As always, Lexa wakes up before Clarke, still in her girlfriend's arms. She lies there for a few more minutes, hoping she will eventually drift back to sleep, but it doesn't happen. She yawns, and untangles herself from Clarke's arms and legs. She stretching her sore body, deciding to go to the nearest bakery, to get Clarke's favorite muffins. She gets up and quickly puts her clothes on, trying to be as quiet as possible.
She's about to leave when she hears a mumble: "Lexa?"
Lexa smiles softly at the other girl and comes closer to the blonde. She presses a light kiss to Clarke's forehead.
"Sleep, it's early."
"Come back, I'm cold," Clarke complains, her eyes still closed.
Lexa takes a blanket from the old chair next to her bed and covers her girlfriend with it.
"I'll be back soon," Lexa says and quietly leaves the room.
Clarke is back asleep before Lexa gets to close the door.
Probably the only good thing about getting up at 7 am is being able to go get still warm muffins, before the rest of the town wakes up and rushes to the bakery next to Lexa's home. When she gets there, the place is almost empty, so it takes her less than 5 minutes to get what she wants.
She quickly leaves the bakery, hoping to get back home before Clarke wakes up, but she hears a familiar voice.
"Lexa, I was looking for you."
"Fuck," Lexa mutters, and turns around to face Echo. Judging by Echo's expression and the fact that Echo's "friends" are with her, Lexa's in trouble. "What do you want?"
"I just wanna talk," Echo explains, coolly. "Come on, we have a lot to discuss." She motions to an empty looking alley.
If Lexa wasn't so nervous, she would laugh. Isn't it cliché? She's about to get her ass kicked by some gang members (if you can even call them that) in a dark valley, just like in the movies.
She considers simply escaping for a moment. She studies the men for a minute – she doesn't recognize either of them. One of them is much taller than the other, but they're not very tall or muscular. Lexa isn't stupid, and she knows, that just because they're not muscular, doesn't mean they're not strong. Echo wouldn't take with her people that can't protect her. Running would probably only makes things worse for her.
Echo must know what she is thinking about, because she smirks. "Don't even think about it."
Lexa sighs, and starts walking towards the alley, without checking if Echo is following her. Lexa knows she is. She stops in the in the middle, mentally scolding herself for thinking going to the bakery so early, when the streets are still empty, would be a good idea. She doesn't turn around, instead Echo walks past her, so Lexa is standing between Echo and the two men.
"Do you know what rumor I heard the other day?" Echo asks.
"No, you know I hate rumors," Lexa says, trying to sound as calm as possible, even though her heart is beating so fast, it feels like she's about to pass out.
"Let me tell you about it then," Echo says, taking a step forward. "Apparently, someone's writing some article about me working with Murphy. Do you know how many people know about it?"
Lexa shakes her head.
"Murphy, Gustus, you, and I. It couldn't be Gustus, because he's still in jail, it most definitely wasn't Murphy, and I don't recall talking to any journalists about it. There's only you."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I've never thought you'd be stupid enough to do something like this," Echo says, calmly.
Echo waits for Lexa to answer, but nothing comes out of her mouth. Lexa knows there's no point in lying any longer, Echo knows very well it was her.
"I know why you're doing this," Echo says and Lexa frowns. "I know it's because of Gustus. I get why you're mad." Echo lowers her voice and takes another step forward. "So tell me the name of that journalist, and I won't hurt you." Another step. "I'll let you go, just tell me the name."
"I don't know his name," Lexa lies. She can hear the men behind her move closer to her as well.
"You just started getting better. Do you really wanna ruin this for a guy you don't even know?" Echo tries again, softening her voice.
Lexa stays silent, analyzing carefully the situation she is in. What will happen if Echo doesn't get the answer? Lexa will probably get killed by Echo, but she doesn't want to think about it yet. Bellamy and Costia will be safe. But what if Echo decides to let her live, and use one of the people she loves to get to Bellamy? Lincoln will most definitely be safe too, because Lexa has never told Echo about having a brother. Her mother might be in danger, but she doubts Echo will harm her mother in anyway – she thinks Lexa and Anya hate each other.
And then there's Clarke. Does Echo know about Clarke? And if she does, then how? She didn't mention Clarke in that club that night. Clarke and Lexa don't go out together often enough for Echo to see them – except for their date the night before. Could she see Clarke come out of the restroom-
Emerson's article.
Lexa's eyes widen in panic. What if Echo saw the article?
When Lexa doesn't answer again, Echo sighs, and simply glances at one of the men. He grabs Lexa's arm, forcefully turns her around. His fist connects with Lexa's jaw, making her lose her balance and fall.
"This is gonna look really bad later," Echo comments. "What about that name?"
Lexa takes a deep breath. "I don't know him."
Echo sighs again. "I'm gonna find out anyways, Lexa. Just give me the name."
"I told you." She tries to get up, but the taller man kicks her in her ribs, making her fall again. He repeats it a few times, until she's struggling to catch her breath.
"It's your last chance, Lexa. Who's that journalist?" Echo asks, looking down at her.
Lexa just shakes her head again. There's a part of her that knows that this is the right thing to do – after all, it was her idea to write this article, she's the one that put Bellamy's, and then Costia's, life in danger. She's the only person that could tell Echo who the mysterious journalist is. He would actually be safer with Lexa dead than with Lexa alive.
But there's that other part of Lexa's heart that tells the other one to shut up. That doesn't want to give up, to lose everything she has now. She doesn't want to die, now that she finally started to live. If this had happened a few months back, she would have not been against her own death, damn, she would have been grateful for that, but things were different back then. Lexa had nothing and nobody, her family hated her almost as much as she hated herself. She didn't know Clarke back then.
And now, when she isn't scared to live anymore, someone wants to take it all away.
She doesn't want Clarke and her family to suffer because of her again.
She quietly watches Echo give the men the last nod and then leave Lexa alone with them.
Clarke walks into the kitchen, with her eyes still closed. She's still tired, because she didn't get much sleep last night, but got up anyways, hoping to see her girlfriend there. She was a bit disappointed when she woke up without Lexa by her side, but she assumed that the brunette had gone to the kitchen to make some coffee. She doesn't find Lexa there. She thinks that her girlfriend might have gone to the bakery, like she often does, so instead of waiting for her, she goes to the bathroom to take a quick shower.
Luckily, Lincoln and Anya are still gone, so she doesn't have to wait to take a shower. She loves living with Lexa and her family, she really does, but if there's one thing she misses about living alone, it's having her own bathroom.
Her shower is a little bit too long to be called quick, but even though it took almost 30 minutes, when Lexa isn't back home yet.
She frowns. Of course, it's not the first time Lexa disappears for hours, but she would usually leave a note saying that she went for a walk. It never worried Clarke too much, because even though she would rather have Lexa talk to her about things that bothered her, she understood that Lexa needed some time on her own, to think, before she could open up to anyone. She searches the whole house for a note from Lexa, but it looks like Lexa didn't leave one.
She checks her phone, and realizes it's almost 1 pm. When she woke up, Lexa's usual spot beside her was already cold, so Lexa must've left a few hours ago. She takes a calming breath and gets back to the kitchen to make some coffee. Once it's done, she takes a sip, and sits down. There's nothing she can do right now anyways.
She's about to wash the now empty cup, when the door opens abruptly, causing her to jump.
"Jesus fuck," she yells, and rushes to the door to find Costia and Lexa, who's covered in blood and using Costia's shoulder to stand straight.
"Hey, Clarke," Costia pants, visibly struggling to hold Lexa. She doesn't stay there for long, she pretty much drags Lexa to the living room, and helps her lie down on the sofa.
"What happened to her?" Clarke asks, panicked, as she kneels right next to Lexa to check if Lexa is breathing. Luckily, she is. She quickly takes Lexa's jacket and shirt off to check if there are any wounds. She finds nothing, but bruises on Lexa's ribs and stomach that start to form and several scratches. It's that small wound on Lexa's head that worries Clarke the most, though.
"I have no idea, I found her in an alley, a few meters from here," Costia explains.
"Why didn't you take her to the hospital then?" Clarke asks, angrily.
"No hospitals," Lexa mumbles.
Clarke lets out a sigh of relief. "Lex, you might have your ribs broken and a concussion. You have to see a doctor."
"Don't be stupid, Lexa, Clarke's right. This might be dangerous."
Lexa shakes her head, which makes her wince. She abruptly opens her eyes. "Clarke, you need to pack and leave."
Clarke and Costia exchange a look, both confused.
"Lex, what are you talking about?" Clarke asks.
"It's Echo, she- she knows about- you have to take Lincoln and leave," Lexa explains, breathing heavily.
"Fuck," Costia mutters. "I'll call Bellamy, and you try to convince her," she tells Clarke and leaves the room.
"Lex, you have to go," Clarke whispers softly, taking a wet towel and delicately cleaning Lexa's face. "Costia's right, this looks bad."
Lexa smirks. "Who would've thought you'd end up being friends?"
Clarke rolls her eyes. "We're not really friends, but nice try. You're still going to the hospital."
"It's too risky, and we don't even know if I really need it," Lexa explains.
"Are you crazy? Your head is bleeding, you were unconscious, your ribs might be broken, and you're saying there's no need?"
"I'm fine, Clarke, I just need a nap," Lexa reassures her.
Clarke fights the urge to roll her eyes.
Costia comes back to the room. "Bellamy says he should be okay, he's not gonna leave the apartment today. Besides, he isn't gonna use his own name to publish it anyways."
Lexa nods, visibly calmer now.
"See? Nothing to worry about. Can we go now?" Clarke asks, impatiently.
"Clarke, it's too dangerous-"
"Look, you'll go to the hospital, and I'll make sure nothing happens to Clarke, okay?" Costia offers.
"No way, I'm not leaving her," Clarke says quickly.
"Oh god," Costia sighs. "We'll go to the hospital together, then."
Lexa watches her ex girlfriend in silence. "And you'd protect Clarke?"
"Of course," Costia reassures her.
"I can't ask you to do that. I don't want you to get hurt."
"You don't have to ask, I'm doing it anyways, so you'll shut up and go to the fucking hospital," Costia says, impatiently.
Lexa sighs deeply, but that only makes her wince again. "Okay, I'll go."
Costia smiles triumphantly and helps Lexa get up.
"If you say something like 'I told you so', I swear to god, I'll murder you myself," Clarke says, sitting down next to Lexa's hospital bed. The rest of the family and Costia are all waiting in a hall, because, according to the doctor, Lexa has to rest, and if four visitors may be too much.
"I won't," Lexa answers, rolling her eyes. "I know you were just worried."
"Of course I was. You looked terrible. I was so scared," Clarke says, kissing Lexa's lips softly.
"So was I. I was so scared they'd kill me," Lexa whispers.
"But what happened? What was she doing there?"
"She knows about the article, and she knew it was me. She wanted Bellamy's name," Lexa explains.
"How does she know?" Clarke asks with wide eyes.
"I don't know," Lexa answers.
"Do you think she'll try to do that again?"
"Try to make me talk?" Clarke nods. "I don't know. I think."
"So what do we do now?"
Lexa sighs and takes Clarke's hand in hers. "Now we wait."