A.N: Okay, so this is the chapter where the impossible, the improbable and the absurd blend together and stuff happen. We find the new team member and we`ll see what choice will Lexa make and if she really is as heartless as some people see her as.

Three weeks had passed since the incident where I could feel a cold blade pressed forcefully against my skin, grazing gently the exact spot in the middle of my neck where my carotid artery pulsed with the rapid, constant beat of my hearth. I could still remember the shaking and unsure hands that held it there. We were currently on a recon mission, observing the situation around the borders with Azgeda after two attempts on my life were made. I tried reasoning with Clark that it was better for her to stay in Polis, but she wouldn`t hear a word of it, insisting that as the newest member of the coalition she had the right to see and learn about the land that the coalition represented. Indra was staying in Polis, guarding the forth there with the help of Titus and Octavia who of course was side by side with Lincoln, a man, a friend, that had turned from a loyal warrior to in love traitor to a man true to his heart and his love. Octavia seemed even more trikru than Lincoln at times and after I was reminded of his bravery again when he prevented one of the two assassinations attempt towards me, I lifted his banishment.

So anyway, here we were now, going into our second week in the wilderness and after losing our guards to an unexpected ambush, we were headed towards the most northern point of our borders, looking at how the Azgeda was progressing slowly with its army and spying on their plan. The Ice Queen had retired from Polis to this very point and now it was our mission to oversee her moves and decide a strategy. The first part of our plan was a task for the centuries, but since Roan had bought some of the guards in Polis, I took it upon myself to gather this information. Corruption had found its way amongst my people and I needed someone on whom I could count irrevocably and who better than Indra?

- Wait Clark, do you hear that? – I asked suddenly stopping in my trails, snapping out of my thoughts, puzzled by the sound I my ears had detected.

- I swear to God Lexa, if you make me run aimlessly again because you imagined someone walking behind us, I prefer to let that thing eat me. – The blond in front of me pouted like a petulant child.

It was true that I had made her run for a few miles across the forest a couple of days ago, because I thought that we were being watched and it is also true that even thought she had survived 3 months on her own, being in the wilderness was not Clark`s thing. Even though she would never admit it with words, I could feel the change in her attitude while in Polis. Her eyes had softened, her serious expression had been replaced by an occasional smile and her gaze lingered on my lips, on my chest, on all of me for a moment longer than socially acceptable during our dinners. However, now I decided to ignore the hopeless whine in her voice when I heard that strange noise again. It sounded like a little agonizing animal, it made me shiver as I turned to Clark that was just a few feet behind me.

- We have to see what that noise is exactly, we cannot afford to blow our cover now, being so close to Azgeda territory.

- Fine, let`s go and see, but after that we build a fire and rest. We`ve been walking around all day and I can`t even feel my legs anymore.

- I think Polis might have spoiled you Skaiprisa. – I said smiling lightly, deliberately using her title again. She only smirked back at me and rolled her eyes answering with a smug on her face:

- Go float yourself, Heda.

The close proximity between us these last few weeks, made us rediscover our connection again, we were both leaders, strong and independent. Each of us had committed her own mistakes and no judgment could be made from the other. The world was harsh enough, we were trying to find comfort in every moment we could, no matter how long it lasted. The bickering that characterized our conversations at first dissolved into flirting and now at times it was directly teasing and daring. Daring one another to see who`d be the first to cross the invisible barrier between us, the first one to take the other`s hand, the first one to linger her fingers just a moment longer on the other`s skin, the first one to unconsciously lick her lips and look in the eyes of the other and appreciating moment, the closeness once again. Each night was an unspoken treaty that made us forget the betrayals, the scars, the wars, the problems, the mistakes, the regrets we each had… and after that, each morning was filled with appreciative looks, nods, grins and of course they were just as mute as the nightly truce between us.

The trust between us however is something that neither dares to discuss, I know she doesn`t trust me with her heart and for a moment the possibility of it never happening (again) made my hearth stop beating. Of course, we trusted each other with our lives, but then again what was a life of simple surviving? We knew what there was between us, we didn`t have to talk about it, we knew it would be awkward from the first night I heard her shouting from her nightmares and held her while she wept in my arms again.

Flashback

- I hate you Lexa, I hate you…- her words echoed in my memory, remembering her raspy, sleepy voice.

My body had stiffened instantaneously with the sound of those words, a sharp cutting pain pierced my heart with every word that left her lips, but she seemed to feel my distress and only pulled me closer to her, before continuing.

- I hate you so much, but I cannot imagine a world without you, I`d hate it even more. I cannot imagine someone hurting you and just the idea of it makes me sick. You cannot leave alone to deal with all this again.

Tears were falling from both out eyes and even though I tried, it was impossible to pull her closer to me. I was always better with actions than words, but Clark needed the words just as much as my actions now.

- I am sorry Clark, I can tell you this a hundred more times, but it won`t ease your anger with me or with yourself. Time heals, just let it and in the meantime let me show you that I will honor my earlier vow to you. I would never, ever betray you again. Our people are one now as we must be too.

I vowed to never betray her again, I kneeled in front of her and looked her in the eyes, and vowed to protect her and because of that oath, now I started walking determinant towards the direction from where the strange noise was coming. Running between the high grass that was spread between a patch of treeless land we found the source of the noises and my eyes widened in disbelieve.

- Oh, It`s a baby. – said Clark who looked just as shocked as me at the half-draped-in-a-blanket infant that had a small pink ribbon on her wrist and was silent for a moment, as if looking directly at them.

- But how did it end up here? There are no villages for at least a couple of days away from here. – I was puzzled and began thinking the possible answers.

- What do you think we should do with it? – I asked her even though I already had a feeling I knew the answer.

- Her. – she corrected me fast.

- All the same.

- You know just as well as I do that we can`t leave her here.

- Those are Azgeda marks on her wrist and blanket Clark. We can`t just go around with it either! Not to mention that there is no way the Ice Queen`s army won`t notice us with her constant whining. It needs someone to take care of it and we are definitely not that someone. – I said looking around us to see if the loud noises had attracted more people.

- I don`t give a fuck if her markings are azgeda, trikru or skaikru or whatever else kru there is in your coalition, she is neither. She is just an abandoned infant that will die if we don`t do something about it. She is on your territory now Heda, would you really leave her here alone?

Of course not, but it made absolutely no sense to take that little thing with us, we were barely keeping ourselves alive and well and we had already lost our guards, we were going behind schedule and soon Indra would have sent Octavia and Lincoln to find us and I tried to explain that to her. However, all my words were wasted on the wind because when I looked back I saw Clark holding the little thing on the ground and playing with her, making her giggle and caressing softly her belly. It wasn`t crying anymore, finally silence again. Clark`s attention was completely dedicated to the big brown eyes that were watching up to her. Seeing her so relaxed and even happy made my heart sunk with pain from past actions and decisions, but as soon as the thought came it went away. We agreed to a new start, forgive, but don`t forget and now we had more important mission to think about than to dwell and sulk on something that cannot be changed.

- You did not hear a word I was saying. – I said more as a statement than a question, of course she did not.

- I`m busy keeping her entertained Heda, or you`d prefer her to start crying again? – she said smirking.

- Mockery… - I didn`t even got the chance to finish with my patronizing tone when she interjected.

- Yeah, yeah. I remember. What do you recommend then? Leave her here? – she asked sarcastically.

I was wondering what our options were and my silence confused her further, I could see her eyebrow arching and knew what she was thinking that I was thinking. This silent chess battle between us had gotten us into many unnecessary arguments.

- I am not saying to just leave it here Clark, I am thinking about our options, there are no more trading posts from here to Azgeda territory and we have to go back three days back to find the nearest one and leave it there.

- Lexa, I swear if you don`t start calling her "her", I`ll slap you so hard that you`ll see the stars. – knowing how true Clark is to her words I just decided to back down and let her have her way, that happens a lot with the Skaiprisa, she doesn`t like following my rules, but truth be told, I wouldn`t have it any other way.

- We can call her…

- No Clark, we are not calling her anything. – I said seriously, it was bad enough that she would have to come with us.

I saw how the blonde looked at me when I told her that the little one would be coming with us, she couldn`t stop the big smile that appeared on her face and my hearth suddenly filled with happiness at this sight.

- We are not giving her name though, this honor is only bestowed upon her parents, or in this case, the people that decide to look after her. So, no naming it her. We take her with us and once we reach the Azgeda camp we will leave her on the road where people from her kru will find her and take care of her. – I retracted rapidly my words.

- Give her back to the kru that abandoned her?

- It is forbidden for my people to just abandon their offspring, it is a very serious offence and nobody dares committing it, so I believe maybe her abandonment was due to some external factors that surpassed the parents` right to take care of her. She will be safe with her kru, Azgeda may be ruthless and vicious, even down right savaged some times, but I do not believe that they are capable of killing an infant of their own.

A few hours later, Clark was content and the baby was asleep once again and silence filled my ears, giving me a moment to organize my thoughts and start moving around to make us a camp.

- Let me help at least with the twigs for the fire. – She offered and began placing down the baby, who the moment that felt the hard ground began screaming and crying again.

- Don`t! - I wanted to rapidly stop her, but it was already too late, the baby was crying even louder than before and Clark wasted no time in lifting her up again and began rocking her gently.

- I don`t think she agreed with the plan of you helping me, so let`s just make sure she has something to eat when she wakes up, we have no idea since when she has not eaten. I can hunt us some rabbits if we`re lucky and she hasn`t spooked them already.

- She can`t eat that Lex.

- Clark, I honestly have no idea how to tend to this baby. – I said with an exhausted voice, imagining what was ahead of us, we had no time for this.

- I`m not that great in the parenting department either, but I used to look after some of the youngsters on the Ark. Let me go find us some berries and fruits and we`ll just make her a paste or something from them, until we figure something better.

And that was how the rest of our afternoon went, with me making sure we had enough logs to pass the night and hunting something to eat, while Clark tended to the baby not letting her on the ground for a single second, they definitely didn`t want a repeat of her previous extremely loud performance. Once everything was done and they were comfortably settled for the night Clark approached me and sat down on our furs. Ever since we started travelling up north and the temperatures were dropping gradually we agreed to place our furs together instead of on the opposite sides of the fire. There was never an explicit answer or permission from neither to do that, it just happened every night and neither commented on it.

- Lex, I need you to take her for a while.

- No. I don`t do babies Clark. We agreed that she is yours to look after.

I saw how the blonde rolled her eyes at me and looked me directly in my eyes.

- I need to pee Lexa! So if you don`t want to attract any unnecessary attention you will extend your arms and fucking hold her for a moment! She doesn`t bite, look, I still have my head and my arms and my legs.

She handed me the baby the moment I extended my arms and bolted towards the bushes. My arms were completely stretched, the light weight from the baby`s body was something foreign to me, being used with the weight of my sword, but not with something so… small and fragile. While Clark was gone, I could see her big brown eyes looking around her and suddenly she burped.

- Just do not throw up on me you little bug. – I said serious, but very gently and she smiled broadly. Funny her smile was so much like Clark`s and as if on a reflex it made me smile almost unnoticeably too.

And speaking of the Skaiprisa, she emerged from the shadows again, walking toward us and taking the baby from my still firmly stretched arms.

- You are either too stubborn or too clueless, but you do look adorable when you try to command a six-months old baby.

- There is a reason for me be the Commander, Clark. – I said and rolled my eyes at her for using the term "adorable" to describe me of all people.

The baby began protesting again once Clark had put her on her back to her and her face to the fire and the blonde lifted her up quickly.

- Maybe it is too close for her. – Clark said.

- If we move further away, we will be the ones to freeze. Hold on, I think I have an idea.

After a hearth beat of silence, I began scoffing back, almost reaching the limit of my bed roll and made a little more space between me and Clark, just enough for our newest team member to fit in and saw how incredulous the Skaiprisa was looking at me.

- She is feeling the fire too close and because of the heat and constant light she cannot fall asleep. Being in the middle will provide her heat and comfortable darkness, proving her with better rest for the night and hopefully a better mood for the journey tomorrow. – I felt the need to explain myself even though Clark`s eyes were shining bright.

Of course, I`m sure that Clark had thought about that option before, but thinking it would be too intrusive for me, she just decided to figure out some other solution, but it turned out that the moment the baby was placed comfortably between us – she kicked two times with her little legs and dozed off in the night.

- She is strong. – said Clark looking down at the little girl.

- She is, we will have to find her some more food tomorrow, I think she is still hungry.

- Not a full day with you and she already has your appetite, this journey is going to be interesting. – chuckled Clark and put her hand gently on the little bug`s belly, closing her eyes and soon her breathing evened out.

- As long as she keeps smiling like you, we will manage. – I whispered softly once I was sure that the two girls in front of me were sleeping and tucked a strand of blond hair behind Clark`s left ear.