I barely made it through the front door before they all started coming at me.

"Stop," I growled at them. "Just stop, please."

They stopped and I leaned against the door, still cradling my arm. I closed my eyes and fought back whimpers as the pain from my shoulder radiated outward.

"Fuck," I heard Raven exclaim, "Clarke, your shoulder!"

I opened my eyes and looked down at it. I growled when I saw that blood was dripping from it sluggishly. I pushed off the door and walked further into the house making my way to the guest bathroom where I knew we kept the medical supplies.

"Clarke, what happened," Bellamy demanded.

"Not now," I replied, through gritted teeth.

"No," he said and I stopped short to glare at him. "No," he repeated, "you are going to tell us exactly what happened. We gave you your space when you ran off today. Then you come back well after dark, looking like shit and your shoulder's the size of a bowling ball and bleeding. What happened?"

I ignored him for the moment, went into the bathroom and grabbed the supplies. When I turned around, Octavia took it from me and pulled me into the dining room. Sitting me down, she cut my shirt off of me and started to clean it. I screamed through gritted teeth as she started. She mumbled sorry, but continued.

I closed my eyes briefly and when I opened them again, I said, "I ran myself into the ground. I did most of the damage to my shoulder myself, I admit it. I ran far enough west that I was probably nearing Eden or even past it, I don't know. Then I made it back up to where my clothes were, got dressed and then hiked north to a ledge I found. My head wasn't in a good place and a lot of things were going through my mind, so I stayed there until I felt that I could come back."

I snapped and growled at Octavia suddenly when she moved my arm so that she could start bandaging it. She ignored me and I leaned my head down and gasped from the pain.

"Did something else happen," Nate asked.

I nodded and said, "Before I even got up to leave, there was a noise on a ridge that overlooks it. I looked up and saw that Sheriff standing there, staring at me. He told me to leave and I told him no. So, he leapt down and came closer. He told me again and I told him more forcibly, again, no. Then quick as a fucking snake, he grabbed my shoulder and must have dug his claws in it. I went down and then I had him on his back. I choked him until he was unconscious and then broke every bone in his body or most of them anyways. Now, I'm here."

Octavia had found a sling and helped me put it on and place my arm in it. I smiled at her affectionately and she gave me a small smile and started cleaning everything up.

"Here, you need this," Raven said and put a bottle of beer in front of me.

I took one look at it and slid it away from me as fast as I could and nearly fell trying to get away from it. Sudden fear ran coursing through my veins as I stood staring at it as the beer drained from it and onto the floor.

"What the hell," Raven yelled and looked at me.

I scrambled back, trying to put even more distance between me and the bottle. No one dared to move, except for me. I continue to move backwards until I stumbled and landed on my ass. I was in full panic mode by that time and jumped or flinched whenever I heard something shift or move. I couldn't stop staring at the bottle and I couldn't seem to catch my breath.

The only sounds in the room were of my ragged breathing and the drip of beer escaping the bottle until Nate moved and grabbed the bottle from the ground. With it out of my sight, I could feel my breathing come a little bit easier. I saw Bellamy from the corner of my eye take a step towards me, but I scrambled back and he stopped. There was a moment of silence and then everyone was leaving the room, except for Raven. I glanced up at her and then back to the puddle of beer.

"Clarke," she called quietly, "I'm gonna come closer now, okay."

I looked back up to her and nodded slightly. She walked slowly up to me and stopped a foot or so away before she crouched down. I watched her intently, but whatever I felt when Bellamy tried to near me wasn't present with Raven.

"I, I, I," I stammered and then cleared my throat to try again, "I think something happened to me with a, um, with a, um, a, um, beer b-b-bottle."

"Something did," she said so softly that I wasn't sure that I had heard her right, but when I looked at her I could see that I had.

"What," I asked in a whisper and wished suddenly that I hadn't as fear wrapped around my heart.

"Clarke, sweetheart," she said, not looking me in the eyes, "When they brought you in…when they brought you in you, um, you, um had some um, trauma down there and um, w-when th-the doctors came out to talk to your mom, t-th-they t-t-told her t-that y-you'd b-been raped. A-a-and that it was done with a cylindrical shape. They never specified what it was. I'm so, so sorry, Clarke. I should've, I should've told you while you were in the hospital, I wanted to, but your mom wouldn't let me. She, um, told me that it was best if you didn't know, because you couldn't remember what happened."

She broke down sobbing and I automatically pulled her towards me. She wrapped her arms around me and sobbed and I wanted to cry, too, but I couldn't. I was in shock, I think. I had been raped. With a cylindrical object. A beer bottle was a cylindrical object. Therefore, based on my panicked reaction to the beer bottle Raven had given me, I had been raped with a beer bottle. With that knowledge, I remembered more of that night. We didn't have wine like we were supposed to, because Wells didn't like wine. We had beer.

"I remember," I whispered. "I remember Wells insisted on drinking beer because he didn't like wine. I was mad about that. I was mad when I had to reach over him and get the beers. I remember shuddering because I could smell him getting aroused. I remember the beer."

Raven's sobbing had stopped as she listened to me speak, "Clarke?"

"I remember the beer, Rae," I said, leaning my head on hers. "We had beer instead of wine. And if we were supposed to have wine, I guess it's because we were having Italian because it was my favorite."

We sat silently as I continued to think through the fear and the pain and then I said, "That's why I can't stand the sight of Italian food, why when Bellamy became hard I freaked out, and that's why I panicked when I saw the beer bottle. We were having Italian with beer and I didn't like the fact that Wells got aroused when I reached over him. Why would I be raped with a beer bottle, Rae? Oh, never mind, it's because if they hadn't there would have been evidence. And everyone knows that you can't leave evidence when you're killing people. Did they try to kill me? I bet they did, but I didn't die."

I felt Raven push against me as I continued to ramble on and I didn't stop until she slapped me. I looked at her in surprise and she scooted back in horror.

"I, I'm so sorry, Clarke," she said, "but you wouldn't, you wouldn't stop talking. You weren't making any sense."

I continued to look at her as I raised my hand to my cheek. I felt the warmth of the slap and then I let my hand drop.

"Wells used to do that," I said quietly. "He would slap me when I said something I wasn't supposed to or called him names. He punched me, too. Did you know that he broke my arm earlier this year because I told him that what he was doing wouldn't work? He broke it because I was right. I wasn't supposed to be right, was I?"

"I remember, Clarke," she replied. "I remember all the bruises and broken noses and broken bones. I remembered why you stayed with him."

I sighed, suddenly feeling tired, "He's gone now. No more bruises or broken bones. No more fights because I was right. No more submitting."

"That's right, Clarke. You don't have to go through any of that anymore. He's gone and he can't hurt you anymore."

I laughed hollowly, "No, no, he can't hurt me anymore physically, Raven, but he's still got a hold on me. His death or murder, whatever you want to call it, hangs over me. It'll hang over me until it kills me."

"Don't say that, Clarke," she pleaded. "This isn't going to kill you. This is going to make you stronger. You just need help getting through this. Our help. You can't give up on us. We need you."

I nodded and slowly got to my feet. She got up, too and stood there awkwardly. I walked over to her and gave her a hug.

I kissed her on her cheek and whispered, "I know. That's why I came home. It's why I didn't jump off the ledge. I need you as much as you need me."

"Thank you for coming home," she whispered back to me.

Hearing those heartfelt words, something shifted and I was suddenly feeling like my normal self. I didn't dwell on that fact and instead, just went with it. It was a far better feeling then panic and anger.

I sighed and said, "I need a beer…or four."

"I think we could all use some," she replied, searching my face and I smiled slightly. "We've got beer mugs, right?"

"Yeah. Third cabinet from the fridge."

With that, the crisis was averted and everyone came back to the kitchen. Unfortunately, Bellamy had to stay on the far side, I just could not stop myself from flinching every time he came near me. It was really frustrating because I wanted him to hold me in his arms. As we drank the beer, I began to relax a little bit more.

"I think I'm going to have to see a doctor tomorrow, guys," I said as another jolt of pain made me gasp for air.

"I think you're right," Raven replied looking at it. "We'll ice it down tonight and hope that helps some, but yeah, you're going to need x-rays and stuff."

"Yippee,"I said sarcastically. "Where's the nearest hospital anyway?"

Octavia got the tablet and Googled it. Man, I loved Google. Could find almost everything that way and then things that you wished that you could unsee. I shuddered at a distant memory and then focused back on her searches.

"It looks like we gotta head north a ways," Octavia said. "The closest emergency room is about an hour's drive north from Eden."

"Then we'll head there in the morning," I said as I drained my mug and Nate immediately refilled it for me. "Thanks."

I'd gotten halfway through the beer when our alarm went off. I grabbed the tablet from Octavia and switched it to the camera feeds. There in the back of our property were two people. Two people I recognized. They held their hands up to show that they meant no harm, but I wouldn't put anything past them now.

"Bellamy, Octavia, you go round and come up the north side. Nate, the south. Raven, you're coming with me on the deck," I said, looking at them. "Go."

They ran out of the front door while I grabbed the note the sheriff had left us. Raven and I walked out onto the back deck and waited for them to approach. The outdoor lights blazed on and we could clearly see the back half of the property. I glanced behind the two and saw at least four more people on their side of the fence.

"That's far enough," I called out to them when they'd come close enough so that no one had to yell. "I already told your sheriff we aren't leaving. So, what do you want now?"

The woman stepped forward and said, "Our Alpha sent us here to apologize for Sheriff Green. He disobeyed her orders by following you in town."

"Was he also disobeying orders when he attacked me tonight," I asked, my eyes narrowing at the woman and my voice deadly.

"He attacked you," she asked and looked at the guy and then turned back to face me. "We did not know that, but he had been told not to go near any of you. He disobeyed this."

"You expect me to believe that," I said, scoffing at her.

I jumped over the railing, landing slightly heavy but still upright and walked closer to her.

"You have been watching and following us since we've arrived," I said. "I caught the two of you, specifically, following us into that restaurant earlier this week. Not two days ago, I was followed and confronted by your sheriff while I was in town. When I got home that day, I found out that this," I held up the sheet of paper, "had been taped to our door. Your sheriff left it there. His scent's still all over it. And then tonight, oh, tonight. I was minding my own fucking business outside both our lands and he fucking shows up again. Telling me to leave. When I refused, he fucking attacked me."

I hadn't realized that while I was talking, I had been moving forward slowly, but I noticed when she backed up into her friend. He caught her before she fell and I took a few steps back.

"So, tell me, after all of this, why I should trust you or your Alpha," I demanded and like I gave some unspoken command, everyone came out of the shadows and spread out from us.

"The reason why we've been watching the property is because our Alpha was trying to buy it," the man said. "We were only going to be able to put a down payment on this place, but you paid it in full. This land used to belong to her family and she wanted it back."

"Your Alpha is a woman," Octavia spoke up before any of us could stop her.

He looked over at her curiously and replied, "Yes. Our Alpha is a woman as is yours."

"I'm sorry that I bought the house from under her," I said, "but that doesn't explain why you've continued to watch us or why we were followed."

"It's not so much the house that she was interested in," the woman replied. "Something was buried on the property a long time ago and she wants it back."

"We know what you're talking about," I said. "The foreman showed us the crate the day we arrived here."

"You have it?"

"We do, but you still haven't answered my question. Why were you following us?"

"We were trying to find out who you were, so that we could approach you. Then we found out that you were like us, werewolves. Our reasons changed."

I nodded in understanding, "You all want to know why werewolves were suddenly taking residence just on the other side of your territory."

"Yes."

"The Sheriff?"

"He was not given permission to approach or follow you. He was reprimanded when she found out the first time and forbidden from going near any of you again."

"The reprimand didn't stick," I said, snorting.

"We have to ask you," the man said, politely, "Are there any more of you coming?"

I regarded both of them for a moment and then said, "Two more." I turned to look over my shoulder at Raven and asked, "Did you a get a time line on when they'd be coming?"

She came closer and replied, "Sometime within the next two to three weeks. It's a little bit more difficult for them to leave."

"Difficult," the woman asked, turning my attention back to her.

"That's none of your concern or your Alpha's," I said. "You have your answer."

"We also have to ask what you're intentions are."

"Our intention is to start over."

"Start over?"

"Again, not really your concern. We have no intention of going anywhere near your town, your people, nor your land. We just want to be left alone in peace."

She nodded, "I will let her know that. May I ask if your shoulder is a result from the sheriff?"

"Partially," I answered. "My shoulder is still healing after an accident and he knew it. So, he struck me there first. His injuries are a result of that."

"Why didn't you kill him," the man asked. "You had every right to."

"Because I don't kill someone who's already down. He won't be so lucky the next time," I told him, my voice edged in steel.

"Understood."

"Good. Now leave, please."

"One more thing," the woman said. "The crate. Can we have it?"

"No," I replied. "Call it leverage if you want. We hold onto it until we're sure that you're going to leave us alone."

"Alright," she replied. "I'll let her know that, too. Let's go."

The man nodded and we watched them as they walked over and then jumped the fence. When the motion sensor lights went off, everyone headed inside, but I stayed and stared at the path they had gone.

"Clarke," Raven called to me from the deck, "Are you coming in?"

I turned around and yelled up to her, "Yeah, I'm coming."

I walked around the house and entered through the garage. I finished the last of my beer and decided to take a long soak in my tub. When I got out, Raven was waiting with a huge ice pack.

She lifted it up and said, "This should help with the swelling."

"Thanks," I replied and pulled some clothes out of my dresser.

"Here, let me help you with that," she said, coming over and helping me put a tank on.

I nodded, "Thanks," and when I was dressed I turned to her and said, "I'm sorry about this morning. I, I didn't mean to blow up at you like that. Hell, I didn't mean to blow up at all."

She shook her head and replied, "It's fine."

"Rae, it's not fine," I said as I got comfortable in bed. "I shouldn't be taking what I'm feeling out on you, any of you. It's not right."

"Clarke," she said as she sat beside me and laid the ice pack on my shoulder. "We know that this is going to be difficult for you. We may not be going through what you are, but we're experiencing it alongside you. We see you struggling and we wish most of the time that we could take that away from you. We can't, and I'm sorry that we can't. Clarke, you are my best friend. I have been by your side since day one and I'm not about to let you go because of this. It doesn't matter to me that you can't run or you can't have Italian or that I have to make sure your beer is either in a can or a mug. None of that matters to me. The only thing that matters is you. I love you, Clarke."

I gave out a loud sigh and resisted the urge to trace a finger down the side of her face as I said, "I love you, too, Raven. I don't think I could've made it through the last four years without you."

"That's because I'm awesome," she said, giggling. "We'll always have your back, sweetie, and no matter what you say or do will ever change that. Do you believe me?"

I nodded, "I do. Can you get me a pill and some water? My shoulder's not going to let me sleep without it."

"Sure," she replied and got up to get them.

By the time she came back, I had sat back up and was holding the ice pack awkwardly. She held it in place while I took the pill. Laying back down, she rearranged it until I was comfortable.

"You want me to stay awhile," she asked me quietly.

"No, I'll just watch some tv. I'll be fine," I told her.

"Alright," she replied. "I'm right down the hall if you need me."

I smiled at her and said, "I know. Just no more bouncing on the bed to wake me up, okay?"

She chuckled, "No more bouncing, I promise."

"Good. G'night, Rae."

"Night, Clarke," she said and leaned over and kissed me on my forehead.

She handed me the remote and then left, closing the door slightly behind her. Sighing, I turned the tv on and found something that droned on in an unexciting manner that would help me fall asleep faster. I let my mind wander as I tuned everything out except for the droning and flashes that came from the screen, until I didn't even have that anymore.