Chapter 54

Clarke woke up warm. She knew by the sounds that she heard outside of the building that it wasn't quite yet daybreak. Her body was still tired and sore. She took a moment to reflect about why and then she remembered the fight.

It hadn't even been a question that she wasn't going to fight with them. She knew how now. Her body might by in "warrior" shape, but her mind still knew how to do the moves and various strategies. After all her lives, she'd trained with the best. She knew that had to be a sight to for her friends who had never known her as a warrior but only as a thinker and healer. She wasn't about to let anyone get hurt if she could help end the fight, either.

She shifted her shoulders and then realized that she was somewhat pinned. She looked to her right and saw Echo on her left side facing her. Turning to her left, she saw Lexa. Both of the warriors were still asleep. She realized then that they were all naked.

It took her more than a moment to begin to piece together what happened after the battle. She'd checked on Lexa and found that she was wounded. It wasn't anything major, but it was enough to trigger her. At this point, black blood from any of them triggered her. She knew that it was because of Lexa dying in her arms so many times, but it was just the sight of black blood that would set her off. She knew it was mostly because everyone that really loved and cared for was now a natblida, so it made sense to her. She knew that blood meant life. She knew that it could mean death, too. But, she was the Commander of Death, and she wasn't going to let Lexa or any of them die in battle if she could help it. She didn't want anyone of them to die period until they were old, so she would stem the flow of natjus as long as she could.

Cleaning the wound and noticing that it was honestly just a scratch, a flesh wound, it should have been enough, but it wasn't. She felt herself shutting down and trying to withdrawl. There was nothing that she could do to stop. She vaguely remembers Echo trying to talk her through it, like she had so many times before, and then Lexa was carrying her.

She shook her head. She knew that Lexa was strong, but she didn't know that she was that strong. She knew that she wasn't the ideal weight for someone of her size on Earth because the Ark had been hell on them all. She knew that she was underweight, and if she didn't, then Anya, Luna, Echo, and Lexa feeding them all the time should have clued her in. But, it was still the fact that Lexa had just picked her up as if she weight nothing and carried her across the village like it was nothing.

She turned to face Lexa and gave a lazy smile. The brunette was curled up on her left shoulder. Her right has curled into Clarke's left as the position their hands between their bodies. She felt Lexa's warmth seeping into her and relaxing her. The more she felt comforted by it, the more she realized that Echo had basically ordered them to do skin to skin. She knew why and she was thankful that Echo remembered what good that procedure could be for both mental and physical healing.

The more she looked at Lexa, the more she saw of the woman that she loved. Lexa's hair was miraculously unbraided. She'd only seen in down like that once or twice in all her lifetimes. She loved how much younger it made Lexa look, how much softer and more approachable, and how much more open. She knew that the war paint and the stoic mask that Lexa wore was more than her just being Heda. It was armor to protect her heart.

She looked down Lexa's arm at her tattoo. She itched to touch it, but she was content to hold her hand. She knew how much physical comfort meant to Lexa. This was the closet that she'd been to Lexa since they'd met in this life. If the Lexa's of old were anything like the woman beside her (even though she knew it wasn't fair to compare, she couldn't help herself), she knew how touch starved Lexa was. It meant a lot that Lexa was actually holding her hand and sleeping on her. It showed Clarke how much Lexa actually cared for her and willing to let her in. Her eyes flicked back up Lexa's arm and studied the swirls in arm band.

"Fire and Ice," Clarke mumbled and the urge to touch the tattoo, to trace the lines, grew again.

She didn't let go of Lexa's hand, though. She just gave it a squeeze. Lexa didn't squeeze back, but she did burrow a little more into Clarke's side, completely pinning their arms between their bodies. Clarke couldn't help but smile at the movement, and she was thankful that she didn't need to get up. She liked being there. She didn't even care about being nude.

She felt movement on her right side. It was then that she remember that Echo was in the bed with her. She knew that she shouldn't have forgotten the Ice warrior, but she did. She had been too focused on Lexa, but that didn't mean that forgot what Echo had done for her. She turned her head just enough to see that Echo was watching her.

Echo gave her a small smile. Clarke just stared into her dark hazel eyes. She knew that Echo had left her because she'd begged the warrior not to leave her. She knew that Echo had heard those pleas before in various circumstances, and they hadn't always been aimed at the Ice warrior. She then felt a hand slide across her hip to the other and give her a little tug. She knew that Echo was trying to basically sandwich between them as close as possible. The tug wasn't to pull Clarke closer, but to pull Echo closer to her.

Once Echo was reset closer to her, she tucked Clarke's head under hers. Clarke knew that Echo's other hand was under the pillow and on a knife. Her pulling herself closer was a way for her to protect both herself and Lexa. Even though Lexa's back was to the main part of the hut, Clarke knew how explosive that Echo could be. She had no doubts that she could have two men dead and a sword in each hand before the third knew what happened and staring at her because she was naked. The thought made Clarke smile.

"Yu ait, Prisa?" Echo asked her. (Are you okay, Princess)

"Sha, just sore."

"As you should be. You fought hard. I'm proud of you," Echo told her.

Clarke just nodded as she leaned a little more into Echo's body. She didn't release Lexa's hand, but she did angle herself closer to Echo. The older woman could tell that the blonde was conflicted, and she knew why.

"She cares for you," Echo told her.

"I know."

"She was the one that helped the most last night," Echo stated.

"Why are you lying about that?" Clarke asked her as she pulled back enough to look into Echo's hazel eyes. "I know that you were the one to bathe me. She was scared of me."

"Can you blame her?"

"She is Heda."

"But, as you've told me many times before, she is still human, Klark. She might have fallen in love with the stories of who were and what you've become as Wanheda, but that doesn't mean that she can't still feel things. She didn't have Titus beating her in the head all of his nonsense this time around, but Titus was still a mentor. Do you know how long it took Anya just to admit that she cared for you? Years. Everything that she has done in preparations of your landing here back on Earth has been for you and for dealing with Praimfaya. She's been working since she ascended. She kept Onya and Luna closer to her than one else."

"And, you?"

"I didn't really give her a choice," Echo said.

"No?"

"No, I didn't. I knew that she was important. I knew that you needed her. We all do, but I knew that I had to help her be ready for you. She needs you to help her lead the people into the bunkers, Klark, and we both know that. They will all die without Skaikru intervention and even then, we both know that we can't save everyone. Would you deny her seeing her own legacy?"

"Never."

"Then, what troubles you now?"

Clarke didn't answer. Instead she moved. Echo just watched as she moved away from her and back to Lexa. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but Clarke felt like she needed to do something. She had the both in the bed with her. She cared for them both in ways that no one else would understand. She never had needed to explain herself, and she wasn't going to start now. She wasn't willing to lose either of them, and she already knew how devoted Echo was to Lexa, even if she wouldn't admit it. So, Clarke let her more basic instincts take over. She was after all naked and between two beautiful women.

Echo was still on her side. She just smirked as Clarke physically moved Lexa in between them. She knew that she should have seen something like this coming, especially after Clarke had fallen asleep on her the other day. She knew that Clarke loved her in her own way, but she wasn't stupid enough to think that she could ever replace Lexa. She wouldn't even dream of it.

Lexa barely woke, but she did. Her green eyes were tired and worried as she looked over at Clarke. Her cerulean eyes were ablaze and Lexa was sure that she was about to get burned. When she turned her eyes towards Echo, she could tell that the warrior was focused completely on Clarke. It was like she was waiting to see what Clarke was going to do. Lexa was just about to ask what she'd missed while she had been sleeping, when Clarke reached up and touched her face. She fluttered eyes at the soft touch.

Lexa wasn't sure what she was feeling. There was suddenly a very odd juxtaposition going on with her body. One side, she had softness and, dare she think, light. On the other, there was roughness and a darkness that only warriors knew. She kept her eyes closed. She was afraid that if she opened them that it would be some sort of horrible nightmare, or she'd wake up in the infirmary, again. Neither outcome was what she wanted, so she resigned herself to let Clarke have her way with her.

Clarke watched her body, but at the same time, she was watching Echo. The older warrior was hesitant, like she wasn't sure that she should either a) be allowed to touch Lexa in such a manner, b) that Lexa would even welcome her touch, or c) that Clarke would be willing to share Lexa with her. Again, Echo cursed Octavia in her head for giving her such idea, even if they were actually happening. Her eye flicked up to stare into Clarke's.

Not to let Echo be just a casual observer, Clarke reached over and grabbed Echo's hand. She pulled it across Lexa's toned stomach and up her torso. Echo's eyes just stayed locked to Clarke's. She didn't trust herself to look down at Lexa. And, while Echo knew that Anya and Lexa had been together in the past, with Anya being the more dominate one between them, it didn't mean that she should be there with Clarke and taking such liberties. Clarke, however, wasn't going to let her go. It was like the blonde knew that they all needed this, and that this would help them deal with whatever issues might be between them. Echo moved to protest as Clarke settled her hand just below Lexa's right breast. She lifted her hand off of Echo's and tipped Echo's chin back, forcing Echo to stare even more deeply into her eyes.

Clarke leaned between them and kissed Echo. Lexa's eyes opened and widen at the sight before her, as Echo moaned into the kiss. Echo reflexively moved her hand around Lexa's breast. With the breathy sigh, Lexa reached up and placed a hand on each of their backs. Echo broke the kiss and looked down, ready to run at the slightest look from Lexa, but she never got it. Instead, Lexa's eyes fixated on her as Echo felt her hand moved up her back to the base of her skull. Lexa's fingers wound themselves into her hair and she pulled just enough to make Echo move. Echo kept her eyes on Lexa, still looking for something that she wasn't sure she was allowed to have, and waiting for Lexa's wrath. She got one over the other. Lexa pulled her down by the base of her head, with a strong hand, until her lips met Lexa's own.

Echo closed her eyes and waited to die. She figured that Lexa was just doing this before she plunged the knife into her back. When instead, she felt Lexa's tongue at the seam of her lips, she gasped. Opening her eyes, she looked in very amused green orbs as Lexa took in the shock that she was wearing. Lexa hadn't let go of the hairs that she had a grip on at the base of her neck, so when Echo pulled back just a little to see what Clarke was doing, she felt the tug to return back to Lexa's lips. She resisted long enough to look down to see Clarke at her breast, enjoying herself.

Echo knew what Clarke was doing. This was another way for her to ensure that they were all alive, but it was more than that. She could feel something between them. Maybe it was the fact that they, Lexa and she, had declared themselves to Clarke last night as both Fire and Ice. They could both burn and injure people, but they were both used in healing and life, too. They were as much and more to Clarke. The blonde was doing more than laying claim to them. She was burning herself into their souls, but she didn't need to. She was already there. This was more of a reaffirmation between them, joining them together, in order to save them all.

Clarke cocked her eyebrow at the older warrior as she leaned in for her chance to kiss Lexa. Echo leaned back just enough to let her in, but Lexa hadn't let her go. With her own bit of defiance, Echo moved her body so that it was more flush with Lexa's right side. She reclined just enough to sneak her hand under the pillow to verify that the knife was still there. Then, she rolled up slightly so that she was more on Lexa's side than the bed.

Lexa didn't know what Echo was doing too much while Clarke was kissing, but she could feel her moving against her. She kept her hand buried in Echo's hair. She didn't realize that it was because she was afraid that the warrior would leave. She had to admit that Echo was beautiful, and while knowing that Clarke had been with others (including Echo), she hadn't. She would be lying if she didn't think that her Royal Guard wasn't strong, devoted, and beautiful. She also knew that Echo was willing to do anything that would keep Lexa alive. It was more her personality and the time that they had spent together over the last six years that was allowing Lexa to finally see the woman beneath it all, and what a woman she was.

Lexa couldn't help the gasping moan that escaped her lips into Clarke's mouth when she felt not only a roughened hand but two soft lips on her breasts. She felt Clarke smile into the kiss as she deepened it. Her fingers dug into Clarke's lower back as her other hand gripped tighter on Echo's hair. Echo wasn't teasing her. Like Clarke to a degree, she was taking what she wanted. She felt Clarke's hand start to descend her torso.

It was such a delightful and strange thing to feel. Clarke was soft and slow with her movements, but Echo was sure, harder, and slightly rougher. There was a need burning from both of them that was tattooing itself across Lexa's skin. Clarke broke the kiss and moved down. She moved Echo's hand from her breast and took it her own mouth. Lexa couldn't help the moan that came from her. Her body was raging towards the point of ecstasy. She raised her head enough to look down and see that both women had their eyes blown. She could hardly make out any color in Echo's and then rim of blue in Clarke's was so overpowered by her pupils they almost looked navy instead of their normal cerulean blue.

She felt Echo and Clarke's hands come together over her stomach. They played with her abs for a few minutes before she felt a slight battle between them. In then end, she wasn't sure who won. She was so lost in the sensations that their mouths were causing, that she honestly didn't care. But, whoever won got their prize. Both hands moved together down further to the apex of her legs.

Their hands broke apart before she felt them slide over her hips and down to the inside of her thighs. Clarke's hand was obviously not as rough, but she pulled hard to open Lexa's legs. Echo's hand ran up and down the inside of her leg. She was being gentle, but it was more like she was still giving Lexa permission to kick out of the bed, if she so desired. She didn't. She tightened her fingers in Echo's hair of every up stroke upon her leg, especially around her knee. Echo filed that little tidbit away for later, if there was going to be a later.

Clarke caught her hand on the next upstroke and pulled to Lexa's mound. All three of the moaned at the contact. Clarke held Echo's hand over her opening. They could both feel the wetness there. Echo's eye darted from Lexa's to Clarke's. It was like she couldn't keep focus on who was getting more pleasure from this action. And, then she felt Clarke's fingers start to push her inside Lexa. Echo could help the moan that came out of her mouth at the feeling beneath her fingers.

Lexa's breast had long been forgotten as her fingers buried themselves, with Clarke's prodding, into Lexa's wet heat. Echo's head spun with the fact that she was one of the reasons that Lexa was feeling such pleasure. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. It seemed that Clarke like the cocky look on her face. She reached up and tipped Echo's head just enough to kiss her, deeply, again. Lexa moaned watching them and feeling everything. Clarke's hands had wandered back to Lexa's chest. Between both sensations, Lexa felt herself moving quickly to the precipice. She wasn't even trying to hold back. Her body moved with each thrust of Echo's hand and each suckle from Clarke's mouth. Her entire body was a live wire. She'd never felt anything like it before, not even her past life with Costia.

Lexa's entire body arched off her bed. Clarke kept her shoulders down as she continued to suck and bite at Lexa's breasts. Echo moved her other hand up and onto Lexa's hip. This gave her a better position in which she could pleasure Heda. And, pleasure her, they both did. Lexa came with a shout that Clarke immediately moved to cover with a thorough kiss.

"Sha!" Lexa cried out.

But, neither of them stopped. Instead, Clarke moved her hand down again. This time, she found Lexa's clit. She began to toy with it as she sucked hard on her nipple. Echo let her ride the wave the pleasure, but she didn't stop her movements. She kept going, twisting a little with every other stroke, until she found the one place that she knew would make Heda see the stars. Lexa cried out again. It was more breathy this time and Clarke smiled as she continued to rub her.

Echo pulled her hand away and looked at wetness gathered there. She started to bring up, to taste, when Clarke swooped in and stole it. She hummed around Echo's hands. Echo's eyes dilated more. Lexa let go of them both, spent, as her arms fell back to the bed. Clarke turned and smiled at her, kissing her again, letting her taste herself on Clarke's lips. Lexa moaned again. Not to be outdone, Echo took a kiss when Clarke was done, making sure to sweep her tongue across Lexa's lips.

Lexa moved just enough, grabbing Clarke as she did. She rolled just hard enough to put Clarke back in between them. No one really seemed to mind. Clarke smiled up at the both as they both moved to lick, kiss, and even bite at her breasts. They were marking her and she could care less. She was loving it. She was enjoying the difference between the two. She already knew that Echo was harder and rougher, and would do things that Lexa wouldn't. She couldn't wait for Echo to do some of those things to the both of them when they got to Polis, but she knew that she had time. She also knew that they had to get used to the idea of having each other, even if it wasn't with her. She needed them both to need each other like she needed them.

Clarke was losing herself in their pleasure and her own, but she knew enough to not let herself go completely go. She knew that things on Earth could change in a fraction of a second. But, while she could, she was going to enjoy everything that she could. What surprised her the most was that Echo sat back and let Lexa set the pace with her. Clarke didn't mind, but she could see how hesitant that Lexa was with her. Echo more than once had to guide Lexa back to her body, but Lexa was a quick study of Clarke's wants and desires. She was determined to be the one that made Clarke cry out in the early morning. Echo could only smile at her determination as she pleasured the young blonde.

Clarke was trying to keep quiet. She really was, but it all felt so good. Between Lexa's gentle touch and exploration of her core and Echo's nips and kisses, Clarke couldn't have no matter how hard she tried. At some point a small thought crossed her mind that Lexa and Echo were pushing each other to see what sounds that they could get Clarke to make. She wasn't complaining, far from it; she was relishing ever moan and whine that she made.

And, just as suddenly as all their focus was on each other, it wasn't. Echo had practically leaped over the both them, exposing her back towards the door. But, she'd thrown at least two daggers through the Hessian netting towards the door. Clarke knew that she was using her own body as shield, protecting not only Lexa but Clarke as well. Lexa had a knife in her hand and had pinned Clarke to the bed. Clarke, however, not being outdone, had thrown her own knife at the door, too. She was panting, looking at them as they all silently discussed the situation with their eyes.

"Jok, nomonjoka," a voice called, a well known voice called out, in pain. "Lid fisa in. Ai gaf wan nau. Nomajoka swis. Leksa! Spichen!" (Fuck, mother fucker...call the healer. I need one now. Motherfucking knife! Lexa! Goddamnit or Damn it!)

In the end, Echo got up but not dressed. She drew Heda's sword silently and tossed the armored cloaks at them to cover up. She pushed through the netting, sword at the ready. She saw Anya standing just inside the doorway. The other two knives were buried into the door frame just to the right of her. She recognized the one that Clarke had thrown as being the one that was closet to Anya, but not in her arm. The one in her arm and the other were both the ones that she threw.

"Stand down, you idiot. I'm not going to hurt you. We need Klark."

"No, you need Klark," Echo countered. "I'll get her. And, don't take it out. Let her do it."

"Sha, sha," Anya replied with a dismissive wave.

Echo stepped back through the netting and started gathering clothing.

"Onya is here. She's needs your fisa touch, Strikon. We didn't just scare her. I actually hit her with one in the arm. I've advised her not to take it out," Echo had barely finished the sentence before Clarke was up and rummaging through Lexa's things.

She dressed quickly. Throwing clothes at Lexa, she didn't wait as she stepped through the netting. Echo wasn't far behind her. She wanted to know what had the General so up in arms that it couldn't wait until after breakfast for them to know about it.

"Tell me what's going on, Onya," Clarke demanded as she ripped open her shirt to assess the damage.

"Patrol found someone just outside the fence this morning. They swear that none of the other patrols saw them all night. They were checking as ordered and making sure that the pyres would be ready as well. A small team gathered for the pyres while the rest would patrol. They switched out as needed, leaving the Watch in the camp," Anya told them as soon as Lexa came through the netting to check on her friend and general as well.

"And?" Echo questioned.

"They found a woman, beaten. We brought her inside and I had her taken to Nyko to care for her. She is in bad shape."

"Who is it?" Lexa asked.

"Emori," Anya answered.

Clarke stopped what she was doing. She glared up at Anya. Grabbing her arm, she made for the door of the hut to obvious go check on her friend and drag Anya with her to be seen as well.

"Well, why did you lead with that?" Clarke admonished her as tore across the village, leaving Anya with Echo and Lexa.

"Good night?" Anya asked as she looked at the two of them.

"You're lucky," Echo answered, as she touched the knife still in Anya's arm. "That they both like you."

Echo gathered up some of her things and followed Clarke. She knew that their day had just officially started, even if they didn't want to. Lexa stood there with Anya for a few seconds before everything caught up with her. She reached out and grabbed Anya, pulling her along as she followed Clarke and Echo to the healer's hut.

"You know better than to come in unanounced, Onya. Do you have a death wish?"

"I heard something, and I..."

"Echo warned you last night, didn't she?"

"She did."

"Has she ever failed to guard me?"

"No."

"Will you listen to her again?"

"Sha."

"Good. Now, let's get that knife out of you and see how bad the damage is. I need you to be able to fight once we are ready to attack the mountain," Lexa shook her head. "Heard something? No doubt it was the same sounds that have come from you before when Reivon and Luna were taking care of you, hmmm? I know that you know what was going on? Were you trying to spy?"

"NO, Heda."

"But?"

"Eko..."

"You still don't trust her?"

"Not completely, Heda, no."

"Well, know now that you can, even against yourself," Lexa stated as she entered the healer's hut alone.