A/N: I am SO SORRY for not updating sooner. I have been lacking creativity lately. I would really appreciate it if you guys could leave suggestions for future chapters. It would definitely help with speeding up the updates. Please continue to leave review! They make my day and encourage me to continue this story.
Anyways I would like to dedicate this chapter to my good friend RockChick163. She once again gave me most of the basic ideas for this chapter. This is a really belated birthday and going away gift for her. You guys should definitely check out her Clexa fics, you won't be disappointed. Hope you enjoy this one!
*Disclaimers* I don't own any of the characters from the 100. All mistakes and plot are my own.
Pike walks closer to Clarke with a sadistic grin on his face as she hangs in the middle of the room, helpless. Clarke's breathing escalates with each step Pike takes until he is grabbing her waist tightly and squeezes. Pike's eyes run over her assets lustfully, making bile rise in the back of Clarke's throat.
"Since you aren't afraid of being beaten for answers, maybe I can persuade you another way. I'll make you feel things only a man can give you." Clarke pales and jerks out of his grasp in disgust but he only grabs her tighter and gives her a feral grin. Swiftly he lets go of her and unhooks the chains barely giving Clarke a chance to brace herself for the pain of the hard landing. She tries to get up and fight but he is already there, looming over her, pushing her on her back and straddling her. Chuckling at the fear in her eyes Pike rips Clarke' shirt open and runs his hands up her torso and over her breast roughly before unbuckling his belt and removing his pants. Clarke panics and begins to thrash around kicking at the man and hoping to make contact but Pike easily overpowers her in her weakened state. Grabbing her wrists with one hand he shoves them above her head in a bruising grip and Clarke doubles her efforts.
"No get off! Get off of me!" Clarke screams and thrashes her body everywhere making it difficult for Pike to control her flailing limbs. He backhands her across the face hard, making her vision blur and pain to radiate from the place of impact. Tears spring to her eyes and she shakes her head in denial.
"Shut up you stupid bitch no one is going to come to your rescue so I suggest you shut your mouth and enjoy it." Clarke screams in rage and terror at the top of her lungs and wiggles around once more.
"Don't touch me! Get off of me!" Clarke begs as Pike manages to get her pants unbuttoned and pulls the zipper down, shoving her pants down her thighs. Clarke swings her arms that are still cuffed at his head and manages to get a hit in but only makes Pike more enraged. He punches her in the face stopping her struggle long enough to rip her bra off.
"Clarke! Clarke wake up!" Clarke frowns and thrashes again as she hears a familiar voice calling her in the distance.
"Please, please no. No! Get the fuck off of me!" Pike ignores her and reaches for her panties.
Clarke bolts up in the bed smacking her head against someone else's but she doesn't have to time to question it as her stomach lurches and she darts to Lexa's bathroom, just making it in time to release her stomach's contents into the toilet. Clarke heaves and heaves until nothing comes up, only then does she realize someone is holding her hair back and another is rubbing her back soothingly. Sobbing Clarke looks up to find Octavia and Raven in the bathroom with her looking concerned. Clarke leans back against Raven who wraps her arms around the blonde as she sits between the mechanic's legs and Octavia sits in front of the two with crossed legs wiping Clarke's sweaty face with a cool cloth. Clarke slowly calms down and looks up at Octavia and finds a large red mark on Octavia's forehead and unconsciously touches it. Embarrassed she quickly retracts her hand and tries to compose herself in front of her friends. Wiping her eyes, she clears her throat and takes a deep breath.
"I'm sorry." Raven and Octavia share an incredulous look before focusing back on the blonde. "Clarke you have nothing to be sorry for, we are your friends and want to help in anyway we can. You know that right?" Clarke swallows and glances down at her hands in shame.
"Yes I know. Its just sometimes hard to believe after everything. I've been on my own for so long and had to be strong for everyone else all the other times that its hard to let people comfort me. So thank you." Octavia and Raven nod and Clarke sighs in fatigue, the dream still lingering in her mind and she frowns not understanding why she is so effected by something that didn't get very far.
"Griff you okay? We are here to listen if you want to talk about it. You know we wont judge you, we all have nightmares." Raven says quietly and Clarke nods nervously, and runs her thumb over the scar on her left wrist where the handcuffs used to be.
"I think that's a good idea. I just I don't understand why this is effecting me so much. Nothing came of it." Confused Octavia grabs her hands and holds them firmly.
"Start from the beginning. What happened." Clarke breaths out shakily and squeezes Octavia's hands tightly as she is sucked back to four weeks ago.
"When I was in the airlock I wasn't giving them any information and it pissed them off, so Pike switched tactics and instead of beating me he- he touched me." Clarke whispers in disgust and rage flares in Octavia's steel blue eyes as her assumption of how Pike got his injuries came true.
"What!?" Raven hisses and tightens her grip on Clarke protectively. Clarke shakes her head and look over her shoulder to find Raven's face covered with fury.
"It didn't get far. He groped my breasts and ass a couple times and managed to unbutton my pants before I kicked him in the balls and broke his nose. He made promises but after I broke his nose he backed off and they went back to hitting me." Octavia breathes harshly through her nose in effort to stop from punching something.
"Did Bellamy…" Octavia asks carefully and Clarke shakes her head. "No he didn't touch me like that, though he didn't stop Pike's advances either. He mainly hit me, especially when Pike left to attend to other things." Octavia sighs and squeezes her eyes shut.
"Okay so you are confused as to why it is just now effecting you when it didn't actually go far?" Octavia asks and Clarke nods her confirmation.
"I think that with the trial now here your subconscious is bringing up the worst case scenarios out of stress. Just because it didn't get that far doesn't mean it couldn't have. Your brain is trying to process the trauma of your capture and subconsciously you know this was a possible outcome, and your fear is coming to the surface now that you have to focus on one of the main reasons for your pain. Pike." Raven states matter-of-factly as Clarke and Octavia stare at her like she has grown a second head. Noticing it she rolls her eyes and swats the pair.
"I read alright? I needed a distraction while under Allie's influence and I stole one of Abby's medical books. Turns out it was a psychological one." Clarke looks impressed and grateful while Octavia is still looking at like she is a completely different person.
"Well I'm impressed Reyes. And I think you're right. Since Lexa has been around I haven't had nightmares when we sleep but I guess she left early and that's when my nightmares surfaced." Octavia nods in agreement and they all get lost in their thoughts until a commotion in the other room brings them back. A few seconds later Lexa rushes in to find the three women sitting on the floor looking tired and worn out. especially Clarke who has puffy red eyes and dried tear tracks on her face. Concerned Lexa walks in and crouches beside Octavia and reaches out to cup Clarke's face gently.
"Are you alright Clarke? Ryder came to get me when you began to scream." Clarke sighs and melts into Lexa's touch.
"Yes I'm okay. Octavia and Raven managed to wake me up. I had a nightmare is all." Octavia and Raven give the blonde stern looks and she slumps in defeat.
"Fine. It wasn't just a nightmare. It was related to my capture and Pike's advances." Clarke can see the turmoil in Lexa's eyes as she struggles not to go and kill the man right now but Clarke clutches her forearms and squeezes.
"I am alright Leksa. He will get what he deserves tonight when the sun lowers." Lexa sighs and nods her agreement.
"Were you sick? Is that why you are on the bathroom floor? Or is this just a where the party is?" Clarke smiles at Lexa and rolls her eyes.
"Yes I was sick to my stomach when I woke." Concerned Lexa places a hand on Clarke's forehead to feel the slightly warm skin now covered in dried sweat.
"You should have a bath to cool down. Everyone is getting the festivities set up in the square for this evening. There will be a feast after the execution to celebrate." Lexa grimaces at the last part and Clarke gives her an understanding look and nods her agreement.
"Alright I'll have a bath and then Octavia and I will train for a bit until the Nightbloods have their lesson." Lexa nods and gently pulls Clarke to her feet who turns and pulls Raven up. Octavia gets up on her own and the three walk out of the room to give Clarke privacy. Fifteen minutes later Clarke gets out and towels off before she remembers she doesn't have clothes in the room. Sighing she opens the door in the towel to go and grab some when she notices a pile on the floor, folded neatly for her. Grinning at the sweet gesture Clarke grabs the clothes and quickly dresses before exiting to find Lexa sitting on the bed alone. Silently Clarke walks up to her and tilts her head up and kisses her lovingly.
"Thank you for getting my clothes." Lexa grins softly and pulls Clarke closer so she is standing between her legs and wraps her arms around the blonde's toned thighs.
"You're welcome Clarke. Would you like for me to braid your hair?" Clarke nods and kisses her once more before turning and sitting on the floor in front of Lexa. Gently Lexa runs her fingers through the silky blonde strands, removing the tangles before expertly starts to twists pieces back. After ten minutes she is finished and Clarke can tell already it is a different style than her usual braids. Getting up she walks to the mirror to find her hair pulled back similarly to Octavia's though with her original two pieces she normally pulls back but this time braided adding her own twist to the common hairstyle used by the Trikru.
Clarke smiles and turns around to wrap her arms around Lexa's waist, pulling her in for a fierce kiss. Lexa returns it with the same fever but pulls back slightly to stop it from getting to far. Clarke groans in disappointment making Lexa grin a little and brush their lips together once more before pulling back.
"We have all the time in the world Clarke. And I want to make sure that whatever happened with Pike doesn't effect you when the time comes. We will take it slow until you are completely sure." Clarke sighs and pouts but she knows Lexa is right. She doesn't know when the time comes for them to be intimate if what happened with Pike will effect her or not.
"Okay, but I want one more kiss." Lexa grins and lets Clarke drag her back in for a toe curling kiss that leaves her breathless when Clarke pulls back with a smug grin.
"Okay now I'm ready. I'll be in the training grounds with Octavia until its time for the Nightbloods lesson, then we will meet you there." Lexa narrows her eyes at Clarke in fake anger for the teasing and gives her a small grin.
"Alright Clarke. I have meetings with Titus and some of the council until noon, so I won't see you until training." Clarke nods and walks backwards towards the door pulling Lexa along by the hand.
"See you in a few hours Heda." Clarke winks and slowly lets her hand slip from Lexa's before she spins and walks down the hall in the opposite direction of Lexa's destination. Lexa smirks and watches her leave before turning left and making her way to the throne room.
Clarke reaches the bottom of the tower a few minutes later to find Raven trapped in a headlock by Octavia who is laughing uncontrollably as she does. Clarke stalks forward and glares at the two like a disapproving mother.
"What do you think you are doing? Octavia let go of Raven." The two immediately freeze and look at Clarke with guilty expressions. Slowly Octavia unwinds her arms from Raven's neck and steps back nervously. Clarke watches with barely concealed amusement, laughter just waiting to erupt from her throat but she manages to stop it in time. Raven glares at Octavia and punches her hard in the shoulder causing the young warrior to wince. Clarke smirks and looks at Raven questioningly.
"She did it." Raven points at Octavia and steps up beside Clarke with a smug look. Clarke rolls her eyes and crosses her arms as she looks at Octavia.
"What did you do now?" Octavia grumbles and clenches her jaw. "Nothing, just proving that she can't kick my ass." Clarke sighs and grabs the two by their arms and pulls them outside and all the way to the training grounds.
"Octavia get in the ring." Wary of the blonde Octavia does as she is told and waits for her next instruction. Clarke nods and turns to Raven and motions for her to come closer and proceeds to whisper in her ear.
"She is weak on her left side. Have fun." Clarke smirks and pulls her sword out of her scabbard on her back and hands it to Raven. Shocked and confused Raven takes the sword carefully and looks at it in disdain.
"I don't know how to use this." Clarke chuckles and gives the girl a small shove towards Octavia. "I know that's why I'm helping you." Clarke pulls her second sword out and walks with Raven to stand in front of Octavia.
"Raven will be participating in our lessons from now on. And since that little incident in the foyer, I think you should have to fight both of us. Sound fair?" Octavia gapes at the blonde and flicks her gaze between the pair but quickly dodges Raven wild swing at her. Raven laughs and swings again giving Clarke the distraction she needs to get behind the young warrior and hit her in the back with the hilt of her sword.
"Dead. You need to focus on all of your senses. Remain aware of both Raven and I. Try again." Octavia growls and begins again only to have Clarke take her down and Raven to point her sword at Octavia's throat. Annoyed the brunette gets up again and the trio continue this until Octavia manages to block both Raven and Clarke on her eighth try.
"Good Octavia. You managed to block both blows and make a hit. Now for the hard part." Octavia sighs and looks at Clarke expectantly. Clarke smirks and nods for Raven to take a rest. Raven does gladly, rubbing her leg as she goes and finds a log to sit on as she watches her two friends train.
"Balance. Remember our last session?" Octavia nods and Clarke takes that as her cue to continue. "I was able to trip you up because of you are not balanced. So what I want you to do is squat but stay on the balls of your feet with your arms clasped behind your back." Octavia does as was instructed and lets Clarke make the required adjustments on her form before they begin.
"I'm going to push you from different angles and I want you to keep your balance. The force won't be strong, just enough to jostle you understood?" Octavia nods and waits for Clarke to start. Clarke walks around her and as she passes behind her Clarke pushes her shoulder. Surprised Octavia falls forward and catches herself with her hands. Clarke crouches down with a smirk and puts a hand on Octavia's shoulder.
"Harder than it looks isn't it? Now ten push ups." Clarke stands and looks at the shocked brunette and feigns innocence.
"Did I forget to mention every time you fall you do ten push ups?" Octavia glares at Clarke. "Yes!" Clarke chuckles and shrugs in response.
"My bad. Now get to it." Sighing in defeat Octavia quickly does her ten push ups and gets back into position. Clarke walks around her again and shoves her. Tensing the brunette tries to keep her balance but still falls on her ass.
"God dammit." Raven chuckles at the wink Clarke sends her and watches as Octavia does another set of ten. "Again." Octavia ends up on her butt ten more times before she manages to stay up, just barely. Octavia collapses in exhaustion, breathing harshly after having to do one hundred and twenty push ups and squatting for half an hour.
"Never again." Clarke smirks and shakes her head before grabbing Octavia's weak arms and hauling her to her feet.
"Yes again. If you stay up five times in a row you can have a break." Octavia perks up at that and quickly squats. Clarke smiles and shoves the brunette, feeling pride as she stays up for the next four.
"Great job O. You can take your break." Octavia cheers and stand quickly before hobbling over to Raven and collapsing on the log beside her. Clarke follows and holds out a hand for Raven to take. Confused she takes the blonde's hand and lets her lead them over to the ring.
"Clarke what are you doing?" Clarke raises an eyebrow at the brunette and puts her hands on her hips. "You don't think I forgot about you did you? Its your turn." Raven frowns at Clarke and winces as she thinks of having to squat.
"Clarke I can't squat." Clarke gives her a soft look and grabs her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze of support. "I know Rae. I'm not going to make you do that. We will make some adjustments. We could-" Clarke halts her explanation when Wanheda speaks in her head.
"Your blood Clarke." Confused Clarke looks down at her body. "What?" Wanheda sighs and shakes her head in disappointment.
"You are a nightblood Clarke. Meaning your blood heals. If you inject Raven with your blood it will heal her leg." Shocked Clarke looks up at Raven. "Holy shit!" Clarke exclaims causing Raven to jump and look confused. Excited Clarke laughs and grabs Raven by the hand and rushes over to grab Octavia as well. The trio take off at a brisk pace with two confused brunettes being dragged by Clarke.
"Clarke what the hell is going on? Why are you so excited all of a sudden?" Clarke gives Raven a mega watt grin and shakes her head.
"It's a secret. You'll have to wait until we are in my room. I can't believe I didn't think of this before! God I'm an idiot sometimes." Wanheda hums her agreement and chuckles at the glare Clarke gives her in her mind. The trio make their way to Clarke's room quickly and the blonde hurries to grab her med kit from the Ark. She pulls out a needle and an elastic band for her arm. Swiftly and professionally Clarke ties the band just above her elbow and clenches her fist until her veins pop enough to inject the needle. Clarke grabs the needle and is about to place it in her vein when Raven grabs her arm and looks at her like she has gone crazy.
"Clarke what the hell?" Clarke rolls her eyes and looks at Raven seriously. "Raven I'm a nightblood now, meaning my blood heals. If I inject you with it, it will heal your leg." Shocked Raven stumbles back and Octavia quickly grabs her leading her to the bed to sit down.
"It will heal… are you serious Griff? Because if you aren't and you get my hopes up I just might kill you. I swear I will." Clarke chuckles and walks over to crouch in front of Raven.
"Raven I would never do this if I knew there was a chance it wouldn't work. I don't ever want to hurt you again. Wanheda is the one who told me and I trust her intuition." Raven's eyes well up with tears and she nods quickly.
"Okay. Okay I trust you Clarke. I want you to do this." Clarke squeezes her thigh before she injects the needle in her arm and pulls until black blood fills the tube. "Where do I inject her? Its nerve damage so would it be her spine that should be injected? Or just the leg?" Clarke ask Wanheda and lets out a shaky breath as she waits her reply.
"Her spine. It needs to be repaired for her to be able to feel her leg again." Clarke clears her throat and looks at Raven with apologetic eyes.
"Okay Reyes I need you to lay on your stomach. I have to inject this into your spine where the nerve damage is so your spine can repair itself and allow your nerves to heal." Raven nods and quickly lays on her stomach, resting her face against the soft furs of Clarke's bed.
"I'm sorry this might hurt." Clarke says and pulls Raven's shirt up to expose her lower back and she can see the surgical scar left behind. Octavia grabs Raven's hand and Raven squeezes tightly in anticipation.
"Just do it." Clarke lets out a shaky breath and injects the blood into her spine at the top of the scar. Raven groans and clutches onto Octavia's hand before she screams out. the blood begins to repair the damage slowly and she can feel it. Clarke winces and lays down beside Raven as she tries not to scream.
"Hey Raven. Come on follow my breathing. Take deep breaths, it will pass soon." Raven glares at her clenches her jaw but takes deep breaths, matching Clarke's breathing and watches the blonde.
"Do you want me to tell you stories or something?" Raven nods quickly needing anything to distract her from the excruciating pain she is feeling. "Yes." Clarke nods and tries to think of something but comes up blank.
"Any suggestions? What do you want to hear?" Raven thinks for a moment before smirking at Clarke. "First kiss between you and Lexa." Clarke chuckles and runs a hand through her hair.
"Wow that seems like I lifetime ago." Clarke blows outs a breath and finds her two friends looking at her in surprise. "What?"
"Dude how long ago was it?" Octavia asks in shock and waits impatiently for the details. Clarke thinks about the time and purses her lips.
"I'd say about six months ago, maybe less." Octavia chokes and Raven smirks proudly at the blonde. "Nice Griff." Clarke chuckles and looks at Octavia who looks bewildered.
"What!? When?" Octavia exclaims and Clarke blushes a bit as she thinks back to the kiss. "It happened just before the flare and the march on the mountain. After I threatened Ryder and brought him to the tent we argued and she told me to leave and I did. Then a while later she called me back in and told me she did trust me and one thing led to another and she kissed me. I kissed her back but after a few minutes I pulled back and told her I wasn't ready to be with anyone, not yet anyways. Then the whole war and betrayal happened. So you can see why I was so pissed. It felt really personal, like because I pulled away she gave up any hope for us and walked away."
"That's shitty Clarke. I'm sorry." Clarke shrugs and gives Raven a small smile. "Thanks. It worked out in the end. What else do you want to hear?"
"Lets play truth or truth since I'm not up for dares at the moment." Clarke chuckles and nods with Octavia before Raven asks her question.
"Who was your first kiss and how old were you?" Clarke chuckles and thinks back. "I'd have to say mine was when I was fourteen and I went to a small party and we played spin the bottle. It landed on Harper." Octavia and Raven gape at the blonde in utter disbelief and surprise.
"Oh my god!" Raven yells and starts laughing at the thought of the two having a really awkward kiss in front of a bunch of pubescent kids.
"That is…. I don't even know. Does she remember it?" Octavia asks and Clarke chuckles. "Oh she remembers. We just made a pact to never mention it ever again." Octavia laughs and shakes her head in amazement.
"Okay O your turn." Octavia gives Raven a look before sighing. "Mine was Jasper when we landed and it was a thank you kiss for pulling me out from the water before the snake got me. I was sixteen, still am." Clarke smiles at her and pats her on the shoulder.
"Okay my turn! Mine was when I was fifteen and it was Gina. We were always close in rank for top spot in mechanics and we were arguing over something stupid so I kissed her to shut her up, and it led to a make out session." Octavia nods her approval and Clarke fist bumps her.
"Good job Reyes. I remember her. She was really sweet." Raven gives a sad smile as she thinks of Gina's death. The pain in her back comes back as the distraction is gone and she grits her teeth in pain. Raven grunts and buries her face into Clarke's thigh before slowly relaxing. Clarke looks at her in concern but Raven raises her head and rolls over slowly as she stares at her leg in shock.
"Holy shit, I can feel my leg. Clarke this is amazing!" Raven quickly stands and carefully places weight on her left leg and scrunches her nose up at the feeling.
"Does it feel okay? Nothing hurts?" Clarke asks concerned and stands in front of the mechanic. Raven shakes her head in awe. "No its fine it just feels like it fell asleep. Its all tingly but its fading. This is incredible Clarke." Tears spill down Raven's cheeks and she pulls Clarke in for a bone crushing hug.
"Thank you Clarke. So much. You have no idea how much I love you right now." Clarke chuckles and sniffles a little. "I think I might have an idea." Octavia jumps off the bed and wraps her arms around the two.
"Group hug!" Clarke rolls her eyes and pulls back a little. "You're lame." Raven grins and pulls the two in for another bear hug. A few minutes later they pull back and Raven sits on the edge of the bed and takes off her brace.
"Man this is amazing." Raven says wistfully before she bounces up and grabs the two girls by the hands pulling them to the ground floor. Once outside Raven smiles at the two and bounces on her toes. "Race ya!" Clarke looks at Octavia and smirks before she takes off after the brunette leaving Octavia stunned before she can hear the warrior trying to catch up.
"Go to the night grove Reyes!" Clarke gets a thumbs up from the brunette in front of her and follows close behind at a steady pace until she sees the entrance. Smirking Clarke picks up her speed and zips past Raven just before the brunette reaches the entrance. Clarke laughs at the annoyance written across Raven's face before she sees Octavia gasping for breath and wincing as she comes to a stop in front of the two.
"Oh god. My legs are killing me." Clarke rolls her eyes and claps the girl on the back. "Suck it up Blake. This isn't even the worst of training." Octavia groans and follows Clarke into the grove with Raven beside her. Finding it empty Clarke pulls the two into the center of the grass area.
"Okay the Nightbloods won't be here for another hour so we are going to get Raven caught up to speed and Octavia I will teach you some new things before we practice sparring. Sound good?" Raven grins and salutes her.
"Sir yes sir." Clarke rolls her eyes and looks at Octavia who sighs and nods her agreement. "What she said." Clarke snorts and nods.
"Alright I will start with Raven. Octavia I want you to stretch out your sore muscles until I'm done with Raven's lessons." Octavia nods and moves to the side to give the pair room. Clarke studies Raven trying to come up with a starting point.
"Okay let's start with balance. You want to try the squats?" Raven grins and nods. "Hell ya. I got to show up Blake." Clarke chuckles and motions for Raven to get into position. Once she does Clarke walks around her and randomly pushes her. Raven almost holds on but her left leg gives out and she falls on her ass.
"Shit." Raven curses and does ten push ups before returning to her squat. Clarke does this ten more times but on the fifth one Raven stays up. Smiling Clarke continues and Raven never topples over.
"Nice work Reyes. You managed to surpass Octavia. Now since you have the hang of balance lets practice some hand to hand combat, pull your punches though." Raven sticks her tongue out at Octavia who rolls her eyes in annoyance.
"Whatever Reyes." Raven laughs and gets into a fighting stance in front of Clarke. Clarke examines her form and nods approvingly.
"Are you right handed?" Raven nods and Clarke purses her lips. "Alright we will do a few moves before practicing them left handed. It is good to be ambidextrous when fighting in case of injury to your dominate side." Raven nods and Clarke gets into her stance.
"Follow my moves. I will do one at a time before we put them together to make a combo. Now a right jab." Clarke throws her right arm straight out in front of her quickly with force before pulling it back into her body. Raven copies it and continues to do for the rest. Right Jab, left hook, right knee, left jab, left jab, and spin kick.
"Good. Now test them all together on me." Clarke motions at Raven to advance and Raven doesn't hesitate to do the routine and remembers to pull her punches as she goes. Jabbing right she hits Clarke's left cheek, then right with her hook and pulls Clarke closer using the blonde's shoulder as an anchor and rams her knee up into Clarke's stomach, before Clarke pushes her back so she can throw two more left jabs and finish with her spin kick that Clarke makes sure to put her arm up for so it doesn't make contact with her face.
"Nicely done Reyes. You just might be able to catch up to Octavia by the end of the month." Raven beams and looks over at Octavia with a smug smirk on her face.
"Hear that Blake? I'm already better than you." Octavia rolls her eyes and flips Raven the bird. "That's not what she said Reyes."
"It was close enough." Raven sasses back before turning to look at Clarke. "What next?" Clarke grins and the pair continue to go through more combat moves for twenty minutes before Clarke tells them to switch.
"Okay O. Your turn." After another half hour of learning new moves Octavia and Raven are now fighting Clarke together and losing. Clarke easily defends Octavia's swing and ducks under Raven's with ease before swiping her legs out from under her. Ducking Clarke watches as Octavia's sword swings above her head and turns to kick back with her left leg, striking Octavia in the thigh and slams the hilt of her sword into Octavia's wrist. The force sends the sword flying and Octavia rolls out of the way from Clarke's next strike. Hearing a rustle behind her Clarke spins and blocks the swing coming towards her ribs and places her other hand on the handle, using both hands to shove Raven back and kicking her sword out of her hand.
"Damn it Griffin, you're a beast. Like what the hell?" Raven gasps and shakes her head. Clarke grins when she hears Octavia trying to sneak up on her. Clarke squats causing Octavia to run into her and the blonde shoves the girl up and over her using the brunette's momentum, and watches as Octavia flips over, landing on her back with a thud.
"Nice try Blake but I still haven't taught you stealth. You gave away your location with your footsteps." Octavia groans and curls into a fetal position. Raven laughs at her misfortune before turning to find the nightbloods watching in amusement.
"Wow Blake not only did you embarrass yourself but you did it in front of children." Octavia groans even louder and kicks at Raven.
"Shut up Reyes. Leave me to wallow in my humiliation in peace." Raven laughs again before walking over to the kids. Clarke stares down at the brunette in amusement with her arms crossed as she waits for the girl to get up.
"Octavia get up or I will make you squat for your whole training session tomorrow." Octavia jumps up at the word squat and gives Clarke a glare.
"I hate you." Clarke smirks and motions to Raven. "You love me. Now go keep Raven company while Lexa and I teach the nightbloods." Octavia nods and walks over to stand next to Raven. Clarke walks over to the nightbloods and Lexa with a smile and catches Kali as she rushes her with smile.
"Hi Clarke!" Clarke laughs and kisses the girl's cheek. "Hello goufa. How are you? Are you ready to learn today?" Kali nods quickly with a smile.
"Yes! I want to learn that trick you did to Octavia. I want to flip people." Clarke chuckles and nods along. "You do? Well that is a bit advanced but I will help you in our spare time. How about that?" Kali grins and nods her head.
"Okay Clarke." Clarke hugs her once more before setting her on the ground again and leading her to the group that are stretching in the middle of the cove. "Okay go stretch we are going to begin in a few minutes". Kali nods and sprints over to Riker who is seven and starts following the moves that Aden and Mia are leading. Clarke smiles and walks over to Lexa who gives her a soft smile.
"Hello Clarke." Clarke smirks and bumps her shoulder against Lexa's. "Hello Heda." Lexa grins and faces the nightbloods with upturned lips.
"Good job with Octavia. And I have noticed Raven is not wearing her brace but is able to move freely. Why is that?" Lexa asks curiously and Clarke purses her lips. "I'm not sure if I broke a rule. I mean I hope I didn't but Wanheda told me it would work and she didn't tell me if it was against anything so-" Clarke is cut off by Lexa turning to face her with an amused expression as the blonde rambles.
"Clarke whatever it is I'm sure it is not major. Now tell me what happened." Clarke sighs and nods before she looks at Raven with a small grin. "I used my blood to heal Raven's leg." Lexa widens her eyes in surprise and Clarke winces thinking the worst.
"I should have thought of that before. I don't know why I didn't." Clarke looks surprised as Lexa gets a thoughtful expression a she watches Raven. "Wait so you're not mad?" Lexa chuckles and shakes her head.
"No Clarke I am not angry. Many nightbloods have given their blood to help heal their loved ones when it is critical like I did with you. It is up to the nightblood if they want to use their blood or not. Our people understand it is a gift that is not to be abused and if they are chosen the person usually pledges loyalty to that nightblood and vows to give their life for them. But many also choose to repay the nightblood by making a gift for them from their craft. It is not forced upon the person chosen to vow their life, but they can if they would like." Clarke sags in relief and smiles her thanks.
"Okay good. Just for the record I would give my life for you Heda." Clarke winks and starts to back away. "And there may just be a very pleasurable present in your near future." Clarke chuckles as Lexa's eyes darken slightly and her eyes widen a bit at what Clarke is insinuating. Lexa smirks and shakes her head at the blonde before following her to stand in front of the nightbloods. But not before grabbing the two staffs standing against a tree.
"Okay, Clarke and I will go through each move one at a time and you will follow each strike. Afterwards we will put them all together. Understood?"
"Sha Heda." The nightbloods echo and all line up in rows with the youngest at the front so they can see. Lexa nods and her and Clarke face each other and the nightbloods follow suit, facing their partner and wait until Clarke and Lexa begin. Twenty minutes later all of the children have practiced the full routine as Lexa and Clarke walk around to help. Lexa gives them a proud smile and clasps her hands in front of her.
"Very good. Now I hear that you would like to learn how to flip someone. And since you have stayed strong during the time I was away I think you should have a reward. So Clarke and I will demonstrate how to flip someone during combat. There are many different styles of flips but for today we will do one in hand to hand and another where your opponent is running at you." Kali lights up and smiles brightly at Clarke. Clarke grins and gives her a wink but the smile falls when she sees Lexa's smug grin.
"No." Clarke says and crosses her arms. Lexa rolls her eyes and faces the blonde. "Clarke." The brunette warns but the blonde shakes her head. "You do it." Lexa sighs and pinches her nose before giving Clarke a pleading look. Clarke clenches her jaw but gets an idea though she makes sure to keep her face neutral as she stares hard at Lexa.
"Alright. But you owe me." Lexa nods gratefully and walks a few steps away from the blonde and the two start to circle each other. Clarke decides not to go on the offensive, staying surprisingly patient making Lexa narrow her eyes.
"Clarke you are suppose to make the-" Clarke strikes lightning fast catching Lexa in the right cheek making her eyes widen but Clarke doesn't hesitate when she strikes again this time kicking the brunette in the chest making her stumble but snap out of her shock. Lexa glares and advances on the blonde jabbing her in the stomach but Clarke clenches her abs and elbows Lexa in the head only to get a kick in the thigh making her grit her teeth and duck Lexa's spin kick, bringing her hands up to block the follow through kick while she is in her crouching position. Springing up Clarke jumps over Lexa's sweep kick and hits Lexa's left side with a punch before grabbing Lexa's right arm under her elbow with her left in a strong grip, pulling Lexa up into her chest catching her off balance and bringing her right arm up and under Lexa's armpit while stepping back with her left foot, spinning around and bending her knees, as she bends forward, yanking Lexa over her shoulder. Clarke watches as the woman flies over and lands on her side with a thud. She quickly puts her knee on Lexa's ribs as she holds her arm bent at an awkward angle. Breathing hard Clarke smirks down at a stunned brunette before looking up to find the nightbloods along with Octavia and Raven looking at her in shock and awe.
"Holy sh-" Raven begins before Octavia swats her and motions to the children with a glare. "Sugar sticks." Octavia chuckles and Clarke grins before she stands and pulls Lexa to her feet.
"So that is flip one." Clarke says smoothly and pulls Lexa up. Looking up at her with mischief and smugness written on her face making the brunette shake her head but Clarke can see the smile threatening to break through and the adoration in her eyes. Kali looks at them in awe and bounces on her toes.
"Awesome!" Lexa and Clarke chuckle as Kali rushes up to them, grabbing their hands as she looks up with big bright eyes.
"Can we see the next one? Please?" Clarke runs her hand through the little girl's hair and nods her head. "Sure thing. Go stand in line." Kali grins and runs to stand back beside Riker. Clarke gives Lexa an apologetic smile and nudges her arm.
"You can flip me this time. I promise." Lexa grins and nods her head. "I appreciate it Clarke." Clarke winks and runs a few feet away so Lexa is now about twelve paces away from her. Lexa gives her a smile before she turns around so her back is to the blonde. Clarke breathes in deeply and lets it out before taking off at a silent sprint when she is directly behind Lexa the brunette spins and grabs Clarke, hooking her arm under Clarke's, grips the blonde's shoulder and pivot's so her back is in front of Clarke's chest and bends forward while pulling Clarke over her hip and slamming her to the ground. Clarke coughs and rolls on her side as the she tries to catch her breath that was knocked out of her.
"That is called a hip throw. The one Clarke used on me is a one arm shoulder throw. We don't have time today for you to learn but the next lesson we will begin here. Now Titus will be here to pick you up before the trial at noon. Good job today." Lexa nods to the children before they walk out single file to wait for Titus at the entrance. Clarke sighs and frowns as she remembers the trial is in an hour. Lexa gives her an understanding look as she brings her in for a tight and protective hug. Clarke sighs and lets her body mold into Lexa's as she buries her face into the brunette's shoulder soaking up her presence. Lexa lets her chin fall onto Clarke's shoulder and buries her hand into blonde locks as she gives Clarke the comfort she desperately needs in the moment.
Standing at a distance Raven and Octavia watch the couple's intimate moment before turning away to give them some privacy. "O are you okay?" Raven asks in concern after seeing Clarke's struggle, and knows this will hurt them all but Octavia the most. Octavia nods slowly as she tries to string her words together.
"I think I am. Part of me hates him for doing this to me and himself. Its because of his own actions that he is going to pay the price but at the same time Clarke and I are being dragged into it as well. I just can't help but think if he had been strong enough to see Pike for who he really is then he wouldn't be about to die and I wouldn't be losing my big brother." Octavia clenches her jaw as tears pool in her eyes and Raven can see her chin wobble slightly. Quickly the mechanic pulls the young warrior into her arms and hugs her tightly letting the girl break for a just a moment, letting her silently sob into Raven's jacket as she clenches the back of it in her fists. After a minute Octavia sniffles and pulls away reigning in her emotions. Raven nods to her and Octavia gives her a small grateful smile.
"Thanks Reyes." Raven squeezes her shoulder before looking behind Octavia to see Clarke struggling to control her tears that are trying to run down her face as she holds onto Lexa for dear life. Raven nudges Octavia and motions to Clarke and the two of them quickly make their way to the blonde. Hearing them approach Lexa looks up in pain and nods to them before slowly extracting herself from Clarke reluctantly and lets Octavia and Raven swarm the blonde, squishing her in between them. Clarke hiccups and wraps her arms around the two for a while before pulling back. Clearing her throat Clarke looks up at Octavia in trepidation and apology.
"Are you ready?" Octavia nods and breathes deeply. "Yes. Let's go get ready." Clarke nods and moves to take Lexa's hand, intertwining their fingers naturally as they make their way to the entrance of the grove. "Make sure to wear light armour like I did with Roan. It should be on your bed when you arrive. And this trial is different. You each will be able to choose three weapons of choice before entering the arena." Clarke nods and lets determination fill her body.
"Okay." Lea nods and turns to face Clarke before they exit. Slowly Lexa leans down and pulls Clarke into a firm kiss that Clarke immediately returns letting her body relax before Lexa pulls back and leans her forehead on Clarke's. Clarke uses her fingers to trace Lexa's features before looking up into forest green eyes full of love and pride.
"I have to go meet with the leaders of the Twelve Clans before the trial. Please be careful, and remember what I have taught you. I love you." Clarke smiles and pulls Lexa down for one more kiss filled with passion before pulling away.
"I will Lex. I love you too." Lexa's face lights up and she gives Clarke her real breathtaking smile that she reserves just for the blonde. Clarke smiles back before they pull apart and exit going their separate ways.
Clarke's stomach feels like there are wreaking balls trying to break through it and her heart thuds so hard she is pretty sure the crowd will be able to hear it when she enters. She is out of sight from everyone while she waits for Lexa's introduction and twirls her sword nervously as she paces. Her heart jumps into her throat as the crowd goes silent and she can just imagine Lexa standing with her hand raised and face expressionless. Octavia rounds the corner to find Clarke looking like she is going to pass out or puke, maybe both. Quickly she grabs the blonde and steadies her as she begins to sway.
"Whoa Clarke. Are you alright?" Clarke gets a panicked look on her face before she scrambles away from Octavia to empty the contents of her stomach. Octavia winces and quickly pulls her hair out of the way just as Raven rushes around with wide eyes.
"Shit Griffin. You alright?" Clarke gives her a thumbs up as she heaves again causing Raven and Octavia to get identical looks of disgust and worry on their faces.
"Fucking peachy." Clarke spits out and stands straight swallowing the gross taste in her mouth. "Atta girl. Come on Lexa is about to announce you." Clarke sighs and gives Raven a look before checking her sleeves for her blades, her hip for her dagger and she straps her sword to her back before taking a shaky breath.
"I can do this." Clarke says to herself before following Octavia and Raven out and around the corner with a look of determination and fury, highlighted by her new warpaint she chose earlier. She had dipped her four fingers in paint and swiped it down starting just above her eyebrow and down over her right eye and ended just past her cheekbone making it look like claw marks. She pulls her hood up as she hears Lexa say her name making the crowd cheer loudly that it was deafening and it made her heart pound harder with adrenaline. She prowls out from her hiding place and stalks into the ring with a straight back, high shoulder's and a confidence making her look intimidating and dangerous. The crowd gets louder when she reveals herself and she turns to face the panel up on stage, looking every leader in the eye until she gets to Roan who has Ontari at his side. When their eyes met they share a smirk and she can tell there is a bit of amusement on his face as he nods to her in respect. Clarke returns the nod before finally locking eyes with Lexa. The brunette is the image of power with her shoulders pulled back, warpaint on and a cool expression on her face but Clarke can tell she is restless and worried by the way her eyes bore into Clarke. Lexa nods to her and Clarke relaxes letting Lexa's calming presence settle her nervous stomach.
"Now it is time for Wanheda's opponent to enter. Bellamy Blake." Lexa turns to the left as Bellamy stalks out with anger rolling off him in waves and his face pulled up in a sneer as he stares at Clarke in murderous rage. The crowd yells in anger and Clarke can here some very vulgar language in the stands but she stares at Bellamy with a bored expression until she notices the weapon that is coiled in his hand. Quickly her eyes shoot up to find him standing a few meters away with a smug smirk and arrogance reeking off of him. Clarke sighs and knows this will be a painful experience. She ignores Bellamy and turns back to Lexa who is now taunt rage as she notices the weapon he has chosen. A coward's choice. Lexa clenches her jaw and looks at Clarke who has an annoyed and resigned look in her eyes but also determination and probably enough rage to take down a small army if necessary.
"People of the Twelve Clans we are here today to witness a duel to the death between Wanheda and Bellamy Blake due to a very cruel attack on Wanheda's life. Wanheda has chosen to fight for justice against the torture delivered by Skaikru, mainly Bellamy. This is a trial of combat. If Bellamy Blake is to win he will win his freedom from death but will be banished from our lands forever. If Wanheda is to win she will gain her revenge and justice. Each fighter has three weapons of choice to be used at any time during the trial. You may-" Bellamy doesn't wait for Lexa to finish before striking causing the crowd to gasp as he cracks the whip at Clarke who saw him move from the corner of her eye. She yanks her sword out of her sheath from her back and barely catches the whip in time. She yanks him towards her with a murderous glint in her eyes. Bellamy smirks before letting the whip sag and pulls it away quickly and pulls his arm back again making Clarke dive out of the way but not fast enough as the razor edge catches her calf causing her to growl and grit her teeth in pain. she has no time to move as the next strike hits her in her upper arm slicing through like butter.
Bellamy grins manically as he sees the blood flow from her arm though she can see the confusion as to why its black. Cursing herself for not remembering she ignores the shocked gasps from the crowd as they notice her blood. She charges forward with little thought and twirls bringing her sword down to swipe Bellamy's stomach, causing red blood to flow as he brings whip up towards her face but she brings her forearms up to take the blow. Ignoring the pain, she swings at the hand holding the whip and slices his wrist causing his grip to fumble but he holds on. Annoyed Clarke spins out of the way only to be sliced across the shoulder blades making her glare as she will now have even more scares back there.
"Come on Clarke, is that the best you can do? I thought you were the mighty Wanheda?" Bellamy sneers and taunts her but she blocks out his annoying voice to focus on how he holds himself while also dodging the whip. It catches her legs, stomach or arms every time she tries to roll out of the way and she is soon covered with thin cuts that are bleeding heavily. Breathing heavily Clarke shakes her head of the fog threatening to take over from the blood loss and watches as Bellamy brings the whip down again.
She rolls out of the way without getting hit and finds her opening as his hand falters due to the cut she had made and she rushes him before he has the chance to switch hands. She reached him in three steps and spins, kicking him in the left knee hard, causing it to pop and him to cry out in pain. Not stopping Clarke grabs the whip from his hand and chucks it as far as she can, before kicking him the chest, knocking him on his back. He is quick to his feet though and pulls the sword from his hip sheath bringing it down in an arc towards Clarke's head. Clarke easily parries the blow and goes on the offensive getting cuts in every other strike, making Bellamy even more enraged. He loses focus and she easily kicks the blade out of his hand, smashing the hilt of her sword across his face making him stumble. She crouches and does a leg sweep knocking Bellamy off his feet with ease before she tosses her sword aside. She quickly straddles him before she punches him in the face, left, right, left, right. She loses count of how many times she hits him as her head swims with the memories of her torture. Bellamy bucks her, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the side giving him time to get on top of her.
"Look familiar Clarke?" Clarke glares as his hands wrap around her throat but she easily elbows him in the temple and brings her knee up into his groin. "Feel familiar Blake?" Clarke shoves him off of her and he staggers to his feet giving Clarke the opportunity to sprint at him and before she reaches him she leaps into the air, bringing her feet and legs up to wrap around his neck, places her hands on top of his head in a tight grip as she bends backwards and twist, bringing him to the ground hard and violently. The crowd goes silent as no one has ever done that move before but also the sound their bodies make as they land. A crunch can be heard and Bellamy shouts as his left arm gets caught awkwardly under their combined weight. Pissed, Bellamy screams and shoves Clarke off of him and she can tell he is running on adrenaline and rage. He kicks her in the ribs twice before she can grab his leg and twist with all her might pulling him off balance as she stands. She lets go and aims a punch at his face that connects and is returned but she is able to block it and advances. She manages to get four more punches to connect with his face and a couple jabs in the kidneys before he yanks her forward and knees her in the stomach. Clarke clenches her abs in time so the damage is minimal but it gives her a good advantage as he aims another punch at her face. She grabs under his elbow tightly and yanks it up and towards her pulling him off balance, then brings her right arm up and under his armpit and steps back with her left foot, pivoting and bending over using her bent knees as leverage to pull him over her shoulder like she did with Lexa just over an hour ago. Bellamy lands in a heap and Clarke is quick to straddle him.
"You are done Blake." She slips her fingers in her sleeve just as pain pierces her side and she notices the tip of a blade enter her but her armour protects her from more harm. She yanks the blade out with ease and holds it to his throat.
"Any last words?" Bellamy smirks. "I'm going to haunt you forever. I will never forgive you Clarke Griffin." Clenching her jaw, she moves so the blade pricks his neck just below the ear like she did with Adam and she watches as the reality of the situation hits Bellamy as he sucks in a shaky breath.
"Wait. Tell Octavia I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt her. I love her." Clarke lets tears mist her eyes but she nods her promise. Slowly she sinks the blade into his neck and watches as the light slowly fades from his eyes.
"May we meet again." Bellamy lets out his final breath and Clarke stares into his glazed unseeing eyes as she stays on top of him, trying to get her emotions under control. Gasping Clarke swallows the lump in her throat and blinks away the tears before looking up at Lexa broken. Lexa stands and looks like she wants to rush over and hold Clarke but she can't. Clarke looks over to her right to find Raven and Octavia watching her in worry and Octavia sheds a tear as she looks at her now dead brother. Clarke clenches her jaw and squeezes her eyes tight as she shakes her head. She hurt Octavia again. Taking a deep shaky breath Clarke slowly lifts her hand to shut Bellamy's eyes and whispers.
"I'm sorry Bell." Clarke slowly moves to get up and reaches for her sword that is laying abandoned on the ground. Pain spreads everywhere as she finally comes down from her adrenaline rush. She looks down at her attire to find her pants cut up along with her long sleeve shirt underneath her armour. Every inch of her skin stings from where the whip sliced into her and she looks up to face the crowd that is now cheering even louder than before. Lexa notices the pain Clarke is in and quickly raises her hand and the crowd silences immediately.
"It is done. Wanheda has received her justice. The execution of Charles Pike will take place at sundown. No children under the age of fourteen is allowed to attend." With that Lexa nods to Clarke motions for her to take her leave which she does quickly, exiting the way she came in as the crowd praises her. When she reaches her hiding place she is starting to hyperventilate. Raven and Octavia are waiting for her when she rounds the corner and they immediately grab a hold of her. Not saying a word, the two friends help her get to the tower along with Lincoln, Ryder and Calum who flank the trio keeping them protected as the two practically carry Clarke. When they reach her room Clarke is shaking and pain enflames her whole body making the shaking unbearable.
Lincoln stays in the room while Ryder and Calum take their posts outside her room. Once they leave Clarke collapses with a heart wrenching sob making tears fall from Octavia and Raven's eyes as they hear the despair in Clarke's sobs. Octavia crouches down with Clarke and pulls her into her embrace and Raven follows taking her two best friends in her arms and lets them cry. A commotion at the door forces Raven to look up only for her eyes to widen at who is standing there. Clarke slowly looks up and shock crosses her face as she gets a good look.
"Mom?" Abby's eyes fill with tears and she quickly rushes to Clarke's side. Clarke trembles and reaches for her mother who brings her into the familiar loving embrace.
"Oh sweetie. I am so sorry. I know you aren't okay but we need to clean these cuts." Clarke nods and lets her mom pull her up to sit on the bed. Numb, Clarke stares blankly as her mother pulls everything out of her medical bag and soon Nyko comes in as well with many herbs. When her mother begins to clean the cuts on her arms that are not covered by her shirt Clarke watches in fascination as she doesn't feel the pain. Logically she knows she is going into shock but she can't help but be grateful for this certain side effect.
"What are you doing here mom? How did you get here?" Abby looks up at Clarke's confusion and caresses her daughter's cheek sweetly. "You didn't radio me when you arrived and I was worried so I radioed you but Raven answered. She told me about the trial. I took one of the rovers and brought Harper and Monty." Clarke nods slowly and looks back down at the cuts. She can feel Nyko behind her cutting away what Is left of her shirt to put salve on the cuts but everything else becomes background noise and all she can do is stare at the blood escaping from her body, in morbid fascination.
She's pretty sure her mother is still talking but its like she has cotton in her ears, until she feels a shift in the air and her skin sparks telling her that Lexa is in the room. Blinking in confusion Clarke's vision blurs before correcting itself and she finds her mother's worried face in front of her and Lexa's terrified one coming towards her. Clarke locks eyes with Lexa and she can feel her numbness start to dissipate and pain slips through her consciousness. Her skin burns and stings everywhere but when Lexa reaches her and places her hands on her face her touch soothes the pain. Sighing in relief Clarke leans into Lexa and lets her head fall to her shoulder as her mother and Nyko patch her up. Lexa whispers in her ear but she still isn't able to fully understand. After a few minutes the buzzing disappears along with her numbness and she can finally hear what Lexa is whispering.
"Clarke, come on love. Can you hear me?" Clarke nods and clutches Lexa's back with a white-knuckled grip. "Yes I can hear you." Clarke croaks and Lexa sighs in relief before kissing Clarke's head. "I'm so sorry hodnes. I wish I could take your pain." Clarke shakes her head. "You are." Lexa pulls back in confusion and Clarke looks up with a serious expression.
"As soon as you touched my face the pain faded." Surprised Lexa looks at her hands curiously and wants to see if it is really her doing but her urge to not cause Clarke anymore pain overrides that decision. Clarke can see her struggle and pulls Lexa's hands away from her body, letting them go. Pain slowly but surely begins to creep back in but Lexa quickly places her hands back on her body to sooth it. Clarke gives her a loving smile and kisses her delicately.
"I love you." Lexa's eyes brighten and she gives Clarke a smile. "I love you too." Everyone in the room can feel the charge between the two intensify along with the warm and fuzzy feeling in their chests. Clarke focuses on Lexa while her mother and Nyko finish bandaging her up. After a half hour they are done and Clarke finally looks away from Lexa to examine her body. Her whole torso is wrapped along with her arms and legs. The cuts weren't bad enough to need stitches but more towards causing the person to bleed out slowly. Clarke grits her teeth in annoyance but turns to Nyko and her mother.
"Thank you." Nyko gives a small nod and smiles a little. "You are welcome Clarke. I will be back to check on you in the morning." Clarke nods gratefully and gives a weak smile in return. Nyko leaves and Clarke looks around for some clothes. Raven walks over and hands her some loose pants and flowy shirt for her to put on. Clarke squeezes her arm in thanks and slowly gets dressed with the help of Lexa, who is still keeping one hand on Clarke at all times so she can relieve the pain. Once dressed Clarke sags back into the bed exhausted.
"I think I need to sleep for a bit before the execution." Lexa nods and gets into bed with her, still touching some part of the blonde's body. Abby nods and gently grabs Clarke's hand.
"Okay sweetie. Get some sleep, it will help speed up your healing. I will be with Raven or Octavia if you need anything." Clarke nods sleepily and squeezes her mother's hand.
"Okay mom. And I'm sorry for not radioing you, I didn't mean to forget. Everything was just crazy. I promise not to do that again." Abby nods understandingly and kisses Clarke's forehead. "I know Clarke. No worries, just make sure to remember next time so I don't have heart attack." Clarke gives her a gentle smile and nods.
"Yes mom." Abby smiles and nods to Lexa before leaving. Octavia looks at Clarke guiltily who is looking at her with the same expression. When the two realize it they let out a laugh. Clarke shakes her head and hold her hand out to Octavia.
"Come here O. You have nothing to feel guilty over, so please don't burden yourself with it." Octavia smiles sadly and nods. "As long as you do as well. I don't blame you for this Clarke and I never will. I am grateful you gave my brother mercy even if he didn't deserve it in the end." Clarke bites her lip and nods.
"He asked me to tell something. Would you like me to tell you now?" Octavia hesitates and pain fills her eyes but she nods in determination. "He said he's sorry and that he wanted to protect you, not hurt you. And he loves you." Tears fill Octavia's eyes and she nods quickly as she swallows hard.
"Thank you." Clarke bites her cheek with tears in her eyes and nods. "Of course. And its okay to cry for him O. he is still your brother. Or if you need to be angry then be angry. But don't let it consume you. Use your anger, sadness and frustration during training." Octavia nods and leans down to hug Clarke gently.
"Okay Clarke. Get some sleep and I will see you at sundown." Clarke nods and lets Octavia go only for Raven to take her place.
"I am glad you are okay Clarke. At least physically. Get some rest and I will see you in a few hours." Clarke nods and gives Raven a careful hug before she leaves. Sighing Clarke slumps back in the pillows before turning and burying her face into the crook of Lexa's neck. Lexa carefully rubs her hand up and down Clarke's back and rests her cheek on top of Clarke's head. She can feel the tears falling from Clarke's face hitting her neck but she doesn't comment and just holds her soulmate.
"I'm here Clarke. Always." Clarke lets out all of her hurt, anger, sadness and grief as she sobs into Lexa's neck and Lexa holds her the whole time quietly.
