AN: I'm back with an update, lovelies. A lot has happened since I posted the last chapter. Some good and some bad. I've lost a family member to colon cancer and I was very mad at first. Now, I'm just grateful that I did get to see them a few months ago-while they still looked happy and healthy. I think some of what I was feeling might show in the next chapters because I needed that outlet. Bear with me. Anyway, I am grateful to be here with you all again today. I am in constant awe at the messages I get about this story. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This story is winding down, but until the fat lady sings, I still have more words to put to paper. Enjoy, and sorry for any mistakes.


There was no doubt that Clarke was on the cusp of kicking some ass.

It was a true rarity, seeing her so worked up that she'd much rather use a charcoal as a weapon than as a tool of her craft. She typically preferred to fight with words, true, but this was not like any other argument or disagreement. This was the publishing company from hell making her girlfriend's life miserable, and Clarke wanted to make them hurt.

She even conjured up an elaborate plan that involved her sneaking out of their apartment in the middle of the night to catch a red eye to San Francisco. Oh, she considered it...greatly, but after Lexa rolled her eyes at her from behind the bar while they talked about MPC yet again, Clarke knew she had been found out before she even had time to jot down the schematics. How the brunette caught on to her train of thought she would never actually know, but she had.

So, now Clarke had no plan, and no support from her girlfriend with regards to formulating a plot against those bastards. All she could do was bad-mouth the company in a rather immature manner and accept it as an outlet for her anger and frustration.

Luckily, Lexa didn't seem to mind her pestering this time around. Clarke had reacted cautiously at first, only offering her ear so the brunette could vent as necessary. But a few days after MPC had not returned any of the writer's calls or emails, the blonde decided she wanted to light a fire under everyone's ass to help Lexa get what she had worked so hard for.

"So, are we going to pay them a trip?" Clarke asked casually as she helped Lexa wipe down bottles of liquor.

The brunette chortled and shook her head slowly. "What is it with you and the mafia mentality lately?" She smiled softly at her while she replaced the clean bottles that were handed to her.

Clarke shrugged. "Call me crazy, but when someone messes with my girl's happiness, I tend to get a little crazy."

"I'll say." Lexa nodded in agreement, barely hiding the blush of pride at hearing Clarke being so protective. "Please don't make me have to break you out of jail for this." She teased.

"You would do that?" The blonde disregarded the playful plea to fixate on the fact that her girlfriend would break the law for her. Lexa only grinned. "I'm turned on right now." Clarke smiled as she slowly hooked a finger in the pocket of the bartender's slacks to pull her in. Her occupied hand held tightly onto the neck of the tequila bottle she was cleaning before she leaned in to kiss her soundly.

When they broke apart Lexa shook her head. "You are an odd one, Virginia."

Clarke huffed. "You love me anyway."

"For now." Lexa joked.

"Jerk." Clarke swatted her shoulder as she backed away and handed her the polished bottle. "But really, what's the plan? They can't just ignore your concerns. Do you want to take them to court?"

Lexa placed the bottle on the shelf before turning to look at the blonde. "Too soon for that, I feel. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt, and if they don't release the book as they promised, then I will definitely lawyer up."

Though she wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer (because she secretly still wanted the girl to consider having an all-out war with MPC), Clarke knew Lexa had a plan she wanted to follow, and she was going to forego her desire to fix everything to support her.

A couple of hours later, Clarke didn't miss the guy that walked in after they opened. He stood out like a sore thumb, and she was glad she could tell the difference. New customers were always a good sign, so she made it her mission to convince the man to come back after the night was over.

"A new face in the familiar crowd of spectators." She greeted him with a wide smile. "What can I get for you?"

He spared her a quick smile but kept a trained eye on the stage. "Iced water, please."

"Water?" Clarke couldn't keep her face from wrinkling in question. It wasn't every day that someone came in to watch the show while they sipped on water. "Are you sure I can't get you something stronger? A beer? Whiskey? Some wine?" She smiled persuasively down at him.

The man smiled again, but the girl could sense he was slightly annoyed. "No, no. Thanks. I'm here for the show not the drinks."

His response had the blonde nodding along in resignation, and with that she pivoted towards the bar to retrieve his cold water. He was so standoffish that Clarke forgot to encourage him to return.


Lexa scanned the room, the walls drenched in the violet hue of early morning as the vibrating from her phone pulled her further away from her sleepy haze. Her eyes drifted towards the nightstand, the very same one that seemed forever away and out of reach.

She couldn't bring herself to move though, not even an inch, as she found her arms securely wrapped around Clarke's naked body.

A small smile invaded her face as she breathed in the girl before her eyes began to close.

"Are you going to see who that was?"

Clarke's voice stunned Lexa and she nearly jumped because of it. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was." The blonde snuggled deeper into her side. "And you were being creepy again."

"I wasn't staring." Lexa defended herself right away. "I just didn't want to move, yet."

"And now I'm awake."

"No good deed goes unpunished." Lexa shrugged with a sleepy grin that Clarke could picture behind her eyelids.

Eventually, the blonde sighed before she untangled herself from the girl who instinctively held on more tightly. "I need to pee." She laughed before stepping out of the warmth and towards the bathroom in all her naked glory. Lexa smiled as she appreciated the retreating form.

Lexa took the opportunity to reach for her phone. She sighed when she recognized the address on the email that had buzzed her awake. It only took her a few seconds to open the notification and read the message inside. A part of her was relieved, but she still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that crawled down her spine every time she got any feedback from her publishing company.

"What did they say?" Clarke asked as she hurried back towards her so she could jump under the covers.

"How?" Lexa began to ask before the blonde smiled and leaned in for a chaste kiss.

"You do this forehead thing when MPC is on your mind." Clarke nodded in response to the brunette's silent 'really?'. "So, was that good news or bad?"

Lexa moved to place her phone back on the nightstand so she could return to her previous position. She would never get tired of being close to Clarke, and she didn't care how corny that seemed. "OK, I guess. They finally gave me some answers."

"Is that enough?" Clarke asked as she breathed in Lexa's scent that emanated from the curve of her neck.

"It'll have to be." Lexa exhaled noticeably.

Clarke swallowed the urge to threaten the publishers yet again. Instead, she shook her head slowly and began to trail soft kisses along her girlfriend's collarbone. She wanted to make the girl forget whatever troubling thoughts had surfaced.

Lexa forgot about them, and maybe even her own name.


Things soon began to get busier for everyone.

Lexa took it upon herself to print and distribute as many flyers as she could so people could spread the word about her book. Her friends and customers from Tassels wasted no time in pre-ordering their copies on the MPC site or from the bookstores that advertised it. But even with the support from her work family, the numbers did not impress the publishers.

They were not shy about letting Lexa know it, either. She would shrug it off most days, but every now and then it took everything in her to quell the desire to fly north and choke one of them out. Clarke would sympathize and support her, but she didn't hold back the side glances- almost encouraging the images that Lexa's frustration conjured up.

"Stop that, Clarke." The brunette always managed to say it with a straight face, but deep down she appreciated the light-hearted teasing grins Clarke flashed her.

Clarke wished she could do more than mention the book with her patrons during and in between the shows, but her schedule had taken on extra tasks as well. The Sinclairs had booked her for another two paintings and while she was ecstatic, her commitment to the deadline had eaten up her time. Consequently, she had little downtime to rest and to help her girlfriend.

It was a good thing their friends were some of the best people alive. Both girls were appreciative of their efforts, because they had picked up a lot of the slack and never faltered to offer their help when either one looked like they needed it.

"So, I get some of this money once I help you sell a million copies, right?" Bellamy smiled at Lexa as he took the stack of flyers from her hands.

Lexa laughed. "Bell, I'm lucky if I get to keep some of this money once I sell any copies." Her friend shook his head in response.

"Dump these bastards." He urged her while he readied himself to leave work for the night. "You seem to be doing all of the heavy lifting. They don't deserve your name to make them famous."

The brunette smiled at the guy. "Thanks." She patted his shoulder. "I appreciate the help, and the words of encouragement, Bellamy."

"No problem, Lex." He winked. "We've got your back here. You know that." The brunette guy smiled one last time before walking out of the locker room.

Clarke and Raven waited for Lexa by the bar as she descended the stairs with the blonde's hoodie in hand. They chatted about something, but Lexa only caught a few words before they stopped.

"Talking about a guy, again?" Lexa glared at Raven.

"Geesh. Why the look, Silva?" The dancer replied defensively as Lexa handed the sweater to Clarke and walked out with her.

"How's my sister?" The brunette asked and grinned when Raven's jaw hit the floor.

"Lexa." Clarke asked her to play nice with only her name and a cautionary glare, much like she often did.

Raven shook herself before clearing her throat. "Are you upset that I'm not talking about the better-looking Silva? Or that I might be?" Raven turned the tables on the girl.

Nothing but the traffic was heard as they stood in the parking lot for a few quiet seconds. Clarke was the first to laugh out loud. Lexa turned her head enough to look quizzically at the blonde, her glare back on display. Raven soon joined in and bumped Lexa with her shoulder. "We were talking about Bellamy." The brunette's pouty expression was replaced by a curious knitting of brows. "Raven pointed out that he and Echo are hardly seen together anymore. That's all."

Though she didn't quite believe the response she got, Lexa nodded and shrugged. "Eventually people catch feelings, and someone has to leave before it gets ugly."

"My money's on Bellamy." Raven added with a wide smile. "That boy was whipped on our girl Echo."

"I agree." Clarke added before turning to her girl.

"Bellamy's a softy." Lexa nodded with a small smile before pulling out her car keys.

The cue was received, and Raven hugged her friends before walking towards her car. "Hey Lex, I'll tell Anya you said hi." She winked back at the bartender.

"I knew it." Lexa shook her head as she opened her door.

Clarke laughed. "Let it go, babe."

The next few days ran as scheduled- Lexa working and attempting to stay away from all things numbers for a while, and Clarke painting away in their living room trying to meet her deadline before her shifts.

Their time at Tassels was a welcomed diversion from the anxiety that was their current situation, and on the day that Lexa's book hit the shelves, everyone worked extra hard to stay focused on the positives.

Lexa was usually one to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders with little to no outward struggle. Yet this time, she found herself fighting the urge to step outside for fresh air every five minutes. Her usuals noticed, and Clarke tried her best to be supportive as she casually slid her hand up her arms or allowed her fingers to linger on the small of her back from time to time.

"I need two more Blue Moons and a vodka tonic, love." Clarke smiled at the brunette as she placed her tray on the counter and waved at Bruce and the other customers she had come to know. When she realized she had been waiting for her order just a little too long, she moved towards the other girl. "Relax, babe." She whispered near her ear. "Everything's going to be ok." Skillfully she managed to press her lips to the spot where Lexa's jaw met her ear without anyone noticing. "I'll come back if you want. I'll go make small talk."

"No." Lexa smiled. "Give me a sec. I've got your order." The bartender rustled up the drinks and placed them on her girl's waiting tray. "Sorry. And thank you." She nodded gratefully before returning to her customers.

"Hey Lexa, ease up, let me buy you a drink." Bruce announced from a few seats away.

The bartender laughed. "No thanks, Bruce. But I can get you another."

"Only if you promise to return to your usual cocky self." The man muttered with a sluggish smile. "I bought a copy, I made my girl buy a copy, all of these people here bought a copy." He referred to everyone who sat at the bar with him. "Except him, I don't know him. He must be new." He stifled a burp as he swiveled in his seat enough to look at the guy a few people away. "Hey buddy, you new?"

Everyone laughed at Bruce's antics and encouraged the new guy to ignore him. Even Lexa managed a soft laugh.

Clarke wanted to take the brunette outside and hug her if nothing else. She knew it was a tough time, anyone would be nervous if they were in Lexa's shoes, but the blonde still felt bad given the situation.

When she left the drinks with the three eager adults that cheered on Octavia's gyrating number, she caught a glimpse of the guy from a few nights ago situating himself at one of the cocktail tables. "Let me guess, water?" She smiled down at the guy.

He laughed immediately and looked up with a receptive grin. "Hello again." He tipped his head. "So quick to judge- I think I will have a beer today. Just here to have a good time."

"And the other day was?" Clarke pried interestedly.

The guy contemplated his response with a wrinkled nose. "Work."

"What?" Clarke became as defensive as she was curious. "What do you mean work? Are you here to take over Tassels? Are you here for that other joint trying to steal our show?" She questioned at a million words per minute as she tucked the tray under her arm. Why she did that she didn't know, but she was short of getting into a battle stance.

His arms went up in surrender in front of his chest as he laughed softly. "No. No. You can relax. I'm not competition."

"So?" She pushed.

He shook his head. "I can't tell you, but I am not here to steal anything from anyone. Not the business and not the show." He raised his eyebrows, questioning the girl if that was enough.

She didn't like it, but she decided to play nice so she could keep a close eye on him. "Fine." She huffed. "What kind of beer can I get you?"

"Surprise me." He smiled. "And, uh…"

"Clarke." She offered.

"Clarke, can I also get a bottle of water."

If the circumstances had been different, Clarke might have laughed at that, but she didn't as she only nodded and walked away to get his order.

"Lexa." The blonde called from the end of the counter and the bartender raised her chin in question. "Give me the most expensive beer we have." She took a bottle of water from the cooler while she waited.


It could have been a rough night for Lexa as she tossed and turned in bed fighting the nagging voices of MPC that called for her to open the laptop.

If it hadn't been for Clarke's quick thinking, because who could resist a warm bath, the brunette would have surely gone down the rabbit hole.

So, they took their time in the tub. The water was drained a couple of times as it lost heat, but the tap never failed to please them as it replenished the warmth. Relaxing foot rubs were received in between scrubbings of exfoliating salts and their very own version of a deep tissue massage. Which, in reality, was nothing more than an amateur kneading of shoulder and calf muscles, but they did the trick just as well.

And when they finally began to feel the uncomfortable dragging of their pruney fingertips across wet skin, they stepped out and got dressed.

Nothing sexy happened when they got to bed. Having been mentally exhausted prior to their destressing session under nineteen inches of lavender-scented water, they were left with nothing more than the desire to sleep. As soon as their heads hit their pillows their eyes closed, and images began play behind their lids.

Neither one heard the notifications that came in throughout the night, but when they woke up, they did so to several messages and emails, even a few voicemails from their friends.

Lexa sighed as they sat at breakfast, her finger scrolling through all the texts she had received. Most were from her Tassels family, but a few came from people she hadn't spoken to in a while, all commending her for her achievement.

She continued to read, postponing any replies for the time being, as Clarke listened to a voicemail and took a forkful of scrambled eggs. "Raven said if she gets to the end without crying she's going to want her money back." The blonde passed along the message as she cycled through to the next message.

"Anya said she knows the end, but can't put her phone down. I'd be more grateful is she hadn't just admitted to reading my book on a stupid app." Lexa shared her side of the messages. "And Elona warned me she might need multiple drinks after she's done."

Clarke smiled before taking a sip of her orange juice. "Do you think anyone has finished their copy yet?" She questioned as she hit end on the voicemail calls. "Anthony picked up a copy. He wishes you the best of luck." She finally looked up at her girlfriend, who was still thumbing through messages.

"No. I don't think anyone's done. It's only been one day." Lexa replied. "I didn't know Anthony was a fan." She continued.

"Stop it." The blonde grinned. "He has other interests besides painting and the arts."

"Of course." The brunette nodded with a quirked eyebrow. She eventually put her phone down, grimacing because her plate still housed a pile of uneaten eggs that had surely gone cold. She moved them around with her fork before looking up pensively. "Should I be worried that none of the messages that came through were from them?"

The blonde shook her head. "No news is good news?" She offered.

"Not in this case, I think." Lexa deadpanned.

"Well, maybe they're finding a way to apologize for all of the trouble they put you through." Clarke nodded.

"Right." The brunette replied with a sarcastic tone.

"Please." Clarke added. "You're going to have them eating out of the palm of your hand. You know they're probably just getting their numbers together."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Lexa pushed her plate away. "Want to go for a walk? I need some air."

As they walked out of their apartment a few minutes later, Clarke bumped Lexa's shoulder with her own. "Bellamy thinks you could have sold more copies if you had named a character after him."

Luckily, or unfortunately, depending on which one you asked, they had no shifts at Tassels.

Clarke filled her time by finishing up her first of two works for the Sinclairs, while Lexa sat around opening and closing her laptop in a zombie-like state. The walk they had shared a couple of hours before doing nothing for her pent-up anxiety as she repeatedly checked her phone for any emails she might have missed in between the laptop checks.

The strokes from Clarke's brush echoed in the apartment, but even their rhythmic song did nothing to pacify Lexa's agitated heart.

Hours later, Lexa realized she wasn't even sure why she was so nervous. Her book had been released. Her friends had all picked up their copies and were eagerly reading through the pages. She had an advance, however small, from the publishers. All she needed was the final tally of copies sold.

Surely she had sold enough books to cover what MPC had given her upon signing her soul away.

And there it was, that which had her on edge. She had sacrificed herself to the publishers, and she wanted...needed for them to make it worth it for her. If she failed, then it would have all been in vain.

Others could argue that her efforts would not go unnoticed, and that getting her name on a shelf in whatever bookstore still stood was enough to catapult her into the next stage of her growth. Still, she felt helpless leaving her future in the hands of a company she hardly trusted. However grateful she was to them, she could not without hesitation say they were trustworthy allies she had done business with- but who could? Cases such as that were rare.

Lexa smiled as she glanced at Clarke in a fleeting moment of relief. Her tongue stuck out between her teeth as she continued to paint.

Then, as if straight out of a movie or a poorly written fanfiction her phone rang, effectively destroying a rare moment of peace and setting her heart back into full gallop.

TBC…

Anybody with me when I say I still secretly hope Clarke gets to kick some ass? So the book is out! Lexa has done it! She has a published book. How do we think she did? Did she sell enough? Did she get played? What will happen from here on out with her career? Did you guys find any interesting developments in this chapter? I think I want to know more about this guy that keeps coming by Tassels. Anyway, I'm glad Lexa has hit this milestone, right!? So, does anyone want an excerpt from her book- I've been contemplating that a lot lately. I have a few versions of the next chapter floating around. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks for sticking around! We've hit our own milestone here, and I appreciate every single one of you.