AN:Wow, my life has been one heck of ride since I last updated this. I hope you all are still with me. I missed you all. I hope coming back to this allows me to de-stress. Enjoy, and as always, thank you for reading!


Clarke was nervous as she stepped into Frankie's office, not unlike the first time she had done it.

It felt like just yesterday, and yet, so much time had passed as it nourished her growth as both a person and an artist.

And though this had been coming for months, she doubted from the beginning it would be easy.

"Clarke?" Frankie questioned her with a worried stare.

The blonde shook herself and smiled. "Sorry. Do you have a minute, Frankie?"

"Of course." She waved her in and waited until she sat in the chair to continue. "What can I do for you, dear?"

She swallowed and smiled before she settled into the cushions of her seat. "As you know, I've been working a lot more with the Sinclairs and their clients, and I am having increasingly less time to come in." The older woman nodded at her. "And, well, I've been wondering if maybe it was time for me to free up the spot for someone else."

Frankie nodded with a warm smile. "We both knew you would quickly outgrow this little old place of mine."

"It's not like that." Clarke rebutted in a hurry to defend herself and Frankie's art school, but quickly sighed when the woman shook her head with a smile.

"You've been ready for a long time, Clarke, I was only waiting for you to realize it. I'm not one to let people go. Hell, I allowed my ex-husband to live with me for months after we divorced." They shared a small laugh.

"Thank you, Frankie." Clarke smiled. "You have no idea how much I owe you. You helped me with so much."

"Please." The older woman shook her head. "You did it all, dear. But if you feel guilty about taking advantage of my generosity, include me in your dedication speeches when you become famous.

Clarke smiled and nodded at Frankie's words.

"So, can I ask whether you're exclusive with the Sinclairs?"

The blonde nodded. "For now, yes, they are giving me commission they feel I'm ready for."

"Good. I just want to make sure they don't under estimate your capabilities."

Clarke smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Frankie. For everything."

Walking out with her tools in hand made it feel even more intense. In such a short time, she had found a family at The Ark. Leaving them all behind made her sad.

She had to remind herself that she was doing it for the best of reasons. To continue with the journey she had set out for when she left Arkadia.

She knew her family at the art school would always be a call away. Still, getting in the rideshare and looking up at the signage that hung proudly above the door was bitter sweet.


Lexa folded her clean clothes and stacked it neatly on the bed, something she hated doing.

Laundry was fine by her, if she wasn't the one folding and putting it away. Most would mistake this as a telling sign of a slob, but it was quite the opposite.

It was because she wanted everything in flawless order that she detested folding laundry.

Borderline OCD, again, quite the opposite of a slob, and Clarke had called her out on it several times since they started living together.

"House wife Lexa is my favorite." Lexa jumped and shook her head.

"Don't do that." She laughed.

Clarke approached her to envelop the brunette in a hug, her hands interlocking at her abdomen. "I'm becoming quite proud of the fact that only I can sneak up on you, babe."

The other girl huffed in an unimpressed manner. "Some feat."

"Jerk." Clarke scrunched her eyes menacingly, glad that her girlfriend could not see her intentions before she launched a full-scale attack on the taunt tendons of a very alluring neck.

Lexa almost whimpered before groaning in frustration, and wasted no time whirling around to come face to face with her assailant. Their eyes locked, lustful greens met mischievous blues in a moment suspended in time.

Clarke wanted to make the next move. Lexa was prepared not to let her dominate this battle.

Eventually, unassuming hands pushed at hips and Lexa found herself surrounded by arms and blonde hair. Her lips prisoners to the assertive ones that tugged and sucked in cadence.

"The clothes." While she was close to pushing them off the hard work she had put into her neatly folded stacks, her words, let lose between wet kisses, were meant as playful teasing to get the other girl riled up.

Clarke moaned. "Fuck the clothes."

Lexa grinned into a kiss full of teeth and lips before groaning with excited anxious energy. "Potty mouth."

"Shut up."

They continued their attacks on each other, and eventually lay heaving with their eyes locked on the ceiling.

Lexa laughed. "How did we end up on the floor?"

"I felt bad about the clothes." Clarke admitted with a dopey smile.

The brunette nearly burst into laughter before shaking her head and wrapping her girlfriend tightly into her.

They lay in a such a way for a few minutes, and when they nearly dozed off, Lexa remembered the events of their day.

"I take it Frankie was understanding earlier at The Ark." The brunette commented as they lay intertwined.

Clarke nodded. "Extremely." She smiled into Lexa's shoulder. "I'm going to miss her daily little quirks and advice."

"You can always visit or call. I'm sure she'd love that."

"Yeah. I might need her to remind me I can do this."

Lexa chuckled. "I'm here for that. I can be very convincing." She grinned playfully despite the fact Clarke could not see it.

"If only I could do the same for you." Clarke turned serious on her and waited for a retort.

The brunette knew exactly what she was referring to. "You do, Clarke." She looked down, in search of her blue eyes to convey her apology. "I would have had a tougher time with my insecurities if I didn't have you." She paused and studied the blonde, looking for a sign that she had successfully communicated the sincerity of her gratefulness. Clarke caught on to the words and glanced up at her caringly. "I'm calling Bill today." Lexa spoke after some time.

Clarke smiled. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Great!" Clarke smiled again, wider, and placed a quick peck on her girlfriend's lips. "I have a good feeling about this."

"I hope we're both right about that." Lexa replied.

"When did you make this decision?"

"Some time ago." Clarke knitted her brows in question. "I just needed a little push, and Indra's pep talk and your confidence in me were the motivation I needed."

They shared a small smile before Clarke rolled them into a new and compromising position.


Clarke worked tirelessly on her newest commission.

She spent the better part of the last few days engrossed in the colors and smells of her profession. All from the comfort of their living room.

Lexa did her best to give her the space and quiet she needed but would sporadically hand her cups of coffee, and offer her words of encouragement and criticism.

Her current task was to fill the canvas with a rendition of the Griffith Park Observatory hill side. Not the hardest work she's ever done, but the notes from the customers and the Sinclairs specified they desired as much detail as possible- of the trees and shrubs that nestled the hill.

The brunette caught on to it early on and was astonished by the thought that crossed her mind just then. "I can't believe we've never been." She shook her head disappointingly. "We'll make it a date."

Clarke had smiled wide and nodded in acceptance.

Lexa drove them to the observatory the following day. They spent time inside looking through models, reading informational posts, watching constellation shows, and even searching the skies with a telescope. It was a fun day that had concluded with them sharing some pizza at a nearby restaurant.

Clarke had smiled widely the entire time. Not only because it had been a date tailored for them, but because she had experienced something so refreshing with her girl. It served as great creative motivation.

Now, Clarke was nearly done with the piece, and she felt an immense sense of satisfaction.

When she set her brushes down, she picked up her phone and shot Jacapo Sinclair a quick text.

Clarke: This is one of my favorites. Almost done with it.

J Sinclair: Perfect. We'll be in L.A. in the next few days, if it's done then, we can take it back East with us.

Clarke: I'll make sure to finish it then.

J Sinclair: No desire to travel back here again?

Clarke: I would, but Lexa has something big coming up, I want to be here for that.

J Sinclair: Not to worry. We will handle it for you.

Clarke: Thanks!

She took a step back to look at the easel and nodded with satisfaction.


Lexa sat on the less than comfortable bench. The concrete made her shift constantly in search of reprieve from the numbness.

Her mind wandered as she balanced a laptop on her legs.

The last time she had been under the kiosk was when Clarke believed she was introducing her to the place on a date. She had gone through the trouble of researching Huxley and his relation to her brunette and this place. It was sweet.

The thought made Lexa smile.

When she found herself driving towards the temple, she never intended to stay for so long, definitely not to have her laptop die with a blank sheet and a blinking cursor.

Yet she had.

Because her mind was everywhere at once, and never on the screen before her.

In the past few days, seeing Clarke so engrossed in her latest work, she had found motivation to start a new story. Bits and pieces of scenes flirted with her brain, and she had every intention of typing them on her screen to have a starting platform. If only to remind herself where she wanted her outline to go, before she commenced another long journey of stringing the words together to match her thoughts.

It had potential.

It just needed someone to it to paper- in a manner of speaking.

Lexa would need to do it another day because she could not seem to concentrate.

A sudden buzzing in her pocket made her snap out of her haze and tighten her grip on the lifeless notebook.

She swallowed to clear her throat before realizing who was calling her.

"Bill." She swallowed again, this time as part of an anxious tick. "How are you?"

The man on the other side responded in a manner Lexa was already accustomed to before he carried the conversation for quite some time.

An occasional physical nod followed an audible one on the brunette's side.

By the time Bill had finished his two anecdotes and one proposal, Lexa could hardly breathe.

Her life…her future, was finally taking form.

She tried hard not to stutter when it was her turn to talk. "I don't have to think about this, I want to do it, Bill." She smiled wide at her words. "I cannot thank you enough for this. Seriously, you have no idea what this means to me."

After some hurried responses from the guy, Lexa said her grateful goodbye before ending the conversation.

Her world was about to change.

She smiled, ecstatic and prepared to begin anew.

Her only worry was Clarke, and how this might affect her.


Clarke set the used glasses down in the sink as she rounded her girlfriend behind the bar. "I can't believe you got the call and I wasn't there!" She whined. Her melodramatic reaction was only half exaggerated- she really had been dying to be in the same room when Bill called as he promised.

Lexa smiled and shook her head as she continued to pour beer for her costumers. "You were there babe. Actually, I got zero work done before my laptop died because I kept thinking of you."

An audible gag was heard besides them. "You guys are such saps. Stop it already." Echo rolled her eyes playfully at them.

The girls swatted her away as Lexa threw a teasing comment about her absence on the stage being the best part of the show.

Those blue eyes she loved so much smiled back at her. "She's not wrong. You are a sap."

"Me?" Lexa asked with a hand to her chest, but had no comeback. "Get back to work, Virginia. Table two looks sober."

"Yeah, yeah, but you have to tell me everything as soon as we're done here." She grabbed her tray full of prepared drinks and draught beers.

"Of course. Our diner after this."

"It's a date." Clarke replied as she walked away with an extra sway of her hips.

The brunette bit her bottom lip and smiled.

A sigh of relief escaped the girls when they successfully evaded their friends on their way to Polis Billiards. They had caught some sideways glances from Raven and Lincoln, but if they knew they were ditching them for some alone time, they didn't mention it to the rest of the group.

The light and casual atmosphere circled the girls in their booth as they shared their usual onion rings and burgers. Neither one talked much as they smiled and stole light touches when they both went after the same crunchy ring.

One basket of onion rings later, Clarke asked the question and leaned back into the seat to listen to it all.

Lexa began to recount her earlier conversation with Bill.

When she was finished talking, she raised her eyes in silent question while she gauged the blonde's reaction.

"Of course, you should do it! And I will support you one hundred percent." Clarke smiled and leaned in to drop a chaste kiss on the other girl's cheek.

"OK." Lexa smiled. "But you know this means long hours and the occasional out of town conference, right?" Clarke nodded. "And I might not be able to pose for you anymore." Clarke laughed. "This job does have it's perks, though." Lexa continued with a grin.

"Oh really?" Clarke leaned in to brush her shoulder against Lexa's.

The girl nodded. "I get to immortalize you."

Clarke laughed. "Is that all?" She couldn't hide her grin when Lexa pouted.

"Good money. Work hard, play hard."

"Oh, vacations. I like it. Seal the deal." She teased.

"Done." Lexa replied seriously. "All joking aside, I've got one foot in the door, Clarke. I've been working for this almost my entire life. This is why I moved out here in the first place." The blonde nodded in understanding. "Being Assistant Script Editor for Bill and his team is huge."

"I know. It is, babe. I am so happy for you." Clarke placed another kiss on the girl's face.

"There's room to grow there, and they have branches all over the West and East coast. We could be bi-coastal if we needed. I mean I know you probably never want to go back to Virginia, but a lot of you clients are out there." Clarke sighed, but didn't get a word in before Lexa interrupted. "I'm not saying I'd want to move back East either, I'm just saying it's an option. If you want."

"Alexandria Silva, I will go wherever you go." Lexa smiled a teary smile, ignoring her impulse to respond with a sarcastic remark about Clarke's own sappiness. "I'm in it for the long haul if that's what you are worried about." The brunette shrugged- not wanting to voice her obvious concern of having to leave Clarke behind. Ever. "I love you, Lexa. We're both moving towards what we have worked so hard for. Together. We'll do this together."

The brunette nodded. "I love you, Clarke."

They studied the people that came and went through the front door for some time before the blonde offered her girlfriend the last of her milk shake. "So how are you going to break it to everyone at Tassels?"


"Your stupid sister is quitting Tassels." Raven muttered into the phone. "I assume she told you already." She paused, suddenly realizing she could have overstepped and said something that wasn't for her to tell. "Please tell me she already told you." She plopped down on her sofa waiting anxiously for the older girl to reply.

There was a small chuckle on the other end before Anya responded. "I know everything. I mean next to Clarke, I am the most important person in her life." She teased.

Raven cringed. "It's kind of gross how similar you two are some times. Who did you guys get the sarcastic wit from?" She asked.

"Mom." Anya answered her. "Dad was always too serious for that crap. Mom was the comedic relief."

"Ah, gotcha." They shared a moment of silence. "Hey, so, I was calling you because I think we should throw Lexa a little shindig to congratulate her and to bid her farewell. What do you say? Want to come down?"

"I find it cute that your excuse to get me down there is to celebrate my sister. I also think you just want to celebrate the fact that once she's out, you're the next best employee Indra will have."

The brunette pouted. "Actually, once Lexa's out, Clarke is the next best thing." She admitted with a playful tone. "Thanks for that. So? Are you coming?"

"I'm in."

TBC…

I'm a bit sad about Clarke leaving The Ark, but we all know she's on to bigger and better things, and I'm sure Frankie will come around again. Looks like Lexa's got herself into the business. An assistant script editor, sounds like an awesome position for her don't we think? What will she do with it, and what will it bring her and Clarke? Lets find out! Party time in the next chapter. Grab yourselves a seat. Thanks for sticking around.