Author's note: more lemons in this one. Again, I felt they were necessary for the plot, but can send a summary if anyone is uncomfortable with them. As always, thank you for your reviews and continued following.

Chapter 26

Things continued to get better. There was still no sign of Mark Johnson, much to everyone's frustration. Either he was hiding somewhere where he never came into contact with anyone else or he had been eaten in his entirety by some creature. Everyone hoped for the latter and prepared for the former. Pike stayed in his cell; Clarke wasn't sure what should be done with him. A part of her wanted to just say to execute him, but how would that work with blood must not have blood? No, they needed a different option, she just didn't know what it was. His actions had to have consequences, she just didn't know what they should be. Lexa assured her that it could wait; he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

She and Lexa had also begun sparring. While Octavia was a good partner, Lexa wanted to make sure that Clarke could defend herself against any opponent, lest her dream come to fruition and she was at the mercy of a monster again. It was somewhat unorthodox for the Heda to train anyone as a Second, unofficial or not, unless they were a nightblood. Even then, it was rare, but no one seemed to question their Heda sparring with Wanheda. To Lexa's people, it seemed to make a certain type of sense that the only person capable of trying to spar with The Commander of Death was The Commander of the Flame. This amused Clarke; she knew that Lexa could easily end her life in combat if the Commander so wished it. Lexa was holding back less and less as Clarke's skills improved, but she still held back significantly.

They spent about an hour a day training and then spent their nights wrapped in each other's arms. True to her word, Clarke was trying, but she was discovering a wall she was having a hard time breaking past. Anything above the waist was fair game, and they explored that a lot, but as soon as they tried anything below it, the images would come and Clarke would be back in the dropship. A few times they tried to push passed it, but Lexa couldn't continue when Clarke started crying, no matter how much Clarke assured her she wanted her to. It was beginning to frustrate Lexa, as well. Not because she couldn't love Clarke the way she wanted to, but because Clarke had no issues loving her and Lexa felt that it wasn't an equal exchange. She worried that she was using Clarke, no matter how much Clarke swore that she didn't feel that way. Instead, she decided to break her rule of not touching Clarke first, with Clarke's blanket okay, and showed her affection however Clarke could accept it. They'd had a long conversation about why Lexa had put that in Clarke's control and both agreed that they were at a point where Clarke could, and would, tell Lexa if she didn't want to be touched or held.

The nightmares were also beginning to ease, with at least half her nights being free from them. Even more rare were the ones that spilled out of her head, causing her to scream and fight in her sleep. Those tended to come when Echo or Ryder gave an update, or lack of one, on Johnson or when she would force herself to try to speak to Pike to try to get some idea of what an appropriate punishment would be. The last time she had tried, he had lost it, begging for execution, swearing he deserved no less than the most horrific and painful death. She had looked at him with sad eyes and simply said, "No," before turning and walking away. She made it almost to her room before she began shaking. She had gone without Lexa, who was fulfilling her duties as Heda. She had gone without anyone.

Raven had happened to still be in her room and found her frozen in the hall outside the bedrooms. She ushered her into her room and helped her calm down. Once she was calm, Raven cussed her out for going to see him without anyone. They then discussed possible consequences for him, though Raven agreed with Pike about what should be done. She softened when she saw how much that upset Clarke, though still wished vengeance on him.

Clarke was surprised to notice a shift between Bellamy and Echo. True to her word, Echo had begun teaching Bellamy Trigedasleng, but Clarke couldn't help but see the stolen glances and hint of smiles, when they were in the same room. It was as if they were in this dance of avoiding each other, but compelled towards each other, each of them fighting it while desiring to give in. Roan split his time between Polis and Azgeda, still working out who could be trusted to represent the Ice Nation for him both at home and in the capital. Clarke had nudged him one especially obvious time that Bellamy and Echo were doing their dance, and then watched as the smirk on his face turned into a grin.

"Do you think they could make it work?" Clarke had whispered when she was certain there were no other ears to overhear, "There's some rough history there."

Roan gave her an incredulous look, "The person who attempted to kill her lover multiple times is suddenly questioning if people can overcome their rough history?"

Clarke should have been offended, but instead she just laughed, drawing the eyes of the subject of their conversation, "Good point."

Raven was gaining quite the reputation as a formidable Tech Wizard. No matter how many times she would swear that she wasn't an engineer, and was quite appalled when others suggested she had a knack for it, she seemed to find ways to improve things around Polis with a little tinkering. Many of the clans had been standoffish when she and Bellamy had first tried trading with them, their suspicion of both tech and Skaikru still in place, but Raven was a formidable opponent. Somehow, she had even convinced the Boudalan to try out the radios after a somewhat dramatic demonstration she put together with Octavia and Lincoln, who were able to give an up-to-date telling, in real time, of where the Delphi ambassador was at all times, including listening over the radio to the song he was singing while bathing.

The friends still spent the majority of the day together, sometimes taking solace in one of their rooms, minus Clarke and Lexa's, or wandering Polis and the surrounding countryside. Octavia and Lincoln still took their guard duties seriously, further cemented by training from Lexa's head of guards. Unlike in Clarke's dream, she never took up the rear or front when they were outside of the tower. Though a part of her still disliked her friends guarding her, it did give her a sense of comfort, especially when she saw some of the guard training they were put through. She knew they could handle themselves, but it was still comforting to see just how encompassing the training was.

Unfortunately, Kane and Abby had been unable to come to Polis as quickly as they had planned. Things weren't going bad in Arkadia, but they were constantly busy with patients or running the camp. Moral had started to lower after Clarke left, however, and she knew that, for reasons she didn't fully understand, her people missed her and wanted to see her. Neither her mother nor Kane suggested she come home, but the undertone was there.

When she brought up the idea of returning for a visit, Lexa had adamantly said no, but couldn't give a reason why. They both knew what it was: they had grown used to having the other one near and hated the thought of being separated again. Both knew that that wasn't a good reason for Clarke to not at least go visit her people, so Lexa finally agreed that she would go for one week, just one week, and warriors chosen by Lexa herself would accompany her, Lincoln, and Octavia. Bellamy and Raven had at first insisted they go with them, but Clarke reminded them of how well things had been going here with Skaikru trading and relations. Besides, she would only be gone a week.

The night before she was to leave started out like every other night. Their kisses turned into caresses, Lexa trailing kisses down Clarke's neck and chest, before pulling Clarke's nightgown down. There was a sense of urgency, as if Lexa was putting all her love for Clarke into her touches, almost as if she were trying to put a week of love into it. Clarke arched as Lexa took her nipple into her mouth, seemingly not able to get close enough to Lexa. Lexa continued her sweet torture, alternating from one breast to the other, her hands replacing her mouth as she went.

As usual, Clarke's legs began moving, craving more friction to ease the ache between her legs that would not be appeased. Lexa began trailing kisses down Clarke's stomach, her hands still teasing Clarke's breasts, as she made eye contact with Clarke, asking silent permission to try to go further. Clarke let out a weak, "Please," and Lexa gently pulled her nightgown below her hips.

As usual, the images came and Clarke tensed, but this time she was able to push through them. Maybe it was all the times they had tried before, maybe it was because she was leaving in the morning, or a combination of both. Whatever it was, she let herself feel the tender kisses Lexa was placing on her inner thigh, all the love and gentleness in them, so different from the rough and painful touches of Johnson and Dirks, and felt herself relax into them. Lexa never broke eye contact, seeing and feeling the shift in Clarke as the fear was replaced with desire. She still went slowly, but each touch was bringing Clarke sweet agony, begging for more. Gently, she moved her mouth to Clarke's center, just barely touching the bundle of nerves there with her tongue. Clarke let out a moan, her hips bucking slightly at the touch, urging Lexa for more. Lexa kept her eyes on Clarke's, hands still working her breasts, as she started using her tongue on Clarke. Clarke's breathing grew erratic, but not from fear, her hips moving of their own accord, her hands gripping the bedding.

"Fuck, Lexa…," she said, her voice more whiney, more pleading than she meant it. Lexa smiled against her before sucking the nub into her mouth, her tongue still worrying it.

"Lexa, please!" Clarke gasped out, not even sure what she was begging for, her mind consumed in pleasure. Lexa trailed her hand down Clarke's body before settling it between her legs, rubbing it up and down her center, her mouth never stopping its torment, before pushing two fingers inside of Clarke. Clarke arched her hips, pushing herself further into Lexa's mouth, letting out a pleasure filled, low cry as Lexa began moving her fingers inside of her. She gripped the bedding, before reaching her hand to tangle in Lexa's hair, a curse breathily leaving her lips as Lexa brought her closer and closer.

Lexa felt Clarke begin to flutter around her fingers and she curled them inside of her, pushing her over the edge. Clarke forgot how to breathe as her orgasm overtook her, her toes curling, mouth slightly open, as Lexa continued her torment, helping to bring maximum pleasure as she rode her orgasm. Lexa then trailed kisses up her stomach, stopping for a moment to pay extra attention to her navel, then continued up until their lips met. There was nothing rushed about this kiss, slowly enjoying the other, bodies pressed up against each other. Clarke wasn't sure when Lexa had removed her own nightgown, but enjoyed the feeling of Lexa's skin on her overheated body. They didn't need to speak, just continuing to make love to each other until it was well passed the time that they should be asleep, until their bodies, both shaking and thoroughly exhausted, just kind of collapsed into each other. They didn't feel the need to verbalize what a victory tonight had been, their bodies seeming to announce it better than they could, and neither wanted to bring up what the next day would bring. Sleep claimed them both within minutes of the other.

Tonight, the nightmares again didn't care. Clarke felt thoroughly suffocated by this one. Mentally, she knew that it was just her mind working through the fear and sadness of leaving Lexa, but she was struggling to believe it with her heart. In the dream, Johnson had taken out all of her companions, Octavia and Lincoln laying on the ground with their precious blood staining it, before hands grabbed her.

When she was finally able to relay the dream to Lexa, she could tell that even Lexa was struggling with it.

"You don't have to go, Clarke," she whispered, "You could postpone, even just a few days."

Clarke wanted to, desperately, but it was just a dream. Just a terribly realistic dream of her greatest fears. "I can't keep living in fear. Maybe Johnson will finally try something and we can put an end to this," she said, her voice shaking slightly, "I'm not weak anymore."

Lexa kissed the top of her head, warring within herself about letting Clarke go. Surely, if Johnson were planning something, someone would have heard or seen. Still, she couldn't shake her dread of Clarke leaving and something happening. She struggled longer than Clarke to fall back to sleep, wondering if she should accompany her herself, but knowing she couldn't.

They woke before the sunrise. Bags were packed and horses were loaded. Lexa sent three of her best warriors with them, knowing they would protect Clarke with their lives. Understated goodbyes were said to those who were staying behind, all trying to see it as a short break from each other. Which it was. At least, that's what they kept telling themselves. Then, they were off.

They were making good time, almost halfway there, when the device was thrown before one of the warrior's horses, causing him to be thrown off of it, knocking him out cold and his horse fatally injured. Shouts to protect Wanheda made the others circle Clarke, but that was what they were waiting for. From two different directions, the devices, similar to grenades, but with an electrical current, were thrown, throwing everyone to the ground as their horses felt the current go through them. Clarke's horse reared up in fear, throwing Clarke behind it. Clarke felt like she was watching her nightmare unfold in real life. She crawled to Octavia, the dark-haired girls head becoming wet from the blood leaking out. Lincoln grabbed Clarke and pushed her behind him, pulling out an arrow and attempting to find where the threat was coming from. A dart came from out of nowhere, a current wracking Lincoln's body, as it convulsed on the ground, before he went still. Clarke screamed, attempting to grab Lincoln to help or at least determine if he was alive, but the current shot through her, her vision going black.