A/N Here's a surprise early chapter! It features a character that was only mentioned never explored on the show. Don't worry-this character is no threat to Clexa :)

Chapter 11: An old friend

One week later…

My knuckles were white from gripping the store buggy as hard as I could. Jake was running late in work, some big project he had to oversee after hours. He gave me a list and asked me to pick up some groceries at the supermarket. Knowing that I wouldn't take the bus and not wanting me to try to carry bags of groceries home, not even the damn reusable ones which were so much durable easier to carry then the stupid plastic ones which always ripped, he bought me this stupid red wagon. I stared at the list, concentrating on the words. I had greatly improved with my reading skills, but his writing, though near and carefully written, was more difficult to read then the typed words on paper.

"Hey, you need some help there?" a voice, which was so familiar though I couldn't put a finger on it, asked me. "You a transitioned?" I nodded, not looking at the owner of the voice. A hand snatched the paper from me. "Milk-skim, pink lid; dozen eggs-make sure they aren't cracked; hamburgers-store brand, quarter pounders; buns-white or whole wheat, your choice; soda-crush orange for me, your choice for yours. Easy enough, huh?" I nodded. "Grip that carriage harder an those knuckles are gonna break through your skin and you'll need surgery or something." I pulled my hand away from the buggy like it was on fire. "Not true, but got you to let go."

I turned to see a cocky smile, with the deep blue eyes of the girl lit up. Her pale blonde hair was pulled into a tight braid. "Kos?"

"Oh my God! Lexa!" she hugged me tightly, right in the middle of the supermarket. "You died? When?"

"A little over a month ago. Titus shot me."

"What?" she screeched a little too loudly. People looked at us, but walked on when they saw we were just two teenage girls.

"Shh, Costia! But that's the last of my worries."

"What do you mean, Lex?"

"Help me find everything on this damn list and I'll tell you."

She nodded and we wheeled out buggies side by side through the store, collecting items. "I was in the main place, the control center or whatever it is where Anya works. I was visiting her. I wandered off on my own when she got a phone call and I wandered around and got lost but found a door where Mr. Larkin was in."

"That's the guy in charge, right?" I nodded. "He gives me the heebie jeebies." I gave her a weird look. "I get a bad feeling from him."

"He was talking about the phantom world and talking about killing everyone."

"What?!"

"He wants to make it go radioactive in a month's time. And, Costia I can't…I can't just sit by and let it happen! Clarke will die!"

"Clarke? Is she..." she cleared her throat nervously. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"I hodnes em, Kostia." I whispered. "I love her more than anything."

"I have a good friend, he's a computer hacker. If we can break in…"

"Wait? Isn't that illegal?"

"So is drinking alcohol at nineteen, but I do it anyways. Do you want your girl alive or not?"

I nodded as we headed to check out. I fiddled with Jake's card nervously.

"Do you know where the park on Franklin Street is?"

I nodded tensely. "Meet us there, ten p.m. and don't be late."

And then she left.

At quarter to ten, I quietly changed into dark jeans and a black t-shirt. I quietly tip-toed down the stairs, careful not to wake Jake who went to bed an hour ago since he has work early in the morning. I zipped up a black hoodie and pulled my boots on. I left the house, shutting the door as quietly as I could and locking it before breaking into a sprint, running for three of the seven blocks before I grew too tired and resorted to walking. Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the park.

"You're late," a voice I didn't recognize said in an ice cold voice.

I checked my phone. "It's 10:02."

"Still late."

"Give her a break, Ian," Costia hissed

He sighed and stormed off. Costia grabbed my wrist and pulled me along. "Let's do this!"