Rebuilding Ruin

Disclaimer: I don't own the 100 or its characters

Spoilers: All episodes of Season 1 and 2

As soon as the four entered Lexa's home they were met by Nia, the girl immediately took Clarke's shawl and Lexa's cloak. She smiled at Bellamy and Abby, both taken aback by the girl who stood waiting like a slave. Nia disappeared for only a few seconds down the hall and slipped into two rooms to dispense of the outerwear of both leaders. The entire thing watched by Bellamy as he eyed the hall curiously.

"Has the meal been finished?" Lexa asked as she moved towards the kitchen through the doorway of a small sitting area. Clarke followed and Nia hurried behind both while Abby and Bellamy slowly followed.

"Sha Heda, I took special care with the spices as you instructed due to the last incident with the fowl." There was a small smile on her face and Clarke hit her arm playfully.

"We agreed to never speak of that again."

The girl covered her mouth but still laughed behind it, "I apologize Skai Prisa but it was funny the way you waved your arms upon tasting the spices. You yourself looked like wild fowl."

"Do not make me tie you to a pole Nia." Lexa stated as she started moving the table from the wall and placed idle chairs around it.

"Skai Prisa would not let you Heda." The girl spoke genuinely as she smiled. "I shall begin preparing the meal, will your guests be joining or departing before the meal?"

Abby took a step towards her, "I'm Clarke's mother, we'll be staying for the meal." She eyed the girl curiously, "are you the Commander's sister?"

"She is my guardian, without her I would be without a family or home." Nia nodded to Abby before moving around to the counter top. "It will be only minutes before I am finished, please sit."

Bellamy shook his head and sat down, "so you make her work for her keep, practically a slave."

Lexa's voice was stern as she slowly sat down across from Bellamy. "Nia is not a slave, nor do I allow for slavery to exist within the territories I control. She is free to leave whenever she wants and only does the housework because she considers it an insult to live in my house without doing her share. I invite you into my home so have care…" her words were stopped by Clarke's hand on her arm.

"I think things are getting off to a bad start." Clarke looked at all three, "what we need is to do is what wasn't done before and that is to put aside the past. We can't change the past but we can change the future and we care currently heading towards war."

"There is no war." Abby looked at Lexa, "unless you attack us."

"That is what your Azkru allies state but what they do not tell you is that they have continued to push against our borders with their villages. The queen rides preparing for war and using the distraction of her sister in your camp to keep our people apart. Against Azkru my people are no match but together, we can succeed in winning the war she has planned."

Bellamy shook his head, "Echo wouldn't lie to me, if her sister was planning war then she'd tell me."

"Are you sure about that?" Clarke asked him earnestly and with concern. "I know you care about her and I know she's your friend…"

"You've been gone a long time Clarke and we've been concerned but life has moved on at the camp." Bellamy looked her in the eyes, "Echo came on behalf of the Ice Nation just two weeks after you left. She stays for weeks at a time before returning to her people, since being free from the mountain she's been at our camp longer and has built friendships."

"Or spied on you." Lexa stated as Nia placed plates before each of them, full of food. "The Azkru are dangerous and have no morality, your love for the girl only blinds you to what stands behind the fog she waves in your face. She gathers information and then returns to speak of it to her sister. All Azkru are as cold as the ice they live on and this is why all clans fear them."

Bellamy shook his head and stood, "you don't know Echo so watch your mouth." He left the room and Abby sighed.

"Give me a few moments." She stood and moved out of the room to speak to Bellamy.

Clarke watched Lexa stare at her plate as if trying to find her mask again. "Lexa…"

"If we go to war you will not leave Polis," Lexa looked up at Clarke with steel in her green eyes as well as sadness. "I will not let you be identified as one close to me."

"If Echo has been at the camp as long as she has then the likelihood of you and I being allies is already known to her sister."

Lexa placed her hand on Clarke's own and shook her head slightly. "But she does not know of anything beyond allies. I will not let you suffer Costia's fate, I would sooner sacrifice myself to her knowing you would help my people in their search for the one holding my spirit."

Clarke stood up and shook her head as she snatched her hand back. "No, I won't let you do something so stupid."

Neither noticed Bellamy and Abby moving into the doorway and both paused as Clarke yelled at Lexa. The likelihood of her being punished had both waiting to see what would be said on Clarke's behavior. Lexa stood and stared at Clarke, "I am not scared of death Clarke and I know the next Heda will be called soon after my spirit is released. That is more acceptable than waiting week after week as pieces of you are delivered to me in the night. That is what she will do and that is why you will not venture beyond these walls if war comes." Lexa moved closer and met Clarke's blue eyes. "I survived Costia's death by creating peace but your death would incite a slaughter, for I would release my spirit and my people would destroy Azkru in retaliation. Your death is my death."

"And your battle is my battle, if war comes then we go together." Clarke smiled slightly at her as she caught Lexa's hand. "Besides, if I'm not beside you how do I know you won't take another deal to save your people?"

"As you stated, you can trust me in all matters except war." Lexa nodded and dropped Clarke's hand as she took a step back. "Fine, however if war comes you will be assigned a permanent guard beyond Ryder, Octavia and Lincoln."

Clarke laughed as she moved to sit down, "so the great Heda kom Trikru is not enough to protect a simple girl?"

"You doubt my prowess?" Lexa sat down beside her and met Clarke's smile with one of her own. "Shof op!"

Clarke laughed, "yu shof op yu branwada!" Seconds later she groaned, "asshole, that's my foot."

"I was not aware." Lexa merely took a sip from her cup.

"Sure you didn't."

Bellamy and Abby shared a look before the younger of the two coughed and they walked over to the table. Sitting down both found Lexa and Clarke waiting and Bellamy messed with his cup as he spoke.

"Let's put aside the matter of Echo and talk about why the Ice Nation is so dangerous and why you are at war with them. What did they do to you and your people exactly?"

Lexa's gazed hardened even more, if that was even possible. "The war has existed for generations, only five years ago did I bring peace between us and only because we had an enemy. The defeat of the mountain makes our treaty void as we agreed to stay in peace only as long as there was an enemy. Azkru have slaughtered my people for no reason and to me they…" she shook her head. "That alone is between me and the queen and as I cannot touch her, we will always be enemies."

Abby put her hands up, "what do you mean you can't touch her."

"All Heda are untouchable, unless action is taken with a direct threat on life they can't be harmed." Clarke spoke as she let Lexa calm down. "Azkru Kwin is equal to Heda so she cannot be harmed by any clan or any leader or those who do face death."

"The laws were made in the early days of survival to prevent war for leadership as there had been." Lexa spoke as she picked up her mug, "eventually the gods intervened and a single spirit is passed from each leader to the next. It passed to the Commander before me then to me and one day it shall choose again. This is why I don't fear death, my spirit will choose wisely."

Clarke snorted, "branwada!"

"Perhaps." Lexa merely shot a look at Clarke as the sky leader ate. "ba kwelen? No."

"No, hodnes es kwelnes."

Lexa merely looked at blue eyes, "no, hodnes es yujnes."

"Back to English." Abby spoke quickly, "not all of us can speak whatever it is you call that language."

"Trigedasleng, I'm learning Azgedasleng which is a variation of it." Bellamy looked over at Abby, "you should learn."

"I have no interest." Abby leaned forward on her forearms. "I have a question for you Commander and I believe you owe me an honest answer."

Lexa nodded, "if it is knowledge I shall share what I know as long as it doesn't risk my people."

"Who is Costia and what was done to the person?"

The leader rose and stared down at the woman before her, "anything but that. Costia is none of your concern so never bring her up again or I shall take your tongue." Clarke's hand went to her arm and she looked down at blue eyes, instantly Lexa left the room as Clarke dropped her hand.

"Let me guess?" Bellamy whistled slightly, "sister? Step-mother?"

Clarke looked at the boy across from her, "Costia was to Lexa what Lincoln is to Octavia. I told you the Ice Nation was dangerous but I didn't explain why and it's not my story to share. Never bring Costia up again because I doubt I can restrain her from killing you." She stood and moved towards Nia, the girl had remained in the kitchen making bread. "Nia let them finish then take them to the marketplace while Heda calms her anger. Whatever they wish, purchase and I'll settle the cost with Lexa."

"Sha Prisa." Nia bowed her head as Clarke left the room with Shadow at her side.

Lexa stood in her room staring out the window when Clarke entered, she'd left Shadow in her own room so the wolf wouldn't be a distraction. Closing the door behind herself she leaned against it and waited for Lexa to talk.

"Did you tell them of Costia?" Lexa turned to look at Clarke and walked to her quickly. "Speak true Clarke, tell me that you did not betray me."

Clarke looked up into green eyes as Lexa stood before her. "I know how much you loved her, how it destroyed you to make peace with the woman who murdered her and how much you lost when you were left to go on without her. Trust that I wouldn't betray her memory by speaking of her without that memory coming from the one who knew her best. Costia is not mine to speak of, I can only listen when you wish to speak of her."

"Echo no doubt…"

"Or they overheard our conversation earlier, we weren't behind tent walls or in a locked room."

Lexa nodded and turned to move to the window once again. "If I have been harsh with your mother and Bellamy I apologize. My anger is at their ignorance and insistence that there is no danger when aligning with Azkru. Bellamy's love for Eko kom Azkru is leading him to his death but he does not see it."

"Maybe but there are worse things to die for than love." Clarke moved to stand beside Lexa at the window. "If we were at war, would you listen to another if they told you I was your downfall? Would you sacrifice me or would you take every second before going into battle?"

Lexa let her hand fall on top of Clarke's as it sat beside her on on the window sill. "If I was not Heda perhaps I would be as foolish as the boy just to keep you for another moment. To die knowing you were mine for days than never mine at all." Her face became steel again, "but I am Heda so I know that if we were enemies no matter how my heart beat, I would sacrifice you."

"Good thing I'm not your enemy." Clarke gave her a small smile before looking back out at the street. "I may have to make a choice much harder than the one Bellamy is warring with. I may have to choose between my heart and my head but I don't know if I'm strong enough."

"You are many things Clarke but weak is not one of them. Of all attributes you express, strength rules them all."

Clarke sighed and ran a hand over her face. "Do I choose my heart and fight against Azkru or do I choose my head and fight with them as Skaikru?" She shook her head, "I will have to choose a side one day and it will make an enemy of you or my people, there is no middle ground."

Lexa was silent for a moment before she smiled slightly. "You give me answers when I have none." Leaning in she kissed Clarke's cheek and squeezed her arm, "thank you ai kwin."

"What?" Clarke turned to see Lexa pulling on her cloak, "where are you going?"

"To speak to the Council, if we are to prevent war then the matter must be handled delicately. I must consult the elders about the laws and if our bridge can be used to maintain peace."

Clarke followed her to the door and pulled on her arm to make the woman turn. "How? What are you talking about?"

"I will tell you upon my return, I promise. For now go to the market and purchase the art supplies you wish to take back with you to the camp." She squeezed Clarke's hand and leaned into kiss her on the cheek a second time, instead catching the corner of her mouth. "I shall return at nightfall, have Nia prepare guest quarters for your mother and Bellamy."

The sky girl shook her head as she left the room, closing the door behind her. "I tell her my dilemma and she figures out how to maintain peace."

A/N: With Bellamy defensive of Echo and Lexa nearly destroying conversations with her secrecy of Costia, Clarke is left to have to make peace.

Next...Clarke prepares to leave while Lexa begins to put her plan into action.

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