Hey guys. This is chapter 17 but before I go on I'd like to give a little disclaimer. I know some of you may not like the way I might be taking the story. A few of you have mentioned Lexa's change in character, which I kind of admit. I honestly felt like the last chapter was a necessary chapter. Let's just say the calm before the storm. I wanted to provide the characters with normalcy. Please be kind, I'm a person too. I get hurt. I'm a work in progress like everyone else and I'm different creatively. I value what you guys write to me. I really do. I love to hear from my readers especially the ones that have been so kind. This is my first story and I'm going to write it for my sake and the people that want to read it. Love it or leave it. That's your choice, but I really do hope you all will stay on this journey with me till the final chapter.:)

CHAPTER 17

Lexa's POV

I spent the entire night once I woke up from my dream drawing up plans for the coalition's next move. I woke up Indra once I had come up with something coherent. I needed to tell her what was going on.

"What do you mean we have to go to the past?" Indra said.

"Well, I'm going. I'm not exactly sure who else I'll be bringing yet. This needs to happen don't you see. We can't do anything here. There's nothing that can stop Alie. Her plans are already in free fall. There will be nuclear meltdowns in the next few months. We're sitting ducks. The only way to save everyone here is to go back to 2015 and kill Alie herself. There was a wealthy programmer back in 2015 called Erica Cerra, she looks exactly like Alie. I can bet you she created the flame. We kill her and the radiation and nuclear bombs will never have existed. I need to go it's Alicia's time period. I know what to do and where to go." I said.

"I'm coming with you Heda. I will not leave you in a fight. It is my duty as your right hand." Indra said.

"No you won't. I need to go alone or with people from 2015. I've merged with Alicia so our spirit will remain in this body on the other side of that storm. If you come, who knows what will happen to you. You don't exist yet in that time period. You could disappear. I can't avoid you dying without even a fight. That would be dishonorable and stupid of me to have you do so." I said.

"Beja, I don't care Heda. I will die for you. Being here does me and everyone else no good." Indra said.

"I need you here to keep Clarke safe. I need you to fight the fight at home in Polis and I need you to take my position as Heda for the time being. The coalition won't listen to Clarke. She may be Wanheda but, fear from our people will not keep a steady rule. The people will follow someone who has proven to them that he or she deserves their respect. Clarke isn't one of our own. You know more than anyone how to make decisions as Heda. You have fought and won many fights. You speak wisdom to me and to the clans in the past. I trust no one more to take over my position. I need you to keep everything here in tact while I kill Alie. Be my right hand again, Indra. I fear this is the only way to keep the tides at home calm. We need to be united, not against each other. Beja Indra. I need you." I said truthfully.

"I'd be honored Heda." Indra knelt down before me giving me reverence. I walked up in front of her and reached out with my right arm. She grabbed my forearm and stood up.

"May we meet again Indra. Take care of Clarke and the coalition. The ground now depends on us to keep it from crumbling." I said.

"May we meet again Heda. I'll make you proud and defend your honor." Indra said. I left Indra and went to my family, Marny, Nate, and Donny. I told them what I was going to do. Without one beat of the hummingbird, they all volunteered to help me.

"We rather risk our lives in zombie land then sit here while you battle alone. We're family. We stick together." Travis said. We gathered up weapons, guns, grenades, anything that would be useful in the time period we were from. We had no idea what would meet us on the other side or how bad 2015 had gotten since we left its time.

I led them out of Polis without being seen. We could not be caught by the Skai kru or my night guards. Only we could go. No one else needed to be a casualty in this technological war. I wouldn't let them.

I knew the secret routes better than anyone. I felt like such an ass leaving Clarke but I needed to. Who knows what could happen to her if she went over with me. She doesn't know my time period. She doesn't know about the infected. I can't lose her or take her from her people. This is the right thing to do. She will have to learn to forgive me.

Finding the lake we surfaced on was easy. Using my photographical map of the land, I knew where my people kept boats from the boat clan. We took one and started to paddle into the direction of where we came from. We knew we were going in the right direction when we saw the storm appear in the front.

"Oh fuck!" Marny said. The storm was still as dark and turbulent as it was when we first entered it from its other end.

"Everyone try to stay afloat and get your weapons ready there may be some infected on the other side of this storm." Travis said.

"Keep an eye on your sister. I don't want her to almost drown again like last time." Madison said to Chris and Nick. They went on both sides of me.

"Everyone hold on." Donny shouted.

Clarke's POV

Ughh who rolled up the blinds again. My head was pounded. Damn alcohol. I shut my eyes and rolled over to Lexa's side. When I reached over all I felt were soft pillows. What the hell! Where's Lexa? I got out of bed, but before I could go out and look for Lexa I saw a letter addressed to me. I picked it up and started to read it.

Dear Clarke,

By the time you read this, I'll already be gone. I'm going to kill Alie but in order to do so I have to go back to Alicia's world. The past is where Alie carried out her plan. The time period where Alie's programmer planned for our current demise. I'm going with my family and friends. Indra will remain as the acting Commander for the time being. She will control the coalition and see to it that rebellions do not occur. I need you love to help her. Indra can control the coalition but she will not be able to give orders to Skai kru. Skai kru will only listen to you. You must keep them calm for the time being so I can complete my quest. I know you must be feeling so many things right now from being worried to angry. All I can say is I'm sorry and I'll be careful, Clarke. I didn't ask you to come with me not just because of the danger and the unknown territory that awaits my family and I, but also who you are. Remember that conversation we had love when I first came back to you? We can't run away from our problems and we can't run away from our people. I knew I couldn't take you away from your own people. You wouldn't forgive yourself if anything happened to your friends and your people. We're both leaders of people. We need to act as leaders and think with the benefit of our people in our minds. We do not have the luxury of thinking with our hearts. I need you to save your people while I try to do the same for mine. I love you with all my heart. I have from the moment I saw you walk into my tent. I don't know if we will see each other again in the future. I hope we do, but if we don't this letter will have to tell you that I love you from every day onward for me. You're my home Clarke. You brought the life and light back into my world and I truly cherish every moment we had. I'm grateful we even got the extra time when I merged with Alicia, but spare time always runs out hmm..? I don't know what will happen to me, you, our friends, or our families when I kill Alie. She's had such a large impact of the world we lived in. Things will change. You and I probably won't remember the time we spent together or each other. We also may never have even met, but I believe if our love is strong enough and fate is on our side like it has been so far in our lives, I think we will see each other again. And I hope we do. I want so many things for us Clarke. I want to grow old with you. I want you to argue with me about small and petty things. I want us to have kids. I want us to die together. You are my one and only. I'll be with you in spirit for now. We've never really had to say it out loud, but I'm going to under these circumstances. I love you Clarke. I'll always love you

May we meet again my houmon,

Lexa

She was gone, not even to another territory or out in the woods, but in a whole different time and world. She had hit everything I was feeling in that letter. She knew me too well. If I was anyone else, I'd be crumbling with the lack of presence from my houmon, but like Lexa said we don't have that luxury as leaders. We never will have that luxury until we finish this final battle. I need to have faith in Lexa that she will stay alive for the both of us and she will complete her task. I know I'll see her again. Maybe not in this life or the next, but I will see her by the shores like we promised. We'll have the time we so deserve. Nothing to share with others or second guess our actions. A place where we can one day be selfish. I love you Lexa. I started to tremble gripping onto the letter tighter.

I have to stop. I can't be weak and vulnerable like I am with Lexa, I need to put up a strong front for our people. I can't act like a lovesick girl. The people are scared and paranoid. The littlest thing could set off a riot. I need to speak to Indra. I need to be Wanheda.