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Lexa left Clarkes early this morning, she needed to sort herself out for school. Normality needs to ensue, especially with finals so close. She's just arrived into the school grounds and it's not long before she realises that Bellamy has stepped into stride beside her. She glances up at him.
"Do you have a sec, I need to talk to you?" his expression is sheepish at best.
"Bellamy, if this is about Roan Queen…"
He cuts her off. "It's not, I promise. But it is important."
Lexa nods to show she is willing to have the conversation, and Bellamy pulls her into one of the unused classrooms so he knows they won't be disturbed. He doesn't really know how to start this; as a result, they both stand in silence for a good few minutes.
Lexa finally loses patience. "Bell either you want to talk or you don't." Lexa moves forward to leave the classroom, she doesn't have time for this.
Bellamy blocks her path and takes yet another deep breath. "Sorry. I lied. This is about Roan Queen."
Lexa shakes her head exasperated, she doesn't know how many times she has to have this conversation with him. She moves to leave again, and Bellamy grabs her arm quite forcefully to stop her. He ignores the look of anger on his best friends face and continues.
"I know someone that can set us up a meeting with him, and I've already put the feelers out."
Lexa looks at him like he has just grown a second head. "Bellamy, I have been more than clear. Under no circumstances are we going to approach anyone in the Azgeda, let alone Roan Queen. Why on earth do you think I would change my mind on this?"
Bellamy takes this as his cue. He pulls out his phone, Lexa watches with interest as he taps the screen, before his gaze drops away from Lexa, almost as if he can't bear to look her. Lexa's attention is quickly taken from Bellamy's downward gaze, and onto the screen of the phone. Her mouth drops agape when she realises what she's watching.
"How the hell did you get this." Bellamy doesn't answer, he knows how low this is. He can feel his tears starting to form. Lexa continues when he doesn't say anything. "You followed me. Why would you do that?"
As she poses the question, she instantly knows the answer, and she feels sick to her stomach. "If I refuse to help you with Roan, what are you going to do with the video?"
Bellamy swallows. "I need to know what happened Lex." His tears start falling. "I can't do it without your help."
He still hasn't answered her question, and she pins him with a stare that clearly conveys that he better had. "If you don't help me, then I take the video to principle Jaha and the school council."
He remains stoic. He's acutely aware that he's massively screwing over his best friend.
"You're blackmailing me." She lets out dejected sigh. "And worse than that, you're using Clarke to do it."
She shakes her head when he still doesn't speak. "I will never forgive you for this Bellamy."
More tears, and he still can't bear to look at her. "I know."
"If anything happens to either of us, I doubt Lincoln, Octavia and Anya will either." She tries to make him see sense.
He doesn't. "I know. I have to do this Lexa."
She nods. She knows that he has her, trapped. There's no way she can let him jeopardise Clarkes career. "When's the meeting?"
"Saturday night."
Lexa nods. "Where?"
"The Hideout." Bellamy knows this piece of information is not going to go down well.
Lexa's head snaps up at his words. The hideout is a coffee shop, slap bang in the Azgeda territory, it certainly isn't neutral ground.
Bellamy tries to explain. "Lex this is Roan Queen, he calls the shots; there's no way he was going to meet us anywhere else."
Lexa starts to massage her own temple, this just keeps getting worse. "Why do you need me for this Bell? Why not go it alone, why put me in danger too?" She voices the question that has been on her mind basically since this conversation started.
"If anything comes from this meeting with Roan, the guys need to know that you're onside. Plus, Roan specifically asked for you to be there, it's the only way he would agree to the meeting?"
This takes Lexa by surprise. "Why?"
"He didn't say." Bellamy had obviously been intrigued by this too, but he didn't want to push his luck with a member of the Queen family.
"I guess we'll find out Saturday." This time its Bellamy's turn to be surprised by Lexa's words.
"So, you'll come with me?"
"You haven't really left me with much choice."
Bellamy's head drops again at Lexa's words; she just strides out of the room, the panic she feels starts to consume her, she needs some air, it's not long before she gasping for it, she just keeps walking straight out of the building, and the school grounds.
XXXXXXXXXX
Lexa eventually finds herself at home. She wanders into the kitchen, still lost in thought, and surprised when she notes her mother is up, conscious, and apparently nursing a non-alcoholic drink. Her mother looks up and smiles, but it quickly turns into a frown.
"Shouldn't you be a school?"
Lexa sighs and pulls up a stool at the kitchen island, opposite her mother. Despite her struggles, Lexa and her Mum have always had a good relationship. Her Mum hasn't always been an alcoholic, and their relationship pre-drink was amazing. Lexa wish she knew what happened to her Mum that made her switch to alcohol. It was literally over night; one day she didn't need the booze, and the next she didn't.
Lexa loves it when she finds her Mum in her more lucid moments, like she is now. She feels like she can really talk to her. She supposes she better fill her Mum in on the goings on over the last few days.
"Finn got stabbed last Friday night at Trikru."
The gasp from her mother is audible. "Oh my God Lex, is he okay?"
Lexa can feel her eyes dampening. "No Mum, he died that night."
"Jesus Christ Lexa, are you okay? Why didn't you tell me?" The questions pour out of her Mum.
"I haven't seen you since, until now." Lexa shrugs her shoulders, Alice, Lexa's Mum, takes this like a knife to the heart, she's aware of how much she's letting her daughter down. Lexa continues to speak.
"And no, I'm not alright. I feel like the sky is falling in on me, and I'm trying my best to hold it up, but I'm getting crushed." Lexa's sobs become more and more frequent as the sentence progresses.
Alice rushes around the counter and pulls her daughter into an awkward embrace. Lexa takes the little comfort she can from her mother. She needs to tell her the full story, and pre-warn her that it's a distinct possibility that she might not have a daughter in a few days' time.
"The Azgeda, were involved in Finn's death, and Roan Queen wants to meet me." Lexa just blurts it all out.
Alice feels her blood freeze at her daughter's words. She tried so hard to keep Lexa away from the gang culture in this town. The Azgeda in particular, given their known hatred of the Trikru. She should have been expecting this really, given Lexa's heritage, a heritage that Lexa herself knows nothing about.
Lexa feels her Mum go rigid in her arms; before she pulls away completely. Alice can't deal with this, she needs to do what she does best, and get shitfaced.
"You shouldn't be getting messed up with gangs." She pats her daughter on the head, and moves to put her coat on, Lexa knows she's lost her. Alice knows her words are futile, if the Queen family wants to get to you they will do, she knows that first hand. Which is why she's itching for a drink.
Lexa just nods and watches as her Mum leaves. Alice turns back as she gets to the door. "I have somewhere I have to be, but we can talk more about this later?"
Lexa nods; she knows they won't talk.
XXXXXXXXXX
Lexa and Bellamy barely made it through the rest of the school week together, but they managed it; although Octavia, Anya and Lincoln would have had to be blind and stupid to not have noticed the tension between them. Lexa's anger had been so obvious however that no one had dared to broach the subject.
It's now Friday, and Lexa is at Anya's place with her best friend, Octavia and Lincoln. Bellamy has had the good sense to stay away so far, and as a result it had been like old times, the four of them just laughing and joking, and generally acting like the 18 years old that they are; and most importantly enjoying their time together.
Octavia has loved it. Obviously, it's been extremely painful that this is the first time they've hung out like this without Finn, but it feels so nice to be getting some sort of normality back just a week or so after Finn's death. Normality of course means teasing Anya.
"So, An. You and Miss Reyes seemed to be getting along swimmingly the other night at Miss Griffins."
Anya chokes on the mouthful of juice she's just consumed, and looks up to see Octavia's amused grin, with that all too often glint in her eye. She shakes her head, and decides that deflection is her best course of action.
"Yeah almost as well as Lex and Miss Griffin." Anya wiggles her eyes at her best friend as she speaks, and Lexa can't help but giggle.
"I really like her." Lexa decides to be honest, she can tell immediately that Lincoln, Octavia and Anya, were not expecting that! She really and honestly feels like this could be her last night on earth, thanks to her impending meeting with Roan Queen tomorrow. She feels like there isn't really any harm to her friends knowing that she has been happy. She hopes it will bring them some comfort if the worse does happen.
Octavia decides to push their luck a little further and see if she can get any more out of her friend. "And what about Miss Griffin Lex, does she like you back?"
Lexa smiles as she considers her answer. "I think so."
Her friends are a little taken aback by just how open she's being, this really isn't like Lexa. Before they have a chance to question it further, Lexa speaks again. "On that note, I have to get going."
She rises from her seat and out of habit the other three teenagers do too. Lexa makes her way over to Lincoln. She pats him on the chest before looking over to Octavia. "Promise that you'll always take care of her?"
Lincoln is taken aback. He feels quite emotional. Why is Lexa speaking like this? He just nods. "Take care of yourself too. You are an amazing man, and a loyal friend. I love you."
Lexa pulls him into a hug as she speaks, its takes Lincoln a little while to reciprocate such is his shock. "I love you too Lex."
She moves onto Octavia, the emotion getting the better of her, she pulls her best friend into a hug. Octavia looks over at Anya and then Lincoln, as if to say 'what the hell is going on?' Lexa pulls back and looks her square in the eyes. "Never change, never stop being you; if people tell you you're too loud, too brash, fuck them. I love you O."
"I love you too Lex, but I don't understand what's happening here?"
Lexa ignores the question from her friend and moves to Anya who looks just as confused as her other two friends. She pulls some fluff off the arm of Anya's sleeve, and smiles. "If you think you stand even a 50% shot with Reyes, you should go for it. Life's too short to give a shit about the rules."
As she has done with her other two best friends, she pulls Anya into a hug and whispers into her neck. "I love you so much An."
"I love you too Lex." She pulls back to look her best friend in those brilliant green eyes. "But you're scaring us. What's going on?"
"I can't tell you." Lexa has to swallow hard to get rid of the lump in her throat, and ensure that the tears that are threatening don't spill over. "But I just want you all to know how amazing you are okay."
Lexa can't bear the emotion she feels, she needs to escape so she heads towards the exit of Anya's house. She's stopped in her tracks by Octavia, who clearly hasn't been as successful in keeping her own emotions in check and is actually crying real tears now, Lexa can tell she's scared.
"Why can't you tell us what's going on? Where are you going?"
Lexa smiles. "Right now, I'm going to Miss Griffins."
This confuses them no end. Lincoln is the next to speak. "Tell us why you're saying goodbye Lex."
Bellamy chooses this moment to let himself into Anya's dining room. Lexa's smile drops and immediately turns into a frown. "Ask him" she practically spits at Bellamy, who can tell as usual his timing has been impeccable. He's clearly walked in on something here.
Octavia knew that he idiot brother would something to do with this, whatever this is; she can't keep her anger under control, she dives on her brother and immediately starts to scream at him. "What have you done, you arsehole. Why is Lexa is saying goodbye to us all?"
Bellamy instantly knows exactly what's going on here. Lincoln grabs his girlfriend by the arms and manages to pull her off of her brother; Bellamy takes in the appearance of his best friends, they all look scared, Octavia is frantic, and Anya and Lincoln look downright pissed off. But they all wait patiently for him to provide some sort of explanation.
He looks at Lexa, as he usually would in times of trouble, but she offers no comfort whatsoever, just a scowl before she looks away, seems she really can't bear to look at him for more than a couple of seconds these days. Completely his fault of course. He swallows hard before turning back to his three expectant friends.
"Lexa and I are going to meet Roan Queen tomorrow night."
All three heads snap towards Lexa and she's fixed with three sets of inquisitive eyes. "What the hell Lex, you promised you wouldn't get involved with the Azgeda." Octavia accuses first.
"Lexa this is insane, you can't meet with Roan Queen it's a suicide mission." Anya follows up with.
Lincoln knows there must be more too it, and he's certain Bellamy has something to do with it given the tension between them in the last few days. He asks calmly. "Lexa, why on earth would you agree to meet with Roan Queen, you were so against it?"
She sighs and Bellamy holds his breath, knowing she could royally drop him in it here. Lexa looks at Bellamy before turning back to her other three friends, they deserve the truth, the whole truth.
"Bellamy followed me to Clarke's place the other night, and filmed us basically having sex. He informs me that if I don't go along with his plan to meet with Roan Queen, he will release the video to the relevant authorities. I can't let him ruin Clarke's career; so instead I will be putting my life in danger."
All heads snap back to Bellamy, apparently no one is surprised by the confession that Lexa is sleeping with one of her school teachers. Octavia dives on her brother once more and starts raining punches onto his head, Lincoln again pulls her off and throws her in the direction of Anya, who secures her in position by throwing both arms around her, in a bear hug from behind.
"Thanks man..." Bellamy starts, but he doesn't get a chance to finish, as Lincoln smashes him in the face with all his might, it sends the curly haired boy spiralling. He guesses he shouldn't be surprised by this reaction. He picks himself up, and guiltily lets himself out as quickly as he arrived.
Lexa glances back over to her friends, Octavia is still crying. "Lex, Miss Griffin isn't going to give a shit about her career if she knows what you're risking for it."
"Well she isn't going to find out." Lexa glares and her friends are left in no uncertain terms just how serious she is. "I mean it you guys. Not a word about this to Clarke."
They all nod to show their agreement. "Lex, I really think you should talk to her about this." Anya is the one that tries to reason with her.
"Maybe I will." She nods. "Anyway, I'm going to go spend the night with her while I still have the chance."
Octavia leaps on her friend and pulls her into an emotional hug. "You really love her, don't you?"
Lexa just nods, the lump in her throats preventing her from formulating actual words. She pulls back and looks over at Lincoln and Anya giving them a silent goodbye before heading out of the door.
Octavia transfers to Lincolns arms. Anya breaks the silence. "We have to do something."
The other two nod in agreement.
XXXXXXXXXX
Clarke hadn't been surprised when she'd opened her front door to find Lexa on the other side an hour or so ago. She had however been surprised by the younger woman's carefree attitude since she arrived. They had opened a bottle of wine, and Lexa was, well for want of a better word; relaxed. The weight of the world that had been present the last time they were together had been removed from her shoulders.
Clarke isn't sure what exactly has happened to her lover, but she's been enjoying this charming, funny, flirtatious stunning woman. Obviously, she knew that Lexa was all of the above anyway, she has spent the best part of a year getting to know her at school, but Finn's death had such a profound effect on her, on all of the teenagers, that she was scared that this version of Lexa might have been lost, for a while at least, if not forever.
"You're in a good mood." Clarke smiles has she speaks, it's not really posed as a question, more as a statement of fact.
Lexa frowns a little. "Is that terrible so soon after Finn's death?"
Clarke's heart drops. "No that's not what I meant." She hopes she hasn't ruined the evening. "I just meant it's nice to see you looking a little less stressed than you have been just recently."
Lexa smiles, Clarke can't help but melt, especially at her next words. "You always make me feel better Clarke."
Clarke loves the sound of her name on Lexa's lips. She leans forward and catches them with her own. She swears she could kiss these lips for all eternity. Lexa too could get lost in this kiss forever. She wishes she could, to save her from what she feels is an inevitable terrible fate tomorrow. Her heart feels heavy at the thought, and she pulls back frowning.
"Hey what is it?" Clarke is holding Lexa's face in her hands, she senses her change of mood immediately.
Lexa can feel the tears forming in her eyes. "I need to tell you something, and I need you not to freak out okay?"
Well that has the opposite effect, and Clarke starts to panic internally, but she manages to keep it concealed, and instead just nods at her younger lover.
Lexa takes a deep breath, she places her hands over Clarke's which are still encasing her face, and she looks her square in the eyes. "I love you."
Clarke can't help the sharp intake of breath at Lexa's words, but it seems the brunette hasn't finished yet. Lexa powers through. "I'm not telling you in hope or expectation; I don't need you to say it back." She chuckles. "I'm aware of how quickly I'm saying this."
She gets serious again, and her brilliant green eyes are back on absorbing blue. "I just needed you to know, that it's how I feel. You made me feel more in these last couple of weeks than I ever thought possible."
Lexa smiles, and all of a sudden Clarke can't speak, she's too emotional, the lump in her throat too restricting. If she could speak she'd tell Lexa that it doesn't feel too soon, it feels perfect. She doesn't get the chance as Lexa's lips are on hers in an instant; the younger woman intends to spend the night showing Clarke just how much she loves her.
XXXXXXXXXX
After yet another amazing night together, Clarke hadn't been able to sleep. The more she thought about Lexa's confession of love, the more she questioned it; why now? She went over it again and again in her head. Lexa telling her she loved her felt final, Clarke wholeheartedly believes that she meant it, but it was as if Lexa was saying it now, in case she didn't get another chance to.
This thought scares Clarke to death. What is Lexa up to, that is making her think that she might not get the chance to declare her love in the future. Clarke knows that the Azgeda must be involved. Lexa starts to stir from her sleep in the bed next to her. It's not long before she turns over yawning and takes in Clarke's appearance. She's sitting up, back against the headboard, with a loose sheet pulled up around her chest. She looks beautiful. Lexa can't help the smile that forms on her face, and Clarke can't help but reciprocate. It doesn't last though.
Lexa feels the tension creep in between them. She tries to break it. "You're up early." She stifles a yawn as she speaks.
Clarke needs to be blunt. "I haven't been to sleep. I've been too worried."
Now it's Lexa's turn to frown. "Why?"
"Trying to figure out, exactly what you've gotten yourself mixed up in, that means you're declaring your love for me?" Clarke pins Lexa with a glare.
"I just wanted you to know how I feel. Sorry if it was too soon." Lexa sheepishly makes her way out of the bed, and starts to pull on her discarded clothes from last night.
Clarke jumps out too, and starts pulling on some sweats. Speaking all the while she does. "I don't think it was too soon Lexa. I'm just scared that you were telling me because you might not get the chance to again."
Lexa stops in her tracks, it's as if Clarke can read her mind. She doesn't speak, she doesn't need to, Clarke knows that her assumption is correct. Clarke strides over to her, and grabs her by the arms. "Lexa, you can tell me anything. Please tell me what you're getting yourself involved in? I can help."
"No Clarke. You can't." Lexa's tone is tinged in resignation. "Nobody can."
"Lexa please." Clarke's tears that she had frantically been trying to keep at bay, are now streaming down her face now. "Please don't do anything stupid."
As soon as the blonde started crying, it was game over for Lexa; she too now has her own tears, trickling down her cheeks. "Everything I'm doing, I'm doing for you. To protect you."
"I'm a big girl Lex, I can protect myself." Clarke pleads.
"Not from this." Lexa says simply. She moves to leave Clarke's bedroom, and heads straight down the stairs, and towards the front door. Clarke desperately follows her all the way. Lexa turns and looks at Clarke, before she leaves, this might be her last chance, she drinks the blonde in. This woman makes her so unbelievably happy.
Clarke is having no such serene thoughts. "Lexa please, I'm begging you. Let me help."
Lexa just shakes her head before leaning in for one last kiss. "I love you Clarke."
She's pulls the front door open. Clarke pulls on her arm, causing her to turn back for one last look. "I love you too Lexa."
Clarke couldn't not tell her, couldn't have her going into whatever it is she's gotten herself caught up in thinking that she didn't love her. When she does, with all of her heart. Lexa's heart explodes, the smile that erupts on her face is enough confirmation that Clarke did the right thing in telling her. And then she's gone.
Clarke closes her front door and sighs. Regardless of what Lexa thinks or wants, Clarke is not going to let her get hurt, over her dead body. She needs a plan. She needs raven; and with that thought, she heads to find her mobile phone.
XXXXXXXXXX
Not for the first time in recent history, Raven finds herself in her best friend's front room, arms crossed, after having something quite unbelievable explained to her. The first time a bunch of teenagers convinced her to hack into an Azgeda computer, and now Clarke is asking her to hack into her teenager lovers phone.
"You're going to have to run this past me one more time Griff."
Clarke sighs. "I'm serious Rae, she was acting like she was never going to see me again, which means that whatever she's gotten herself mixed up in is going down tonight."
"So, you want me to hack into the GPS on her phone so we can stalk her." Raven raises an eyebrow as she speaks.
"Do you any other suggestions?" Clarke really is open to hearing anything, Raven can hear the desperation in her voice. Her best friend is seriously scared right now.
"What about getting in touch with one of her friends, I'm sure they'd spill their guts if they seriously thought Woods was in any real danger."
"Do you have the first idea how we would contact any of them, 'cos I don't?"
Now it's Ravens turn to sigh, she dejectedly drops onto the sofa next to Clarke. "I knew I should have given Anya my number."
Clarke looks at her and can't hide her shock at the statement. Raven shakes hers in disbelief. "Seriously. Right now?"
Clarke rests her head back against the couch and Raven copies the motion. How the hell are they going to play this one out.
XXXXXXXXXX
"I'm not sure about this O." Anya is basically chasing Octavia down the street as she speaks, with Lincoln following at a brisk pace.
Octavia stops in her tracks, causing Anya to almost crash straight into the back of her friend. "Anya, Miss Griffin is the only person that stands a chance of talking some sense into Lexa."
Anya knows she's right, she looks at Lincoln who just shrugs, he doesn't have a better idea.
"Fine, let's get this over with." Anya concedes.
The three teenagers head straight for their teachers front door, taking a final deep breath before Octavia wraps her knuckles on the painted wood in front of her.
Raven and Clarke who are still collapsed on the couch, both deep in thought as to what the hell they were going to do; are both surprised to hear a knock on the door. Clarke practically sprints to answer it, fully hoping that Lexa has come to her senses. She swings the door open, and when she takes in the sight before her, to be honest it's the next best thing. She immediately widens the door to allow her three students entry into her home.
Raven sits up, her interest piqued by the arrival of three of the teenagers who have come to mean a lot to her over the last few weeks. The worried look on all three of their faces makes her think that Clarke was right to be so worried.
Clarke breaks the silence. "What the hell has Lexa gotten herself into?"
The three youngsters look at each other, nervously. There's a silent agreement between them that Octavia will be the spokesperson. Deep breath, here goes nothing.
"She and Bellamy are going to meet Roan Queen." The three of them wait for the appalled reaction from their school teachers, and they aren't disappointed.
"No, no way." Clarke is frantic. "Lexa wouldn't do that, she's not that stupid."
Raven immediately agrees, she sees the look of dare she say it guilt, on the three younger faces; she knows there has to be more to it. She rises up from the couch, and gently grabs Anya's arm, she can see tears shimmering in her deep hazel eyes already. Clarke, Octavia and Lincoln watch with interest as Raven gently starts to speak.
"Hey. Clarke's right. Lexa isn't that stupid. So, what on earth has possessed her to do this?"
Anya's tears spill over, mainly because she still can't quite believe it herself. She quietly mumbles. "Bellamy." She looks down at the floor, unable to look at Raven or Clarke any longer.
"Bellamy?" Clarke questions, it doesn't look like Anya can offer anymore, her emotions taken over, so she turns her focus to Octavia and Lincoln, and pins them both with a stare. "What the hell does she mean Bellamy?"
Octavia swallows, hard. She too looks at her feet, not sure she can look her teacher in the eyes as she reveals this particular piece of information. "Apparently my arsehole of a brother, followed Lexa over to your place the other night and filmed..." she chooses her next words carefully. "...something incriminating between the two of you."
Octavia chances a look up, and sees the shock register on her teachers face. She quickly concludes her story. "Bellamy used the footage on his phone to blackmail Lexa into agreeing to the meeting with Roan."
Raven speaks before Clarke has a chance to. "Why the hell would he want to blackmail one of his best friends into such a dangerous situation."
Lincoln offers his opinion. "Because he's blinded by his grief over Finn's death; because he needs closure; and because he's an idiot." Octavia rubs his arm lovingly.
Clarke finally finds her voice, she speaks so quietly and sombrely that it breaks Raven's heart. "She thinks I care more about my career than I do about her."
She rubs her temple as she speaks, a mammoth headache forming. Octavia grabs her arm, defiant. She shakes her head as she speaks. "No Miss Griffin, she knows how much you care about her, she just doesn't want you to have to give anything up for her."
Clarke smiles. "I think you guys can call me Clarke now." This causes a small smirk from Octavia.
Clarke immediately gets her business head on. "Where's this meeting taking place."
The teenagers frown. Lincoln confirms the worst. "We don't know, neither of them would tell us. Guess they thought we'd rock up if we did."
Raven sighs, she knows where this is going. Clarke immediately turns to her best friend and confirms that she right. "You have got to agree now."
Raven quickly weighs up the pros and cons, and immediately knows the pros outweigh the cons. Anya wants some form of clarification. "Agree to what." She looks between the two teachers as she speaks.
Raven concedes. "I'm going to hack into Lexa's phone to find out her location. Then I guess we're going crash this meeting, and hope we don't manage to get ourselves killed in the process."
Clarke smiles and mouths thank you are her best friend. Anya grins too. "Can I help?"
"Always." Raven reciprocates the smile and gestures for the younger woman to follow her over to her laptop, which is already set up on Clarke's table.
XXXXXXXXXX
Lexa nervously man handles her mug of coffee. She and Bellamy had arrived at the meeting point around ten minutes ago. To say they'd had a few curious looks was an understatement. Lexa feels physically uncomfortable, she still can't do anything but glare at Bellamy; and his sorry puppy dog act is providing her no comfort whatsoever.
She glances up at the grubby clock on the grubby wall, she didn't really expect this place to be as run down as it is, given the apparent money in the Azgeda, although she appreciates that this hovel of a cafe isn't actually owned by the Queen family, which is the only plus on this sordid little outing; although they are in Azgeda territory, they aren't directly in a Queen residence, which settles her a little. What doesn't settle her is the fact that Roan Queen is late; not by much, but late all the same. She exhales again.
Bellamy clearly picks up on Lexa's anxiety. "He'll be here Lexa."
"I'd rather he didn't show up to be honest." She fixes him with yet another glare, before leaning back in her chair and exhaling heavily again.
Bellamy doesn't get a chance to dwell on his guilt, as he hears the door to cafe open, and a huge towering figure of a man strides in; Lexa notices too, the man is tall, with long hair, pulled back into a pony tail, he's a little grimier than she expected, but he certainly fits in with the decorum in this place. He smiles at the two teenagers, which causes Lexa's stomach to drop through the floor. Here goes nothing.
Roan nods over to the middle-aged woman at the counter, and she busies herself, obviously having understood exactly what he wanted. Roan sits at the table directly opposite the two teenagers. There's that smile again, Lexa feels like he's almost mocking the two of them, but that doesn't come across when he speaks.
"Bellamy, Lexa." He nods at each of them as he addresses them. "What can I do for you?"
It's at this point that Lexa remembers that it was Bellamy that asked for this meeting, not Roan. She was so focused on the fact that she didn't want to be here that she hadn't actually thought about what she needed to say.
Bellamy, it seems has no such inhibitions. "We know you were involved in Finn's death."
Lexa sees Roan falter for a second, only a second, but it happened, almost as if he wasn't prepared for them to know that. The smile is back on his face within milliseconds.
"What makes you think I had anything to do with that?"
Just as Bellamy is about to launch into a tirade the waitress arrives at the table and places Roan's nodded order in front of him, he starts to stir in a subordinate amount of sugar, which gives Lexa the chance she needs to speak reasonably, before Bellamy has a chance to lose his temper.
"We know that he was talking to you in the weeks before he was stabbed."
Roan focuses all his attention on Lexa now, Bellamy may as well not be in the room. "That I can't deny. But I had nothing to do with his death."
Bellamy lets out a small laugh, regaining the attention of the other two present. "You expect us to believe that?"
Lexa gives him a look which conveys that he better tone himself down immediately before he gets them both killed. He sits back in his seat, dejected.
Roan watches the unspoken communication between the two of them, he's impressed at the apparent control Lexa has over her friend. Although he can't help but wonder what Bellamy holds over Lexa, he was surprised when the younger man told him that she had agreed to the meeting, there's no way she would have done so willingly.
He decides to be honest with the two of them. "My mother was involved with Finn, I wasn't. I was just a means of communication."
Neither teenager can help the sharp intake of breath at the confirmation that Nia Queen is involved in this, it was bad enough when they thought it was Roan. Lexa starts to wrack her brains, about why on earth Nia Queen would want anything to do with Finn. Bellamy has no such filter.
"What the hell would your mother want with Finn?"
Roan can't help but laugh at the look of confusion on Bellamy's face. "He was a means to an end."
"What does that even mean?" It's Lexa turn to look puzzled.
"My mother wasn't interested in Finn, but he was a good way to get to what she wanted." Roan glances over at Lexa, as he continues to speak. "When Finn was less than compliant in given my mother what she wanted, she decided to try and blackmailing him into obeying her."
"Blackmailing how?" Both teenagers are engrossed in the story, however it's Bellamy that poses the question that keeps Roan speaking.
"She knew he was scared of her, and wouldn't want to piss her off too much, so her plan was to get him involved in some Azgeda business, and then use that against him to make him do what she really wanted."
He can see that the two younger people aren't completely following him, so he explains further. "She told him that he needed to deliver a package. The contents of which were not completely legal, she had the whole transaction under surveillance, so that the threat of going to the police was a viable one."
Lexa cottons on. "So, she wanted to get Finn on record with a bunch of drugs, so she could say to him, 'give me what I want, or I go to the police'."
Roan nods. "Exactly."
Bellamy is still confused, obviously neither of those things have happened. "So, what actually happened?"
Roan shakes his head, this is where teenagers naivety kicks into the story. "Finn wasn't an idiot, he knew what was in the package, and he was never going to deliver a package of class A, he was far too upstanding a citizen for that."
Roan still can't believe the kids stupidity. "He threw the package into the Polis river."
Lexa and Bellamy are visibly shocked by what Roan as just told them, he finishes off his story to make sure they are both completely aware of what's gone on. "My mother was never going to tolerate that loss of income, that together with the fact that she didn't get what she really wanted from him; I'm sorry kids but your friend had no chance of survival."
Lexa can't imagine how hard the whole situation must have been for Finn, but he certainly didn't make it any better for himself, although she can't help but think that it was so typical for Finn to do something like that, without thinking of the potential consequences. She can't help but feel there's more to all of this, why would Roan have agreed to meet them if there wasn't, it's not like he gains anything from telling them why Finn died.
"What was it?" Lexa tentatively starts. She swallows hard. "That you mother really wants, that caused all of this?"
Roan's smile drops, he really doesn't take any pleasure in what he's about to say. Lexa clearly has no idea who she is, he really wishes his mother would just let this Trikru obsession drop. "She wants you Lexa kom Trikru."
Lexa's head snaps up, eyes wide at the older man's words. "What did you say?" What she meant is what on earth does Nia Queen want with her and what the hell did Roan just call her? Roan manages to decipher exactly what she's asking through her panic.
"I called you by your correct title."
"I don't know what you mean." She's really panicking now, is what he's saying true? If so Finns death was her fault? If it was her that Nia wanted all along.
"Your father Gustus Woods, was the last pure breed Trikru; Gutus kom Trikru. He's nowhere to be seen, meaning that you are the true Trikru Commander."
Lexa pales, she didn't even know her father's name until Roan just said it then. She tries desperately to fight against what he's saying, it can't be true can it? "The Trikru doesn't really exist anymore, not like the Azgeda does."
"It doesn't because there's no leader to bring the Trikru together at the moment. She wants to size you up. She either wants to absorb you into the Azgeda, or make sure that you can't rally the Trikru against her."
Lexa looks at him as if he's speaking Chinese. "I don't know anything about the Trikru, how on earth does she think I could start an uprising against her."
Roan laughs. "You've got no idea just how much power you hold. Ever since you turned 18, the Trikru has become unsettled, ready to unite behind their true leader, now that you've come of age."
Lexa pushes herself up from the table, she can't breathe, she can't take all of this in. "I don't want anything to do with any of this. I don't want to get involved with any gangs."
She starts to move towards the exit, tears now streaming down her face. She's momentarily stopped in her tracks when she hears Roan's voice again. "Lexa, you know my mother won't allow that."
Lexa knows he's right, but she can't deal with that right now, she runs out of the cafe and immediately drops to her knees gasping for air.
Bellamy watches in horror as his friend, quite obviously blaming herself for Finn's death, starts to fall apart in front of his eyes, he moves to follow her out of the cafe, Roan grabs him by the wrist. "When she's composed herself, and gotten her head around all of this, tell her to come and see me again."
Bellamy can't speak so he just nods. "I mean it Bellamy, I really think Lexa and I can help each other out of this situation."
Bellamy is intrigued by his words, but he's far too worried about Lexa right now, he speeds out of the muggy building, and immediately sees his best friend collapsed on the floor, he pulls her up and pulls her into him, he glances right and then left, they really need to get out of the Azgeda territory right now.
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Anya and Raven had easily tapped into Lexa's phone, and located her in the middle of the Azgeda territory, the teachers had tried to convince the teenagers to wait at Clarke's place whilst they went to try and rescue Lexa and Bellamy, but Octavia, Lincoln and Anya had been adamant that they weren't going to leave Clarke and Raven to deal with whatever was coming their way, and they certainly weren't going to leave Lexa and Bellamy when they needed them the most.
So here they all are, anxiously stalking around the Azgeda part of town, towards the little blue dot flashing on Ravens phone. No one speaks all far too aware of exactly what part of town they are in. They just want to find their friends and get the hell out of there.
"Alright if this thing works, they should be just around this corner." Raven gestures to the right with her head. Clarke just nods and takes a deep breath preparing herself for whatever might be around there.
Clarke is at the head of the group, closely followed by the rest, she tentatively steps around the corner, she isn't prepared to Lexa practically being held up by Bellamy clearly upset beyond comfort. She sprints, at the sight. This causes mass panic behind the blonde, none of them having actually turned the corner yet, when they do a split second later it's just in time to see Clarke taking a sobbing Lexa into her arms, struggling to keep her upright, Lincoln is immediately over to his stricken friend, he lifts her with ease, and she buries her face into his chest, he looks back out to the rest of the group.
"Let's get the hell out of here."
Nobody has to be asked twice. They all head back to Clarke's car at speed.
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