Chapter 36

Clarke felt terrible, so incredibly terrible as she looked back at the sleeping brunette. She had always found Lexa to be entirely too cute as she slept. Sadly duty called, and Clarke had to rush off. It wasn't that she wanted to, she really wanted to wake up next to Lexa and see how things went but apparently life was not about giving her what she wanted. She pulled her dress back on quickly got ready as quietly as she could before leaving Lexa's new condo.

A half hour later she walked into the attendings dressing room only to groan once she saw her friends getting ready. "Well, well if it isn't the Great Griffin. Seems like someone is doing the walk of shame today." Monroe laughed as Clarke walked towards her locker and started to pull her dress off and put her scrubs on. "It's not a walk of shame if you aren't ashamed of it, smart ass."

"So you and Lexa." Fox winked with a laugh as Clarke shook her head and traded her heels for a pair of running shoes.

"There is no me and Lexa, we just sometimes fall into bed together."

Monroe raised an eyebrow. "You fall into bed?" Clarke nodded. "If that's what you kids are calling it these days. Does that mean you'll finally go home to California for Christmas."

"California isn't home, this is home and it depends on my schedule."

"Bullshit Clarke, we all know you never wanted to go back to Laguna for Christmas because you didn't want to ruin it by running into your ex and her fiancé. I don't think that's an issue any longer." Fox grinned as Clarke put her hair up into a ponytail.

"I don't like either of you right now." Clarke said as she walked out of the room.

XOXO

Clarke groaned as she went through her entire closet only to realize that everything she wanted to wear was dirty and she didn't have time to go out an buy a whole new wardrobe. Her washer had been broken for two weeks and for those two weeks she'd been practically living out of the hospital. Huffing she threw on her last somewhat clean pair of scrubs and threw some clothes into a bag and headed off to her old stomping ground.

A half an hour later she sat in the back of the old Laundromat on a table. She knew she should probably use a chair but they were at the front of the place and she was not. She listened to the hum of the machines as she sketched in her book. Something she hadn't had much time to do lately.

"You know they say tables are for glasses, not asses." Clarke looked up from her sketchbook and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you stalking me?"

Lexa laughed and pointed towards the washing machine she was leaning against. "No, wish I was, sounds like fun."

"Since when does a hot shot CEO do her own laundry?"

Lexa pretended to think for a minute. "Since college." Clarke couldn't help but laugh at the truth to Lexa's comment. "You know I like doing laundry. I haven't seen you here before." Lexa added.

Clarke nodded as Lexa leaned against the table next to her. "You have you just didn't know it was here. This place has had many long distance face time calls." Clarke grinned as she closed her book. "My washer broke and I haven't had time for anyone to come and fix it." Lexa nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry I haven't called, things have been insane at the hospital."

Lexa grinned and gently patted Clarke's leg. "You don't have to apologize Griff, life gets busy. I get that and but it's not going to scare me away." She looked over her shoulder and winked. "Besides I'm your in for Rangers tickets."

Clarke laughed. "That's true, I can't be getting rid of my supplier."

"Exactly."

They spent the next couple hours talking about nothing in particular. Mostly catching up on what they had been doing in the last two weeks since the fundraiser. Clarke told Lexa about some of the surgeries she'd done and the hospital gossip. Lexa told Clarke how she was getting ready to write the New York Bar so that she could practice in her spare time. Although they both laughed, knowing Lexa didn't have a whole lot of that.

"Thanks for making the night go by a lot faster. Talking to you is much better than doing paper work."

Clarke smiled as she and Lexa finished folding their laundry and putting it into their respective bags. "Likewise.

"Maybe we can do it again sometime, if your washing machine doesn't get fixed quick enough." Lexa couldn't help the butterflies that swarmed her stomach at the smile that Clarke gave her. "I feel like I'm a teenager all over again, and I kind of like it."

"Me too. Shall we?" Clarke tilted her head towards the door and waited for Lexa to follow her.

"You look really cute in scrubs by the way, you should have your washing machine break more often." Lexa smiled as she held her back over her shoulder while Clarke hailed a cab.

"Oh you like this look?" Lexa nodded as she bit the corner of her lip. "Feel free to stop by the hospital in the middle of a three day shift, you'll get this and messy bun hair."

Lexa thought about that look for a minute and was only brought out of her daze when she heard a car stop next to them. "I may take you up on that."

"Have a good night Lexa, thanks for the company." Clarke reached up slightly and placed a soft kiss on Lexa's cheek before getting into the cab.

XOXO

One Week Later

"It's been forever since we've done this. I'm so excited." Monroe grinned as they the group of doctors crossed the street.

"That's because we're all working our lives away. Holy crap, we seriously haven't been here in forever!" Clarke grinned, as her body immediately started moving to the beat as they walked into the bar.

Two minutes later they all had drinks in their hand despite the fact that the bar was packed. "The music is still so good in here." Fox shouted into Clarke's ear but nodded happily as she sipped her drink.

"To having a night off!" Monroe said as she raised her glass.

"Amen!" Clarke agreed as they all took another sip of their drinks.

XOXO

"You definitely don't have it anymore. You used to be able to walk into a room and magically get hit on!"

"You're over exaggerating."

"We're definitely not, every time we went out in law school the minute you walked into a bar you got hit on. Now here, first rounds on me, we're celebrating the West Coast Commander finally making her way to New York."

Lexa laughed as she took the drink she was being handed. She had decided that it was finally time to call up some old law school friends, if she was going to be in New York she needed to start making a life of it. Clarke and Octavia were always telling her how amazing the city was at night so she decided it was time to enjoy it.

XOXO

"So is crazy Clarke coming out to play tonight?" Monroe wiggled her eyebrows as the whole crowd started to jump at the songs request. "I think that answers it for me." Monroe laughed as Clarke started bouncing along with everyone else in the bar. "This is going to be good, she hasn't been out in awhile."

Clarke grinned and started to sing along with the song while she danced with some random guy. It didn't take long for her to move on and her friends could only laugh at their friend letting loose.

"I need another drink, I'm far too sober for crazy Clarke right now." She laughed once she moved back towards her friends.

XOXO

"Fine, you think you still have game. Prove it. You're the relationship junkie, there's no way you still have game."

Lexa was always up for a challenge and that was exactly what that had just sounded like. "Pick anyone in this bar and I guarantee I can make something positive of it, within reason of course."

"Would we ever do you dirty?" Lexa gave her friend a look. "Never mind, of course we would but not this time."

"That one?" Her other friend motioned to the other side of the bar where a woman was talking to the bartender.

"Oh, that's a good one, maybe you two will turn out to be soul mates." They all laughed as Lexa tried to dodge out of the way of a guy she swore was eight feet tall. When he finally moved she grinned.

"The one that's talking to the bartender right?" She looked at her friends who nodded in response.

"Oh, careful she's got her girls with her, money says you can't bring her and her friends over here."

"How much we talking?"

"I got the next two rounds on it."

XOXO

Clarke leaned over the bar and spoke to the bartender. She came back over with three drinks and set them on the table that her and her friends were. "What are we staring at?"

"Table of hot suits over there looking at us, actually mostly you. Should go get 'em tiger."

Monroe laughed. "Yeah except none of them are Lexa." Clarke looked over at her friends, fixed her dress and headed across the bar. "Oh shit, she's gonna do it."

XOXO

Sure enough Lexa had managed to convince the women to come over for a drink. A half an hour later her friends realized she was barely into the conversation even though the woman they had initially spotted at the bar was now all over the brunette. However it was clear Lexa was barely listening to her.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back." She smiled and headed towards the washroom.

On her way back upstairs she was bumped into someone. "I am way too old for this." She whispered to no one in particular. "I am so sorry." She apologized as she instinctively wrapped her arm around the woman so they both didn't fall.

The other woman turned around and Lexa couldn't help but smile. She was absolutely stunning. "Hi, I'm Lexa." She extended her hand once they both had two feet flat on the ground.

"Hi, Lexa."

"Can I get you a drink to replace the one I knocked over?"

The woman smiled. "That's alright, it wasn't your fault but thank you."

"Can I buy you a drink because I want to then?" Lexa watched the woman think it over before nodding. They smiled at the woman's friends that were standing at the table and made their way towards the bar. "Two of whatever this beautiful woman is having please."

The bartender turned his attention towards the other woman. "Manhattan please."

"Are you from here?" Lexa asked as they bartender came with their drinks.

"Not originally, but it sort of feels like I am now. Yourself?"

Lexa shook her head as she sipped the drink. "No, I'm from California."

"That's a heck of a move. For love or work?"

Lexa grinned. "A little bit of both." The woman gave her a perplexed look. "I love my job, most days. It's important to love what you do."

The woman smiled and Lexa completely forgot her friends and everyone else. "Loving what you do is important. How long have you been in the city for?"

"A few months now." They slowly moved away from the bar so that other people could move in.

"Liking it thus far?"

Lexa nodded with a smile. "Yeah it's been great actually. I've really fallen in love with it."

A knowing smile appeared on the other woman's face. "New York has a sneaky way of making you fall in love with it, and you almost never expect to."

"So how about you, love what you do?"

"Very much so. I spent a lot of time at work so I guess I must."

"I'm glad to hear that, too many people nowadays forget to be happy."

As the song changed Lexa couldn't help herself. "Do you want to dance?" She asked as she set her glass down on the table.

The woman looked over her shoulder at her friends before nodding. "Sure. I need to burn off the calories of the drinks."

This time it was Lexa's turn to laugh as they made their way to the dance floor.

XOXO

A half hour later Lexa finally made her way back over to her friends who had smug looks on their faces. "What?"

"How do you manage to do that?"

Lexa shrugged. "I don't know, my charm."

"It's amazing Costia put up with you for so long."

"It really is isn't it?" At the sound of the voice Lexa turned around to see her ex-fiancé standing behind her with a glass of wine in her hand. Lexa's shocked face didn't get passed Costia. "I take it they forgot to mention I was in town."

"We were getting to that but she isn't drunk enough yet. Surprise."

Lexa shook her head at her friend as Costia gave them all brief hugs. "So what have I missed tonight?"

"We had Lexa bring us a group of hotties but then she took vanished and started talking to someone else. We're not quite sure what happened after that."

"Spitting your game are you?"

"Have you seen this dress? It does the talking for me." Lexa laughed at her own line.

"Say, Lex what happened to the mystery hottie anyways?"

"She had to step outside to make a phone call."

"Mhmm, sure she probably just needed to get away from you."

Lexa shook her head. "I don't know I think we really hit it off."

Her friends all laughed. "We'll see about that, fifty bucks she doesn't come anywhere near you for the rest of the night."

"Oh, I'm in on this. I got fifty that says you can't get a goodnight kiss."

Costia laughed. "I am so glad I got here when I did, this is going to be great."

"Seriously, you too?" Lexa looked at her ex with a shake of her head.

"This reminds me of the good ol days, except Lexa isn't running off to call her fake long distance girlfriend."

"She wasn't fake, tell them she wasn't fake please."

Costia laughed and shook her head. "Not getting in the middle of that one again."

XOXO

"Don't give me that look." Clarke told her friends as she finally walked back over to their table.

"Okay Houdini."

"I thought tonight was about having fun and getting a little crazy?"

Fox nodded. "She's right, we did agree that that's what tonight was about."

"Fine, prove it." Monroe pointed to the bar and Clarke shook her head before letting her feet taking her in that direction.

XOXO

"Look, phone call girl is back and headed her way." Costia turned and looked towards the bar where Lexa had gone to get the next round of drinks.

"Lexa has that look on her face, this girl may actually be trouble."

"Who knows maybe she'll get a Christmas miracle."

Costia turned to their friend that had made the original bet and shook her head. "I don't think she needs a miracle tonight Jamie, but your wallet better pray she does."

XOXO

"Hey, sorry about that. Work called."

Lexa grinned. "No worries."

"Your friends sure are keeping an eye on you." The woman grinned. "Especially the one that just walked in."

"Over protective ex. My friends kind of forgot to mention she was in town for business."

"So you're all friends from back home then?"

Lexa nodded. "We went to law school together, took us awhile but by our last year we were all relatively close."

"So you're a lawyer then? Beautiful and intelligent, dangerous combination."

Lexa felt her cheeks warm. "Any holiday plans?"

The woman inhaled deeply before her smile remained. "Possibly if my schedule permits it. You? Headed home to California?"

"Yeah, I'm starting to get a little paler than I'd like and I miss my family."

"Family is important."

"It's getting a little to warm in here, do you want to step outside for some air?"

"Sure, let me grab my stuff and I'll meet you out there." Lexa nodded as the woman walked away and threw a wink over her shoulder at friends.

XOXO

It didn't take long before the cold got to Lexa and her mystery woman. It caused them to stand closer together as they spoke amongst the crowd outside.

"Not getting used to the cold?"

Lexa shook her head. "I wasn't built for this weather but I'm learning to adapt."

"How come a woman like you doesn't have someone to keep her warm?"

Lexa couldn't hold in the laugh. "Because I know what I want. It took me a long time to figure it out, I've made a lot of mistakes along the way but now I'm willing to wait for as long as it takes to right my wrongs."

XOXO

Twenty minutes later Costia and the rest of Lexa's friends made their way out of the bar only to stop when they saw Lexa and her mystery woman kissing under the light post like two teenagers.

"Seriously! How does she always manage to get the good looking ones?" Christine huffed as she reached into her purse and causing Lexa to pull away with a smile on her face.

"Good looking is an understatement." Jamie laughed as she too reached into her purse.

"Clarke! There you are! I swear you two just need to get together already." Monroe said as she and Fox walked out of the behind just behind Costia.

"Clarke? Why does that sound so familiar?" Jamie looked between Costia and Lexa and then at the mystery woman.

"Wait, Clarke. The fake long distance girlfriend, Clarke." Christine looked at Costia who only smiled in return. "You are real. Did you set us up?"

Lexa shook her head. "No, I had no idea she'd be here. Monroe, Fox." She nodded at Clarke's friends. "Jamie, Christine, this is Clarke. Clarke, the ladies."

Clarke smiled and shook both their hands. "It's nice to meet you all and I promise she didn't set you up but she will be taking me out to dinner since I just made her what, a hundred bucks?" She looked back at Lexa who shrugged sheepishly. "You went way back into your playbook I see."

"They started it, I only finished it."

Clarke laughed as she before moving away from Lexa. "Well ladies, it was very nice too meet you but I best be on my way. Enjoy the rest of your night." She grinned before kissing Lexa's cheek and walking away with her friends.

Costia nudged Lexa's side as they watched the blonde walk away. "What are you waiting for? You don't just make out with a beautiful woman at a bar, you walk her home." Lexa gave her ex an astonished look. "For the love of god Lexa, go before I do!"

Lexa nodded before she started walking only to stop and turn around to put her hand out. "Thanks, see you ladies tomorrow for brunch?" They all nodded before she jogged to catch up with her not so mystery woman.

"Clarke." The blonde turned around, a smile on her face. "Can I walk you home?"

"That's a bit of a far walk."

"Can I cab you home then?" They both laughed as she looked back at her friend who wiggled their eyebrows at her.

"See you at the hospital Griffin."

XOXO

"I guess this is you." Lexa said as they got out of the cab and stood on Clarke's doorsteps.

"I guess it is. So do you always make out with strangers you meet in a bar?"

Lexa shook her head. "No, only the pretty ones."

Clarke rolled her eyes as she saw Lexa shiver. "The cold really isn't sitting well with you is it?"

"I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually."

"Some California sun will do you some good then, you are starting to get a little pale." Clarke joked as she took another step closer to her door.

"Are you not going back for the holidays?"

Clarke shook her head. "I was thinking about it but works been crazy lately."

Lexa nodded, somewhat disappointed. They stood on the steps looking at each other for a long minute before Lexa stepped up so that she and Clarke were on the same step. Without thinking about it anymore Lexa reached her hand up and cupped the base of Clarke's neck. Another moment later Clarke felt soft, gentle lips grazing over hers.

"Will you go on a date with me?" Lexa tried.

"Merry Christmas Lexa." Clarke smiled as she went to unlock her door.

"Clarke? Please go on a date with me, if it's terrible I promise not to ask again."

"I suppose you do owe me dinner for helping you make a hundred bucks."

"Is that a yes?" Lexa questioned as Clarke pushed her door open.

"Merry Christmas Lexie." With that she made her way inside as Lexa moved down the steps, a smile on her face. She waited a moment until she saw the windows light up in Clarke's apartment. She couldn't help but smile as she saw the outlines of a Christmas through the curtains. Maybe she would get a Christmas miracle.

Picking up her phone she quickly dialed a now familiar number. "Hello?"

"Merry Christmas Clarke." There was no response and Lexa had to check to make sure that the call hadn't ended. Another moment later Lexa saw the curtains pull back in Clarke's apartment to show the woman of her dreams standing in shorts and an oversized hoodie. It was hard to see from the glare but Lexa was positive there was a smile on the woman's face.

"Go home and get warm, before you freeze Commander and have a safe flight home."

"Don't work too hard to beautiful."

XOXO

Clarke hadn't made it home for Christmas even though Lexa had hoped she would. "You're awfully quiet tonight." Elizabeth said as she stood next to her daughter in their kitchen.

"Sorry, my mind has been elsewhere."

"In New York? Wait have you met someone in New York that you're keeping from us because you've had your 'I miss someone' face since we picked you up from the airport.

"Can we just have a nice Christmas dinner please?" Lexa smiled.

"What did I miss?" Jeff asked as he entered the room and opened the fridge.

"Lex has been holding out on us. She's got a crush on someone back in New York."

Her father smiled with a nod. "Good, atta girl. Now can we eat please?" He asked as he turned back towards his wife. "Abby just got here and we're both starving after a hard days work."

Lexa watched her mother's brows furrow. "Abby is hungry or you're hungry after a long day of not working."

"Both?" He grinned as his wife playfully pushed him out of the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas Abby." Lexa greeted once she finally entered the dining room.

"Merry Christmas Lexa, it's so good to have you home." She said as she stood up to give Lexa a warm hug.

"I'm sorry Clarke wasn't able to make it home again."

Abby nodded. "Me too but she's busy, I was in her place once. I'll go out there soon for a visit and we'll celebrate then. She did call while I was in surgery, she wanted to wish everyone well."

They were halfway through their meal, the fireplace was going, the Christmas music was playing and as amazing as the meal had been Lexa's mind was 3000 miles away. It had always been tradition on Christmas Eve to have dinner with the Griffin's. In the last few years it had been Lexa's least favourite day of the year. There were too many memories, memories that couldn't be forgotten no matter how hard she had tried. She had hoped that this year things would go back to how they used to be but she was reminded yet again of just how badly she had screwed up.

The doorbell ringing made her look up from her food as she father stood up and went to get the door. "How's New York treating you Lex?" Abby asked.

"Really good, really busy. I've been staying with Octavia so that's been an adventure."

Abby laughed with a knowing nod. "I'm sure it has. Your mother was telling me your place got delayed."

"Yeah a water pipe froze and burst. Damn cold weather."

"Who was at the door Jeff?" Elizabeth asked him once he sat back down.

"Just one of the neighbours dropping off a card." Everyone nodded as they went back to eating.

"Well where is it?" Elizabeth asked. Jeff tilted his head in response with a sly smile on his face.

"I hope I'm not too late for dinner. Darn snow delayed my flight." At the sound of the new voice everyone's heads popped up.

"Clarke." Her mother jumped out of her seat and hugged her daughter who was holding a bottle of wine and a card.

"Only about six years late. Come here you." Elizabeth grinned as she too stood up from her seat and gave Clarke a big hug.

"Ladies, let the girl sit and eat."

Once Clarke sat down she finally looked at Lexa. "Hi." She smiled.

"You made it." The look on Lexa's face didn't go unnoticed by her parents and it had suddenly become very clear who Lexa's New York crush was.

"I had a break in my schedule, now someone please pass the turkey 'cause Jeff was right, I'm starving."

TBC…