It was frustrating, how long everything took. Lexa usually had patience to spare, but with Clarke's life on the line, her anxieties came out in new ways. Indra was finally brought into the investigation when she came across Lexa all but screaming at Tris for 'rolling her chair too loudly'. Lexa apologized to Tris - even paid for the girl to have a spa day - and invited Indra over to dinner. Indra listened as Lexa outlined the events that had triggered the investigation into Mount Weather, and reviewed the documentation that they'd collected.
"What's the timeline on this, Commander?"
"We were nearly there a few weeks ago when the company seemed to go through a major overhaul. The son took over and the facility moved. We've been doing discrete interviews with staff, who have nothing but great things to say about the new company direction. Some have added credence to the rumors of human experimentation, but it seems that the younger Wallace has been shutting down most of the testing operations and farming it out to other companies."
"You don't buy it?" Indra asked. Lexa considered how to phrase her answer.
"No. It's too convenient. The elder Wallace hasn't been seen for weeks, nor has their lead chemical engineer, Lorelei Tsing. They are either dead or operating elsewhere. Also, Clarke was not assigned to the new building. A few we've interviewed saw her occasionally at the old facility, but do not know what happened to her, or a few of the other guards mainly stationed in the lower levels." Lexa knew Indra could read her tone - the older woman had known her much of her life - but Indra did not comment on the desperation seeping between words.
"So where are you now?" Lexa sighed, standing up and beginning to pace.
"Collecting contacts so we can build a case. There's not much else we can do." Lexa tasted the truth on her tongue and swallowed the ashes.
The building was quiet, everyone already out enjoying their Friday night activities. Lexa nodded to Miller (Dave, her mind corrected - Clarke was still making her a better person, even months later) and made her way to the stairwell, going over her plans for the evening - another sleepless night reviewing the same bits and pieces. Indra had sent her home (as if Indra could order her around - it was her own damn company) after learning that Lexa had not left the office for 3 days. Lexa had felt on the edge of..something all week, and it had nothing to do with how close they were to bringing the case to interested parties.
For almost as long as Clarke had been gone, Lexa had avoided the stairs: there was always a painful jerk of her heart when she climbed the final story to her apartment. Looking ahead as she rounded the railing on the 10th floor landing, her step faltered.
There, standing exactly where she and Clarke had both met and acted their passionate goodbyes, was a slender, dark haired man. Lexa recognized the sharp planes of his face immediately, meeting his eyes in surprise. Lance Corporal John Murphy, who opened his mouth and drawled,
"Oh goody. You must be Lexa. Took you long enough."
"The fuck Murphy!" Raven was pacing back and forth, seemingly unable to articulate anything else. Murphy was leaning against Lexa's kitchen island, the very picture of bored indifference. As if he hadn't just dropped a bomb that opened up their entire investigation. After the shock of meeting him in the stairwell, Murphy had turned and ambled up to the 11th floor, leaving Lexa to scramble after him as he led her to her own apartment, stating that she may as well call Raven and "the rest of the losers" because "no use repeating this 100 times."
Lexa honestly couldn't decide if she liked him or not.
"Mr. Murphy -"
"Just Murphy," the man broke in. Raven mumbled something that sounded like 'asshole' without her step faltering, but Lexa continued.
"Murphy, then. Forgive us if it takes us a moment to catch up. Are you saying that you've heard from Clarke?" Murphy rolled his eyes.
"Yeah. I was already with Emori when Clarke sent our code through. We went dark probably before she made it back to Pendelton; we were having a nice extended vacation for a few months until last week when I heard from her again." Murphy shrugged with one shoulder and looked off into the distance, and Lexa saw a real expression of concern flash through his stoic facade.
"Look, most people I've met find me...abrasive." Raven snorted and Lexa shot her a look. Murphy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. But Clarke's one who always saw me..or whatever. When she sent word to disappear, I knew it was because she was back involved with what happened at Mount Weather, probably coerced by the fucking Ice Queen herself." He paused, unsure, before going on, "so I started to look into things myself. Clarke's always had my back, I figured I could have hers." He shrugged again before going on.
"When I heard from her last week, I took a detour in coming back." He stood, looking directly at Lexa. "And like I said, I found Roan Frost and he's willing to come forward against his mother to testify that she blackmailed Clarke into infiltrating Mount Weather for her own interest in the developments going on. Mama's boy is under the impression that she visited the old facility last week to review some sort of super soldier project. It matched up with the timing - Clarke reached out to me in an extremely backward way around the same time."
The room was silent for a moment before Raven sat down with a heavy thump in a chair, her head in her hands. Lexa caught Murphy's hand twitch toward the other woman (seemed he cared after all?) before pulling it back.
"Is Mr. Frost in the city right now?" The question was from Indra, who had listened quietly as Murphy spoke. Lexa was sure that Murphy had more details to provide - from what she knew of the man from Myles, Lincoln, and Raven, he was one to keep information close and only provide the bare minimum. She was somewhat surprised that he'd revealed so much already. Murphy nodded in response to Indra's question.
"With Emori, who will also testify if necessary." He looked unhappy at this, but Lexa did not have time to ponder.
"We need to talk with both of them, and sooner than later."
Roan Frost rounded out their case better than Lexa could have hoped. The man had somehow acquired photos- recent ones- that were very incriminating, as well as recordings and documentation that linked Mount Weather to Nia Frost in the development of a chemical drug. Because of the history of Coalition working with the military as an investigative civilian contractor, Lexa was able to bring the case to the right ears and spin it into an ethical issue directly related to Nia Frost and a few key Mount Weather staff. Roan's evidence also reopened the original case against Mount Weather, and within a week, a team was sent to make arrests. Lexa's anxiety skyrocketed as she was relegated to the sidelines, not even a part of planning.
For three weeks, her heart stopped every time the phone rang. The only information she (or anyone) got was an affirmation that the old facility was in fact conducting illegal human experiments.
One day, after a gruelling workout with Anya, she decided to wander the long way back to her building. She took in the people she passed with only vague interest, idly guessing parts of their stories. The man with the umbrella under his arm was meeting his boss for a late morning coffee. The goth teenager lounging against the lamppost was scrolling through puppy gifs, trying to find a good one to cheer up her friend. The man with the groceries was hurrying home to his pregnant wife. There were so many people in the city, so many interwoven lives and shared experiences. Lexa wanted to get lost in someone else's life. She realized she'd been following the same woman for four blocks without realizing. The side-eye she got at the next light made her cross the street and continue in the opposite direction.
A moment later, she stopped, looking at the storefront. It was the art store that Clarke had once dragged her into - the first time Lexa saw Clarke's eyes light up with excitement for a project. Lexa pushed the door open.
She was only slightly surprised that the same employee greeted her. He blinked when he saw her, too, obviously taking a moment to try and recall who she was. She saw the moment the pieces clicked.
"You were with the blonde chick that bought a ton of crap that one time." He seemed proud of remembering. Lexa worried for the youth of tomorrow, but at least his memory was intact. She glanced around the store, feeling lost. She was still at the entrance, but the smell of fresh art supplies made her take a step into the store. The door shutting behind her shut out the sounds of the street, and the store became quiet, until the clerk cleared his throat.
"Can I...help you?" He asked. Lexa snapped her head back to him - he was standing closer now, and looked uncertain again. Lexa felt her eyes well, but before any tears could escape, she looked away from strangely concerned eyes (maybe there was hope for the youth yet).
"Paint by number." She blurted.
"Pardon?"
"My friend...she's the artist. I can't manage anything better than paint by number. Do you have any?" the clerk nodded, and walked to a dusty corner of the store. Lexa felt self conscious as the kid rang her up - she nearly fled when he gave her the receipt.
Carrying the paint by number canvas, she walked quickly back to her apartment. Restless, she set up right away, grabbed the whiskey in lieu of wine, and hunched over, starting with the number 1.
Lexa was woken up the next morning by a pounding at the door. She had a crick in her neck and a dry mouth, and knew her hair was everywhere.
"Willows! Open your fucking door right now!" Recognizing Raven and alarmed, Lexa stumbled to the door and threw the locks, jumping back as it flew open as Raven stormed in.
"Raven, what…?" Lexa started, bur Raven held up her hand for silence, fumbling on the phone she was holding.
"Say that again, Abby." Lexa heard Abby Griffin's tinny voice coming through the speaker, not comprehending right away. Raven's eyes meeting hers, looking for a reaction, made the words real.
Clarke was coming home. Today.
