That Day Has Come

by buffy46143

Clexa: The events of 3x07 (Thirteen) happen with a twist at the end. Clarke and Lexa must navigate their duty to their people as well as their potential relationship. In this story, I attempt to resolve what it appears will go unresolved on the show (their relationship) while also wrapping up the plots of season 3 in my own way.

11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

The drive back to Polis was much shorter than the solo ride had been. Abby had gotten Monty to drive the car since he was someone they could both trust. He got as close as he could, but Clarke had to walk the rest of the way once they'd gotten to the outskirts of the city.

She'd told Indra she was leaving and Octavia had chosen to remain behind with Lincoln, but she'd guessed Indra hadn't reported her return to Lexa since things were so chaotic and their reunion was the last of her concerns.

Clarke walked into the building and made her way toward Lexa's room first. The two guards in front of it knew her well and Lexa had basically given her a free pass to the building during her previous stay. Clarke opened the doors, but after a quick call of her name and a look around, she could see Lexa wasn't there. Night had fallen and the candles had been lit, but Lexa wasn't there.

"Heda?" She asked one of the guards when she left the room. He pointed down the hall and Clarke saw two more guards and knew where she was. She smiled shyly and walked toward her old room. The guards there opened the door for her and she was greeted by the flickering light again and a sleeping Commander in her old bed. Seeing her made her breathe deeply and smile, but it also made her realize how completely exhausted she was.

She made her way toward the bed and stripped off her shoes, pants and jacket, leaving herself in her t-shirt and underwear. She did so quietly as she watched Lexa lying there, sleeping peacefully on her side facing where Clarke would have been sleeping. When Clarke started to slide into the bed, the Commander in Lexa was alerted and her tired eyes shot open. It took her only a moment to recognize the intruder and watch as Clarke climbed into bed.

"Am I dreaming?" She asked.

"No." Clarke replied and wrapped her arm around the girl's waist pulling her toward her.

"You're back?"

"I told you I would be."

Lexa's arm wrapped around Clarke and she breathed her in.

"Tell me what happened."

"Shhh…" Clarke rubbed her back. "Tomorrow."

"But you're okay?" Lexa checked.

"I'm okay." Lexa's hand found itself under Clarke's shirt.

They both fell asleep wrapped up like that to the soft flickering light of a few lit candles and the breeze from the balcony overlooking Polis. They would worry about everything else in the morning.

Lexa woke to Clarke staring at her and she smiled and quickly rolled her face into her pillow. Clarke laughed at her.

"Are you shy this morning?"

With Lexa on her stomach, Clarke rubbed her back under her shirt and continued to smile at her.

"I thought I'd dreamt you coming back." She admitted mostly to the pillow.

"Well, you didn't. I'm here." She leaned over and after lifting Lexa's shirt, placed a kiss to her back. "We have a lot to talk about, I guess."

"We'll reconvene the ambassadors tomorrow. I'll introduce Skaikru as the newest member of the coalition."

"Again." Clarke added and Lexa rolled to face her. She placed her hand on Clarke's waist.

"Yes. We'll complete the ceremony so that it is binding when Kane can make it to Polis." She paused and looked at Clarke. "I assume you'll be staying on as their ambassador?" She asked, hopefully.

"For now."

"For now?" Lexa looked nervous.

"I was the ambassador because there was no one else. It made sense for me to be here since you and I…" She hesitated. "Work well together." She finished with a small smile. "But that position should be an elected one like Chancellor. Eventually, Skaikru should choose their ambassador."

"And what makes you think they won't choose you?"

"I don't plan on being an option." Clarke replied and ran her hand up and down Lexa's leg.

"You'd leave?" Lexa pulled her own hand back.

"No." Clarke answered quickly. "I'd stay." She lifted her eyebrows.

There was one of those intentional silences they'd gotten used to sharing.

"You'd stay?"

"Let's just get our people through the next battle and then we can talk about that more." Clarke didn't want to appear too hopeful at the thought of just being here and not having to bear the burden of the responsibility of her people. It was too far in the future. They had another enemy to conquer. "My mom will be here soon. She's going to examine you to see if she can take it out. If that's what you still want…"

Lexa nodded.

"When will she arrive?"

"I don't know. A few days maybe. She has to help finish getting Kane installed as Chancellor and I think she'll stay on as Vice Chancellor at least for now."

"How were you able to do it so quickly? Overthrow Pike?"

"I didn't." Clarke shocked her. "It was strange actually. My mom came up with the plan at first. Then, Kane figured out how to deal with the aftermath." Clarke rolled onto her back. "I was just there." Clarke pointed out. Lexa moved closer to her, but remained on her side holding her head up with her elbow and taking her free hand to Clarke's shirt to lift it slightly. "It's fine, Lexa. It's healed." She looked over at her and Lexa smiled. She'd been caught.

"Your medicine is remarkable." She ran her hand over Clarke's stomach. "Do you think your mother will be able to remove it safely?"

"I'm sure she can." Clarke comforted and placed her hand over Lexa's on her stomach.

Lexa stared down at her.

"Did it bother you that they were able to complete their task without you?" She asked and leaned over to kiss Clarke's shoulder.

Clarke thought about the question for several moments while Lexa looked at her.

"No." She shook her head and then looked over at her. "It didn't." She paused. "They've been taking care of themselves for a while without me. Pike was a mistake. I think most people there know that and things will calm down now that he's gone and Bellamy took the blame."

"What?" Lexa questioned.

"It's a long story. Can we finish it later?" Clarke rolled on her side facing away from Lexa. "I just need another hour or two. Do you need to go or can you stay?"

"I can stay."

Lexa scooted closer to her and wrapped her arm around the girl, placing her head in the crook of her neck. She felt Clarke fall asleep again quickly though she remained awake. This could be her life, she thought. Clarke in her arms. Peace for her people. The only thing she worried about was whether or not she could still lead her people if she had the most sacred object of her people removed.

"Ambassadors, the issues at Arkadia have been resolved. Marcus Kane, our friend and ally has been reinstated as Chancellor of Skaikru. As you know, the kill order was lifted, but the blockade remains in place for our protection while Skaikru continue to build their leadership. Klark kom Skaikru has returned to us as their ambassador." Lexa, standing in front of the room of sitting ambassadors, nodded toward Clarke. "Skaikru was instated as a member of the coalition and the ritual was completed prior to this dispute. Therefore, Skaikru is welcomed back into my coalition. We will hold a celebration soon, but for now, we will continue to attend to the business of peace among our people." She finished and sat in her chair.

"Heda, Skaikru is still in turmoil. Are we to let them back into the coalition so soon?" An ambassador asked.

"Kane was their leader before. He is not new to the task. Skaikru is in good hands." Lexa looked over to Clarke who was still standing in her usual spot. "Now, to the task at hand. I believe it is time that Skaikru had their rightful seat amongst you." Lexa motioned to a guard at the door who then opened it. Two guards walked in carrying a chair like that of the other ambassadors. It was walked past all of them and placed at the end on Lexa's right hand side. "Clarke?" She motioned for Clarke to sit.

Clarke started to walk toward the chair, but stopped in her tracks.

"Heda! This is unacceptable." Another ambassador spoke up and stood at the same time. "That seat is reserved for-"

"My second. Yes." Lexa finished for him. "Hod you rein daun." She instructed.

"Indra?" Clarke asked Lexa quietly.

"She doesn't even know our ways and you're giving her the position." He added.

"Shof op!" She ordered. "Clarke knows many of our ways. She knows not to interrupt the Commander when an order is being given." She glared at him and he sat down. "Clarke, Indra is my second in battle. The chair at the right hand of the Commander is reserved for their second in all things." She remarked and looked away from Clarke out to the rest of the ambassadors. "Clarke sits here because she shares my desire for peace among our people. She believes in the vision that we have the power to make a reality. She will help guide us to continued peace with Skaikru." She motioned to the chair. "Clarke?"

Clarke walked over and slowly sat in the chair next to questioning ambassadors.

"Heda, what of the Flamekeeper?" A third ambassador spoke up.

"Titus is no longer of our people."

"What of a new Flamekeeper? The teacher had students, Heda. Which will be chosen?" He asked.

"I will take time to consider my options before selecting a new Flamekeeper. We must be careful of Titus's students. It is possible he poisoned them against our plans for peace."

"And if he did?"
"Then, there will be no Flamekeeper." Lexa glared at him. There were loud grumbles. "We will discuss this no more."

Clarke walked into Lexa's room where she found the Commander changing into more comfortable clothes.

"Do you think that was the best idea?" Clarke asked her after closing the door to ensure the guards outside wouldn't hear her.

"Which part?" Lexa asked her.

Clarke walked up behind her and started untying the armor for her.

"The part where you gave me that chair. The part where you told them there might not be a Flamekeeper."

"You have earned that chair, Clarke and I cannot trust the students Titus taught to replace him one day. I have no way of knowing what they told him about you or about-"

"I know. I get it." Clarke finished untying it for her and Lexa slid it off her shoulders. "I'm just saying, it's a lot of change for them to take all at once. I thought we were going for a slower progression to give them time to-"

"I am tired of giving them time!" Lexa burst out and turned around. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be." Clarke replied. "You wouldn't apologize to any of them. Don't apologize to me."

Lexa looked at her and tilted her head.

"You know it's not the same thing."

"What we're doing here hasn't exactly happened before, Lexa. I'm an ambassador, but I'm also your-" She stopped herself when she realized they hadn't really labeled what they are to one another. "We're also you and I." She finished and watched Lexa try to figure out what she almost said. "We need some ground rules or something."

"Our relationship has never required rules, Clarke." She reached for Clarke's hips. "That's what makes it special." She reached up to Clarke's shoulders and pushed at the jacket she'd been wearing to meet the other ambassadors. "You've always challenged my decisions. I see no reason why that has to stop now. That's why I gave you the chair." Clarke took the jacket and tossed it on the bed. "It's not because of you and I in here. It's because of you and I out there."

"You don't want me to give up being the ambassador, do you?" Clarke guessed. "It's why you didn't tell me about this before we went in that room."

"It's your decision, Clarke. It doesn't matter what I think." Lexa answered her and walked toward her bathroom.

"That's not what I asked you." Clarke sat on the edge of Lexa's bed and waited a moment for her to return sans war paint.

"You already know what I think about you, Clarke." Lexa wiped her hands on a rag. "I think you are a leader to your people."

"So, you do want me to remain an ambassador?"

"I already told you. It's not my decision." Lexa walked back into the bathroom and came back out without the rag. She stood in front of Clarke.

"You don't want to leave all this behind one day?" Clarke checked. "The decisions, the pressure, the life and death of it all?"

"I am the Commander. I don't have that option."

"What about life being about more than just surviving? About hoping that one day we won't owe our people?"

Lexa sat next to her.

"I still want that. I believe that." She replied and took Clarke's hand. "But that doesn't mean I can give up my role in all this."

Clarke knew she was right and that she would never ask Lexa to give up that part of herself, but she couldn't help feeling selfish again and wishing it were possible.

"I know."

"Why do you think I'm pushing so hard for peace?" She asked the blonde to her right and brushed hair away from her face so she could see her more clearly. "I was trying before, but I am pushing now, Clarke. Don't you see?"

"Yes."

"It's because I want those things to happen in my lifetime. I don't just want peace to be my legacy. I want to experience it myself. I want to watch my people life freely without fear of war or death. I want them to be able to walk across any land without fear of reprisal or punishment. I want a new civilization. I want my own moments of peace and happiness even… with you." She finished and Clarke turned to her.

"And what if I'm by your side, but not an ambassador?" Clarke looked toward the wall instead of at Lexa.

Lexa turned her head toward her.

"You will still be the woman I love. You don't need to be ambassador to be a leader, Clarke. You were a leader long before you had a title. You've been a leader to your people since you were on the Ark."

Clarke smiled softly at her and nodded.

"Clarke, you there?" It was Abby's voice on the radio. Clarke had been carrying it with her pretty much all the time since she'd left.

"Hold on." She told Lexa and reached in her jacket pocket to pull it out. "Mom, I'm here. Lexa's with me."

"The funeral for Pike was today. People have mostly calmed down. Some still want war. Kane's working on it, but he's had to lock a few of them up."

"Should we be worried?" Clarke asked.

"No, I don't think so. They'll calm down. Emotions are running high right now. Bellamy's taken responsibility. He'll have a trial, but Kane said he'll go easy on him since it was an accident." She paused and Clarke looked at Lexa. She'd filled her in on the actual events the day before. "Listen honey, I can't get away right now. I know I said I'd examine Lexa, but things are crazy here. We've got people joining Jaha left and right and Kane needs me here to stabilize things."

"I understand." Clarke offered and looked at Lexa.

"What if I go there?" Lexa asked Clarke.

"You want to go to Arkadia?" Clarke asked her and then said into the radio, "Mom, hold on a second."

"It might be good. Let the people there know the alliance is solid. Skaikru is a part of the coalition and I can release the blockade when we depart. Your doctors can examine me in secret while I'm there."

"You really are pushing for change, aren't you?" Clarke posited.

"I'll have all the ambassadors come along. They should meet with the people they've been opposing. Do you think Kane would agree?"

"What about Alie? Jaha is there. People are under her influence. It might be a bad idea to have you in the same place until we can figure this out."

"Abby will remove it. I won't be in danger."

"Mom, we've got another idea." Clarke said into the radio and explained Lexa's position. Abby agreed to discuss it with Kane and return when she had a response.

Clarke set the radio on Lexa's table by the bed.

"Will you sleep with me again tonight?" Lexa asked her. They'd spent the first night after her return in Clarke's bed and the previous night, they'd moved to Lexa's room.

"There's no where I'd rather be."

A couple of hours later, they heard back from Abby while they lay tangled up in bed with clothing no longer separating them from one another. Kane agreed to the plan and they would leave the following day with the ambassadors to make the ride to Arkadia. Clarke fell asleep after, but woke to a missing Lexa not long after that and shifted to see her standing in front of her window with only a sheet wrapped around her.

"Lexa?" Clarke asked while wiping her eyes.

Lexa turned around.
"Sorry, go back to sleep." She turned only her head.

Clarke didn't listen though and climbed out of bed. She stood naked behind Lexa who felt her approach and released the sheet around her so Clarke could take it and instead wrap it around both of them while she hugged her from behind.

"What's wrong?" Clarke asked as she kissed her shoulder and rested her chin there after.

"Nothing."

Clarke followed Lexa's stare out at a sleeping Polis. Random torches were still lit and there were a few stragglers walking the streets of the marketplace.

"I think we should try something new." She finally spoke.

Lexa looked over her shoulder and lifted an eyebrow.

"Not like that." Clarke smirked at her. "We don't need to try anything new there." She shared and kissed Lexa's lips while holding her closer. "We've always danced around what we wanted to say to one another. It was right there just below the surface, but we wouldn't say it out loud."

"Mm." Lexa agreed.

"Let's actually say it for once." She pecked her shoulder. "Tell me what you're thinking. All of it."

"I don't want to worry you."

"Fine. I'll start." Clarke compromised and rested her chin back on her shoulder. "I've never really been in a real relationship before." She confessed. "There was Finn, but that was… It wasn't the same. It wasn't even a relationship." She paused when she felt Lexa tense up at Finn's name. "This is though, Lexa. This is real. This is the most real thing I have." She felt her relax. "I want to share your worries. That's how this works between us. We've always shared the worries of our people, but we rarely share what we worry about as just Clarke and Lexa." She pressed her lips to her earlobe. "Please tell me what you're worried about."

"Am I a good Commander?" Lexa uttered barely above a whisper.
"What?" Clarke wasn't expecting that.

"You asked what I was worried about."

"Is this about this?" Clarke moved Lexa's hair and kissed the tattoo and scar on her neck.

"What if it is what makes me Commander? With it removed, I am no longer the same?"

"I don't think that will happen. You are in control of your actions, Lexa. Your actions have made you Commander." Clarke paused. "Do you want to reconsider removing it?" She worried.

Lexa turned her head slightly back toward her.

"No, now that I know it is not what I was taught, I want it out. It's just-" She stopped herself and turned her body all the way in Clarke's arms. She placed her arms around Clarke's neck and Clarke's remained around her waist. The sheet clung to them, but neither of them were making any effort to hold it in place. "What I'm really worried about isn't whether or not I'll be the same Commander." She looked away from Clarke's eyes. "I'm worried I won't be the same me. I'm worried that it will change me so much, you…"

Clarke's eyes got big. Lexa hugged her close and Clarke held onto her tight.

"After everything we've been through, do you really think I can ever not love you?" It was all Clarke could say in response. She held her there in that spot as the sheet fell to the floor and they stood fully bare against one another for possibly the first time.

The following day, they were well on their way to Arkadia. They rode amongst their party mostly in silence. They exchanged occasional glances and smiles at one another, but knew they couldn't speak too freely since there was a group of anxious ambassadors and guards around them.

They were about half way there when Clarke heard a sound from Lexa and she looked over to see her clutching at the back of her neck.

"Lexa?"

Before anything could be done, Lexa's eyes closed and her body flew off of her horse and hit the ground hard.

"Heda!"

"Lexa!" Clarke yelled and jumped off her horse; wasting no time with tying it up. Guards rushed to Lexa's side. Her eyes were still closed, but they appeared to be moving beneath the lids. "Lexa!" Clarke tried to get her to open her eyes.

"We must move her. We're in the open." One of the guards announced.

"No, hold on. We don't know what's wrong. She fell. We need to make sure she-"

"You are not in charge here, Skaikru." One of the ambassadors asserted.

Clarke stood and ran toward the man who was preventing her from taking care of Lexa.

"She made me her second. That makes me the one in charge right now." She stared him down for only a moment before she returned to Lexa's side. "We need to make sure we move her carefully."

"Set up camp. We'll remain here until Heda can be moved." One of the ambassadors issued. People began moving around them, but Clarke remained by Lexa's side. She held her hand and watched her restless eyes move quickly.

"Stay with me, please." She said to the girl on the ground.
It didn't take long for a temporary tent to be setup where they could move Lexa. Clarke did the best she could to assess her and couldn't see any obvious injuries so she allowed them to carefully lift her and move her to the tent where she could lie down out of the sun and away from all the prying eyes.

"Ambassador, what would you like us to do?" One of the other ambassadors asked Clarke.

"Send a rider to go on to Arkadia. I'll stay with the Commander. Bring Abby back. Indra knows who she is. Tell her Lexa needs her now and she should bring her supplies." She was able to get out before he nodded and left them alone in the tent. There were 4 guards stationed around the tent for their protection and the rest of the ambassadors and the party remained outside. She could hear them talking. Some of them appeared to be genuinely worried about Lexa while some others continued to talk about how her new policies were not their way.

Clarke rolled her eyes, but renewed her focus on Lexa by undoing her armor and making her as comfortable as she could. She couldn't do anything else and it was killing her. All she could do was watch over her and wait. An hour into her wait, she felt Lexa take her hand and watched her eyes shoot open. She sat up almost immediately after and stared straight ahead.

"Lexa!"

"It knows I'm coming." She said after a moment.

Clarke put her hand on her back.

"Who knows? Lexa, lie back. You fell from your horse. We need to make sure you're okay before you start moving."

"I'm fine." She turned to look to Clarke. "Alie knows I'm coming. She's trying to connect with me. I can feel her."

"You can feel her?"

"She wants to destroy it. She's trying to do it now. It's like they're fighting one another. I can feel them both."

"Lie down for me, okay?"

Lexa did as she was told.

"I want it out, Clarke." She told her. "Now."

"My mom will be here soon. She-"

"I can't wait. It's like lightning." She closed her eyes and Clarke saw them move quickly again before she had to force them open. "We have to do it now or…" She closed her eyes again and her head fell to the side.

"Lexa? Lexa!" Clarke turned her face back toward her. She felt for a pulse. She was still alive. She considered her options and realized she had none. She ran outside the tent. "I need a knife now!" She yelled. The guards and ambassadors were confused. "Now! She repeated. A guard handed her a small knife. She didn't have time to sterilize it. They'd have to build a fire for that and Clarke had no idea what was going on inside Lexa's head. She ran back into the tent and the guard followed behind her. "Help me roll her over."

"Wanheda-"

"Just do it!" Clarke ordered and the guard helped her turn Lexa's body over. "Gon we!" She ordered him to leave. She knew Lexa wouldn't want him to see what was about to happen. He reluctantly nodded and did as she told. "Get it together, Clarke." She held the small knife to Lexa's skin. "Please…" She didn't know who she was talking too or what she was asking for really. She pressed the knife to Lexa's skin hoping she wouldn't feel it and pulled it downward until black blood started to trickle out. She held the knife in her hand unsure of what to do next other than wait. "Come on, Titus. Be right about this." She encouraged the air and stared at the blood as it continued to vacate its previous position. Just as she was about to give up and try to figure out her next step, something began to move inside Lexa's neck. Clarke watched the object remove itself just as Titus had said it would. She waited until it appeared to be done and she touched it lightly while trying to examine it closely. When nothing happened, she pulled until she saw tentacles emerge from Lexa's body. She had no idea what to do. She knew she would do more damage to the girl, but Lexa was unconscious and had warned her. Clarke had no choice. She pulled more until the tentacles were detached fully from Lexa's body and the blood began to pool in her wound. She sat the AI and the knife down and pressed her hand tightly against Lexa's neck. She tore at her shirt with her free hand and a piece from the bottom came off. She folded it with one hand and then lifted her other and pressed it to the wound and held it there. There was nothing more to do now, but wait. Wait and stare at the unconscious girl and the machine that nearly killed her as it rested next to her.