Lexa POV

Lincoln arrived promptly and we were soon on our way out of town. I gazed out the passenger window as I watched the sun setting behind the mountains.

"Where are we going," I asked, continuing to look out.

"You'll know when we get there," he replied.

"Come on, Linc," I said, turning to look at him. "You know I hate surprises."

"Yeah, well, you're just gonna have to deal. I'm not telling you where we are going. We are going to eat and socialize."

"Seriously?!"

"Seriously. Stop you're whining. You're a grown ass woman and the pack Alpha, start acting like it."

"I'm trying, Lincoln," I growled out. "Dude, Anya is still pissed at me because I don't love her the way she wants. My only relationship is with an artist that I only speak to through emails and it's a freaking friendship. I am lonely. Pure and simple."

"I know," he replied, glancing at me before turning back to the road. "That's why I'm doing this. You need more friends than me and you need to repair your friendship with Anya."

"Well, how the fuck am I supposed to do that if the damn woman won't talk to me."

"First off, you stop apologizing to her. She gets it and she understands that you don't love her. Talk to her and keep talking to her until she relents and starts talking back. If you miss her, you gotta tell her that."

I heavily and said, "Alright. I get it. I'll talk to her."

"Good," he said, "We're almost there."

I sat up straighter and looked out of the windshield. As the house came into view, I realized where we were and I wanted to jump out of the truck. Lincoln grabbed my wrist and keeping me in the cab, knowing full well what I wanted to do.

"What the fuck, Lincoln," I exclaimed. "Why are we here?"

"I told you last week, dinner. I'm seeing one of Clarke's pack mates, Octavia," he said, evenly. "I knew if I told you, you wouldn't have come."

"No shit, Sherlock," I said, ripping my wrist out of his hand. "I swore that I wouldn't come near them and that neither would any member of my pack. You went against my orders."

"Lex, calm down," he said as we pulled up. "I like Octavia and she likes me. Everyone in that house is okay with us seeing each other, including her brother."

"What about Clarke? Does she know," I said, crossing my arms.

"Honestly, I don't know. They told me that they were going to speak to her about this and since I haven't gotten a phone call or anything, I'm gonna guess that they have and she's okay with it."

"God dammit, Lincoln. You know that this can go six ways to Sunday," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt.

"Look, you go in. You play nice and she'll see that you're not a threat," he said as he opened his door. "You have to do this sooner or later, Lexa. You're starting to obsess about her."

"I am not," I said, jumping down. "I just want to get what's mine."

"That's another reason for tonight," he said as he all but grabbed me and started tugging me towards the door. "You've been true to your word and we're like a week away from the New Year. She could agree to give it to you early."

I couldn't say anything more because Lincoln rang the doorbell. I waited nervously and hoped that this wouldn't be the biggest mistake in my life. The door opened and we were met with the petite dark haired woman.

"Lincoln," she cried out happily. "You came."

"Of course, Octavia," he replied, hugging her. "I said I would and I did."

"Wonderful, trust me you will not be disappointed," she said and then turned to me, "Lexa, it's good to finally meet you. I'm Octavia, please come in."

"Thank you," I said and walked in as she held the door open wider.

I looked around and found it beautifully decorated and said, "You have a lovely home, Octavia."

"I can't take any credit," she said, her arm wrapped around Lincoln's waist. "This is all Clarke and the interior designer she hired. Clarke's always had incredible taste. Let me introduce you to everybody."

Octavia made the introductions and I found out that the tall, lanky guy was her brother, Bellamy, the Asian was Monty, the blonde, Harper, and I recognized Nate.

"Raven's reminding Clarke that it's time to eat," Bellamy said. "She's been in the studio all afternoon."

"Studio," I asked.

"Yeah, Clarke's a renowned painter," he replied, "Can I get you something to drink. We have all sorts, wine, beer, tea, and soda."

"I'll take a glass of wine," I said, still looking around.

"Red or white?"

"Um, white is good."

"Excellent choice, Madam," he replied, smiling and giving me a small bow.

"Geez, Bell, could you stop that," Octavia said. "We're not in some novel."

"Hey, it's not often I get a chance to charm a beautiful woman," he replied as he poured me a glass and handed to me.

"You're not my type," I said, smiling at him and making him chuckle.

"Alas, my heart is broken once more," he said dramatically. "O, why don't you show them around a bit. Dinner's almost ready."

"Sure," she said and started giving us a tour.

When we got to the area before the doors that led to the back deck, my eyes were immediately drawn to a painting over the fireplace. I walked closer and my eyes widened in surprise.

"You have your own Griffin," I said, astounded.

"Huh," Octavia said, looking at the painting. "Oh, yeah. Trust me, you won't ever see this on a website."

"Why's that," I asked looking at her.

"Oh, cause it was painted just for us," she replied, grinning. "Hey, Nate, this is our graduation party, isn't it?"

Nate came over and looked at it, smiling he said, "Oh, yeah. That was a really good night. Probably one of the best nights we had in a long time."

"Excuse me," I said, confused. "Griffin knows you're werewolves?"

"Well, of course," he said, matter of factly, "She's the golden wolf in the middle. Chasing after Raven."

"Griffin is a werewolf," Lincoln asked.

"Well, we call her Clarke," Bellamy said, coming up.

I spun around to look at him, "Clarke? Clarke is Griffin?!"

"You didn't know," he asked surprised.

"No, I didn't," I said, slowly shaking my head. "Oh, fuck me. I've been corresponding all this time with Clarke."

"Say what now," Lincoln said.

I looked up at him and said, "Remember, I've told you that I've been exchanging emails with Griffin since I got the painting?"

"Yeah," he replied, uncertainly. "Wait, didn't you ever exchange first names?"

"No," I replied feeling sheepish. "I always signed my emails with "Fan."

"Oh, shit," Nate said, sitting down abruptly.

We all heard the door open up and we swung our heads to look. Out stepped the tanned brunette first, walking backwards and talking to someone. Then Clarke came out, wiping her hands with a towel. I noticed that she had different stripes of color over her clothes and waited breathlessly. When our eyes met, she stopped moving and I swallowed as her eyes narrowed.

"What are they doing here," she demanded.

Raven turned on a dime and stared at us before she turned back to Clarke, "Clarke, we can explain."

"You didn't tell her," Lincoln asked harshly at Octavia.

"We've been trying," she replied. "But she's usually either in the studio or with Janice or taking a hike. We don't interrupt her when she's in the studio."

Clarke's eyes shifted to Octavia and said, "This is the guy you've been seeing?"

"Yeah," Octavia said, meekly.

"In the office, now," Clarke said, her voice suddenly going cold.

I watched as Octavia lowered her head and walked towards and around the stairs. Clarke walked in the same direction, not sparing us a glance.

"Maybe we should go, Lincoln," I said, looking up at him. "This was a bad idea."

"No, it wasn't," Raven said, coming up to me. "Trust me. She's been doing real well and she needs this."

"I know she's been doing well," I said as I sat down.

"What do you mean, you know," Raven said, sitting as well.

"Clarke and I have been exchanging emails," I admitted.

"Wait, what?"

"Lexa is the fan she's been writing to," Bellamy said.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Raven moaned.

"I'm afraid not," I said.

I turned to the stairs as I heard yelling and looked at Lincoln worriedly. He laid a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it, comforting me. I swallowed the wine down quickly as everyone waited nervously. When the yelling stopped, a few minutes later, Octavia emerged and made a beeline straight for Lincoln. Clarke came out a minute later and walked over. I stood up and waited.

"Welcome to our home, Lexa, Lincoln," she said, her voice tightly controlled but her body positively vibrated with agitation. "If you'll excuse me, I need to wash up."

With that, she turned around and walked upstairs. When I heard a door slam shut, I sat back down, already feeling drained.

"Don't worry, Lexa," Raven said, patting my knee. "She's just surprised is all. She'll calm down once she gets something to eat. She skipped lunch again."

"Are you saying that to ease my mind," I replied, looking at her. "Or does she really act this way when she's hungry."

"A bit of both," she said, smiling at me. "She can get mean when she doesn't eat."

"Oh," I said, quietly and wishing I had more to drink.

Seeming to read my mind, she said, "Let me refill that for you."

I handed her my glass and she got up. There was still tension in the room, but they made the effort to talk to me and started placing the food on the table. When Clarke finally reappeared, she seemed calmer, but I could tell that she wasn't completely relaxed. I sighed as I came to the realization that this was going to be a long dinner.

Clarke walked straight to the kitchen where Raven handed her a pint of beer. She seemed to drink it at once and Raven refilled it. With a nod of thanks, she headed to the dining room.

"Dinner's served," Bellamy said with a flourish.

We all headed to the dining room and I found myself sitting at the opposite end from Clarke. When everyone was seated, they all waited expectantly.

Clarke looked at me hard for a moment and then said, "Lexa, since you are our honored guest, would you like to do the honors and carve our first turkey?"

"It would be my honor, Clarke," I replied a little woodenly.

I stood up, Lincoln handing me the knife and I made the first cut. Methodically, the plates rotated as I placed several slices of turkey on them. Chatter started up as everyone started serving themselves and began to eat. As I was eating, I was painfully aware of Clarke and kept stealing glances at her. Whenever I caught her eye, she would immediately drop her gaze and focus on her food. I spoke with everyone near me and watched Clarke do the same. The food was delicious and I found myself gorging on it.

The conversation started getting more animated, punctuated with laughter as I listened to the stories they were telling. They seemed focused on telling fond memories as if trying to calm Clarke down.

At one point, Clarke pointed her knife at Harper and said, "You never did tell me how you got your dad to give you two of his prized stallions, Harper."

"Well, he didn't know that I was going to keep them," Harper replied. "Mom told him that another rancher had bought them far above their worth. That's how I got out of town. He thought that I was taking them to the fictional rancher."

"That took some balls from your mom," Nate said. "How'd she get her nerves up? I mean your dad is a mean bastard."

Harper shrugged as her face darkened, "He put Millie in the hospital. Mom wanted me to bring her, but dad was watching too closely."

"Fuck," he said and then turned to Clarke, "We got to get Millie out of there, Clarke. Mr. McIntyre will kill that little girl now that Harper's here with us."

Clarke leaned forward and replied, "I'm not sure that we can. I sure as hell can't get back into town. Neither can you. We could see if Jasper can sneak her out."

"I'll talk to him," Monty replied.

"Thank you, Monty," Harper said and leaned up against him.

"No problem, maybe I can convince him to bring his family up here for a vacation or something."

"Who's Millie," Lincoln asked.

"My baby sister," Harper replied. "She's eight."

"And your dad put her in the hospital," I said, shocked. "That's child abuse! Can't your Sheriff's department do something."

The room suddenly got quiet and they all looked at Clarke. Clarke closed her eyes and I saw her work her jaw. When she opened her eyes, I could see how haunted they were, making me shudder.

"They won't," she said, quietly. "It's not considered child abuse. It's called submissive discipline. Just about every female in the pack is forced into submission by any means necessary, Lexa. It's been that way since the town was founded."

"That's just wrong," I said, feeling a spark of anger. "They shouldn't be allowed to operate like that."

Clarke shrugged and replied, "It is what it is. The pack Alpha and every Alpha after him will never change the laws."

"Well, why not," I demanded.

She looked at me for a minute and then said, "Because every female born in the pack is stronger than the men. We're stronger, faster, smarter, and a lot of things. A female Alpha is even stronger. So, we're abused, physically, emotionally, mentally, sexually until we are nothing but a shell of ourselves. Most women don't even try to fight off the inevitability of their roles. We're the exception to that rule."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed and then looked at Raven to reply.

Raven cleared her throat and said, "We became friends with Clarke, Lexa. She protected us as much as she could. Bellamy raised Octavia after their father beat their mother to death and then drank himself into the grave. My father died challenging Jaha for pack Alpha, which killed my mother. Monty's parents are actually good people and raised him differently. Nate is gay, but had his father's protection. Harper is the only one who really suffered at the hands of her father. We all have our reasons for being here with Clarke and beyond our tight bond."

"What about you, Clarke," I asked, looking at her.

"I was supposed to be killed when my father found out that I was an Alpha, but he convinced Jaha to let me live in return that I would leave when I graduated high school. When I turned sixteen, my father challenged him in an effort to change the laws and lost his life. I was allowed to stay to take care of my mother and to stay after graduation, I had to date his son, Wells. I was exiled and given a month to leave or I'd be killed. That's why I'm here," she said as if she were dead inside.

I sat back, hard, and looked at her in horror, "You were supposed to be killed?"

"Yes, as all female Alphas are."

"I am so, so sorry that you all had to go through that," I said, my heart going out to all of them.

"It is what it is. This is why I told you that all we wanted was to start over. This is why I don't trust you, Lexa. Every pack Alpha in that town are monsters. I've never experienced what it's like to live under a good pack Alpha or even an indifferent one."

"I see that now," I said, nodding. "My actions did nothing to dissuade you of how I really treat my pack."

"No, it did not, but it is the past. You have kept your word and I thank you for that."

I heard a phone ring and Clarke said, "If you'll excuse me, that's my phone."

"Of course," I replied and watched her as she got up and headed back into the studio.

Silence descended over the table and my thoughts raced through the information they had given me. It was horrifying that a town, a pack, would act in such a manner. It made me angry and the anger rose as there was nothing that I could do. Lincoln noticed and laid a calming hand over mine, making me look at him.

He leaned over and whispered, "Calm yourself, Lexa. You know that there's nothing you can do. We don't interfere in other packs' business. They got out, hopefully others will notice and get out as well."

I nodded curtly and finished my meal. When Clarke came back out, she was in a better mood.

"Janice," Raven asked.

"Yeah," she replied, smiling. "Sometimes I think she's a freaking mind reader. She called because she was worried about me and wanted to make sure that I was okay."

"I told you that she was good for you. Now, if only I could find a man that'll do the same thing."

"Well, you could always switch teams," Clarke teased. "Or, you know, head back over to the hospital and see if you can't find a sugar daddy."

"Hey," she exclaimed. "I thought we agreed we weren't going to bring that up again."

"Oh, come on, you set yourself up for that one," she replied, laughing.

"Fuck you, Clarke and you are never going to get me into your bed."

"Never say never, Rae. I think I just have to get you drunk enough."

"Janice wouldn't like it."

Clarke shook her head, "Nah-ah. Janice thinks you're hot, too, and wouldn't be in the least bit uneasy bringing you into the mix."

As they continued to bicker back and forth, I felt my chest squeeze painfully listening to them.

"Knock it off, you two," Octavia said. "Geez, it's like watching a damn reality show."

They both shut up and looked at her it such a way that made Octavia cringe.

"Does Lincoln know that you've got old men flirting with you," Raven said with a smirk.

She blushed and replied, "You are not dragging me into whatever this is."

"You didn't answer her question," Clarke said, leaning forward. "Does. He. Know?"

Octavia looked up at Lincoln, blushing a deeper red, and Lincoln just leaned down and whispered in her ear, easing her embarrassment.

"Damn," Nate said, grinning, "I was hoping for a threesome."

This made everyone laugh, including me. The tension seemed to ooze out of everyone and the meal ended on a high note. As everyone started to clear the table, I started to help, but Bellamy stopped me.

"Don't worry about it, Lexa," he said, smiling. "You're a guest. Relax, drink some more wine and get to know us a little better."

I nodded and reached over and poured myself another glass. I watched Clarke as she got up and started helping. I was surprised to see her doing that and Raven caught me staring.

She came over and said, "Clarke's not like other Alphas, Lexa. We're all treated equally and we share the work equally. That's the way we are. Clarke's not the type to let others do the work. Never has. Never will."

"Really," I said, looking at her.

"Really," she replied, nodding. "She's a good friend. Stubborn, but loyal. But, I think you already know that, don't you?"

I thought about the emails between us and I realized that she was right, so I nodded and got up to join the rest. I started to relax around them as I watched the dynamics. They made it a point to draw me into their conversations and treated me as if they were my friends. They were an interesting group, each with their own interests. I learned that Monty farmed and ten acres of the land were his. Harper got the other half for her horses. Bellamy was leaving to teach at a college to teach classical literature. Nate had joined the Eden Sheriff's department and Raven was a mechanic at the auto shop.

I found myself, drawn time and time again to the painting and I found it amazing that it had been Clarke all along.

"I take it that you like it," she asked, as she came to stand beside me and startling me.

"I do," I replied, smiling and looking at her. "I even have one of them hanging in my office."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. You're amazing."

"Thank you. It's my passion and it makes me really happy to be doing it again."

"I know," I replied. "You've told me."

"Come again," she asked and I realized that she didn't know that she had been corresponding with me for the last several months.

I turned to look at her and said, "Um, I don't know how to tell you this, but you've been writing to me for the past several months. I'm the one that asked about commissioning a painting."

"Oh, you've got to be fucking me," she said, her whole demeanor changing. "You've been fucking spying on me the entire fucking time."

"No," I exclaimed. "I swear that I wasn't spying on you. I didn't even know you were the painter, not until tonight when I saw the painting. I wouldn't do that."

"God dammit," she growled and strode quickly out onto the back deck.

"What happened," Lincoln asked, seeing her leave.

"She just found out that I'm the one she's been writing to," I said, glumly. "She thinks I was spying on her."

"Then you need to go out there and convince her that you weren't," he said, pointedly. "Make things right with her."

I stared at Clarke through the sliding door and nodded, "You're right. I'll be back."

"Okay."

I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders and stepped out into the chilly December night. She glanced over at the door and turned her attention back to whatever she was looking at.

"Clarke," I said, uncertainly as I came up to the railing. "I really didn't know that you're Griffin. Everything I've shared with you has been the honest truth."

She turned her head slightly to me and said quietly, "Even the things you wrote about me."

I chuckled and said, "Figured that out, did you?"

She gave me a wry smile and replied, "It was hard to miss, Lexa. I've been going over our exchanges and I should have realized it sooner."

"Hah," I said. "Everything you described about yourself. The injury, re-injury, was probably the most obvious. I knew that you suffered from the same type and I don't know why I didn't make the connection."

"Well, you helped me a lot throughout all of this and it was really good to talk to someone else."

"You did the same," I said, looking down at the ground and noticed how high we were and made me think of something. "Did you really jump down to the ground from here?"

"Huh," she asked, looking down herself.

"Anya and Lincoln told me that you jumped over the railing and landed like it didn't affect you."

"Ah," she said in understanding and smiling, "Yeah. All of us can make that jump easily. I can even jump off of my balcony easily and that's another twenty feet from the ground."

"How the fuck is that possible?"

She shrugged and replied, "I didn't realize that other werewolves couldn't. It's just something we can do."

"And the whole sensing thing?"

"Sensing thing?"

"How you were able to figure out that Lincoln and Anya were following you."

"Oh that. Honestly, I don't know. Didn't know about it until I moved here, but the truth is we all can. I just pick it up more strongly."

"Because you're an Alpha," I said, in wonder.

"Probably," she said, leaning on the railing to look at me more fully. "I guess it's a way for me to detect possible danger. I can usually also pick up intentions. Being watched by your former Sheriff, I knew that he didn't have the best of intentions while Lincoln and Anya were more curious than anything else."

"You really are the stronger Alpha."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of challenging you," she said, chuckling. "From everything I've noticed and what you've told me, you're a good pack Alpha. I'm sorry that I didn't realize it sooner."

I shrugged, "It is what it is, if I may steal your line. I trust that you wouldn't challenge me."

A sudden noise drew our attention to the windows of her studio. We watched stunned as someone started wrecking havoc. I recognized Anya.

"What the fuck is she doing," Clarke yelled, and headed back inside.

I followed quickly wondering exactly that. What the hell was she doing here? Clarke threw open the doors and ran at Anya, tackling her to the floor. Anya tried to fight her off, but Clarke pinned her wrists above her head.

"What the fuck are you doing here," she demanded.

"Get off of me, you bitch," Anya yelled, struggling.

"Not until you calm the fuck down," Clarke yelled back. "Now what the fuck are you doing?"

"You fucking stole Lexa from me," she screamed making Clarke look over at me in surprise. "She loved me before you came along!"

"What the hell is she talking about, Lexa," she asked.

I walked over and crouched down next to them and said, "She loves me, but I don't feel the same way."

"Jesus, seriously?!"

"I'm afraid so," I replied and grabbed Anya's chin, forcing her to look at me. "Calm down, Anya. As your Alpha, I'm ordering you to stand down."

She glared at me, growling, "Fuck off, bitch."

"Do not disrespect her," Clarke said, seething and leaning closer to her. "She is your Alpha and you will listen to her."

"Fuck you," She spat.

"Fine, then. I order you to calm down," she growled and I could literally feel Clarke forcing her will on Anya.

I watched in disbelief as Anya heaved and bucked in an effort to fight her, but she was calming down. When she finally calmed, Clarke released her wrists and climbed off of her.

"I'm sorry, Lexa," Clarke said, giving me a hand up. "I shouldn't have done that."

I took a shaky breath and replied, "I'm not. Thank you."

We looked down at Anya, who was slowly sitting up and looking between the two of us with such hate filled eyes that I cringed.

"Clarke," Raven called, making Clarke look at her. "She's destroyed three of your paintings. The ones you were going to send to Rachel."

"Fuck," Clarke said and strode over to look at the ruined paintings. "Dammit, I can't repair them. This is going to set me back weeks."

I crouched down again and asked, "What were you thinking, Anya?"

"I'm not sorry, Lexa. And I stand by my words. She's turned you away from me," she said, glaring at Clarke.

"She didn't, Anya," I replied, patiently. "I realized a long time ago that I didn't love you like that. You are my closest and best friend and I should have told you much sooner. I'm sorry."

"I don't want you're platitudes or excuses, Lexa. Nothing good will ever come from Clarke. She is a poison to our pack. You saw it, she's more powerful than you are."

"Now, you're sounding just like Titus."

"He was right. She needs to go."

"No, she doesn't. She is no threat to me or the pack. I trust her word."

"Then you are a fool."

I sighed and looked over at Lincoln, "Take her back to Polis and put her in a holding cell until she drys out. She's drunk."

"Maybe it's best if we all leave," he said, coming over and pulling Anya up.

I shook my head, "She's my responsibility, Lincoln. I have to make this right."

"One of us will take her home," Octavia said to him. "No harm will come to her."

He nodded, "Let me know when you're home, Lexa."

"I will, just get her home," I said and watched as he all but dragged her out of the room.

I walked over to Clarke and said, "I'm sorry about your paintings, Clarke. I'll make sure that Anya is punished appropriately."

Clarke looked over at me and shook her head, "Only if you feel that it's necessary. She's punishing herself right now. I think it's enough."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm just going to have to redo these. There's nothing else I can do. It'll take time and we'll have to push the dates back, probably by a month."

"You've switched to townscapes," I asked, looking at the ruined paintings.

"Yeah, I did. I still have difficulty painting the landscapes. My repressed memories keep filtering through."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me show you something," she said and we walked over to a stack of paintings that had been set aside.

She pulled a few out and set them up on easels. She waited patiently as I studied them. They were all landscapes, but they had a reoccurring image throughout.

"What's with the pond," I asked, looking at her.

"Before I came here," she exclaimed. "Wells and I were attacked, I think. It was our four year anniversary and he had taken me to the mill pond to celebrate. I remember fighting with him, but not much else than that due to memory loss. When I got here and I tried sketching the area, the mill pond always showed up. Sometimes just the pond, other times it was with the mill, and other times, they had Wells' car in them. It's why I stopped painting for so long."

"And why you've switched themes," I said, quietly.

"Yes," she replied. "Once I can get up enough courage, I'll try again."

"May I," I asked, pointing to the rest of the stack.

"Sure," she replied. "Now that the cat is out of the bag, it might be better to give you a chance to understand what I've been going through."

"Thank you," I said and started slowly going through them.

She walked back over to the other side of the room to speak with Raven and I watched the slow progression of Clarke's recovery. It was nothing short of amazing to see it. There was so much anger in the beginning which led to what I can only imagine as depression. Then the colors and images became lighter, happier. When I came to the end of the stack, I paused, seeing my own face staring back at me. I pulled it out and removed one of the other paintings from the easel.

I stepped back and looked at. It was incredibly beautiful and her brushstrokes told me a lot of what she had been feeling when she was painting it. I felt something stir deep within me seeing that it was painted with affection. The green of my eyes was breathtaking, but I noticed a lot of emotions in those eyes. It was so akin to what I felt daily that it surprised me that she had noticed.

"I painted that the day we met," Clarke said, quietly and making me jump. "Of course, I didn't know it until I woke up the next morning."

I looked at her, confused, and asked, "Why would you paint me?"

She shrugged, "Because there was something about you that day and I wanted to paint it. There's still something about you that I can't put my finger on. Even though I'm with Janice, I am attracted to you. You are breathtakingly beautiful and even though I was very angry with you, I knew that you were a good person. A good leader that cares deeply about her pack. What you see in this painting is what I saw throughout our conversation that day."

I studied her for a moment, trying to decide, and then said, "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure," she said, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm attracted to you, too. I have ever since I first saw you on that ledge," I said, dropping my eyes. "And I've seen you many times there and each time I felt a sense of familiarity. Like I've known you before, but I've never met you and I'm really good at remembering people."

She chuckled and replied, "Then I shall also admit that I've seen you many times on that same ledge and have felt the same way. Aren't we a pair?"

I returned the chuckle and smiled, "I guess so. But, what do we do now?"

"I don't know. We're both attracted to one another but we can't act on it. Since we've become apparent friends through our emails, shall we remain friends?"

I nodded and replied, "I'd like that. Thank you for letting me see all of this."

"We all have our demons to bear, Lexa. I've learned that it's best to share them and not carry them alone. I'm glad that you came."

"So am I."

"Good. Now, I've got something that I know you've been dying to get your hands on," she said and turned to walk towards a spot on the floor.

"The tablet," I asked, walking over.

She looked over her shoulder and smiling, said, "Yep. You've kept your word and you've proven to me that you can be trusted."

"Thank you," I replied and watched as she knelt down and removed a piece of concrete from the floor.

I was once again reminded that she had physical strength that probably outmatched mine and I would be remiss to ever get into a fight with her. Walking closer, I saw that it was a floor safe and watched as she opened it up. She pulled out papers, laying them off to the side and then reached deeply into it. She grunted with effort and pulled out something that was wrapped in leather.

"Damn this is heavy," she said.

"Clarke, what the hell are you doing," Bellamy cried out and coming toward us. "You're gonna fuck your arm up again."

"Will not," she said, her voice straining under the weight. "You and Nate nearly broke your backs carrying this. I've got this."

"Stop showing off," he said and bent down to lend a hand.

With some maneuvering, they got it and walked it over to a nearby table. Clarke rolled her shoulder from the strain, but there didn't seem to be any signs of pain. Clarke unwrapped the leather and stepped back so that I could take a look at it. I walked closer, my eyes roaming over it, trying to take in every little detail. I reached out and stroked the carved out lettering.

"We took pictures of it and sent it to an old friend of Bellamy's who specializes in archaic languages," Clarke said. "We only just now got the translation back from her."

"You did," I asked, "Why?"

She laughed, "Seriously?! We find a heavy ass crate dug into the earth, open it and find a leather wrapped stone tablet with writing that looks ancient. Did you really think that we wouldn't be curious? Hell, who wouldn't be curious?"

I blushed, "Point. Can I see the translation?"

Bellamy handed it over to me and I opened the folder with shaky fingers. As I read, something shifted in me and I stole a glance at Clarke. She didn't notice as she lazily traced a finger over the carvings. It was a story about the first werewolves. One that was the color of sunlight and the other the color of midnight. Light and Darkness, reminding me of my father's tale. It was a love story and a story of beginning. A story of grief and ending. And an eventual rebirth. It told of a love that withstood time as Light chased Dark and Dark chased Light. Much like the movements of our sun and moon. It seemed almost prophetic and that when either caught the one, change occurred.

"So, the story of the first of our kind," Clarke said, looking at me when I closed the folder. "What did you think?"

"I don't know what I think," I said. "My family must have believed the truth in this tale or they wouldn't have protected it for this long. Was the friend able to guess when it was carved?"

"She could only guess that it was maybe carved in the first century," Bellamy said. "But that's only based on the language. To get a true idea of how old the stone actually is, carbon dating would need to be done."

I looked at him sharply and said, "First century?"

"Yes, but more than likely that tale is older than that. Only written down when written language was developed."

"That's incredible," I replied.

Bellamy laughed, "Yeah, my friend begged and begged me to send her the real thing, but I told her no. That it wasn't mine to give. But, now it's yours, where it belongs."

"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Bellamy and Clarke shared a look that I couldn't interpret and then Clarke said, "Oh, trust me, we do. If you want to head back, I can take you."

"Trying to get rid of me already," I said with a grin.

Clarke shook her head, smiling, "No, but if Anya was my oldest and dearest friend, I'd want to make sure that she was alright."

My smile faded, "Yeah. I should probably leave. I'll take you up on your offer."

"Great. Let me just grab my keys," she said and went to grab the tablet, too.

"No, Clarke," Bellamy stopped her, "Nate and I will load it up in the truck. We are not risking your shoulder a third time."

"Dammit, Bell," she seethed, but I could tell that there was merriment in her eyes. "Fine, just don't drop it or I'll have your heads."

"As if," he replied, chuckling.

"Balls work too, you know," she said as she headed back into the house proper, cackling.

Both Nate and Bellamy paled at that parting remark and quickly got the tablet into Clarke's Bronco. Clarke and I climbed in and we headed to Polis. We rode in silence for a little while and it wasn't really uncomfortable.

"She scared for you. You know that, right," Clarke said into the silence.

"Who," I asked, looking over at her.

"Anya," she replied. "There's been too much change in a short amount of time and I'm at the center of it. She's your Beta and she's doing what she's supposed to do. Look out for you. You know, make sure that you don't make any risky moves that could hurt or hinder you."

"I guess," I said, leaning against the door, "I just don't understand why she couldn't come to me with this."

"I can't answer that for you, Lexa. All I know is that she cares for you and when you rebuffed her, it was like a stab through the heart. Sometimes time can heal and others it can cause hate. She chose hate it looks like."

"How are you so calm about this?"

She was silent for a long while and then said, "What do you know about a town called Arkadia?"

"I know that it's a werewolf pack," I answered her. "My Father compared the pack Alpha to Hitler once. He also told me that if I was ever to come across someone from there that I had to be careful, especially around the men. But, he also told me that if anyone came from there that was looking for an escape that I should provide sanctuary to them."

"I kind of like that comparison," she said, glancing at me. "It's where we're from, Lexa. Well, sorta. We actually don't exist anymore."

"You're from Arkadia," I exclaimed.

"Sorta," she replied. "We don't technically exist."

"I don't get it. You were all born and raised there. You exhibit the characteristics of the pack, so how can you not exist."

"I was exiled, Lexa. After Wells' death, I was given a month to leave. When I got my birth records and hospital records, the only information listed is my name and date of birth. My parents, place of birth, the hospital I went to have been wiped. I don't even think I have school transcripts anymore. The others went into exile willingly, but all of their information has been wiped out as well. In the eyes of Arkadia, we were never born. And if we were never born, we don't exist to our families. Nor can we have any contact with them or our friends."

"That's insane. So, not only do they beat the female members of the pack, but those that do not conform to what, the image of the town, are exiled and become nonexistent?"

"In a nutshell. I've seen so much cruelty, hatred, pain, loneliness, heartbreak, that I've almost become numb to it. It's why I'm calm, I'm used to it."

"That's not right."

"No, it's not."

We lapsed back into silence until we reached the outskirts of town and then she spoke again.

"Where do you want the tablet to go? Your house or office," she asked.

"Um, actually there's a storage unit where I keep all the family stuff," I replied.

"Alright, just point me in the right direction."

I directed her towards my storage unit and as I opened the unit up, she got the tablet. I tried not to stare at her as she carried the stone, but I couldn't help but notice the muscles in her arms and how they stood out. She laid it on a desk that I had cleared for her and waited as she caught her breath. She gazed around the unit and then turned to me with a grin.

"Lexa, your family were packrats," she said, chuckling.

I looked around and replied, "It looks like it. This is everything that I've been able to find from when we were thrown out of Eden."

"I remember you mentioning that," she said as we walked out and I closed the unit back up. "Do you have any idea why?"

"No, my grandfather refused to talk about it," I replied, shaking my head. "But that happened like a hundred years ago."

"Ah," she said and then leaned up against the truck, "Want a ride back to your place or do you wanna walk?"

"Walk," I asked, incredulously. "I live clear on the other side of town. I'll take the ride."

She laughed, "Alright then."

We climbed back into her truck and I gave her the directions to my house. She parked in the driveway and I was suddenly nervous.

"Nice place," she said about my headlight illuminated home.

"There's only me," I replied, taking in the single story cabin. "We've never really been prone to large families, so we never felt it was prudent for a large place."

She chuckled and looked at me, raising an eyebrow, "Are you trying to imply something?"

"What," I said, my eyes wide, "Absolutely not. You've got a big family. It's just me in there."

"I'm only teasing, Lexa. Though it must kinda get lonely sometimes. Unless, there's someone inside waiting for you?"

I shook my head sadly and said, "No. No one has been waiting for me for a long time."

Clarke reached out and laid a hand on mine and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

I looked down at our hands and then up at her face and I could see that she really was sorry.

"Thanks."

She didn't remove her hand when she said, "I'm glad that we got talked into playing nice at dinner. I've realized that you were genuinely sorry for the crap that you pulled."

"I'm glad, too. And that we really finally got to clear the air between us. I mean, I like you, Clarke, and I'm glad that we can be friends. I need that in my life."

"So, do I. Like you, I mean."

The air seemed to charge between us as we looked at each other. I licked my lips nervously and watched as her eyes dipped to follow my tongue. And then, I'm not sure what happened, but we were suddenly kissing. It was brief and yet we still parted breathlessly.

She looked me in the eyes and I saw something that was reflected in me and I couldn't help but wonder if things were different would there be a chance for the two of us.

"We can't do this again," Clarke said, softly and with something akin to pain or regret.

I nodded numbly and said, "You're right. Thank you again for everything."

"Good night, Lexa."

"Good night, Clarke," I said and got out of the truck.

She waited until I was at my door before she pulled out and headed home. I opened the door and leaned up against it. My eyes closed and my fingers gently stroking my lips, remembering the feel of her lips against mine.