Clarke could have screamed in anger along with Octavia. She didn't understand. How could Luna just walk away like that? She had seen the power of ALIE and what she was capable of and yet still Luna did nothing.

They were stuck. They needed to find another Nightblood. Perhaps it was possible that there was one that still existed. Clarke could believe that any parent would want to spare their child the life of a Nightblood; most were raised to be slaughtered. Only one Nightblood each generation survived and so it was plausible that somewhere one was hidden away.

'We have to leave.' Clarke said quickly. 'We need to find another Nightblood.'

'Where?' Octavia asked hopelessly.

'Anywhere. There must be one that survives somewhere.'

'Clarke, we can't just wander from village to village looking for someone with black blood.' Bellamy begged for reason. 'We need to go back to Arkadia and protect our friends.'

'It'll be a pointless fight without a Nightblood. We don't have a choice.'

'Yes, we do.' Lexa said but Clarke ignored her.

'We need a new Nightblood.' Clarke repeated adamantly.

'Clarke, ALIE followed us to Luna. We can't lead her to a grounder village. They'll be killed. I won't let you destroy another grounder village.' Octavia argued.

'If we don't stop her there won't be any grounder villages left! We won't have a home to go back to!' Clarke retorted.

'I will take the Flame.' Lexa stated.

'No!' Clarke hissed. 'You could die-'

'I would still be able to remain in the City of Light.'

'The imprint of you would but what if that isn't enough? We wouldn't be able to tell if you had taken ALIE down. You'd be there with no support and you'd end up dead. It's a pointless task!'

'It's our only choice!' Lexa shouted.

'No, it's not! There has to be another Nightblood -there has to-there is.' Clarke said suddenly, eyes alight. 'Ontari.'

'Clarke,' Lexa started unsurely.

'She is a Nightblood. Damn it! She's been right there this entire time.'

'Going to Polis is suicide.' Bellamy told her.

'It's the only way to stop ALIE.'

'No, it isn't. I will take the Flame.' Lexa repeated.

'It's not happening!' Clarke snarled. 'I'm the Flame keeper now this is the plan!'

Clarke stormed off, crashing through the bushes. Lexa came charging after her.

'I just need like one minute without them-' Clarke cried in frustration, panting heavily.

Clarke only slowed when she was sure they were out of earshot, even with the roar of the crashing waves along the coast. She should have taken time to appreciate the ground more. She had always been curious about what the Earth sounded like, about what it would be like to hear the waves of the ocean and now she was here she couldn't settle. She just wanted to keep moving again.

Clarke couldn't stand to see all of their doubts. They never came up with the plan. It was always left up to her. They asked her time and again to save them and when she did, they hated her for it. Jasper had wanted saving from the Mountain Men and now he despised her, Octavia had begged Clarke to protect her brother while he was inside the mountain and Clarke had done everything to keep his position a secret, even at the cost of lives in TonDC, and yet Octavia hated her too. She was sick of this burden. She was tired of trying to save people who never did anything to save themselves, except as her to shoulder it all.

Lexa was the only one who didn't hold her in contempt. It was only ever Lexa who understood but now Lexa was staring at her with such concern that it made Clarke want to keep running. She didn't want to see that look in Lexa's eyes. She didn't want anyone to see what she was turning into.

'I can't lose you-' Clarke's voice cracked.

It was a fight as tough as trying to grasp the waves and hold the water in her bare hands. Floukru had abandoned them, only Ontari and Lexa were left of the Nightbloods and everyone else had been chipped. Clarke was rapidly running out of options and ALIE was stalking them everywhere. She couldn't even just run with Lexa, just run and hide because ALIE was bound to find them.

Lexa stepped forward and took Clarke's hands in her own.

'It could save everyone.'

'Or it could just take you from me too.' Clarke argued. 'They have my mother already. I know what it means to put everything onto Ontari but this is the best way.'

'The chances of us being caught, Clarke.'

'Come on, Lexa. When have I ever not come up with a plan?' Clarke asked, a slight smile in place but then her voice trembled and tears started to fall. 'I'm being ripped apart. I left my mother in Arkadia. I left Lincoln to die. I can't stop thinking about Titus shooting you.'

She traced around the edge of where she could feel Lexa's bandages.

'You're too attached to the Flame, Clarke and what you think it means.' Lexa replied softly, brushing away Clarke's tears.

'What do I think it means?'

'Immortality.' Lexa answered simply. 'You see a way that I can live forever. Your fear of my death is driving you to impossible ends. You know what is the right thing to do.'

Clarke met Lexa's gaze, her eyes blazing with a hungry stubbornness.

'The right thing is to protect Heda, and finish the usurper.' Clarke challenged.

'Your fear of death is clouding your decisions.' Lexa shook her head. 'Clarke, there's more to life than just surviving...'

'Which is a wonderful privilege if you aren't constantly facing the threat of death.' Clarke retorted. 'Your people need you. I need you. Please, trust me still.'

'Your emotions-'

'-give me strength.' Clarke finished and she leaned forwards to meet Lexa's lips with her own.

Lexa instantly pulled Clarke closer to her and wrapped her arms around her. Clarke smiled against her lips, sure that as much as Lexa wanted her it was a sign of protectiveness after all that had happened. Lexa slowly deepened the kiss and Clarke sighed full of longing. It had been too long since Polis. It had been far too long since they had shared a quiet moment together.

Clarke gently lowered Lexa onto the grass. Lexa stared up at her with the same expression she had worn in Polis. Clarke felt as though she was held as everything in those eyes. Clarke had reacted by desperately kissing her back in Polis so as not to see as she was sure she would bleed to death from it, to be looked at with such powerful reverence when she was destined to leave. Now she tried to smile at Lexa; they were in this together now, but Clarke found her throat tight and her eyes stinging.

'Clarke-'

'Don't talk.' Clarke silenced her by raising her finger to Lexa's lips.

Lexa kissed it softly over and over and then brought Clarke's palm to her lips.

Clarke's lips crashed against Lexa's, for she was not yet ready to see all that Lexa offered by such loving gestures and by the emotion that lay behind her eyes.

She wanted to burrow herself completely in Lexa's existence. She wanted everything else to fade around them, because nothing should be able to ever threaten something this beautiful. Yet nothing was ever safe. She wasn't sure what that word meant anymore. All around her people died. She took a ragged breath, her chest constricted in terror as she thought of Lexa.

'Clarke,' Lexa breathed, sensing her turmoil.

'I'm okay. With you, I'm okay.' Clarke promised, kissing her tenderly.

She couldn't run from Lexa, not now. She wouldn't even know where to turn. Clarke didn't know at what point Lexa had become everything to her, perhaps it was some point between being chased by that damn gorilla or when Lexa had kissed her for the first time but she found that she didn't even care. This was all that mattered and all the doubts and questions that had surrounded them could go to hell.

Clarke gently pulled Lexa's shirt above her head and discarded it on the forest floor, quickly and softly removing the rest of her clothes too. She stared at the woman beneath her, her finger once more tracing the bandage.

'I'm okay.' Lexa promised, leaning up to place a gentle kiss on Clarke's lips.

Clarke lowered them both back down and hastened the kiss, desperate to lose herself in Lexa. Lexa pulled at Clarke's clothes but Clarke was too focused on how Lexa writhed beneath her when she lightly sucked on her pulse point.

'Clarke,' Lexa gasped, with lust and impatience, 'your clothes.'

Clarke giggled into her neck. 'Sorry.'

She shed them quickly and returned to Lexa's lips, lying flush against Lexa. Lexa's fingers danced over Clarke's back and Clarke shivered into the touch. She grabbed Lexa's hands and pinned them above her head, pulling back and smiling slightly.

Let me revel in you.

Lexa smiled, content to let Clarke set the pace. Clarke kissed her again, sucking and biting on Lexa's bottom lip and the woman below moaned. Clarke's need began to dominate at the sound. The kiss became more desperate and ardent, their tongues seeking more.

Lexa continued to writhe beneath Clarke while pulling them ever closer. Clarke lowered herself down Lexa's body and pressed kisses to her neck and collar bone, occasionally sucking and biting, carefully listening to Lexa's whimpers and moans for direction. Clarke traced her hands down Lexa's hands, to her forearms and biceps. She wanted to feel every inch of Lexa beneath her.

Clarke could feel Lexa's chest struggling with her breathing as the woman was trying not to pant as Clarke kissed around the swell of her breasts.

'Clarke...'

Clarke understood the need behind the silent request and kissed along Lexa's breast before gently taking it in her mouth. Lexa arched her back and Clarke sucked with more force as Lexa cried out. Her hands ran along Lexa's taut stomach, slipping lower to squeeze Lexa's thighs, Lexa's hips immediately bucking response.

Clarke's fingers nimbly climbed up and down the inside of Lexa's thighs, visibly frustrating the woman no end. She could feel the heat radiating off Lexa, and already they were both coated in a thin layer of sweat. Clarke pulled away again, sitting up slightly to take the vision of Lexa in. Her hands continued their movements over Lexa's thighs but after a few seconds, Lexa opened her eyes and stared up at Clarke quizzically and clearly missing her overwhelming presence.

'You're beautiful.' Clarke whispered.

Lexa visibly swallowed and she gave Clarke the most full and sincere smile she had ever seen. She loved any smile Lexa ever gave her. Clarke felt like Lexa only ever smiled for her, and she never wanted her theory to be proved wrong.

Lexa pulled Clarke back down with her insistently and Clarke laughed once more.

'You're ridiculous...' Clarke chuckled.

Lexa hummed softly in disagreement.

'...and so wet...' Clarke murmured, her finger brushing through Lexa's soaked folds.

The response was immediate. Lexa moaned loudly and arched her back once more, clinging onto Clarke tightly. Clarke let her fingers lazily pleasure Lexa, never enough to satisfy.

'Lexa...'

Lexa was struggling now to remain in control and Clarke was sure she could have watched her like this forever.

'I want to taste you...'

'Yes...' Lexa breathed as she leaned back into Clarke touch.

Clarke slowly slid down Lexa's body, applying tender kisses before she lowered herself. Lexa's scent was overwhelming and she struggled not to lose control as she felt so uncomfortably aroused. She pressed a soft kiss to Lexa's centre and the woman beneath her let out a raspy curse. It wasn't enough and Clarke wanted to bury herself in Lexa's ecstasy. The taste of Lexa made her shudder in appreciation and she moaned aloud at her taste. She looked up quickly to make sure she had not embarrassed Lexa but her eyes were clamped shut and she was lost to Clarke.

Clarke trembled with desire as she returned her focus to Lexa's centre. She circled her tongue around Lexa's clit and began to moan loudly with Lexa, her hands running up and down Lexa's body and squeezing and teasing lightly. One of Lexa's hands came down to capture her own and it was the most intimate act that Clarke had ever experienced. Clarke sucked on Lexa's clit and felt Lexa's body constrict with tension. Lexa continued to hold Clarke's hand tightly as Clarke carried her through her orgasm, and Lexa collapsed back down on the forest floor.

Clarke pulled herself back up and lay down next to her. Lexa's hair was full of tangles and her breaths were coming sharp and quick. Clarke found Lexa's eyes stunning; they were a brighter shade of green than anything that could be found in the forest.

'Are you okay?' Clarke asked, smiling.

Lexa gave a shaky laugh.

'More than okay.' She sighed, Lexa rolled her thumb over Clarke's body and Clarke sighed in contentment.

'I like seeing you like this.' Clarke confessed.

'I'm sure.' Lexa laughed and Clarke rolled her eyes.

'I meant peaceful.'

'Of course you did.'

Clarke sighed in mock exasperation, lying her head down on the grass and watching Lexa and trying to keep any bitterness at bay at the fact they were soon to leave.

'Are you really okay?' Lexa asked.

'Yeah,' Clarke smiled sadly, 'back to the fight now.'

'Not yet.' Lexa said huskily and rolling to straddle Clarke.