Rebuilding Ruin

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

Spoilers: All episodes of Season 1 and 2

The dawn caused the shining of a thousand lights in one place, Clarke had to shield her eyes as she looked out at the so called City of Lights that was nothing more than thousands of solar panels. Lexa made Nat stop and looked over at her wife, seeing her look out on the solar panels.

"As you can see, the City of Lights is nothing more than mirrors."

Clarke nudged Stella forward and down the dune, Lexa followed behind her, as did Indra and Ryder. The army followed on foot and were silent was their leaders progressed slowly. It was a sudden sound of gunfire that had everyone scrambling, Clarke felt Stella go down before she heard the shot. The magnificent beast fell to the ground, her forward knees going down before she fell to her side. Clarke felt her horse go still as she lay trapped with Liam in her arms and Stella's prone body on her leg.

"Clarke!" Lexa leapt from her horse as warriors started scrambling to find where the shot was coming from.

The sound of humming made Clarke look to the sky to see drones and she pointed at the machines. Lexa turned her attention to see the machines and started yelling orders to take them down. Warriors fired arrows and grenades that Raven had supplied them with. One was taken out immediately but the other flew away.

"Take Liam." Clarke helped the boy stand as much as possible and Ryder immediately pulled the boy to his feet and gently guided him away.

Warriors moved over to pull the horse up despite it's almost dead weight so Clarke could get up. Ryder and Lexa assisted Clarke in standing and the sky leader looked down at her leg, feeling some pain but a few steps told her that it wasn't broken. The horse was dropped back to the ground and Clarke bent down beside her as did Lexa.

"Yu gonplei ste odon Steltrona." Clarke brushed a hand against the horse's main and saw the weakness in the black eyes. "Thank you for carrying me."

Lexa ran her hand down the horse's neck and felt as the animal breathed her last breath. Clarke stood carefully and watched Lexa rise, green eyes staring at the animal. "She was the last chain connecting me to Costia and now that chain is gone." Lexa looked up and let Clarke's eyes, "Costia will now remain in the past."

"Costia will never be gone, she's in your memory." Clarke spoke quietly and turned to see Liam holding onto Ryder's arm. He ran to Clarke and hugged her, she rubbed his back as she looked at the area around her. "We need to make a shelter and keep watch for more drones."

Tents were pitched and they rested through the day until the night. Clarke sat talking to Liam around the fire when he giggled at something she said. Lexa watched with a smile in her eyes as the blond tickled the boy and he ran from her to one of the posts that held a solar panel. He hid behind it and pocked his head from behind it to see Clarke smiling.

"Liam come immediately." Lexa stated firmly as she looked over at him. "You are not to stray far from us, come now."

He laughed and ran farther, Lexa looked at Clarke as she spoke. "Lexa let him play, the warriors are posted at the perimeter and they will stop him if he tries to go past."

"Ava…" Lexa motioned toward where Liam went and the warrior nearby went after the boy. "His disobedience will require addressing, he cannot ignore my commands."

"When we get to Polis then you can address such things but for now he needs to feel comfortable and be a kid. After what happened to his family, the fact he is running around laughing is a good thing."

A scream had Lexa on her feet and running towards the direction of the scream. Clarke followed but her sore leg didn't allow her to run so she was a few moments behind. Lexa arrived to see several warriors surrounding a hooded figure. The figure had an arm around Liam's neck and held a gun to the boy's head.

"Let him go!" Lexa yelled and the figure used the gun-held hand to push back their hood.

Lexa watched as Jaha came into view and he stared at her. "Heda!" Liam yelled as he saw her.

"I am here Liam, stay brave as I know you are."

"Commander, what are you doing here?"

"You harmed one my settlements, I came to claim your blood for those whose blood was spilt when you sent a missile to their camp."

He shook his head and waved the gun-held hand, "that camp is not one of your settlements."

"No, it's mine!" Clarke walked into view. "It is my camp and you shot a missile at it, killing innocent people and for what? Some self-guided notion that you were trying to do something good for our people?" She took a few steps forward. "You don't lead our people, I do and I can say honestly that you don't belong to Skaikru after what you did."

"You don't know what is it is to lead our people."

"I know what sacrifice is and I have done more for our people than you ever had to, even on the Ark." She caught Liam's scared eyes, "now let the boy go."

Jaha tightened his hand around Liam's throat, "what is one more grounder to you? Potential war in the future? I'm making a sacrifice so revenge doesn't occur."

The sound was heard before seen and they watched Liam's small body fall to the ground. Clarke rushed over and cradled the boy, holding him but the wound to his head was accompanied by a still chest. "No, Liam!" She held the boy close and pushed her nose against his sandy hair, her eyes caught Lexa's and the rage that consumed the green orbs. Looking down at the gentle face, Clarke felt anger consume her in ways that it hadn't before. "Frag em op!" She practically yelled the command and warriors descended on Jaha.

"Your blood will be spilt for the blood of the innocent life you just claimed." Lexa spoke and the man smirked.

"You risk war harming me."

Clarke gently laid Liam on the ground and stood to her full height, staring the man in the eyes. "You are not Skaikru, you are a nomad and have spilled the blood of innocents. I, Clarke of the Sky People, Queen of the Clans hereby sentence you to death for the massacre of the Nomad Clan."

"Queen?" He narrowed his eyes at her and she nodded.

"I made the ultimate sacrifice, a political marriage to assure peace." Clarke stated as Lexa moved towards her. "Only instead of just being wife to the Commander, I became queen of every clan. You attacked my people and so your death is mine to claim."

Lexa put her sword out and held it out to Clarke but the woman ignored it. "Clarke?"

"Tie him to Nat, he'll be put on trial for his crimes so all can know what he did." Clarke turned to Lexa, "but after his trial he'll receive the ultimate punishment according to the laws. You'll get the last cut for what he did to Liam."

The warriors grabbed Jaha and dragged him towards the camp despite his protests. Clarke bent down next to the body of the small boy and Lexa did the same, her hand brushed his sand-filled brown locks. "It was my hope upon returning to Polis that he would become our son." Lexa watched Clarke stared at the boy, "I saw how you cared for him despite knowing him only a short time."

"You felt the same." Clarke put Liam's hands on his belly and smiled. "Yu gonplei ste odon, ai strik gona. You were very brave and now your spirit will be with those of your parents."

Lexa rose and pulled Clarke up with her, "I will have the warriors bury him with the honor one would receive as child of Heda."

Clarke nodded and turned to leave, the tears in her eyes were not lost to Lexa as the blond walked away. Only after giving orders to Ryder and several others to bury Liam with Stella did she follow Clarke to the tent. It would be a long night and an even longer journey back to their home, the lightness of the journey without Liam would be absent.

Indra stood waiting and was about to question both leaders but was stopped at the sight of Ryder carrying the lifeless body of the small boy. She noticed the sky leader's face and knew the small child's death had torn at the woman, both leaders had grown close to the boy in their short time together. She made her way over to Ryder and accepted the small child from him as he started towards preparing the grave for both horse and young warrior.

Lexa ignored those resting in the tent and immediately laid beside Clarke, pulling her wife close as she felt the silent sobs the blond gave off. Clarke turned over and buried her head under Lexa's chin, the warrior said nothing and gently held Clarke, tears not lost in her own eyes within the darkness of the tent.

"His eyes were like yours." Lexa whispered as she rested her hand against Clarke's back, her lips against golden tresses. "He would have been a good child, happy with us in Polis and free from the dangers of these lands."

"Shof op." Clarke bit out and wiped at her tears. "I don't want to hear your plans or what could have been. All I want is to go home, put Jaha on trial and watch you shove your knife into him as he bleeds out slowly."

Lexa put her lips to Clarke's crown, "in time we will find a child to call ours."

"I don't want kids." Clarke stated firmly and pulled back to look into green eyes. "I can't imagine having kids when we are constantly at war or they could be harmed by our enemies. Just you and me, that way if one of us dies then we won't have regrets."

All she received was a nod and Lexa pulling her closer, the brunette warrior didn't speak a word about the subject. Her attention was turned to the fact they had a journey ahead and they had to prepare for it. "We will leave in two days, we need rest before we begin such a journey again."

A/N: I know this chapter is short but the next one will be longer.

Next: The return to Polis and a public trial is held for Jaha to account for his crimes.

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