AUTHORS NOTE: Okay so I'm starting to realize this story is going to turn into a massive epic. I may end up regretting this. Hopefully you lovely readers will stick with me through this journey. I have no intention of stopping not like Clexa would let me anyway. Thanks for the support. It means a lot. Sorry for the incredibly sappy turn this chapter took at the end. I don't know what happened there.

Clarke was awoken by someone shaking her shoulder. She shot up horrified that she had fallen asleep. Reaching out to Lexa immediately her shoulders sagged in relief when she felt a pulse slightly stronger than last night. After confirming Lexa was still alive she finally turned to face her visitors. She quickly rose from her chair and threw herself into her mother's arms. "Mom, thank God you're here. You have to save her."

Abby pulled back from her daughter a bit wiping the few tears that had gathered in Clarke's eyes. "I'll do what I can, baby. Now tell me what has been done so far."

"I've removed the bullet, stopped the bleeding as best I could." Her lips trembled and tears again filled her eyes as she thought of what had happened next. " She... she stopped breathing I thought she was dead but she somehow started breathing again. I gave her a transfusion. Her pulse seemed stronger just now."

Abby moved to Lexa checking her over. "Her blood is black? I've never seen anything like that."

"Yeah it goes back to the first Commander. I think it may be a deliberate genetic mutation. I think Murphy knows more about it but that's a problem for a another day." Clarke sighed deeply afraid to ask her next question. "How is she?"

Abby turned around to face her daughter a small encouraging smile on her face. "Well the damage is minor really considering what it could have been. A small surgery to repair the wound, plenty of rest and she should be fine. It was the blood loss and shock that almost killed her really and you got her through that."

Clarke felt a huge weight lift off her chest. The anxiety, the fear she'd lose the love of her life just as she found her wasn't completely gone and wouldn't be until she was able to look into green eyes and hear Lexa's soft voice but for the first time since she'd seen Lexa collapse and her blood flowing on her hands she felt as if it could all be okay.

She didn't know if it was the immense relief or what but the next moment the room started spinning. She would have hit the floor if Octavia hadn't been standing close buy to catch her.

Octavia gently guided Clarke to a nearby chair and went to retrieve a glass of water. She quickly returned handing it to Clarke who drunk it in small sips.

Meanwhile Abby was feeling her forehead. Satisfied it was nothing major she narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "When was the last time you ate anything?"

Clarke lowered her head sheepishly. " I dont really remember. It had to be before Octavia first showed up here. I've been a little busy since then."

Octavia shook her head. "Clarke that was at least 36 hours ago. You're lucky you haven't passed out. I know you're worried about Lexa but you have to take care of yourself too."

Abby raised her Clarke's chin forcing her to look at hoping her stern look would broach no argument. "You need to go eat now. I'll take care of Lexa."

"You'll need someone to assist you and I'm not leaving her. I can't eat anything until I know she'll be okay."

Abby resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She should have known how stubborn her daughter could be. There was so much of her father in her. She was never going to completely change Clarkes mind when it was set on something. Maybe a compromise.

"You're in no shape to help. You can sit here until I'm done and then we're going to get out of this room for a while and have lunch together. All of us."

Clarke sighed knowing she would probably be more of a hindrance than help in her state and they were wasting precious time. "Fine. Nyko should still be around. He can assist I suppose."

A very long and anxious hour later Abby and Nyko had finished the surgery. Nyko had left the women alone to return to his duties.

Abby walked over to Clarke putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "She'll be okay. I've put her on a sedative. It's best to keep her out for a few days to give her body a chance to heal. Come. You need to eat and could probably use a little breather."

Octavia who had remained at Clarke's side silently but surprisingly holding Clarke's hand spoke up. "Indra will stay with her and come get us if there is any change. Come on Lexa would kill us if she knew anything happened to you."

Clarke allowed herself a small smile knowing Octavia was right. Lexa's extreme protectiveness of her was endearing although coming from anyone else it would annoy her to no end. She really could use some air even though she suspected her mother wanted to talk to her about her relationship with the Commander. Her mother wasn't blind and Clarke hadn't exactly been trying to hide her emotions. It was a conversation that had to be had at some point at least they could have it away from prying ears.

They found an isolated field with trees surrounding it not far from the tower. The meal was simple and Clarke hardly tasted any of it but she did feel better afterwards. They were just sitting in silence and Clarke was hoping her mother wasn't going to bring up her love life. Really she should have known better.

"So Clarke, you and the Commander?"

"Yes, and if you're going to try to convince me to not be with her you're fighting a losing battle. If I have to chose between her and you it's always going to be her. If I have to chose between her and anyone it's her."

Abby was shocked by the passion Clarke was showing. She had no idea it was this serious. She'd have to tread carefully. "I'm not trying to break you up. I'm just concerned and want to understand. She left our people to die on Mt. Weather. She left you. How can you forgive that and trust her again?"

"She did what she had to. Our plan failed. All the grounder prisoners would have been executed the moment she attacked. It hurt her just as much to leave as it did me to watch her go."

"So you two started before the mountain?"

Clarke took a deep breath highly uncomfortable with the conversation but knew her mother wasn't going to drop it. "Not fully no. We kissed. I knew she had feelings for me and I had feelings for her but it was so soon after Finn and my focus needed to be on getting our people back."

"If she cared about you how could she leave?"

"She's the Commander first. I would think you could understand that given you floated Dad because it was what you thought was best for your people."

Abby looked as if Clarke had slapped her but continued on. She just wanted to know her daughter was safe and happy. "And what's to prevent her from again sacrificing you or our people for the good of hers again.?"

"We are her people now. If she did what most of the grounders wanted all of skaikru would be dead now. She's did what she could to protect us and let us fix it ourselves. She almost died for it. She almost died and is still fighting for her life because she loves me and wouldn't hurt me again."

Octavia who had been silently watching the exchange between to two in amusement jumped in trying to relieve Clarke of a guilt she didn't deserve. "No Clarke. Lexa wouldn't make a decision based solely on emotion. She's the Commander first like you said. She must want peace as much as you, always has why else would she have let the Ice Nation into the coalition and let Nia live for so long." Clarke looked at Octavia shocked that she knew and Abby just looked curious. "Lincoln told me. The Ice Queen killed Lexa's previous lover thinking she could steal the throne or something. Instead of killing the bitch then for it she wrote off her crimes to have peace for her people."

Clarke couldn't help it she laughed at the incredulity of it. " I can't believe you're defending her and actually being supportive of me. "

Octavia shrugged. "Politics is complicated. I can't say I've agreed with everything you're both done but I can understand your motives were good. You see the big picture and make the tough choices based on that. I could never do that. Plus you're a billion times better than Pike."

"I wouldn't want anyone else having to make those decisions. Finn, Ton DC, Mt. Weather those are things that will haunt me the rest of my life but they were necessary. All I can do is make sure we have lasting peace so it all means something."

Abby put her hand over Clarkes that was resting on the ground between them. "I never wanted this life for you."

"I know but apparently I was born for this same as Lexa."

Abby shook her head. "I'm still having trouble imagining Lexa loving someone."

Octavia giggled. "That's cause you haven't seen the heart eyes." Clarkes jaw dropped causing Octavia to laugh harder. "Oh yeah princess whenever she thinks no one is looking she gets all starry eyed looking at you like you're the greatest thing to ever exist. Honestly you're almost as bad."

Clarke blushed before looking down getting lost in her thoughts. After a minute she tried to explain why she loved Lexa "She's not the Commander with me. She's just Lexa and she's so caring. She acts hard cause she has to but when it's just us she is so soft. She'd do anything to make me happy but all I need to be happy is make her happy. To be the one person who loves her not the role she has to be. She's sacrificed so much for her people. I want to be the safe place where she can be herself just like she is for me. She's never blames or judges me for anything even when we disagree. She just loves me even though I don't deserve it. She let me hate her for Mt Weather so I wouldn't feel the guilt. I think she'd have let me hate her forever just to protect me from the type of burden she's known for years. That's how selfless she is. She makes me better. I feel whole when I'm with her. She understands me like no one else ever has without me even having to say how I feel she gets it. When I thought she was dead it was like I'd died too. Nothing would matter if I didn't have her in my life. It's like I'm not me without her anymore. It's scary as hell but I wouldn't change it even if I could because she makes me feel alive. She gives me hope that we could make a better world because if the world was capable of producing someone as magnificent as her surely there's more good in it." She finally lifted her head and saw both Octavia and her mom had tears in their eyes.

Octavia wiped her eyes. "See heart eyes and that was positively disgusting."

Abby just pulled Clarke into a hug. "You really love her and based on what you've said she really loves you so I'll have to accept it. I just want you to me happy and if the Commander is the one to do that then I won't stop you. If she ever hurts you again she'll have to deal with me though."

Octavia broke up the moment. "Well it was a long journey and I'm tired. Clarke, think you can score us one of those fancy rooms in the tower?"

"Of course."