SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER: Up to episode 10 of Season 2 – "Survival of the Fittest".

ALLIANCE – CHAPTER 04

Body and soul

After the expedition to Tondc and Finn's funeral, most of the people from the Ark returned to Camp Jaha right away. At the Commander's request, Indra led a group of Grounders there as well so they could start living together and try to work on their differences. Meanwhile, Clarke and Lexa stayed in Tondc planning the attack on Mt. Weather, discussing possibilities and waiting for some inside information to come by Bellamy through the radio.

At least that was what they expected to do.

Something was different since Bellamy and Lincoln's departure. Clarke was different. Her mother shooting her some suspicious looks, asking from time to time if she was ok, trying to get her daughter to talk about her feelings and sorrows so she could release the burden a little bit. But Clarke was so far away from being that girl to whom her mother said goodbye at the Ark's prison block. In fact, she was already different from the person she had been yesterday and the day before that.

Life at the ground moved fast, as if gravity was pushing them forward. Abby couldn't help treating her daughter as the child she once was not so long ago – after all, she was still just a teenager. But Clarke didn't feel like this. After living so much in such a short period, she wasn't feeling young and vulnerable anymore – she was actually starting to feel like a leader who could march her people towards survival. Not victory, for this they would never have, not after losing so many of their own. Not after all the sacrifices that were made. But they could actually survive on Earth in peace.

And as much as she hated to admit, she knew some of this new confidence was brought to her by Lexa. The Commander's harsh ways of dealing with problems were at first too savage for her, but after the last couple of days she realized Lexa was right in doing so. She was also a teenager. Also walking side by side with pain and sacrifice every single day, fighting for the survival of her people. Not just for the last month, as Clarke and her people, but for the last hundred years. Their clans had been surviving on Earth since the bombings; she could only imagine what those people had been through in order to stay alive.

Lexa was making her stronger. And it didn't seem it was just because they were going into war together, sometimes it seemed that she actually… cared?

OOOOOO

The meeting with the Grounder's council was charged with hard feelings. Lexa was backing up Clarke's plan as always, letting the girl speak her mind, but General Quint wasn't ready to welcome her so well on their decisions. He had lost a brother at the attack on the Dropship, when Clarke and the others burned hundreds of Grounders alive. That was before the alliance. Before Lexa.

Clarke felt confident enough to confront Quint, but he warned her that she was only brave because of the Commander's protection. He followed her into the forest and tried to attack, and even though Clarke did her best to defend herself, it was Lexa who ended up saving her life. Why was the Commander always so keen on keeping her safe?

There was no time to discuss anything else because this time they were being chased by a gigantic beast, so all there was left to do was run.

The gorilla killed Lexa's guard and wasn't going to rest until he finished the two girls as well. When Clarke found a cage where she and Lexa could hide for a while, the Commander asked to be left behind to die because she was too hurt to follow the blonde. Clarke simply said "no way". Not after all the times she protected her (from physical and verbal jabs), after the times she saved her life, after the talks and the lessons and everything they still had ahead of them. At the moment she pulled the Commander inside the cage and closed the door, she thought she was being brave, but deep down she was just scared to lose her. And Lexa was able to see right through her, as always.

Clarke didn't lie when the brunette confronted her later, while the blonde was tending her hurt arm with soft fingers that had never touched that tanned skin before. She confessed she saved Lexa because she needed her, because she didn't want one of her generals – who were always trying to find a way to kill her – to become Commander, for the sake of their alliance and the saving of her people on Mt. Weather.

Lexa asked her to be stronger, to not hesitate when she needed to kill someone or leave someone to die. Clarke knew that in fact she was telling the girl to continue without her. To go through with their plan even if the worst happened.

"We need to tell them, Lexa", she spoke softly. "In the last couple of hours you and I were almost killed. I almost died twice! Our people should know about the marriage before it's too late for us to tell them."

"It's too soon. Our people are not in good terms yet, we should give it a day or two."

"If we can survive."

"Our witnesses carry this secret as well; they can talk if we die."

"Lincoln is out in a very dangerous mission with Bellamy and Gustus is dead. From our four witnesses, there's only two left."

The Commander felt silent again, weighting the blonde's words.

"I don't like where this is going. What if all of them get killed? What if we die and our people don't believe them? I think it would be wiser if we told them ourselves, maybe it would bring them together at last."

Lexa turned around, ignoring the pain on her shoulder, so she could look at Clarke in the eyes.

"I know you want the killing to stop, Clarke, and so do I. As I said before, we want the same things."

Clarke narrowed her eyes at the Commander. "I'm sensing there's a 'but' coming…"

"But I ask you to give our people more time to get along. Indra is at your camp right now with some of my warriors. Let's have some faith they will at least show some respect for each other after they stop being afraid of what they don't know."

This time it was the blonde who became quiet, digesting Lexa's words. She was not only right, but also very brave to think like this. Their wedding was not supposed to be the reason for their people to come together – it was a last resort to keep them bonded after their leaders were gone.

OOOOOO

The walk back to Tondc was slow and silent, exhaustion exhaling from the girls, not just physical, but emotional as well. They stopped to make a fire and roast something. Clarke had barely finished eating when she dosed off, lying on the bare grass like if she didn't have a single worry in the world.

Lexa sat down a few feet away from her, resting against a tree, never allowing her eyes to close. She was keeping watch of their camp, she told herself, but if she were completely honest she would confess to be keeping watch for the sake of a certain blonde.

Her eyes couldn't help wondering back to her travel companion's face. She looked so young with her face free of concern. So beautiful.

Lexa turned away fast, trying to shut down those thoughts, which were starting to walk on a very, very dangerous path. Ironically enough, even though their marriage could save the alliance, the feelings that came with it could be responsible for bringing it down.

Love, after all, was weakness.

Lust, on the other hand…

So the Commander looked once again at Clarke, this time letting her eyes travel down her body, gazing at the soft curves of her waist, the roundness of her breasts, the strength of her tired legs.

When her mouth went dry for a second she looked straight ahead again, focusing on any movement around them. Even if they were capable of having a sexual encounter without any emotional strings, Lexa wasn't sure if Clarke would want her. She was always so reserved; it was hard to think about her being able to let go, even if just for one night. But then again, Lexa gave out that image as well.

Suddenly, Clarke was up, looking startled.

"It's ok. You're safe."

OOOOOO

That night at Tondc Clarke ate alone, completely lost in her thoughts. She would spend one last night there before leaving back to Camp Jaha at tomorrow's first light, escorted by one of Lexa's guards, as she insisted. Lexa was going to stay behind and gather the generals of the other clans to start planning the attack. It would be the first time they would be apart since their marriage.

"You look worried."

Clarke raised her head and saw Niko staring back at her, wearing that sympathetic look he always did. God only knows why he was so nice to the Sky People. If he and Lincoln didn't have those kind hearts, they would probably be all dead by now.

The big bearded guy sat by her side without an invitation.

"Have you spoken to the Commander lately about your secret?"

"Yes, actually", she answered honestly. "She thinks it's too early to say anything. That we must give people some time."

"Heda has a sharp mind, but sometimes she lets it cloud the reasoning that must come from her heart."

Clarke narrowed her eyes a little, but didn't say anything, urging Niko to continue.

"Marriage to our people is more than just a knot that ties two different ropes. You must give yourself to one another, even it it's an arranged union."

"She told me that, Niko, and I'm sorry if I'm insulting your tradition by not being the expected type of wife."

"It's not that, Clarke", he continued, trying to calm down the Sky girl. "I know Heda probably thinks that your wedding is valid and strong just because it exists, but she fails to see that our people need a little more than that to defend this union. They must know it is also lived."

"What do you mean?"

He looked around to make sure no one was listening and then got a little closer to the girl.

"You don't have to actually do anything. Just act like it. When the time comes that you tell everyone you're married, it won't come as a complete surprise."

Clarke let out a sigh and looked at Lexa, who was standing several feet away talking to her generals while they finished dinner. She looked serious and strict as always.

"Heda is very discrete about her personal affairs, so it won't be hard", he continued. "I also imagine that she didn't told you about the tradition of consummating the union?"

"What? No."

"It's an old tradition doomed to fall apart, but it still lingers among our people. If you marry the soul, you must marry the body as well, otherwise the wedding has no value."

Clarke looked at Niko in silence, shifting her gaze again towards the Commander. The generals were gathering their things, getting ready to go to their tents. Niko wasn't being as straightforward about the matter as Gustus were with Lexa, but Clarke understood the message loud and clear.

Without saying anything, the girl stood up and left Niko's side, crossing the distance between herself and the Commander. And then, trying her best to not show any emotion, she asked the question loud enough so most of the generals around would hear it.

"May I sleep in your tent tonight, Commander?"

Lexa froze in place, not at all expecting the request, and one of the generals was trying to suppress a small laugh. None of them made any signs of hearing the request, but both girls knew they had heard every single word.

With a small nod, Lexa started leading the way towards her tent, giving murderous glares to everyone who dared to look at them. Clarke just followed, feeling a little relieved that Indra wasn't there, otherwise the general would probably try to cut her head off for such boldness.