection with.

'She was working on building something.' Jasper answered. 'She needed one of our old wristbands but Jaha destroyed all of them.'

'What wristbands?' Lexa questioned quickly.

'We used them to monitor the condition of the hundred when we sent them to the ground.' Sinclair answered.

'Wait a second,' Clarke interjected, and she pulled the Flame out of its box, 'does it look like this?'

'Not exactly.' Jasper commented.

There was a loud crack as Raven broke free of her bonds and dove for the Flame. Clarke wrestled it from her and Raven changed tactics and ran to the cave's exit. They all fled after her while Raven screamed about her surroundings.

'Just woods! I can't see anything!' Raven cried in frustration.

Clarke, Octavia and Bellamy finally caught up to her and wrestled to restrain her once more.

'If Raven finds out where we are so will ALIE. She'll come come for her.'

Jasper knocked her out with the anaesthetic shot the same way Lincoln had to Octavia.

'Reaper stick. Last dose.' He muttered.

'We have to go,' Clarke said suddenly.

'Why? ALIE doesn't know where we are?' Bellamy replied.

'Because I know where we can get a wristband. Get in the rover, I'll give directions.'

'Who are we going to?' Lexa questioned.

'A friend.' Clarke replied vaguely with an obvious glance at Raven.

They all scrambled in after Clarke and she just prayed that Niylah would help her now. Clarke hadn't exactly treated her fairly and she was sure that Roan's companion would have gone back to Niylah's to interrogate her. Skaikru were largely known as the 'bringers of death' to the rest of the grounders too. Niylah had seemed reverent of all that Clarke had done, and the lives she had taken and for the first time she prayed that admiration was still in place because she needed her help now.

Clarke merely pointed directions, not daring to speak aloud in case Raven woke and was simply pretending to be unconscious. She knew there should still be time but she didn't know how ALIE affected her brain. Jasper had said all of them followed ALIE but Lexa seemed so in control. The Flame was different and Raven wanted it, but how was it different?

Clarke ordered Bellamy to stop. Niylah caught sight of them as they approached and seemed less than enthusiastic at their presence.

'I thought you said she was a friend?' Octavia asked suspiciously.

'I'll handle this.' Clarke replied.

Lexa made to get out of the car to follow her.

'Stop right there!' Clarke hissed fearfully. 'If she isn't going to help us she can't know that you are here.'

'Clarke-' Lexa argued.

'-I'll be fine, you know I'm right. Now please just wait here.' She huffed, marching off while Bellamy chased after her.

Threatening Niylah at gun point had been the last thing Clarke had wanted. She visibly flinched as Bellamy pointed the gun at her but she knew there was no other way. They had to save Raven. Clarke led them through the back and she knew Lexa had noticed how familiar she was with the surroundings. This could not be more of an awkward situation, she thought.

Raven kept fighting bitterly to get free and Clarke doubted how long the restraints would hold up that kept her tied to the bed. It reminded her of when Lincoln was a reaper and he fought so vehemently against them all, all recognition and warmth for them gone in his eyes. Clarke felt a crashing injustice that it was Raven who was going through this. Raven was the best of them. The Arkers had sent them all down to Earth in the most selfish way; it wasn't even to die but to see if they themselves could live. Raven had come to Earth simply to help, and she was always on their side no matter what. If Raven was this broken, she didn't know what that meant for the rest of them.

It was up to Octavia and Monty to receive the electromagnet. She had wished Monty could be able to stay quite selfishly, he was one of the few that didn't seem to hold any animosity for her. Jasper hated her and she couldn't even blame him and Bellamy was clearly agitated at her closeness to Lexa.

She threw a self conscious look to the backroom where Jasper was with Raven before sitting down opposite Lexa at the table. She looked at Lexa's hand in front of her and had an impulse to grab it. She shifted in her chair, looking around. She watched Niylah obviously trying to stay busy but entirely uncomfortable with the fact they had just invaded her home. She was pleased that she was correct that Niylah would still give them the wristband to help Raven. Niylah was too kind to let an innocent girl die.

'How do you know her?' Lexa asked somewhat sharply, clearly watching where Clarke had been staring.

Clarke rolled her eyes.

'Are you jealous?' She scoffed.

'You didn't want Bellamy to hurt her. You care about her.' Lexa challenged.

'She helped me when I left Arkadia.' Clarke shrugged. 'I don't think you have a right to be jealous, Lexa.'

Lexa looked at Niylah and Clarke was taken aback to find as much hurt in her expression as there was fury.

'Excuse me,' Lexa got up and walked outside with Clarke chasing after her.

'Lexa, wait!' Clarke called and Lexa walked around the side of the building so that they could not be heard. 'It was nothing, really. I needed a place to hide from Ice Nation, it was dark and she let me stay. She just kept going on about the Mountain and I just wanted her to stop-'

'That was one method to end the discussion.' Lexa replied seemingly offhand but Clarke saw through her act.

Clarke pulled her jacket tighter around her to fight off the cool night air.

'I would have thought it was obvious now which side of the line I had chosen to be on.' Clarke said, matching Lexa's fierce gaze.

Lexa finally softened and Clarke ghosted a finger over Lexa's cheek to brush away the tear that had fallen, and gave Lexa a tender kiss.

'Lexa...' Clarke breathed.

'Yes, Clarke?' Lexa murmured, her eyes flicking down to Clarke's lips briefly but she didn't move to try to close the distance between them again.

'Did you see Costia in the City of Light?' Clarke asked nervously; she had known it was just the commanders who had taken the Flame but the other chips had clearly existed for just as long and perhaps the other chips were not uncommon then either.

'No,' Lexa answered slightly confused and Clarke, unable to explain all that she was feeling, kissed Lexa again and after everything, this moment had been the one thing to give her any kind of hope at all.

Clarke felt she was coming undone when Lexa took control of the kiss. Lexa poured so much passion into the act and cradled Clarke's face. At Polis, Clarke was being torn apart. She had never wanted to leave Lexa but she had been able to finally kiss Lexa then because she was leaving, so if Lexa had confirmed Clarke's fears that she felt nothing for her then Clarke could have easily ran away. Now it was as though they were confirming all that was between them and Clarke could let herself believe they really were together.

They only broke apart when Jasper screamed that Raven was trying to break free. Clarke swore and they sprinted back through to where Raven was tied and fought once more to bind her to the bed. Raven's shoulder was purple and hanging strangely, clearly dislocated. Clarke pulled on her shoulder with all her strength to pop it back into place, sickened at the uses to what ALIE was putting Raven's body to.

Clarke volunteered to take the first watch over Raven. Lexa still needed to rest, Jasper was distraught and Clarke wanted to clean Raven's wounds. She did, however, feel slightly uneasy at the prospect of leaving the three of them with Niylah. At least, she had escaped the tension.

Clarke cleaned Raven's wounds gently. Their friendship had been born out of the strangest of circumstances; her mother had sent Raven to them just as Clarke had gotten close to Raven's boyfriend and yet Raven had held little animosity towards her. Clarke had been envious of Raven and her strength. She hadn't lied when she had told her 'I'd pick you first', but then Clarke had killed Finn and their relationship was ruined. She understood why Raven had hated her but it had torn Clarke apart. She'd been completely taken aback when Raven hugged her before she rushed to TonDC before the missile strike but that was Raven. She had the biggest heart, while Clarke wondered if hers was painted black.

'Thank you,' Raven replied and Clarke smiled contentedly, believing Raven was truly there.

'Do you ever see their faces?' Raven whispered and Clarke's eyes snapped up.

'What?' Clarke asked, voice trembling with fear.

'Of all of the people you've killed.' Raven continued.

Clarke forced a shaky laugh.

'I know what you're doing,' Clarke replied, struggling to hold control over herself, 'but you can't get to me ALIE so don't even bother.'

'It's not ALIE, Clarke.'

The way Raven used her name almost made her believe that this was Raven.

'It's Raven and I'm not trying to get to you, I'm just trying to tell you the truth because no one else will. Everywhere you go, death follows. You always want to save everyone but what you don't realise is you're the one we need saving from. Wells is dead because you couldn't see Charlotte was a basket-case.'

Clarke continued to focus on the wounds that needed cleaning, trying to block out Raven's words as memories threatened to overwhelm her of the look on Lexa's face when she collapsed from her bullet wound, of how hurt Wells was when Clarke had told him she hated him for something that wasn't even his fault...

'Finn is dead because you broke his heart and then slid a knife into it.'

She tried to resist the image of Finn's head hanging onto his chest and the smell of his blood that she had been soaked in.

'Hell, I bet you got Lexa shot.'

Clarke's hand clenched.

'It's only since she met you that everyone is trying to kill her.'

Clarke let go of Raven as though touching her burned and she stared at her, eyes wide.

'Shut up.' Clarke warned venomously.

'And then there's dear old dad...' Raven cooed as Clarke paced around the bed.

'I said SHUT UP!' Clarke threatened her but Raven leaned forwards hungrily.

'Your mom's with me, Clarke. She tells me that you tried to convince him not to go public about the fact the Ark was dying! Guess you should have tried harder! His blood is on your hands too.' Raven mocked.

'SHUT UP!' Clarke bellowed.

And she couldn't stop the image of her father being sucked into space and the overwhelming guilt she had felt because she had trusted Wells while her mother had been the one to comfort her, to let her believe it was her own fault.

'We don't buy your selfless martyr act. We see you for what you are. Poison to anyone who gets close. Your mother doesn't want you to save her. She thinks you're a monster. She's disgusted by you for letting those people be slaughtered in TonDC.'

Clarke grabbed a cloth and went to gag Raven but she screamed in agony as Raven bit her. Clarke stumbled backwards, clutching her hand. Raven spat her blood over the side of the bed.

'You're done, ALIE!' Clarke screamed. 'You hear me? We're going to fry you!'

Clarke felt arms grab her as Bellamy and Lexa both pulled her from the room as Clarke continued to scream at Raven. She pushed Bellamy back as soon as they were out of the room.

'Don't!' She warned him, trying to regain control. 'I'm fine.'

She took a shaky breath and the herself down on the nearest chair, cursing darkly as blood poured from her hand.


Clarke sat on the floor next to her window, letting the breeze try to calm her. There was a knock at the door but she didn't bother to answer. It opened and within seconds Lexa was sitting down next to her, leaning against the wall. She was wearing the same nightgown from the night after her fight with Roan.

'For the record, ignoring someone's wishes isn't respectful.' Clarke muttered.

'I wanted to check on you and I did leave you alone for a week when you first came here.' Lexa reminded her.

'And then you ran out of patience.' Clarke muttered and Lexa didn't deny it.

Clarke leaned her head back against the wall. Lexa observed her for a moment and then took her hand in her own, tracing patterns over it with her other. Clarke watched the movements of her hands and knew she should draw comfort from it but she just wanted to shrink away. She didn't know how long it was before she finally found the strength to speak.

'I would have killed him.' Clarke croaked.

'You did not.' Lexa responded.

'I wanted to. He'll come back. He'll kill me.' Clarke said it dully; it was a matter of fact and not something she feared.

'Emerson is banished from our lands. He won't be able to get near you.' Lexa vowed and she grasped Clarke's hands more tightly.

'When Charlotte murdered Wells, I told her she couldn't just kill people to make herself feel better yet that's what I've become. The only reason I didn't kill Emerson was so I didn't undermine you. There's enough people against us already after the massacre. I didn't want to save him. I kill people and I don't think anything of it now.

'I didn't hesitate to try to kill Nia. I didn't even think how it would look if she dropped dead from poison just before the fight.'

'You were trying to protect your people.' Lexa comforted her, barely whispering.

'I wasn't.' Clarke denied with a bitter laugh.

Lexa had been so calm before the fight. She was ready to accept what had awaited her and Clarke ran around trying to do anything she could to stop it. Lexa's words had cut through her; she did need to fix everything and yet she rarely could.

'I tried to warn them.' Clarke was almost pleading for Lexa to understand.' I told them that we had an army, I told Cage I had his father. I kept warning them but they wouldn't stop.'

'You did everything you could.'

To Clarke it sounded like Lexa was promising her she wasn't broken, but Clarke could never work out just how Lexa could look at her like she had all of the answers, that she was a good leader who could inspire anyone when she felt so shattered. Clarke was terrified when Lexa looked at her like that. There was nothing to admire about her, she believed.

'I shot Dante in cold blood. I watched his body slump. I did it just to hurt his son. I took their love and used it to manipulate and murder, then I watched as they all just crumpled to their deaths from the radiation. I told Bellamy once that he wasn't the monster he thought he was and I know now that I am. My father tried to do everything he could to save us. If he could see what I had turned into, what I had done to survive, he would hate me.'

'Clarke,' Lexa started with such authority Clarke was silenced, and Lexa cupped her face gently, 'they attacked you. You did not set out to murder. Skaikru lives because of you. It's because of you Bellamy can watch his sister finally find peace on the Earth, that your mother lives, that your friends are free. You didn't ask for any of this. You saved lives because that is who you are. You protect the people you love from the villains of this world and that's why they look to you to lead. You were chosen because they trust you with their lives. You're their saviour and guardian. If it wasn't for you, we all would have lost so much more. If your father would not be proud of that then he did not deserve you.'

Clarke gave a watery smile and finally stood up, extracting her hand from Lexa's. Lexa gave her a look full of warmth before turning to leave.

'Wait-' Clarke called and then stopped, she hated watching Lexa leave her like this and she wished Lexa would for once break the stoic walls she had put up.

Lexa turned to her, eyes trying to hide any expectation or hope. Clarke found her endlessly frustrating to read in these personal moments. Lexa could well have stayed so respectful because of all that had happened or it was because she no longer held feelings for Clarke. Clarke didn't know what to do.

'Yes, Clarke?' Lexa prompted after several moments of Clarke standing in the middle of the room looking entirely lost.

'Tell Titus to stay out of my room.' Clarke grumbled, feigning annoyance at an easy target rather than at herself.


Clarke allowed Bellamy to wrap her hand.

'She got to me.' Clarke conceded, pride stung.

'You don't say?' Bellamy half joked and then offered to take the next shift with her.

Clarke watched him go, feeling exhausted. She didn't know if she could be angry with him anymore, especially when Octavia was punishing him so much. She was humiliated and devastated when he had arrested her. Indignation had burned through her when he had said it was for her own good, when all she wanted was to get back to Lexa where she knew she would be safe, but Bellamy was here now. She recoiled at how easily he had held the gun to Niylah and felt nauseous every time she pictured the field of fallen soldiers but she had always counted on him. He had always been there for her. She didn't know if she could fix this without him. She didn't know if she could lose anyone else. She didn't have any idea how she could begin to try to save her mother.

She looked up at Jasper who was twitching agitatedly. Clarke slowly walked over to him. She just wanted things back the way they were. They were the hundred.

'I'm sorry,' she told Jasper sincerely.

'What?' Jasper looked horrified, he hadn't expected her to admit her guilt when it was easier to rage at a monster.

'I never wanted to hurt Maya.' Clarke was desperate to make him understand just how much she regretted everything. 'I never wanted any of this. I had to save our people.'

'I was going to save everyone!' Jasper snapped.

'I wish you could have.'

'Shove your regret up your ass.' Jasper retorted, walking off and shoving Clarke as he went while she choked back sobs.

Lexa came over from the window.

'He needs time. He will forgive you.'

'Like you forgave Nia?' Clarke asked disbelieving.

'Nia was trying to hurt me, you were trying to save everyone.' Lexa placated, taking her hand.

Within moments they heard Jasper shouting at Raven.

'You lasted longer than that.' Lexa commented drily and Clarke dared to smile.

The opportunity to share quiet jokes was soon exhausted when Niylah heard Raven reveal that Bellamy was responsible for murdering the army, and therefore Niylah's father. Niylah's anger had been understandable but her desire to confront Bellamy had put them all in danger. ALIE knew where they were and it was with sharp relief that Octavia and Monty finally stumbled back through the door, but Monty was looking horrified while Octavia looked physically battered. Clarke read his expression. He'd been so together in the Mountain after what they had done. He'd helped keep Clarke somewhat together on the walk down back to Arcadia, but now he looked sick to his stomach. There was only one reason: his mother was dead.

They wrestled to attach the wristband to Raven while she pleaded that it would kill her. Clarke fought her own impulses to stop at Raven's pleading voice. She despised that Raven didn't sound like ALIE but just like her friend begging for help.

This has to save her. Let me save her.

'Raven, stop fighting and I'll give you this.'

Clarke held up the Flame clearly and Raven relaxed her body, ALIE to greedy to recognise the obvious trap and Bellamy and Octavia quickly tied her back up while Clarke put the Flame safely on the table.

'You liar!' Raven shouted and then to their terror, started smashing her head against the headboard.

Sinclair turned on the EMP with the new electromagnetic power and Raven slumped. Clarke dove to her and checked that she was still mercifully breathing. She tried to rouse her but nothing worked. She didn't respond to her name or any painful stimuli. Maybe they had damaged her brain...Clarke frantically kept calling Raven's name in an attempt to wake her but Jasper took advantage of her distraction.

'I'm ending this!' Jasper shouted, grabbing the nearest piece of wood and aiming at the Flame.

'No! It's Lexa!' Clarke shouted desperately and Jasper froze.

Bellamy looked at Clarke with disappointment, Octavia like she had lost her mind and Lexa's eyes were filled with concern. Clarke's focus never left Jasper. Jasper took in the sight of her fear and desperation and he reluctantly dropped his hand.

'Wait,' Clarke said.

The Flame was essentially an upgraded version of ALIE and therefore it was possible that they weren't too dissimilar. She could have sworn at the fact she couldn't talk this theory through with Raven. She didn't know anything about technology. Sinclair confirmed this and Clarke looked to Lexa to convey her understanding. She grabbed a knife and cut into Raven's neck and waited. Everyone held their breath around her. The remnants of the chip poured out in a thick black pool and Raven gasped for air. Octavia cried with laughing and relief flooded Clarke.

'I never thought I'd be glad to see someone in pain.' Octavia quipped and Raven laughed shakily.

Jasper and Bellamy dragged her up gently and hurried her to the car. Clarke waited until Octavia had given her the lantern as a trade for her clothes until she spoke to Niylah, urging her to flee. She couldn't help but feel guilty for all that she had brought to her door. Bellamy may have been responsible for her father's death but Clarke had used her, helped create the situation with Pike and then had used her again for shelter and the wristband which now meant she was a marked woman.

Lexa grabbed Clarke at the door though before she could rejoin the others.

'I just panicked.' Clarke deflected keenly. 'I thought Jasper was going to destroy the Flame. I just wanted to stop him.'

'Clarke,' Lexa said firmly, forcing Clarke to meet her gaze, 'I'm right here.'

Clarke nodded, walking past her to the others who were at the car.

'The one thing I don't understand is, why did ALIE want you to kill yourself?' Clarke asked slowly.

'Because I know how to stop her.' Raven smirked, and Clarke knew now that her friend was back.