A/N: Hi guys! I'm back! I'm so sorry for the long wait, but the days during and leading up to my exchange were superrrrr busy, and this is really the first chance I've had to write. In the meanwhile, the new episodes of the 100 are still sucking majorly. I wish they'd just bring Lexa back :(. Anyways, here's a bright and shiny new chapter. While I was writing I spent a lot of time listening to Lover, Please Stay by Nothing But Thieves. It really made me think of Clarke and Lexa and I'd definitely recommend it!

More notes at the end of the chapter, but please enjoy!

•••

Three days after they had arrived in TonDC, Clarke sat at Lexa's bedside, stroking her forehead and whispering softly to her, even as Lexa struggled to control the pain that was overloading her senses. Ever since her fever had broken, she had been racked by horrible coughing fits, which ripped through her bullet wound like it was new. Clarke knew because she was the one who had held the Commander as tears leaked out of her hazy eyes, even though she was so weak she couldn't blink them away.

So Clarke did it for her. Somewhere along in this process of Lexa being shot, the sky girl had become used to helping her, used to taking care of even her most intimate needs. It had gotten to the point where Clarke felt like nothing could faze her anymore, although she was sure that if Lexa was more than semiconscious, she would have put in her two cents about how a commander always needed to be prepared to lead her troops to battle.

At the moment, Lexa's personal battle seemed much more important.

"I can take over, if you need rest." Kirie appeared, ghostlike, at Clarke's left shoulder, identifiable by her strong Trigeda accent.

"No."

Kirie placed a delicate hand on Clarke's shoulder, and just stood beside her. She had refused to leave Lexa's side since she had arrived, so Kirie was doing her best to alleviate her burden in the only other way she knew: silent companionship.

They stayed that way for several hours, one taking care of the woman she loved, the other holding vigil for a woman she respected more than any other. At Clarke's request, Kirie had lit candles around Lexa's bed, knowing that it would help the Commander to wake surrounded by the familiar glow she so loved. She had also noticed that Clarke had placed dried lavender sprigs around Lexa's pillows, and she wondered if there was a story behind it. However, this was not the time to ask. The Commander's fever had broken last night, and Kirie knew that if she was ever going to regain her senses fully, it should be happening soon now, or not at all. And there was nothing they could do but wait.

•••

Athene rode hard on the dirt road towards Polis, her heart pounding in her chest like a bird trapped in a cage. Her horse slid and skidded in the treacherous mud created by the storm she had ridden here in, but she did not care. Her cause was too great to be abandoned.

She had regained her senses yesterday to Kirie, the beautiful green eyed healer, wringing her hands nervously and looking like she was the bearer of terrible news. The first thought that had jumped into Athene's head like an unwelcome ambush was that Lexa must have died. But no, the news was far, far worse than that. And now only she, a woman too blinded with love for her commander to create her own path, had to stop the path of fate.

It made Athene feel like jumping off her horse and lying in the muddy ditch for the rest of her life. But this was far to important to allow her personal inhibitions get in the way of doing what was right. This could be a matter of life and death for not only the Commander, but all of Skaikru.

•••

The pinkish hue of evening was coming on when Lexa first began to wake. Clarke, who had been gently stroking her hand, almost jumped out of her chair when she felt a weak grip, so shaky it was barely there, close around her palm.

"Lexa?" She breathed, hardly daring to hope, "Open your eyes, please."

For a few moments there was no reaction to Clarke's murmured pleas, and then Lexa's pale brow furrowed in a way that made Clarke's heart melt. A few seconds later, shaky eyelids opened to reveal beautiful, if horribly unfocused, green eyes.

"Here, just look at me." Clarke soothed, knowing that it was extremely nauseating to wake up and not be able to focus on anything.

Lexa's hand began shaking in hers and she had clenched her eyes shut as much as she could in her weakened state. Clarke rubbed her back gently, waiting for the nausea to be over. When Lexa no longer looked like someone had hit her with a freight train, Clarke laid her back down.

"How does your throat feel?" She asked worriedly, all that coughing could not have been good on Lexa's already strained vocal chords.

Lexa opened her mouth to reply, and after a few raspy squeaking noises which made Clarke want to turn away, she found her voice.

"I'm...fine." She managed to gasp, eyes falling shut with the effort.

"I can see that." Clarke snorted, and Lexa batted at her hand weakly.

"Let me...sleep."

Ever so gently, Clarke allowed her hand to stroke through Lexa's unkempt, sweaty hair, murmuring nonsense to her until her body finally went slack.

•••

When Athene pulled her sweaty horse to a jolting stop at the gates of Polis, the sight that met her eyes sent shivers of horror down her spine.

The gate, which was usually clean and dark, had been gruesomely painted in the spiky Azgedasleng script, followed by the symbols Athene knew were carved into Ontari's high cheekbones.

Time was running out.

•••

A/N: A short one, I know, but it's taken me days to get even this together, what with all the craziness in my life recently. Next chapter, I PROMISE we will get to the lavender fields. I wanted to give it's own chapter because it's a really big moment in their relationship. Also, what do you think Athene could be up to in Polis? Something not so good has spring up in Lexa absence...oh dear.

I was locked out of my old tumblr because I am a notoriously forgetful person. So please be sure to follow my new one, it's evoc-atio. Feel free to drop me a line anytime.

Next update in a week, probably.

All my love,

A&E