A/N: Thanks to those that have been patient with me and for all the lovely reviews. I really do enjoy them.

This chapter technically takes place before the last one. I had this idea after I uploaded the last one. Also I've never used texting in my fics before but this story I may have to use it a lot while they are apart. So that's new for me.

Chapter 23

Leaving Clarke and Avery at the security check point in the airport was even harder than Lexa could ever have imagined. She held her emotions in check as she made her way towards her gate. She'd only just left them, and she was already second guessing her decision to leave them. Would it really be worth it in the long run? What would be so bad about potentially starting from the bottom again?

She'd finally found a family and now she was walking away from them. She knew it wasn't forever, but it still hurt like it was. She just had to keep reminding herself that it was just for a few months and before she knew it she would be back here permanently.

She made her way through the throng of people and found her gate. She still had a while to go before her flight would board so she pulled her phone out and started looking through all the pictures they'd taken. She couldn't wait to get some of them printed and hung up.

She saved one Avery had snapped of her and Clarke snuggling on the couch as her lock screen, but she flipped through until she found one of all three of them to save as her wallpaper. Abby had taken this one. Clarke and Lexa had been sitting at the kitchen table when Avery came up behind them and wrapped an arm around both of them and squished her face between them.

She'd only known Avery for two weeks and yet she was already forgetting what life without her had been like. She'd wormed her way into Lexa's heart and claimed a place in it.

She made her way over to the line when they announced they were now boarding her flight. She pushed her way through the people trying to find her seat. She placed her small bag in the overheard compartment and then took her seat by the window. She looked out and saw the runway in the distance as another plane lifted off. She felt a bit of unease in the pit of her stomach.

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, she turned to find an elderly lady taking the seat beside her. The older woman gave her a soft smile and then focused on settling herself into the seat.

As the plane began making it's way down the runway, Lexa gripped the arm rests tightly. She breathing sped up as she closed her eyes tight.

"Nervous flyer?" she heard come from beside her.

Lexa opened one of her eyes to look in her direction. The gentle look on her face calmed Lexa down a little and she opened both eyes and nodded her head. "I mean, this is only my second flight, but the first one… I had something to focus on." She had been so concerned with Clarke she hadn't really thought about the plane.

"Ah, I see. I'm Mellie by the way," the older woman held out her hand.

"Lexa," Lexa told her, give her hand a soft shake.

"I take it your head home then?" Mellie asked.

Lexa gave it a moments pause as she thought over the question. "Back to where I live, yes." Because home was now in California with two blue-eyed blondes.

Mellie seemed to understand as she gave a soft nod in response. "Leaving home then, leaving your family behind?"

"Yeah," Lexa answered. "My girlfriend's father passed away and her mom got hurt so she is moving back home, but I have to go back."

"Oh that's a hard one. Long distance is always hard, but if you can make it through it, you'll be stronger than ever."

"I hope so. I can't imagine life without Clarke by my side. She's everything to me. They both are."

The plural didn't slip past Mellie. "You guys have a child I take it."

Lexa smiles but shakes her head. "My girlfriend has a daughter. She's a Clarke mini-me so I can't help but love her." Lexa pulled out her phone and showed Mellie her new wallpaper.

"You three are adorable and so young."

There was no judgement in Mellie's voice, but Lexa still couldn't help but feel protective of her girlfriend. "Mistakes were made in Clarke's past, but Avery isn't one of them."

"I understand that. Kids don't always come when you want them too, but they are almost always worth it in the end."

Lexa smiled because that was one thing she could totally understand. Her case was different from what Mellie was talking about, but the point still held. Lexa never expected to be a mother, especially to a have grown child at this point in her life, but with the way things were going, that's exactly what was going to happen. "She's a sweetheart for sure. She's so much like her mother it's crazy."

"How is she taking the move?" Mellie asked.

"She's happy to have her mother home, but she's upset that I had to leave." Lexa saw the inquisitive look on Mellie's face and realized that answer needs more explanation. "Avery has been living in California with her grandparents. Clarke was training to be a surgeon out in D.C. so with the long hours she'd be working she thought leaving Avery in California would be better for her."

"Oh, the poor dear, she's probably suffering with everything that's happened then. Losing her grandfather and everything," Mellie told her sadly.

"She's taking it pretty hard. It was a big reason Clarke knew she needed to move home. I understand where she's coming from, it just sucks that we'll have to be apart for a while. We were just getting to the good part of our relationship." She had been looking forward to one of them caving and asking the other to move in together. She knew it had been coming, but now that would have to put on hold for a while longer.

She wasn't sure how she was going to be able to sleep either, without Clarke next to her. Even without living together, they still spend most of their free time together. And then the last two weeks they'd barely left each other's side.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I think you two will make it work." The older lady gave her a pat on the shoulder in comfort. You sound like a strong couple."

"I hope so. These next few months just need to fly by, so I can be with them again. I hate that I have to be apart from them for so long." Lexa sighed and laid her head back against the seat.

"Do you mind me asking why you're going back?"

"I've been working towards becoming a detective and it's still a few months away before I can take my exam. If I left my job now, even if I managed to find another job in California, I risk pushing that back." She didn't know if that was true or how far it could potentially be pushed back, but a part of her did want to risk it anyway. Clarke would never let her though.

"Two ambitious women," Mellie teased. It was refreshing to see two women who had goals and were trying their hardest to achieve them. Even though the sacrifices were high. "It's that ambition that will get you through this I believe. Your drive to get through this and be together again."

Mellie was like the grandmother Lexa always wished she had. Encouraging her and making her feel better about everything. "Thanks, it's nice to hear, really."

"You know, not everyone has that. My grandson, Luke, he went through something similar. His boyfriend got into law school across the country and Luke was torn. He loved Drew, but following him, would mean leaving his entire life behind. He planned for a while to finish his own schooling and then move, but it just got to be too hard. In the end they broke up. Luke found a really sweet young man who he's been seeing, it's still new, but I'm hopeful."

"There's really nothing tying me down to D.C. outside my job. It's just the place I happened to be living when I left foster care." She never talked about her childhood, but there was something about Mellie that made it easy to talk to her.

"That's why it will work. You have something to look forward too. A reason to pass that exam and move on. Think of it as the ultimate reward for a job well done." Mellie gave her a giant smile and even a small chuckle.

"I like the sound of that."

The two women continued talking through the flight and Lexa could hardly believe it when they announced they would be landing soon. Even that went a lot smoother because Mellie kept her attention on the conversation.

The airport was even more packed as she tried to make her way to baggage claim and find her small suitcase. She ordered a car to come pick her up, but she was torn between going to her own apartment or to Clarke's. She finally chose Clarke's just as the car arrived for her. She needed to be around the other woman's things if she couldn't be with her.

Opening the door, she was immediately hit with a sense of comfort. This was as close to home as she'd ever had, until California. Still she would take what she could get from it.

She moved through the apartment and headed to the bedroom to put her things down. The bed was still torn apart from the hurried scramble to leave. Clothes thrown on the floor from the night before that brought a smile to her face. That was a good night, up until that phone call anyway.

There was a small part of her that could help but be curious about things she had never seen in this apartment. She made her way over to the second bedroom and starred at the door that had always remained closed. Lexa had never given it much thought before, but now she wondered.

She opened the door and looked around the room. It was mostly sparse, but the bedding on the twin bed did suggest it was for a younger girl. There were also a few pictures around the room of Clarke and Avery together over the years. The evidence had been here all along, Lexa just didn't know to look.

There weren't really many things in the closet or dresser, but that made sense. Avery still probably grew a lot between visits, so she would likely just have to bring whatever she would need. There were a few books and keepsakes though that suggested she'd at least spent some time here.

She backed out of the room but left the door open. There was no reason for it to be closed now. Even if small, it was something of Avery's she had to look at.

She spent the rest of the night cleaning up around the place. There was a lot of bad food that needed to be thrown out after two weeks. There were a few things scattered around the living room she straightened up. The biggest plus to Clarke's apartment was the washer and dryer. Lexa didn't have that at her place, they had a community one down in the basement.

A beeping on her phone brought a smile to her face.

Clarke: You make it home okay?

Lexa suddenly felt bad. She should have called Clarke to let her know she had made it back. Or at least sent her a text.

Lexa: Well I'm back in D.C. but I wouldn't call it coming home.

Clarke: I know what you mean.

I miss you.

Lexa: I miss you, too.

Another conversation came in, this one from Avery.

Avery: Mom says your home, so I can text you now. She's been really sad. We miss you.

Lexa: I miss you guys too.

Avery: I just wanted to say goodnight since Mom said you'd probably be going to bed soon.

Lexa: Your mom knows me to well. Goodnight sweetheart. I'll talk to you later.

She switched back to Clarke.

Lexa: Goodnight baby. I love you.

Clarke: Love you, too. Talk to you tomorrow.

As she got ready for bed, Lexa made a mental note of everything she had to do the following day. First off would be to head to her place and talk to her landlord. Then pack up anything essential she would need. She'd grab the rest in the next week or two depending on how much time she was given to clear out. Then she would need to go grocery shopping. And last, but not least, Skype with her girls. She needed to see them.

She went to bed that night with a smile on her face as she thought about the family that was waiting for her to return home.

A/N 2: The story Mellie tells about her grandson is based off my cousin Logan, he's one of my favorite people and I'm glad he's found a new guy that treats him well.