After Clarke filled them in, Regina and Emma stared at her.
"So you have to cut her open?" Emma asked.
"Possibly-or maybe just place it on her neck- to reinsert the Flame," Clarke motioned to the tin box Henry was clutching to his chest as a frozen Octavia was positioned protectively in front of him. Wordlessly, Regina reached over and placed a hand on Lexa's shoulder.
"What's going on?" Lexa asked. She looked at Regina and Emma's linked hands. "This is more magic, isn't it?"
"Yes it is," Regina nodded.
"We need to reinstate you as commander," Clarke told her hurriedly. "Once the Flame is back inside you, you must find a kill switch for an Artificial Intelligent being called A.L.I.E in the City of Light."
"I heard the whispers of her name before," Lexa murmured. "Becca warned of a great dissent." Lexa looked back up at the other three. "Let's do this." Clarke nodded and started to pull away before Emma stopped her.
"Maybe you two should stay here so there's only two of us trying to navigate through all of these people," Emma suggested.
"You'll most likely go back to being frozen," Regina informed them. The two nodded, grabbing each other's hand.
"We're ready," Lexa said. Emma and Regina let go of their respective person and, like Regina predicted, they refroze.
"This magic hold we've got going on is pretty draining," Emma told Regina.
"It is, but it's necessary to keep it up, otherwise we won't have a chance of getting out alive," Regina replied.
The two women weaved, and bobbed around members of Skikru to reach their son. They both reached out and touched him as they finally got to him.
"Moms!" he exclaimed. "What- oh. Combined magic." A grin spread over his face. "What's the plan?"
"We need the Flame," Regina explained.
"Clarke's about to cut up her True Love to get it back into her neck," Emma said.
"Must you be so crass?" Regina asked. Emma shrugged. "Besides, Clarke said she may not have to cut at all and merely place the Flame on the back of Lexa's neck." Henry uncurled his arm from his chest and held out the tin.
"Do what you do best," he told them.
"And what's that, Henry?" Regina asked, taking it from him.
"Save the world," he replied, smiling. Regina kissed the top of his head and Emma ruffled his hair before they let go and returned back to Clarke and Lexa.
"We have retrieved it," Regina informed them, handing the tin box to Clarke.
"I know I can't do the ritual, but I am a certified Fleimkeepa," Clarke told Lexa.
"It's alright," Lexa reassured her, "desperate times are upon us." Clarke opened the box and removed the chip. Both Emma and Regina stared at it in fascination as Clarke held it to the back of Lexa's neck. The chip's thin spindles reached out and twisted into Lexa's skin, piecing the flesh where her infinity tattoo rested. Lexa stretched her neck and squared her shoulders.
"I have to meditate to enter the City of Light," she told them.
"We'll be here," Clarke told her, kissing her cheek. Lexa settled onto the deck-Regina's hand resting on the top of her head-and began to meditate, searching for A.L.I.E.'s kill switch.
Clarke looked up and watched as Emma's breathing became heavy with exertion and Regina's face pinched, slightly.
"Are you two okay?" she asked in concern.
"You're new to magic, but let me tell you, it's a lot of effort," Emma told her. Emma shifted her gaze, "Regina... I don't know... how much longer I can keep this up." Regina rested her slightly sweaty forehead on Emma's.
"I know, but we have to try," Regina gritted out. Emma started to tremble with the toll that the magic was taking on them and dropped Regina's hand. Like a lifted fog, everyone was back in motion.
"Fuck," Clarke muttered. "We have to keep Lexa safe!" Emma and Regina both leapt back into defensive positions, surrounding Lexa. Emma glanced over and saw Gold and Belle fighting back to back, Belle fighting with impressive accuracy. However, the glance cost Emma a small lack of concentration, causing a Skikru member to have the opportunity to slash her on the side. Emma cursed, fighting the Skikru member with increased vigor.
"Come on, Lexa," Regina whispered urgently. Another Skikru member nicked Clarke just below her left eye. Then suddenly, everything was still. Lexa opened her eyes and calmly stood.
"A.L.I.E. is gone," she announced quietly. The members of Skikru all looked around at each other in bewilderment.
"You did it," Clarke said, sweeping Lexa up in a tight hug. She pulled back just enough to take Lexa's face into her hands and kiss her furiously. "I thought I'd never see you again." Lexa rested her forehead on Clarke's.
"I won't ever stop fighting for our someday," Lexa whispered before kissing Clarke again.
Emma turned-feeling like she was intruding in a private moment-just in time for a worried Regina to take hold of her arms.
"Are you hurt badly?" she asked urgently. "I saw that man cut you and-"
"It's okay, Regina," Emma assured her, "I'll be okay. It's not too deep." Regina let out a deep breath before launching into Emma's arms, her own arms firmly latched around Emma's neck. The hug was quickly joined by Henry.
"Oh goodness," Regina exclaimed, "thank the gods you're alright."
"Octavia kept me safe," Henry told them. "She's an amazing warrior." He looked over and smiled at her. She smiled back and gave him a slight nod.
"She's one hell of a little sister, too," Bellamy said. "Thank you. For saving us. I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but we couldn't have done this without your help."
"We're just lucky A.L.I.E. didn't have all of Skikru yet," Lexa said. "She could've caused more chaos." There was a moment of silence from the group while Skikru continued to gather its bearings.
"So I guess this is it, huh?" Henry said. "Time so say goodbye?"
"I'm afraid so," Lexa agreed. She then turned to Regina, "may I speak with you before your departure?"
"Of course," Regina said. The two walked away from the group and toward the bow of the ship.
"I sense you know why I brought you over here," Lexa stated.
"I have a vague idea," Regina confessed.
"I saw the way you reacted to Emma's injury," Lexa said.
"Yes, I know we discussed that I may have feelings for her, but-"
"What you did not see was the way she reacted to your reaction," Lexa finished. Regina stared at Lexa. unsure of how to continue. "What I'm saying, Regina, is that you need to be brave. Do not simply take what you want, but be brave enough to ask if it's what she wants too. You owe yourself that." Regina smiled, touched that Lexa would offer her such advice.
"What made you so wise?" Regina chuckled. "You can't be more than twenty or so." Lexa gave her a faint smile.
"A lifetime of experience," she replied. Regina nodded slowly, sensing that Lexa's past held some of the darkness that her own did.
Just two more chapters! Let me know what you think!