Chapters get longer from here on out! :)

Clarke walked into the quiet dark of the commander's room and let out a long tired groan the moment the door was closed shut behind her.

She felt exhausted. The last four weeks had been taxing on the sky princess. Too many war councils had taken up all her time. Too many problems kept rising up, higher and higher over her head until she felt as if she might drown beneath them all. She'd well forgotten the pressure of war in the last several years, and had taken for granted the moments she'd been given in the peaceful time without it. Between trying to understand this new overdue battle that was said to be coming their way and devising a way to completely avoid it, Clarke rarely had time anymore to rest.

And it showed.

Her body ached from spending too long standing during the day. Her eyes stung from the extensive lack of sleep. Her mind never settled. It was always whizzing with the danger the was looming closer and the dark threat hanging over her and her family. It was a constant headache. It seemed the stress was indeed too much for the blonde but she refused to stop even for a moment. To let it show. This had all escalated because she hadn't been involved in the first place. She bet had she been informed sooner much of it could have been avoided. Instead she was now scrambling for a solution before it was too late.

Again.

Clarke tiredly pulled her jacket off with a wince for her sore arms and aching back. Her baby kicked inside her when she stretched out and threw the garment down onto the couch. She put a hand over her bump and rubbed it soothingly with her palm.

"Don't you start too" She sighed down to it softly, "I've dealt with enough children for one day"

Her mind went back to the disastrous clan meeting she'd arranged earlier that day. The sight of the ambassadors arguing over the silliest of things had made her want to bark at them all to be quiet and take a time out. Something Clarke knew Lexa had been thinking too when she'd dared a glance across the room at the commander. Lexa had worn the same expression she gave whenever she contemplated throwing someone off the tower balcony.

Clarke sighed again thinking of her lover and made her way to the bed.

She'd barely spoken to Lexa since that day inside the throne room when the commander had shattered her perfect illusion of her world. She'd been so angry with lexa, so furious. She'd refused to forgive Lexa that day for her actions. And she knew it was much to the commander's dismay. Lexa had believed she had solved everything by telling Clarke. That Clarke wouldn't be angry with her once she understood. Well, Lexa had been in for a terrible shock.

That night when Clarke had finally allowed the flame keepers to retire from reporting to her and she'd dragged herself away from slaving over the many kru reports Lexa had kept hidden from her for months, Clarke had gone to their room and found Lexa sat on the edge of the bed looking like a child ready to be scolded. Clarke hadn't scolded her. She'd merely slipped wordlessly into bed, ignoring Lexa completely. Her only words to the commander had been to reaffirm her banishment to the couch.

The day after Clarke had awoken early with a nostalgic fire burning inside her veins. She'd felt as she had years before. Hopeless and yet still determined to save her people. As if she were mere moments from slipping into a deep precipice but held a tiny flame to fight the dark at the bottom. The exact same way she'd felt the day of the battle of mount weather.

Clarke had exited the commander's room that day and had immediately demanded to see the ambassadors without Lexa present. A little unorthodox maybe but Clarke had still been too angry to care for Lexa's feelings or her people's traditions regarding the matter. She'd felt that the fast approach of war sufficed enough as an excuse for her demanding behaviour. And, quite surprisingly to Clarke, nobody had questioned heda's absence. At least, not within Clarke's presence. Probably the entire of Lexa's council had been warned of the couple's falling out. The way they side eyed the blonde and avoided looking directly at her during talks certainly informed her to their knowledge of Lexa's secrecy before. Which did nothing to calm Clarke's attitude towards Lexa.

Lexa had hardly tried to reconcile with her girlfriend after that. She'd have days where she spoke softly to Clarke and sent her loving looks. And nights where she'd enter their bedroom and kiss the blonde's head thinking she was asleep, whispering yet another miserable apology before retreating to her lonely blankets. Each time Clarke would spend that night silently crying against Lexa's abandoned pillow.

It wasn't like she didn't want Lexa to sleep with her. Much the opposite in fact. But Lexa by her own choice kept refusing to re-enter her own bed after that first night. Believing that Clarke's excluding her from her own council had been another warning for her to stay away. Clarke knew the grounder was too ashamed by what she'd done to face her properly. This distance growing steadily between them, she knew, was the result of her own anger and Lexa trying to punish herself.

And Clarke hated it.

The sky girl looked across the room from her bed to the blankets folded neatly over the couch. It sent a sting through her chest knowing Lexa would be bundling herself on top of it again tonight. The blonde hated the separation. She missed having Lexa's arms around her while she slept. Missed her hand rubbing her belly as she dozed off. Missed waking up in the middle of the night to listen to Lexa telling their bump stories of his mother because she couldn't sleep. And she missed waking in the morning the most. Clarke missed opening her eyes and having Lexa's gorgeous green ones staring back at her in complete devotion.

Being angry with her girlfriend sucked big time.

Clarke struggled out of her remaining clothes and stood still a moment, enjoying the cold Polis air chilling her naked hot skin. The warm flushes were really starting to grind on the blonde. They came at the silliest of times, making her sweat and flounder in front of councils, and worse keep her up all night in discomfort. Her only reprieve was the short moments morning and night when she shed her clothes and soaked up the autumn air blowing through the tower. It was becoming a concern but she wasn't ready yet to face her mother to ask for advice. She was as angry with her as she was Lexa. Because she was another who had completely disregarded clarke's trust and feelings. Her own mother.

Clarke told herself to quit thinking about it all before she got angry again and slipped herself into bed beneath the furs. She settled down on her side of the bed with her back to the door. It was uncomfortable due to her growing belly but she sucked it up because she didn't like having to watch Lexa sidle guiltily into the room.

"You know," She mumbled looking down at her bump beneath the furs. She traced her finger over it sadly, "I think your nomi was braver when she was younger. She would definitely not be letting me get away with being this mad at her. Twenty year old Lexa would be chewing my head off right about now"

Clarke smiled nostalgically remembering the arguments she'd had with the fierce commander when they'd first met. Looking back on it now she thought most of them had been utterly ridiculous. Her smile widened remembering the furious look Lexa had tried to give her when confronted by the blonde in her war tent years ago. It'd been the first time Lexa had really lost her temper in front of her. She'd looked pretty terrifying but Clarke had never been afraid. She'd fought right back, throwing Lexa's raised guard back at her. Clarke remembered the verbal lashing she'd given the commander, and way Lexa's eyes had dilated with fear the moment she'd ran out of space to retreat from Clarke before she'd gathered herself enough to growl at her to get out.

It'd been easy to piss Lexa off back then. Now Clarke would be lucky to get a quick scowl from the commander.

She sighed loudly to herself. She sort of missed it.

"Looks like she's lost her aggression a little" she whispered to her baby, chuckling softly when it thumped her fingers.

"I wonder why" Lexa's amused voice drifted over to the blonde from across the room, causing Clarke to jump in fright.

Lexa's hope for them to speak automatically dropped seeing her girlfriend shift silently in the bed immediately after. She'd slipped into the room thinking Clarke was asleep already, as she had been the last few nights by the time Lexa had retired to bed. It'd made her heart swell to find the blonde awake and speaking of her to their child. To hear the happy nostalgia in her princess' voice speaking of their past. The commander had let her hope fly too high listening in. Seeing her Skaiprisa curled up away from her it was clear to Lexa. Clarke still hated her.

The commander let out a tired breath and turned to her pathetic corner of the room.

Clarke quietly listened as Lexa gently moved her discarded jacket onto the table and then quietly undressed herself for bed. When she heard Lexa lay herself down against the couch, Clarke pulled Lexa's pillow toward her to hold in her arms in Lexa's place. She felt a few tears escape her realising it no longer smelled of the commander.

Lexa had been staring into space when she heard Clarke's muffled voice. She thought at first the blonde was continuing her story for the baby. So she carried on with her thoughts, allowing Clarke her privacy. Lexa thought of her blonde and her baby and her people. All were lives she was charged to protect no matter the cost. And she held no problem with that duty. What she did have a problem with was the lateness of their enemies.

Her scouts had issued her a two week warning at the most. Sev had delayed his army's movements by another two weeks, and Lexa didn't trust why. What reason would he have to delay the intended battle? Did he not realise that to prolong the wait only gave Lexa time to fortify her city against him?

Lexa's paranoia over it all had her obsessing. While Clarke had been busy organising help for different villages and coming up with defensive strategies for each one, Lexa had been occupied building Polis' defences, even enrolling the help of Skaikru's notorious boom expert.

It hadn't been hard convincing Raven to help. But it had been hard reining her in. Not content with supplying Polis with simple mines and makeshift grenades, Raven had also built explosive arrows, fire bombs and, what Lexa believed to be completely over the top even for Raven; sentry guns that could fire large metal stakes filled with acid sap that imploded on impact. Despite her initial misgivings Lexa couldn't help but be impressed.

"I'm half tempted to make you a war general" She'd told the girl after the demonstrations of the new weapons.

Raven had barked with laughter back at her.

"Like I'm not already higher up in rank than that" She'd smirked knowingly at Lexa then, "Don't sweat it. Aunty Rae knows how to kick ass"

Lexa smiled briefly up at the shadows playing in the candlelight above her. The memory lit the dark in her heart a moment. It felt good to know she could rely on Clarke's people to help. Lexa gained relief knowing she could trust Clarke's safety in their hands should anything happen to her.

Her smile slowly fell remembering how she may be leaving Clarke's life and their baby's to Skaikru in the coming days.

Lexa's body filled with tension and tired adrenaline once more. She ground her teeth chewing over the battle details again for the billionth time that day. For days now she had stayed awake as Clarke slept. With her sword laying unsheathed on the table beside her and a knife in her hand. War was coming. War was coming for them both. Under the heat of the sun or the cool veil of night, they didn't know. But Lexa would be damned if she wasn't ready to fight it.

Her tight grip on her knife loosened a fraction catching the definite sound of her lover crying behind her. Lexa's head tilted back and her eyes searched through the dark for the body of the other woman. Her heart hurt hearing more quiet sobs leave the blonde.

"Clarke?"

Lexa's voice sounded small and timid in the heavy silence of the room. It just reminded them both of the space between them now.

The Sky princess waited with her breath held, hoping Lexa would say something, anything. When the commander gave nothing but a slow sigh and a mumble of goodnight, Clarke rolled to her back and peered over at her.

Lexa was laying on her back staring up at the ceiling with tired eyes. In the dim candlelight Clarke could just make out Lexa's sad expression. And she couldn't stand it.

"Come here" she called out in a cracked voice.

Lexa looked over at her. She couldn't see Clarke but her expression shifted uncertainly like she believed she'd heard Clarke wrong.

"Clarke?"

"Come here" Clarke ordered harder in a much stronger voice.

Lexa slowly sat up and tried to study Clarke's expression through the dark. She rose to her feet after a moment of deliberation and walked towards the bed with a candle in hand. Her heart was pounding in her chest and it leapt skywards into her throat the moment she stopped at the bed. The blonde's blue eyes watered back at her while she lifted the furs in a silent invite into the bed.

Lexa set the candle on the stand beside the bed then stared down at her girlfriend trying to figure out what Clarke wanted. When the first new tears began sliding down Clarke's face the commander quickly bent down to softly kiss them away, no longer caring if Clarke approved of the contact or not. She could not bear the weight in her chest seeing her lover so hurt. She needed to comfort her blonde. She needed to make an attempt of making things better.

Lexa felt herself tear up behind her closed eyes when she felt Clarke begin to tremble. Clarke's fingertips glanced along Lexa's jaw and, just as Lexa told herself to expect to be shoved away, Clarke encouraged her face down.

Soft damp lips travelled along her cheek to the corner of her mouth, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Clarke paused a second to nuzzle her nose affectionately against Lexa's before her lips brushed against Lexa's mouth for the first time in the longest time, filling the commander with nervous butterflies and a pounding heart.

Clarke was kissing her. Lexa knew it wasn't total forgiveness. She knew she would probably never earn that. But for now Lexa couldn't bring herself to question why it was happening. For now she just needed to feel her lover, hold her, kiss her, love her. Tomorrow it could all be stolen from her.

Lexa leant forward with her palms braced on the bed. She felt Clarke tilt her head and lick at her lip and it made her breathe softly back at the blonde. She slowly sat down and raised a hand to Clarke's wavy hair. She tucked her fingers into it, holding Clarke against her as she deepened the kiss.

The blonde sighed feeling Lexa's tongue invade her mouth. And the tears that had begun earlier restarted their fall down her cheeks. She'd never realised just how much she had missed Lexa. It was only now she was feeling the true extent of the gaping hole Lexa had left behind in keeping her distance from her. And, god, it hurt. It hurt so much.

Lexa moved herself back tasting salt on both their lips. Her eyes filled with pain seeing her blonde crying.

"Hodnes" she breathed bowing her head against Clarke's.

Lexa closed her eyes. So much guilt and burden turned the sorrow in her heart into hot lead. It hurt to see Clarke so upset.

"Ai moba" she whimpered holding Clarke's face lightly in her hands. She felt her own tears fall down her face while she brushed Clarke's aside with her thumbs, "I'm so sorry, Clarke"

Lexa felt Clarke's head press heavily back against her own. She winced hearing the other woman breathe shakily in and out. Like it was hurting her just to breathe. Clarke raised her arm and Lexa opened her eyes to watch the blonde moving the furs back further while her brows stitched with a begging look.

Lexa slipped into the half cold furs beside her blonde while they kissed again. She settled on her hip, leaning over the blonde, kissing her slowly and softly. She felt Clarke lower the furs over them both, shrouding them in warmth. Then Clarke's hand sliding back over her side, going down and stopping to clutch at her hip. Lexa shivered delicately and placed her hand over Clarke's. The blonde then used the commander as an anchor to pull herself closer, dragging Lexa a little toward her. Lexa let her. She was relieved Clarke wanted her so close. A leg pushed through between hers. Clarke's hand on her thigh pulled her left leg up to lay over the blonde's. Lexa tightly wrapped her arm around her girlfriend's torso in reply, pulling Clarke as close to herself as physically possible. She felt Clarke's breaths shudder against her lips at coming into the circle of her arms.

When Clarke moved her head back and gazed deeply into her eyes, Lexa felt as if she'd come home.

She raised a hand and watched its careful decent over Clarke's body. She looked up as if for permission when it hovered over Clarke's stomach. Clarke pressed her lips to Lexa's neck in answer, causing Lexa to close her eyes and lean into her. She gently pressed her hand over Clarke's bump. She smiled at her child kicking a hello into her palm, then returned her gaze to Clarke.

The blonde was still kissing at her neck with soft nips that made Lexa bite her lip. She knew Clarke wasn't intending on letting her speak tonight. But Lexa felt they needed to. They needed to clear the air. Too much had happened for them both to simply brush over it. And war was looming closer too. Lexa needed to know Clarke still loved and understood her enough to enter into battle once more at her side.

Lexa inhaled a deep breath.

"Clarke-"

The blonde shut her off the moment she began with another hard kiss. Lexa sighed against the blondes lips. She moved closer feeling Clarke's hands pull on her neck and kissed back feeling Clarke desperately clinging to her. Lexa held her gently in return, encasing her in her arms, right where she belonged.

"Clarke-" she tried again when their kiss broke off and they rested against one another breathing deeply.

The blonde put a finger to Lexa's lips and shushed her.

"Tomorrow" she husked kissing Lexa again, "Tell me tomorrow"

Lexa moved herself back and looked down on her sadly.

"What if tomorrow never comes?" She questioned in a pained whisper.

Clarke set her features straight to keep Lexa from seeing the fear she felt inside herself. She was aware how limited time had become. Every second the enemy drew closer. Tomorrow wasn't completely certain anymore now they were all living on borrowed time.

Still, Clarke made herself hold Lexa's hurting gaze. Made herself reach out and hold Lexa's face. Made herself smile even though what she really wanted was to break down and cry and scream in Lexa's arms. She made herself strong. Because Lexa looked so unsure, so scared. One of them had to be sure.

"It will" she whispered strongly, convincingly. Clarke then kissed Lexa's forehead and waited to hear Lexa's reply.

The commander simply nodded and settled down. The blonde eased back against her, making sure not to lean so much of her baby weight onto Lexa's body. The commander gave a soft whine and pulled Clarke closer again so that their baby sat leaning against her own stomach. She carefully rolled some more into Clarke's front, cocooning their child between them. She smiled when she felt him move and moved her free hand into his mother's hair feeling Clarke nestle down into her chest.

Their baby continued to move between them. To Clarke he seemed to be swishing backwards and forwards between them. Uncertain maybe with who he should rest against. She closed her eyes to picture how such a scene would look given a few more months. In her head it was perfect. In her heart it wasn't a promised scenario.

"He grows stronger" Lexa murmured tapping her thumb against Clarke's stomach. The baby kicked back in hard sporadic bursts causing Clarke to quickly tire of their game.

"With you as his nomi.." She moved Lexa's hand away from her stomach to stop her playing with the baby, "I'm not surprised"

Lexa looked down at Clarke's closed eyes as she settled more comfortably into her chest. She watched amused when she pushed her hand back to Clarke's belly and Clarke scowled.

"Perhaps his strength comes from his mother" Lexa told her kissing her head gently, "It wouldn't surprise me. After all, you are the strongest person I know"

"Clearly you've been avoiding mirrors as well as me lately" the blonde mumbled sleepily.

Lexa sadly smiled though the blonde's barbed words stung her heart. She shushed Clarke, and quietly hummed a soft tune to get her to sleep. Her hand traced up and down Clarke's ribs and hip beneath the furs as she did. Slowly, so her fingers could remember the feel of the skin they'd gone so long without touching.

Lexa thought hard about what Clarke had said. But she couldn't agree. She had lied to her girlfriend. Had put off defensive action for her people. Had put her baby's life on the line as well as everybody else's. All for the sake of her better intentions.

Lexa didn't feel strong at all. She felt completely and utterly weak.

The commander lovingly gazed down at the blonde woman sleeping soundly in her arms, removed for now of all the worries that had gradually burned at her ever present resilience. Clarke was so strong. Much stronger than Lexa. Clarke had always made her weak. She was the only thing in this world that could bring Lexa to her knees.

And Lexa would never regret that.

"I love you, Clarke" she whispered kissing Clarke's brow, causing it to scrunch up a little in response.

Lexa's chest felt warm with the other woman's sigh back at her.

"Go to sleep" the blonde grumbled and rolled herself out of Lexa's arms to sleep alone on her side.

Lexa felt the chill of the air outside the bed hit her hard when Clarke put distance between them. She noticed how Clarke hadn't returned the loving sentiment like she normally would. Perhaps because she no longer did love Lexa.

Clarke's turning away caused the fear and worry inside the commander to grow, making her chest constrict painfully tight. Until Clarke shifted beside her.

"Come here" she sleepily whispered reaching back to grab and tug on Lexa's hand.

The commander didn't understand. Clarke rolled her eyes to herself and pulled on Lexa's arm, encouraging her to press into her back and then crawl over her when the blonde's body tilted to lie flat on the bed. She pushed on Lexa's back when the brunette hovered uncertain above her, getting her to rest over the top of her and her bump. Right where she truly belonged.

The commander's heart swelled. She relaxed herself against Clarke's front and set her chin down on her chest as Clarke closed her eyes again, so she could gaze up at her blonde in the candlelight. In the moment it was as if nothing had happened between them. As if she and Clarke were back in their tent discussing their child in the summer warmth. Before any secrecy or lies had pulled them apart. When it was just Lexa watching Clarke sleep.

Lexa wished so much that it could be like that again.

"Stop staring at me" Clarke muttered feeling Lexa's eyes on her. She felt Lexa's finger draw a line up her side.

"I can't help it. You make me stare at you, Niron"

Lexa beamed watching Clarke smile genuinely for the first time in weeks.

The blonde opened her tired blue eyes and set them on Lexa's exhausted but smiling green ones. She held them while she raised a hand to touch Lexa's face. She knew without being told that Lexa was feeling doubtful of her feelings towards her.

"Ai hod you in, Lexa" She whispered as gently as she could, "You're a complete idiot and you make me so incredibly mad, especially after all thats happened lately" Clarke looked down from the shame in Lexa's eyes, "Everybody would call me insane. But I do love you. Despite all that. I can't help it"

Lexa bowed her head against Clarke's chest and held the blonde's hips in her hands. She felt hot tears stinging her eyes.

"I don't deserve your love, Clarke" She inhaled a long breath and held Clarke tighter, "I continue to betray your love and your trust. I continue to hurt you"

Tears started to dribble down her cheeks and her breath shook trying to stop them before Clarke knew she was crying. But Clarke always knew.

"Lexa.."

Clarke's hands moved to hold the shaking woman to her chest. She held Lexa tight, shushing her and rubbing her back. Between them their child kicked gently into Lexa's lower abdomen. Lexa cried freely into her girlfriend's chest feeling them both try to comfort her. She didn't deserve any of it.

"I'm not promising forgiveness" She heard Clarke begin above her when she'd calmed a little.

"I'm not asking for it" She blurted out in a choked voice, "I know I don't deserve it"

"But," Clarke continued over her, "I do promise that I love you. Despite your damn selfish stupidity. And your mad desire to handle everything alone. And-" Clarke cut off into a sigh and shook her head. The rest didn't matter. "For your deeds and your mistakes, I love you"

Clarke kissed Lexa's head then, repeating herself over, in English and in grounder, following each whispered promise with a kiss until Lexa's skin was warm with them. The grounder's tears fell freely again.

"I didn't mean to hurt you" Lexa croaked raising her head at last from Clarke's chest to gaze imploringly at her lover.

Clarke wiped her thumbs beneath Lexa's eyes.

"I know. I understand why you did what you did" She drew a deep breath before adding, "Maybe I'd have done the same"

Lexa shook her head. She knew Clarke would never put herself before the safety of others. She would have handled everything different, better.

The blonde massaged her palm into the side of her bump thinking about it herself. She didn't know what she'd have done before. If being pregnant would have altered her usual way of leadership or not. But she knew she would have told Lexa. Definitely.

"What are we going to do?" She muttered worrying her bottom lip thinking about the war coming for them.

Lexa leant up to look down on her lover with strong sad eyes.

"We do as we always have" she told the blonde, "We fight for our people. And this," Her fingers interlocked with Clarke's over their bump, "We fight for our family. Together"

Clarke nodded feeling Lexa's words fill her with strength.

"Otaim" she whispered and brought Lexa's head down so they could kiss.

She breathed in the scent of her commander when they parted only to rest heads. She told herself to be brave, be strong. For herself and Lexa. They both needed it right now.

"We should sleep" she mumbled laying a quick kiss on Lexa's lips and then her head as she guided it down to lay against her chest once more.

Lexa settled and closed her eyes listening to Clarke's heartbeat sing her lullaby.

"Reshop, ai niron" Clarke muttered holding her heda cradled in her arms.

Lexa smiled sleepily.

"Goodnight, my love"

Lexa closed her eyes focusing on the sound of Clarke's heart beneath her ear singing her to sleep. She whispered goodnight to the baby too before she slipped into the calmest sleep she'd achieved in months. Clarke smiled as she sank into her own dreams.

It felt like mere minutes had passed since the two women had drifted off in final peace with one another when a loud knock woke them.

Clarke stirred hearing Lexa's flame keeper calling for the commander through the door. She slowly opened her eyes with a moan at the sunlight in her face and stretched out, causing the body lying directly behind her to stir too.

Clarke looked over shoulder at her commander nestled snugly into her back. Lexa had failed to wake properly with Gaia's loud knocking. Instead she'd slept through it with the warmth of Clarke's body being enough to hold her inside her dreams.

The blonde smiled softly at the sleeping woman and lifted her head back so she could kiss her. Lexa mumbled incoherently feeling Clarke's lips touch her head then her cheek. Her nose wrinkled up feeling Clarke lay a kiss against it and she finally began to stir.

Lexa's green eyes fluttered open and locked hazily on the blonde in front of her. She sleepily smiled at her lover remembering what had happened the night before. She kissed Clarke's shoulder and back before readjusting herself to go back to sleep.

"Lexa" Clarke pushed on her shoulder to wake her up again, "Lexa, you need to get up"

"Ai laik heda" Lexa grumbled pinning Clarke's hand to her shoulder to cease its shoving at her, "I don't need to do anything"

Clarke rolled her eyes and resolved to calling out for Gaia to enter the room.

The flame keeper entered slowly. Her curious eyes took in the crumpled sheets beside heda's unsheathed sword at the couch then moved to the bed where she spotted her commander wrapped around Wanheda. Gaia felt immediate guilt. It seemed the two leaders had reconciled at last. And now here she came, interrupting their peace with more bad news.

"I apologise for the intrusion, heda" she said stopping before the bed to bow.

The flame keeper looked curiously at Lexa's still tattooed back peering out of the furs when the commander failed to respond. Gaia looked bemused to Clarke, who carefully sat herself up and rolled her eyes at Lexa.

"She's not ready to adult just yet" the blonde sighed poking her lover again.

Gaia bowed to Clarke instead.

"Then I apologise to you, Wanheda"

Clarke shook her head, "There's no need to apologise. And no need to call me Wanheda. Please"

Gaia nodded understanding how Clarke hated her official title. She straightened her stance and looked between the two women when Lexa huffed out irritably. Gaia's guilt worsened.

"Just wake up" Clarke whispered poking Lexa a final time.

She looked away from Lexa's frustrated grumbling at her side and peered at the nervous looking flame keeper.

"What is it?" She asked feeling her heart begin to bang with dread.

"A messenger has arrived" Gaia answered calmly. She jumped back a step the moment Lexa heard her and leapt from the bed.

Gaia watched confused when her heda crossed quickly the room to the couch. There she began hastily throwing on her discarded clothes while Clarke questioned Gaia on this messenger.

"He rides from the Yellow Shores. With word from his chief"

"What message does he bring?" Lexa demanded pulling her shirt down and striding to look hard into Gaia's eyes.

"He refuses to tell me, heda. He says his message is for you to hear alone"

Lexa glanced to Clarke before she nodded at Gaia. The flame keeper took her leave then, allowing the couple their privacy. Lexa took a seat on the bed and shook her head to herself.

"He is toying with us" she growled and glared at the floor, "First he makes us believe he is attacking and then he makes us wait for nothing. Now he sends us a messenger to further taunt us"

Lexa swung her arm out and threw a pillow to the floor in anger.

Clarke finished throwing her shirt on and climbed across the bed to touch Lexa's shoulders.

"Hey" She wrapped her arms around Lexa's neck and held her firmly to stop her angry shaking, "I know what you're thinking. But I am not standing out of this one"

Lexa lifted her head back to plead with her, "Clarke-"

"No, Lexa. It's not up for discussion. Together, remember? Whatever this messenger has to tell us, we face it together"

She pressed a single kiss to Lexa's neck and then leant back to fix Lexa's hair for her. Lexa pursed her lips to hold back her thoughts. She didn't trust this messenger. The last time one had come with news for Wanheda, Clarke had been attacked. She wanted to keep Clarke away, for her protection. But she knew Clarke wouldn't allow it.

"All done" Clarke whispered after a short moment and kissed her ear.

Lexa turned to face her and smiled weakly.

"Your turn"

Clarke let Lexa fix her hair and then moved into the bathroom to wash her face. She felt a wave of nausea hit her suddenly while she towelled her face dry. Her hands gripped the water basin tight and she swallowed against the sick feeling in her throat. Her hand pressed into her stomach feeling a sharp pain spreading through her abdomen.

"Clarke?" Lexa's voice called concerned from the other room, coming quickly closer when Clarke gasped out in pain.

The blonde quickly forced herself upright and pretended her body wasn't hurting. Lexa entered the bathroom with worry in her expression.

"Is everything alright?" She asked watching Clarke dry her face on a towel. Clarke nodded back at her, "Okay. Then we should go"

"Okay" Clarke smiled and threw the towel down. She caught her reflection in the cracked mirror on the wall she walked past to follow Lexa out of the bathroom. She looked very pale.

Her hand touched her bump tenderly. She willed the baby to kick. When it did she breathed with relief. She didn't trust this strange nausea and pain that had come on so suddenly. It scared her. She'd radio the Ark and speak with her mom about it once she'd heard what this messenger had to say. But for now she had to pretend everything was okay. For Lexa's sake.

Clarke approached the commander waiting for her at their room door and took a firm hold of Lexa's hand to help fight the scared panicked way her heart was beating inside her chest. Lexa looked down at their hands in surprise, but smiled warmly at the blonde. She swiftly brought Clarke close and kissed her softly before she let her go and opened the door for them to leave.

The two women left the commander's room as a united pair, with hands held firmly in each others grip to show their people and the world that they stood together.

"You ready for this?" Clarke gently asked as she stopped beside Lexa at the door to the throne room.

Lexa was staring hard at the door, thinking and dreading what news awaited them on the other side. When Clarke spoke she lifted her chin and pushed the door open in answer.

Two men stood in the middle of the room. Behind them by Lexa's throne, Gaia and Aden stood looking down on the strangers tensely. Guards surrounded the room with weapons in hand and pointed at the enemy.

Everybody looked their way when the two leaders of Polis entered the room.

Clarke heard Lexa inhale quickly before she started walking forwards. Clarke followed with a curious look at Sev's men as she and Lexa moved around them. She followed Lexa up the steps to her throne and made to stand in place beside it. She was surprised when Lexa took a gentle hold of her arm and made her sit on it instead.

The commander smiled at Clarke's look of confusion. She touched their bump and kissed Clarke's brow and Clarke realised it was to show everybody in the room that they were no longer at war with one another. She smiled up at her love and watched as she moved back to deal with the two strangers. Aden moved to take a protective stance beside the blonde in his commander's place.

"I am told you have a message for me" Lexa barked down to the two men.

One man averted his eyes under his commander's glare. The other boldly moved forward, causing every guard in the room to move too. Lexa herself took a protective step back towards Clarke.

The man looked about at the numerous spears pointing at him from all around the room. He scoffed at them and looked back to Lexa.

"I have a message" he confirmed with a curt nod of his head, "From the new chief of Delphikru. To yourself, Heda. And Wanheda"

Lexa felt her blood begin to boil seeing him look towards Clarke. He looked at her position on Lexa's throne and his eyes seemed to gleam with dangerous intrigue.

"What's the message?" Clarke asked impatiently when he continued to stare at her. She didn't trust him.

The man took another step forward at Clarke's demand. This time Lexa's fingers wrapped around her knife to drag it a couple inches out of its sheath on her belt.

"One more step and yu gonneplie ste oden" she warned him in a low threatening growl.

The messenger knew she was serious. So he backed away with his hands up.

"The message I have is for heda and wanheda" he called out loudly, "And they alone"

He looked around at everybody else in the room to go. None of them heeded him. The messenger's attention returned to the commander when he heard her knife completely leaving its sheath. Lexa was moving her finger along its sharp looking edge until he looked up at her. Then she began to twirl it on its point against the pad of her index finger. The look she gave him said she wouldn't bow to his demand of privacy. The man scowled at her.

"We are ordered not to speak until you alone are listening!" he speaks strongly. He and his friend flinch when Lexa starts descending the steps.

The commander walks slowly towards him still playing with her knife, but stops the last couple steps to approach his companion instead. The younger man is stood trembling in Lexa's presence. And the closer she gets to him with her knife, the harder he shakes.

Lexa shakes her head at him. She looks back to Clarke, who nods her consent. Lexa then ordered the room to empty.

"Heda, I don't think this is wise. We should-" Gaia stood back obediently silent the second Lexa raises back the hand holding the knife to stop her speaking.

The commander turned on the spot and looked toward her young flame keeper who had yet to leave as ordered. Aden too had remained.

"That's means you too" she said sternly to them both and made her way back to Clarke. Gaia looked annoyed but bowed and left as ordered.

"I will be just outside" Aden whispered to Clarke before he skulked slowly past the two men.

Lexa looked down on her blonde partner worryingly as the last steps of her people faded from the room behind her. She didn't like leaving Clarke so unprotected like this. The commander cut a short glance down from her princess' concerned eyes to the arm of her throne where they both know a dagger is concealed.

Clarke subtly nodded. She understands what Lexa is suggesting. She just hated seeing her girlfriend look so scared. All she wanted to do is take hold of her hand and promise her everything will be okay. But she can't without making Lexa look weak in front of their enemies. So she settled for a quick loving look before turning her gaze back to their guests.

Lexa turned straight after, as if rejuvenated in strength. Her eyes cast coldly back on the two men and she impatiently ordered them to speak.

"We have a message from our master. Sev, chief of Delphikru and the Yellow Shores"

"You already said that part" Clarke glowers at them from the throne.

Lexa grips the handle of her knife hard when the first man smiles at her lover's impatience.

"Forgive me, Wanheda" He started walking to the left with his hands behind his back, "You know, I had heard rumours of your condition and its affect on your usual negotiating skills. I see now the rumours these past months were true. You have grown inept"

Clarke sees Lexa's back shake in anger at his insult. She knows the commander is quite ready to be done with this man.

"Negotiating" She repeated causing the man's confident smile to flicker at its the edges, "So you've come to negotiate?"

The younger man started mumbling to his friend. Clarke can't make out what he's saying but it makes the older man turn and snarl at him to be quiet. The two women shared a brief look through the exchange.

The older man turned with another fake smile seeing them watching him.

"Maybe there should be introductions before we speak on behalf of our chief. I am Daks"

He gives a sarcastic low bow.

"And your friend?" Clarke asked looking on the other man with pity. He looked terrified to be here. Clearly he'd been forced to come.

He mumbled something out, keeping his eyes on the floor. He jumped when his companion clapped him hard on the back while he introduced him as Mikel.

Lexa rolled her eyes growing ever impatient with this nonsense.

"The one you call chief has been raising an army" she started up to move things on already, "Why?"

Daks grinned with dark eyes, and it's so cold Clarke feels a shiver run up her spine.

"My chief simply wishes to take Polis and remove the pretender sitting on its throne" His smug eyes switched between the two women before they land on Clarke sitting on said throne, "Lexa. Not you, Wanheda. Sev has quite the interest in you"

Clarke frowned down at him hard, "Why?"

"I do not know. But he has an offer for Heda" Daks turned to solely address Lexa, "Sev said that if you gave up Wanheda, he would spare the city and all the lives that would be wasted in war. I suggest you take it"

Lexa's palm started cutting into her knife. She forced herself to hold still when the fury inside her threatened to explode out.

"And what would he do with Wanheda?" she calmly asked with a sprinkle of intrigue injected into her voice. It caused Clarke to look back at her with worry. Sev's messenger believes its a good sign.

The Delphi man shrugged back at Lexa, "Only Sev knows that. But I can imagine it will be fun"

Lexa nodded thoughtfully.

"Then I have a message for Sev"

Clarke's eyes lock on Lexa taking strong strides towards the two men. Daks stands tall as the commander gets closer and closer. He sticks his thumbs into his belt and smiles expecting her to hold out her arm and accept their terms of peace. The way Wanheda is staring in fear at her could only mean the commander is about to finally sell out her pet blonde.

Daks held his arm out to Lexa and smiled genuinely at her.

"I would be glad to pass on a message to-"

Daks stopped talking suddenly when he felt a cool breeze on his throat the second Lexa strode past him. He frowned and looked down confused at the warmth flooding down his neck and chest.

Dak's throat felt constricted all of a sudden. He coughed and felt more warmth dribbling down his chin. His vision begins to unexpectedly blur. He hears Mikel gasp and sees Clarke staring at him in complete shock before he hit the floor hard in a coughing fit. He can't seem to draw a full breath. Every try is bit by bit harder than the last. Red covers the floor around the man as he clutches his torn throat.

Lexa looked down on the dying man in disgust while he struggled against the inevitable. She's tempted to kneel down and stab him through the heart to get it over with. But she holds off. Daks had insulted and threatened Clarke. He deserved to die slowly.

The commander kicked him aside and strode through the bloody pool forming around him. She pointed her bloody knife at his companion. Mikel jumped back with terrified eyes.

"You take his body back to Sev. You tell him, 'Here is Heda's answer'. And you tell him that he is next!"

Lexa yelled the last part and roughly shoved Mikel away towards the door. He slipped in the blood underfoot and tripped backwards over his friend's body. Lexa felt no pity for him when he whimpered in fear and scrambled away.

Clarke walked down to Lexa's side as Mikel ran out of the room. She looked beside her to Lexa's still features while she breathed heavily and stared down at the dead man at their feet. She felt faint herself when she glanced down at him too.

"You ready for this?" Lexa asked her numbly.

Clarke didn't reply. Just took a strong hold of Lexa's hand.