Lexa

"Move it two feet to the left," I yelled up up at the guys hanging the banner. "No! You're other left! Come on, guys! Tonight kicks off the Centennial! It's gotta be perfect!"

They moved it the requisite two feet and I nodded before I turned my attention back to the rest of the room. Everywhere I looked, there was a flurry of activity as last minute changes were being put up for tonight's party. I winced as feedback from the speakers emerged and turned around to glare at the sound guy. He mouthed sorry and hung his head in apology. I growled in annoyance and headed over to the stage where Fio's band was setting up their instruments.

"Fio," I said, as I got closer. "Did you get the new playlist?"

"I did, Lexa," he said, grinning and crouching down to look at me. "Don't worry. We're refraining from going too heavy tonight."

"You better. This floor can not take another beating like the last time. I just don't have the funds to repair it."

"Easy, Cuz. The music is going to be thumping and I promise there won't be any complaints about what we're playing. Just make sure Davey doesn't screw up his set list. I don't want to be playing anything he does."

"He's got his own and I made sure that there was no overlap," I replied. "We will not be having a repeat of that particular 4th of July again. Trust me."

"Good. Got any special requests for tonight?"

I rolled my eyes, "Hell, no. You're not trapping me with that one again. Just play your damndest and make your pops proud."

"Oh, you know it. By the way, Mom wants to know when you'll be coming over for Sunday dinner. You've like missed, the last month of them."

I cringed, "Sorry, cuz. I always seem to forget."

"Well, make sure you don't this Sunday. You've got no excuse."

"Alright, alright. Tell your mom that I'll be there."

"Fantastic," he said grinning wide. "If she knows you're coming it means that there'll be her special dessert."

That made my mouth instantly drool, "It sucks that she won't tell us what it is, Fio. I'll think she'll take it to the grave before she ever let's either one of us know."

He shook his head, laughing, "I think we both need to find a woman worthy of learning the recipe before she'll ever let us in the know."

I groaned, "So…yeah, she'll take it to her grave."

"Hey, there's still hope for me yet. Not for you, but me…definitely."

"Whatever. Go do whatever it is you're supposed to be doing."

He stood up, chuckling and saluted me, "Aye, aye, Commander. I'll see you tonight."

I waved him off and headed outside to where the fireworks were being set up. I listened to my footsteps crunching through the snow as I went over everything that still needed to be done before I could finally go home to get ready for tonight. There wasn't a lot more, but I needed it to be perfect. Like obsessively perfect.

I had made my way over to the clearing where Branson had set up the fireworks and I immediately started to frown. There were too many and he knew exactly how much I had allotted him.

"Branson," I growled. "What the hell are you trying to pull, dammit! I told you we can only have enough for a ten minute show with two thirds of what you got out here! Get rid of some of these and go back to the original plan!"

"But Lexa," he cried, rushing over to me. "Come on. Don't you want to make this the most spectacular display this side of the mountain? We need all of it."

"No, we don't, Branson," I replied, giving him my deadliest glare. "There may be snow on the ground and the trees may be wet, but I will be damned if I let your fireworks somehow catch something on fire. We do this every six months. When will you learn to leave well enough alone?"

He shrugged, but acquiesced, "I'm sorry, Lexa. It's just..fireworks is my passion. You know what they say…Go Big or Go Home."

"You are home, you nitwit. You really want to take a chance of blowing up your own damn home?"

"Well, no, but still…"

"No, buts, Branson. Get rid of the extra shit or I'm gonna light several up your ass and we'll see how far you'll fly. Got it."

"Got it," he replied, his body deflating as he went about and started removing the extra fireworks.

Feeling vindicated, I headed over to the diner where the food was going to be coming from. I didn't make it to the door before I was grabbed from behind. I immediately wrenched the hand and twisted it painfully as I turned to see who had grabbed me. I let it go immediately as Lincoln howled out in pain.

"Shit, Linc," I said in apology. "I'm sorry, man, but you know better than grabbing me like that."

He examined his hand before he looked up at me and said, "It's fine, Lex. I just wanted to stop you before you went inside."

"Why," I asked, suspiciously.

"Anya's in there and she is moody as fuck right now," he said, guiding me away from the diner.

"Oh, fuck," I replied. "What now?"

"It's not anything to concern yourself about," he said, hastily. "Everything's being set up perfectly. She just overheard me talking to Octavia earlier about tonight."

I felt a fluttering of nervousness in the depth of my gut and asked, "What'd Octavia want?"

"Oh, just what the venue was going to be so that the girls would know what to wear," he answered, smirking. "And letting me know what time they'd get here. Things like that."

I ignored his smirk and tried to play it cool, "That's cool that they're coming. So, I take it that Anya's not happy that they are?"

He shook his head, "Nope. She's not. I don't know what happened, but Anya has really taken a disliking to them. It makes no sense to me."

I sighed, "It's a female thing. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh," he said, uncomfortably. "I'll let it go then. I'm sorry that it doesn't look like Anya wants to forgive you."

"I am, too. It sucks losing my best friend over a stupid mistake."

"It is, but don't let that get you down. Um, just let Anya have the catering. I've already taken care of the security measures. Is everything else taken care of?"

"Actually, yeah, it is. Can you do me a favor and double check that Branson has removed all of the fireworks that are not part of the plan and then with Charlie on the ball?"

"Sure," he said, nodding. "You gonna head back to the house?"

"Yeah. I think I need to relax a bit before the party starts."

"Alright. Don't forget about the opening ceremony and make sure you're wearing something nice for a change."

I glared at him, "I always dress nice for these things."

"No jeans, Lexa. I mean it."

"Fine," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'll be back before the opening ceremony."

He hugged me and I headed home.

When I pulled into my drive, I sat in my car for a moment running everything through my head because I suddenly felt the need to make tonight as perfect as it could be. I didn't want any mishaps or blunders. Fights or mosh pits. I almost turned around because I wanted to make sure that there was enough food and drink, but stopped myself before I acted like an idiot. Tonight felt important. Like this was a moment that could either make or break me. I felt nervous and excited and oh, so worried about making a fool out of myself.

I knew why I was feeling this way. I wanted to impress Clarke. I wanted to show her that the Polis pack was nothing like Arcadia. I wanted her to feel welcomed. I wanted her to feel safe, like she had made me feel safe. I wanted to show her that I was a good pack Alpha. I wanted to thank her for everything that she had done. Through her emails, her forgiveness, her tenderness. I felt indebted to her.

I sighed. I felt a lot of things and I prayed that I wouldn't make a fool out of myself. I just really wanted her to like me. Why that was so important, I wasn't sure. I just knew that it was.

I got out of the car and headed into the house. I grimaced at the trash laying about from the last two days. I wasn't normally like that, but I was still recovering and I had decided to work from home. It showed in the empty cartons of take out and bottles of beer. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of leftovers and with a growl of determination, I started cleaning. I cleaned every inch of my home. Washed every dirty article of clothing I could find. I scrubbed my toilet and scoured the kitchen sink. I would've aired out my mattress, I think, if I had had the time. Thankfully, I did not. When I was satisfied that even a guard that served at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier would find no errors, did I stop and get ready for the party.

I studied myself in the mirror. I was wearing an ankle length dress with a slit that went nearly to my hip along my left leg. As I shifted, the satiny feel of the fabric caressed my skin as gentle as the fingers of a lover, making me shiver as I checked myself over. The dress was emerald green, making my eyes seem to glow in the light. I smiled slightly to myself at the affect. It hugged the slight curves of my body and was held up a single band of fabric that crossed my right shoulder and followed crosswise to the slit in the dress. I wore little makeup, just a bit of eyeshadow and lip gloss. I wore a single band of yellow gold around my neck and a gold ear cuff on my left ear. My hair was done simply, sides pulled back slightly and the rest hanging in cascading waves down my back. I turned around to examine the effect and smiled as my hair hid the bit of tattoo that would have shown. My black heels brought a couple of inches to my normally five-foot-five height. I was ready. I was ready to show off my pack, my town, and myself.

I nearly grabbed my leather jacket from the back of my door before I realized that it would detract from what I was trying to project and hung it reluctantly back. I'd have to go without that piece of armor tonight and hope that I wouldn't need it.

I arrived a half hour before I needed to and took the time to do a quick walkthrough. The servers were dressed as if we were at some grand ball and I shook my head in sympathy at how uncomfortable they looked. It appeared that Anya was trying for a power play to intimidate Clarke and her friends. The food looked delicious and I couldn't help but steal a few of the finger foods, grinning at Kara's glare. The DJ was already playing some mellow music, waiting for everyone to begin arriving. I adjusted decorations here and there as I moved around the large room, waiting.

When people began arriving, I greeted them, smiling and taking a moment to enjoy their company. I loved the people of my pack and I like to think it showed in how I treated them. Lincoln found me ensconced in a group of parents who were telling me how excited their children were about the upcoming year and learning what this town was like a hundred years ago.

"You ready," he asked, as he guided me by the elbow to the stage.

"Of course, I am," I replied, smiling. "Lincoln, you forget I've been doing this for the last three years. I'm a pro at this now."

He chuckled, "That's what I wanted to hear. Listen, Anya's still on the warpath, so please be careful around her. Be cordial. Be polite, but do not let her drag you down into a fight. It's not worth it."

I nodded, solemnly, "I won't. Just help me keep her away from Clarke if she comes."

"If she comes, I will," he replied. "Let's get this party going."

I chuckled, "Yes. Let's."

We walked up the short set of stairs and made our way center stage. I stepped back as Lincoln brought everyone's attention to us and let him introduce me. There was a raucous applause as I stepped up to the mic. I let it go on for a minute, smiling and nodding, before I held up a hand. I let my eyes roam the room as I began speaking and couldn't help the little bit of stomach flutter when I spotted a particular group of people standing off to the side of the room. I took a deep breath and continued on with my short speech, welcoming and thanking them for coming out tonight. Reminding them to have fun and that any and all disputes were to be left at the door or they'd find themselves spending the first week of the new year in jail. I finished with a flourish and introduced Fio's band.

I walked off the stage and Lincoln was waiting with a glass of wine in his hand for me. I nodded graciously and took a sip before we headed over to Clarke and her friends. When they came into view, I had to stop for a minute and catch my breath. Clarke was breathtaking in a midnight blue strapless dress that hugged every curve of her body like a second skin. It flared out a bit at the hips to allow better movement, the length stopping at the floor. I noticed that she wore only eyeshadow that made her blue eyes a beautiful shade of sapphire. A pair of teardrop diamonds adorned her earlobes with a matching silver necklace and pendant that nestled perfectly above her breasts. She smiled and politely inclined her head as I found my feet and came closer.

"You look absolutely stunning, Lexa," she said, her eyes roaming the length of my body.

I inclined my head, blushing, "I must say that I've never seen such a breathtaking sight as you, Clarke."

She chuckled, "Indeed. The place looks wonderful."

"Thank you," I replied, taking a sip of wine. "The committee really took their time to do it right. I'm very proud of them."

"As you should be. Thank you for inviting us."

"It was my pleasure," I replied. "I am really happy that you came. All of you. Would it be alright if I introduced you to some people?"

"I would love that," she said, smiling at me genuinely.

We left the group and wandered around the room where I'd randomly introduced people to her as we came across them or they stopped to have a word with me. Eventually, I left her with Fio during one of his breaks as I continued to mingle with everyone. I would occasionally come across the others and was happy to see them having a good time and meeting people. I smirked when I saw Raven flirting with one of my administrative assistants and raised an eyebrow when I caught her eye. She stuck her tongue out at me before laughing and returning her attention to the young man. Lincoln and Octavia were often on the dance floor and for a minute, I stopped and watched them.

"They look really good together, don't they," Clarke's voice said from behind me, making me start a little.

I chuckled to give myself a chance to recover and answered, "They do. I envy how easily they seemed to have found one another."

She came up to stand beside me and took a sip from her glass, "As do I. It's not often that I get to see my friends as happy as Octavia is with Lincoln. It makes me real glad that they had made a pact to leave with me. She's been given a real chance at happiness and I'm glad that she's found it in Lincoln."

I glanced at her sidelong, "They made a pact to leave with you?"

She nodded, "Before we graduated, they made a pact that if I ever had to leave that they would come with me. I was mad at first when I found out, but now I realize that I'm real lucky to call them my friends. I don't think I could have made it without them. You know, it's my hope that you can find that level of friendship in us, Lex."

"You do," I asked in surprise.

"I do. How come you never wrote about how lonely you were, Lex?"

I blushed, "I guess at the time, I didn't realize that I was. I mean, I had Anya and I didn't feel lonely with her around. I thought I was happy with just her and Lincoln. It really wasn't until I had that falling out with Anya, that I realized that I had an extremely small circle of friends. Sure, I pretty much know everyone in the pack, but none to the level that I had with her or even Lincoln."

"Not even your cousin," she asked, smiling.

I chuckled, "No. Not even with him. We're family and we share good times together, but he has his life and I have mine. Two very different paths. But enough about my loneliness, what do you think of my pack?"

She laughed and tugged me to follow her away from the dance floor. I followed her over to the bar and we both refreshed our drinks before we moved on and continued the conversation.

"I like your pack, Lex. They're friendly and seem eager to tout how great a pack Alpha you are," she said, chuckling. "It's was like they were trying to get me to buy you. Telling me how great you are and all the things you've done to improve the town and things of that nature. The only thing they haven't done is shown me how good your teeth are or how strong you are."

I laughed, "So, you equate me to a horse? That's not very nice, Clarke. But hearing you tell me this makes me happy to know that they think I'm doing a good job. Being pack Alpha is really important to me."

"I know," she said, softly. "If I wanted to be part of a pack again, you would be my first choice."

That shocked me and I stopped to look at her, "Are you serious?!"

"Yes," she said, taking my elbow in her hand and moving me gently out of the way of a more excited couple. "I know that you're the only other pack Alpha that I've encountered, but from what I've seen and heard tonight, I'd be stupid enough to pass the opportunity by if it presented itself. But being part of a pack is not something I'm interested in."

"But you thought it worthy enough to let me know," I said, breathlessly. "That means a lot to me, thank you."

She smiled kindly, "Your welcome."

Her eyes shifted away from me and I saw a frown form on her face. I turned to look and saw Anya glowering at us from across the room. I sighed and took a step back from Clarke.

"I think it would be best if I went and checked on my friends, Lexa," she said, her voice sounding irritated. "I don't want to offend you, but it might be a bad idea if we keep spending so much time together right now."

I nodded sadly and felt my own ire rise, "I understand, Clarke. As unfortunate as that is, I really do enjoying spending time with you."

She smiled, "I like spending time with you, too."

I watched as she walked away and disappeared back into the crowd. I turned my attention back to where I had seen Anya and when I saw that she was still standing there, I walked over to her.

"What the fuck is your problem, Anya," I hissed at her, trying not to draw attention to us.

She glared at me and replied, "She should not be here, Lexa. There is already talk about her being an Alpha."

"So, the fuck what? It's not like she's trying to hide it and neither am I."

"As your Beta, I am trying to look out for you. If you are not careful, she will try to take over the pack."

I growled in anger, "She has no desire to be a pack Alpha. She doesn't even want to be in a pack. Jesus Christ, Anya, she's not the enemy. If anyone is a danger to this pack, it's you. People are starting to talk about whether or not you're even capable of performing your duties adequately anymore. Especially, since you can't stand to be in the same room with me for longer than absolutely necessary."

She straightened to her full height and leaned down at me, her body radiating rage, "I am more than capable of performing my duties, Alpha."

"Than fucking act like it instead of a jealous woman. I was never in love with you, so get over it already. You may be my Beta, Anya, but you do not dictate who I can or cannot see. Back the fuck off."

She snarled at me and I wanted nothing more than to beat the shit out of her right then, but I couldn't, so I stared her down until she finally backed down and dropped her gaze.

"Now, get out of my fucking sight and I don't want to see you anywhere near Clarke or her friends. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," she said and abruptly left.

I had to fight the urge to hit something as I forced myself to calm down. It took me a good couple of minutes and thankfully I was left alone to accomplish it. When I felt like I could breathe without growling or moving without tension, did I leave the space and make my back over to the bar. I ordered a double shot and downed it quickly before ordering another. I sipped this one and continued to roam around and pretended that I had never spoken with Anya in anger. I wasn't sure how much time had passed before I found myself leaning on a table with a pile of food in front of me and a fifth of whiskey at my elbow.

I felt someone approach me and I turned around to find Raven and the young man she had been flirting with, walking up to me.

"Hey, Rae," I said, smiling after swallowing a bit of food. "Enjoying yourself?"

"I am, thanks," she replied and stole a wing off my plate and bit into it.

"Ms. Huntsman," the young man said.

I smiled, "Frankie, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Lexa. You make me feel like I'm at least ten years older than I am."

Frankie chuckled, "Sorry, Lexa. You know how Mom is with her manners."

I rolled my eyes, "I know very well, indeed. Please tell me she's stopped using the yardstick."

He shook his head, "Nope. Maybe you should think about outlawing the use of a yardstick as a disciplinary tool."

Chuckling, I replied, "Yeah, no. She'd just use a switch or something."

"What are y'all talking about," Raven said as she took a sip of my whiskey and making me glare at her.

"Frankie's mom teaches deportment," I explained. "When her students mess up, she whacks them with a yardstick to correct them. Not too hard, but it's enough to make you try harder not to make the same mistake twice. As adults, it's become an inside joke with everyone that's been her student."

She nodded in understanding, but I saw her face darken for a moment and I realized that it probably sounded a lot worse than it actually was.

"I'm sorry, Rae. I wasn't thinking when I said that," I said, apologetically.

She shook her head, smiling, "No worries. And I mean it. We're a live and learn group, Lex. It's not like we can make a list of what not to say around us. It'd be too long and really we've moved on from it. Things just sneak up every once in awhile."

I nodded, "Alright. So, what brings you over to my little corner of the room besides stealing my food and drink?"

She laughed as she plucked a stuffed mushroom off of my plate and popped it in her mouth and I growled in mock irritation.

"Nothing really," she said as she swallowed. "Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Well, I'm doing fine. Thank you for asking. Now, tell me why you're really here?"

She smirked, "Can't fool you, can I?"

I shook my head and waited.

"Alright. I came over to ask why you and Clarke are avoiding one another."

Shocked at her bluntness, I replied, "We're not avoiding one another, Rae. We both felt that it was best to keep our distance for a bit. We're trying not to piss Anya off into doing something stupid."

Realization dawned on her face and then she growled, "I'm sorry to say this, Lexa, but I really do not like her. Clarke's got enough on her plate with Janice that she doesn't need Anya throwing her hat in the ring."

"What's going on with Janice," I asked, suddenly interested.

Raven waved a hand and replied, "Just that Janice wanted a key to the house for Christmas and was disappointed that she didn't get one. Now, it's gotten Clarke to think about if she really trusts her to let her know what we are. Then there's her grandmother knowing that Clarke's a werewolf. It's just gotten really complicated all of a sudden."

"Clarke is having second thoughts," I asked innocently and hoped that Raven would continue to be forthcoming with information as I pushed the whiskey unobtrusively closer to her.

Raven nodded in thanks and took a sip before she continued, "I'd say so. It doesn't help that she can't stop thinking about you and all the things she wants to do to you or with you. I don't know. She's just really confused right now and doesn't know what to do."

She paused and took another drink as Frankie wandered off, "In my opinion, I think you're a way better match than Janice. You understand Clarke in a way that Janice never will. I don't think that Janice would even be able to handle the news that we're werewolves. I don't even think her grandmother will keep her mouth shut and then Clarke will be forced to keep her word and make her life miserable."

As elated as I was to hear Raven's confessions, I was starting to feel bad for abusing her drunken state. I sighed and took the glass from Raven and pushed the food towards her.

"Here," I said. "Eat. You're drunk and you've probably told me more than you should have."

"Nope," she said, digging into the food. "I may be drunk, but I know exactly what I've been saying and why. She really likes you, Lexa. And I know that you like her. She's just afraid that there's nothing more than sexual attraction. Did you know that it comes off of both of you in waves when you're together? I swear, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife."

I chuckled and shook my head, "Rae, I'm not about to wreck her relationship with Janice just because I wish it were me. And you shouldn't either. If it's meant to be it'll be. Now eat before you pass out."

"Hah, as if you could tell me what to do," she said around a mouthful of a kolache.

"Rae," I threatened.

"Alright, alright," she said, sighing. "God, you sounded just like Clarke. You both have the tone and glare down."

I laughed, "Whatever, Rae. I'll find Frankie and send him back to you."

"Oh, would you please. He's got such a tight, firm ass that I'm tempted to see if I can bounce a quarter off of it."

"Jesus, Raven. Just make sure you drink some water, too."

"'Kay. Remember what I told you."

"I don't think that I'll be able to forget," I said and went in search of Frankie.

I found him and sent him back over and was glad to see that he had the forethought to grab a couple of bottles of water to take back to her. I wandered around the room, absently speaking with people as the music continued to play and time moved forward, as I thought about what Raven had told me. I wasn't happy that someone had discovered that Clarke was a werewolf and worried that the implications might be reaching towards my pack. I'd have to put in the effort to discover just how this woman had come to this knowledge and if she was a threat to the safety of my pack. But that was for another day.

Instead, my mind focused once more on Clarke and the fact that it appeared that she was indeed having trouble keeping me from her mind. I smiled slightly at that and knew that I had been right in understanding the looks she had been giving me all night and at the house. It filled me with glimmers of hope and I couldn't help but scan the crowd for her.

When I finally found her, I was more than a little drunk and feeling slightly emboldened in my quest to spend more time with her. I ducked behind the bar and got a bottle of single malt and earned a glare from the bartender. I just smiled and waved and then headed to where I'd last seen Clarke. She was with a small group of people playing beer pong. It was her against Gustus and they were down to the last three cups, in Clarke's favor and I watched as she smiled slyly, turned around, covered her eyes with her hand and then let the ball fly over her shoulder. Everyone seemed to still as we all watched the ball and roared when it landed perfectly in the cup. She turned around, smirking at Gustus who bowed and downed the cup and producing the ball in his mouth to the approval of the crowd. She grinned and laughed as she was congratulated at the win and I sidled my way up to her.

Time seemed to stop as she turned her dazzling smile on me, making me grin in return. She looked so relaxed and comfortable with the crowd that you would have never guessed that she wasn't a pack mate. I held up the bottle and jerked my head to the side in invitation and she nodded. The crowded booed when she said her goodbyes and we headed outside. We walked a bit away before she leaned up against the building and started waving her clutch to cool herself off.

She looked over at me, smiling and said, "Oh, I so needed a breather after that one. Three rounds with that man and I still won."

I laughed as I leaned on the wall next to her, "I'm impressed. Gustus usually wins."

"Ah, he was a pushover. All thumbs," she replied, laughing, "So, what's with the single malt?"

I looked down at the bottle in my hand and said, "Um, you know, I really don't know why I brought this with me, now that I think about it."

She turned to face me, leaning her head and shoulder on the wall, "You're not trying to get me drunk, are you? Because I can tell you that I already am."

I chuckled, "Well, you have fantastic coordination for a drunk person."

"Thank you. I take pride in my drunken ability to appear sober," she giggled. "This has been a really fun night, Lexa. I haven't had this much fun in years."

"I'm glad you're having fun, Clarke. Um, since it's almost midnight, I've got this perfect place in mind to view the ball drop and fireworks and I was wondering if you'd like to join me?"

"Wait," she said, standing up excitedly, "You guys do a ball drop and fireworks? That's fucking awesome! Take me."

I laughed, "Alright. It's a rooftop about half a block that way."

"Great, my truck's not that far away from there," she said, grabbing me by the hand and pulling me along with her.

"Why are we going to your truck," I asked, laughing.

"I gots stuffs," she replied.

I arched a brow, "Really? What kind of stuff?"

"Oh, this and that. You'll see."

"Okay," I replied and we continued on the walk.

When we got to her truck, she opened the back and pulled out a blanket and a backpack. She took the scotch from me, handed me the blanket, and then grabbed a bunch of water bottles from a cooler. Zipping up the backpack, she locked it and turned to me expectantly. I stood there, momentarily dazed and then remembered what I was doing. With a shake of my head, I started walking over to the building and she followed beside me.

In companionable silence, we climbed the fire escape and I settled the blanket on top of the snow. I laughed as Clarke plopped down on the blanket, making the snow below it squelch. She just looked up at me and patted a spot beside her and then leaned back on her arms to look up at the sky. I joined her and she absently handed me a bottle of water as we heard people begin to emerge from the hall to gather for the grand finale.

I looked over at her shyly as I drank from the bottle and took in her profile. I was once more amazed at how beautiful she was. I felt that this was probably the first time that I'd ever seen her completely relaxed and it was such a startling contrast to the angry woman I had encountered only a couple of months ago.

"You're thinking awfully loud over there," she said, quietly and still looking up at the stars.

I choked on a bit of water and cleared my throat before I replied, "I didn't know that you could hear thoughts?"

She chuckled and turned her head to look at me, "No. No mind reading, I promise. It's your body language. You tense when you become pensive."

I shook my head, smiling, "So, you've learned that about me already, huh? I was just thinking that you seem almost a completely different person from when we first met. It's a good change."

"Ah. I see. It's more like a reversion. I'm more like myself than I have been in a long time."

"Tell me about that person," I asked. "The one you haven't been in a long time."

She nodded and she began telling me. The more she spoke, the more I liked her. The more that I realized that I wasn't only attracted to the physical, but to who she was as a person. So, I started telling her about myself. Hesitantly at first, but opened up a bit more as we waited for midnight to strike. She listened attentively and I appreciated the candor when she spoke.

By the time the crowd had started the countdown, we had somehow managed to sit shoulder to shoulder as we watched the ball drop. When the ball suddenly changed into the head of a wolf and the fireworks began, I couldn't help but turn my head slightly to look at her. She had turned slightly as well, smiling as the fireworks began. My eyes dipped to her lips and back to her eyes and there was a flicker there. A flicker of want, so I closed the gap and brushed my lips against hers and hovered slightly in case she pulled back. She didn't, so I kissed her fully. Our lips parted, deepening the kiss and I reached up and pulled her head closer to mine, fingers encircling the back of her head.

We kissed as the fireworks continued and it felt like the world was rejoicing along with me as I tasted her. She pushed me gently down, her lips never leaving mine, leaning over me as her hand traveled to my hip to hold me there. I never wanted this moment to stop and I knew that she felt the same way.

"What are we doing," she asked, her lips mere inches from mine and her sapphire eyes searching my own.

"Bringing in the new year," I whispered and made her chuckle slightly and she kissed me again, briefly before leaning back a bit further.

I shifted a bit to look at her better and was surprised that she hadn't moved further away, but she had a thoughtful look on her face.

"Clarke?"

Her eyes refocused on me and she sat up, grabbing the bottle of scotch out of the bag and taking a drink from it before she held it up to me. I sat up, taking it and took a sip as I waited for her to say something.

She took another drink and then she said, "This would be so much better if I was still angry with you."

I barked a laugh, "I'm sorry?"

She shook her head and replied, "I'd have an easier time staying away from you and I wouldn't be so fucking confused right now."

"You're confused," I asked, taking another swallow and relishing how smooth it went down.

She took the bottle from my hand and our fingers touched briefly, leading to an electric shock that ran up my arm and I fought not to shiver at the sensation. Looking at her, I noticed that she had closed her eyes as she took a huge swallow and I wondered why she had.

She frowned slightly before turning her head to look at me, "Yeah, I am. The more I get to know you, the more I'm drawn to you. The more I think about you and want you. It doesn't help that I'm unsure if I can trust Janice. She was disappointed that I didn't give her a key to the house at Christmas."

Ignoring her admission about me, I said, "You don't know how she'll react to you being a werewolf."

She nodded, "I am. I'm also thinking that it's too soon for such a step. Do you think that it's too soon?"

I was surprised that she was asking my opinion about it, so I answered honestly, "I'm not exactly the right person to ask, Clarke. Costia was the only one I ever dated and we'd been together since we were freshman in high school. It seemed natural to move in together after we graduated and in less than a year we were engaged."

"Huh," was all she said.

I took the slight silence to take a few drinks and studied the world as the darkness began to soften and take on a more dream like quality. I was definitely on my way to getting very drunk and I wondered briefly how drunk she was. If we weren't careful, this night may very well turn out to be a one that drove a wedge in our weird relationship.

When the silence had lingered much longer than I anticipated, it made me wonder if she had fallen asleep so I looked over at her. Her face was set in a scowl as she looked out over the town and then she seemed to shake herself away from wherever she had been. Taking the bottle, she chugged the scotch until there was nothing left. I watched her and tried to figure out why she felt the need to suddenly drink that much. That worried me.

She looked over at me and I could barely make out that her eyes had taken a glassy sheen to them. She was well and truly drunk, but I could only sit there and wait.

"Her grandmother knows what I am," she confessed, quietly. "Janice wants to move forward, but I'm not ready too. I still don't know what happened to me and Wells. I really, really like you. I'm scared."

Shocked, I did the only thing I could think of and drew her to me in a comforting embrace. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me closer as she took a shuddering breath that I felt tickling the hairs on my neck. She nuzzled, burying herself deeper and I felt a surge of protectiveness for her. I wished that I could make it better and give her answers, but ultimately any decisions she made had to come from her. I knew this, even in my drunken state, but at the same time I could not help but notice how good she felt in my arms and my mind wanted her to kiss me on my neck.

Then it happened, she did. She kissed me on my neck and I let out an involuntary moan. I closed my eyes as she continued, her lips traveled up my neck as a hand traveled over my hip and found the slit in my dress. It slid through and I gasped at the warmth of her hand on my chilled thigh. She shifted and captured my mouth and I felt no longer in control of my own body. It acted on instinct as her hand slid upwards and gripped my hip. My hand slid up her back, slightly curved and my nails running up it. She shivered, driving her to kiss me harder, hungrier. My mouth parted wider in equal response and she took the opportunity to try and claim my tongue with hers.

As we continued to kiss, the familiar ache began to pulse between my legs and a small part of my mind told me that this was a bad idea, but the sensations she was creating were overriding my logic. It wasn't until she tugged the strap off of my shoulder and started sliding it down my arm that I finally found myself capable of thought again.

I pulled back, breathing heavy and said, "Clarke, we need to stop."

"Why," she asked, capturing my lips again.

I groaned and forced myself to break the kiss, "We're drunk."

"So," she replied, trailing her hand inward towards my center.

I laid a hand over hers, stopping her, "You're with Janice, Clarke. If we continue, we'll both regret this moment."

That stopped her cold and she removed her hand. The naked desire in her eyes begged me to say fuck it, but I held firm and turned my head away to look back over the town.

She growled in frustration and said, "I should get going then."

I snapped my head to look back at her and said, "You're in no condition to drive home, Clarke."

"You're right. I'll sleep in the truck for the night," she replied.

I shook my head, "You don't have to do that. Stay at my place tonight. I've got a guest room."

She eyed me warily, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"There are locks on both bedrooms. I'm not going to just let you sleep it off in your truck."

"You do know that you can't make me," she said, smiling ruefully.

I chuckled, "I know, but it would be bad manners on my part not to offer."

She nodded, "And it would be bad manners for me not to accept."

"Good," I said, getting up unsteadily. "That's settled. I'm not good to drive either, so let me call one of the deputies to give us a ride."

"Alright," she said and I was surprised that she got up with more grace than I did.

As I made the call, she put everything away and drained a water bottle before handing me one. I gulped it down and we headed down. The deputy met us and we climbed in. The warmth of the vehicle began to seep into my bones and I started to feel sleepy, but I fought it before I passed out. I thanked the deputy and Clarke helped me into the house. Or maybe we helped each other because by that time, the alcohol seemed to start catching up to Clarke and she was having a hard time navigating her way. I led her to the guest room, where she immediately unzipped her dress and stepped out of it. I blushed and quickly bade her good night before I headed to my own room across the hall, not waiting for her to return the gesture. Closing the door, I locked it and then leaned against it as I warred with myself to stay in my room. When I felt a little more control, I stepped away and slid the dress off of myself and stepped over the puddle. I sat on the bed, took off my heels and then crawled underneath the covers. My last thoughts before drunken slumber descended over me was the fact that Clarke Griffin was sleeping just across the hall, naked and most likely left wanting. I groaned at the injustice and then knew no more.