Lexa stared, horrified and unable to move as Clarke's hand clutched at her chest, at where the knife had pierced through flesh and muscle. Ragged breath after ragged breath came until it evened out, turned calm, sure, something much more alive than it had been moments ago.

She didn't know what to think, she didn't know how to think of the things she saw. Lexa was certain Clarke had been dead, she was certain Clarke hadn't been breathing. She was certain the knife had pierced her heart and had killed her and taken life just as it should.

And yet Clarke was now alive, was now sitting on the table's edge, her bloodied hand still held to her chest yet her eyes alive, gleaming in the tempered light.

"What—" Lexa's mouth was dry, she didn't think she even really voiced anything other than some uncertain sound. "What are you?" Lexa swallowed, she took a step back and she didn't mean to lift the knife she still held in her hands, she didn't really intend to point it directly at Clarke, but she didn't think herself truly safe in that moment, not when her thoughts were unable to compose themselves, not when she was unable to comprehend anything in that very moment.

Clarke pulled her hand away from her chest slowly, her motions smooth and calm as if she thought Lexa were a caged beast ready to attack at the slightest provocation. Clarke wouldn't even be wrong to think that.

"I am not so easily killed, Lexa," Clarke said, her voice soft, calm, now signs of whatever stresses she must have felt mere moments ago.

Again Lexa swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to understand more than she could.

"This is why I need your help, Lexa," Clarke continued as she slipped off from the side of the table and came to stand in front of her, gaze just once flicking down to the knife held at her chest. "This is why I ned your people's help," she said and she took another step forward until the knife's tip lay atop her heart, until all Lexa needed to do was push forward just a fraction for it to pierce her body once more. "This is why I need you to trust me."

"I—" Lexa's gaze moved from Clarke's face, down to the knife in her hands and then to her hand that was still coated in her blood that dripped onto the floor. "I don't understand," she didn't. She didn't understand so much.

"You are not my prisoner," Clarke said, her voice even softer, her gaze more open, less full of whatever iron normally steadied them. "You can not be my prisoner if we are to work together."

"So you let me think I killed you?" Lexa snapped, her emotions suddenly finding the strength that had drained from her moments ago. "How does that make me trust you?" Lexa almost snarled it as anger really began to sink its teeth into her mind. "Are you stupid?" maybe she was stupid for actually saying the words she just did. But in that moment she didn't care about the consequences.

Clarke looked away for a moment and Lexa could see her trying to think, trying to put words to whatever thoughts must have been racing in her mind. And perhaps, for one brief second, Lexa was sure she could see a slight bashful shame wash over the other woman before her gaze returned to focus on her.

"People like me are not easily killed," Clarke said and she reached out, her hand slowly closing around Lexa's that held the knife to her chest. "When the Mountain captures my kind they are chained up, force fed, unable to move, unable to escape, they are bled, sucked dry of almost all blood their body can produce. And their only respite?" she said. "A week, perhaps two, enough that their body regains enough strength that the process can be started all over again," Clarke continued. "There is no escape from their living hell. There is no escape from what the Mountain does to my kind," and though her voice was gentle, though her eyes were soft, there was a venom in her words, in the thoughts that were so clearly simmering below the surface. "My people are willing to sacrifice so much to end the Mountain's reign," Clarke said. "They were willing to sacrifice so much more before you came down to us," and Clarke seemed closer to her now than she had moments ago. "I can not take down the Mountain without your help, Lexa."

Lexa swallowed again. She let her mind run through everything Clarke had said. Of course she knew most of it, though perhaps not the intricacies. And perhaps it didn't really make sense why Clarke forced her to stab her in the chest, perhaps it didn't really matter. But as she looked Clarke in the eyes she found herself thinking, she found herself believing that Clarke was being truthful.

"But why make me stab you?" she whispered, perhaps because she was genuinely curious of whatever answer Clarke could give. Perhaps because she needed an explanation for why Clarke had made her panic, made her want to scream and rip out her hair from her head.

"There are only two ways to kill me," Clarke said just as quietly. "The first is to take off my head," and she smiled something a little too content for Lexa's liking. "The second it to stop my heart from beating, cut it out of my chest and let my blood spill freely," she finished with a shrug. "The Mountain will never fall if you do not trust me to be honest with you," she said.

"So me stabbing you is you being honest with me?" Lexa didn't really think it made sense.

Again there was a pause as Clarke seemed to think of what or how to say what she wanted to. "Perhaps it was a poor attempt at showing you that I am not something to be afraid of," Clarke said eventually.

Lexa nodded, perhaps to herself, perhaps because she realised that was as much an answer as she was going to be given from Clarke. But still, she looked the woman in the eyes, she ironed her gaze and she made sure Clarke couldn't look away from her before she spoke.

"Don't ever do that again."

Clarke looked her in the eyes, her gaze piercing and intense as she slowly nodded before stepping back.

"I will not force you to do something like that again," Clarke's voice was quiet, calm, so strangely contrasting with the words she had spoken mere seconds ago of taking off her head, of cutting out her heart.

It was so odd to Lexa, the things Clarke seemingly took for granted without explanation, without a need for any other kind of answer to the questions she knew everyone who didn't share her blood must have had.

Eventually Lexa's heart rate steadied enough that she didn't think it ready to jump out of her chest. And with that came a tiredness that slowly ebbed into her body and settled into her muscles. The scare Clarke had given her enough to make her want to rest for whatever remained of the day.

And yet Lexa had questions she wanted answered, especially now that Clarke had revealed that whatever her plan was wouldn't succeed without her and her people.

"You wonder what you and your people must do to help defeat the Mountain."

It shouldn't have surprised Lexa that Clarke was seemingly able to read her mind and understand where her thoughts had begun to travel.

"Yeah," Lexa answered. "I do."

Clarke smiled as she came to sit on the edge of the table, her legs crossed elegantly, the cut in her shirt falling open enough that Lexa caught a glimpse of pale grey flesh and the subtle curve of her chest.

"Before," Clarke said. "I was to use Maya, she would give us access to the Mountain and let us take it from the inside," she said. "But not without devastating loss of life to those in the surrounding forests," and she paused, tapped a finger against her thigh briefly before she looked back at her. "They have these things called Skyfire, but your people, Maya's people, call them missiles."

Lexa didn't really need more to be explained when it came to that. Of course Mount Weather would have missiles or other defences, and of course they'd use them as soon as they realised that Clarke's people had made it inside.

"But with my people," Lexa began slowly. "With Anya and the others inside the Mountain they can take control of its defences, stop any missiles from being launched."

"Yes," Clarke said. "With your people's help we can ensure the safety of so many of my people," and she smiled, paused as if she was content with the fact Lexa was able to come to the same conclusions.

Lexa again nodded to herself as she tried to find a flaw in the plan, as she tried to figure out what could go wrong.

"There are risks, of course," Clarke continued. "Many risks. If your people are captured inside the Mountain they will be executed."

Lexa bit her lip as she tried to think of how to tell Anya what was involved. She already knew Maya had given her some information in the brief moments they had spent talking through the radio, but it hadn't been enough to go over everything. Truthfully, she didn't know if Anya could even get away long enough to have a conversation that would cover what needed to be covered.

"But we have a secret," Clarke continued. "The Mountain will watch your people, keep them under guard until they can be trusted. But they do not know that Maya is still alive, they do not know that Maya helps my people."

It was with those words that Lexa found herself realising she had never really considered why Maya helped Clarke, why she seemingly sided against her own people. Surely there had to be a good reason, one that would make sense given everything—

"You wonder why Maya helps my people," again Clarke read her thoughts, read her mind and her worries.

"I do."

Clarke smiled as her head tilted to the side as if she studied her.

"Not everyone in the Mountain knows how their medicine is created," Clarke said, and she spat the word as if the sound was venom upon her tongue. "Maya was trained to bleed my kind," Clarke said. "Perhaps she realised the barbarity of her actions."

It was dark by the time Lexa was let out to roam mostly free through Ton DC. She had grown used to the routine by now. During the day she would spend it locked inside, in part because she was sure Clarke wanted to keep her close, and in part because she Clarke thought it too risky for her presence to be discovered by the Mountain lest it give away any of Clarke's plan.

Though she understood the reasoning, she felt just a little annoyed, just a little cooped up. But she'd deal with it if only because it could always be worse.

She also didn't miss the fact that through the days she and Bellamy had both been kept separate for the most part, whatever company they were able to share limited to the dark of the night.

And so Lexa found herself sitting on a wooden bench, a large camp fire lit in front of her and Bellamy sitting by her side, the man's hands stuffed into large pockets of a jacket he had been given as the gentle chill of the wind swept through the village square. Other people moved about, some clearly with a destination in mind, others seemingly happy to wander. The smells of roasting meats and fruits wafted on the wind too, the day's hunting party having well and truly begun preparing a meal for the night.

"It's not too bad," Bellamy said with a sigh.

"What is?" Lexa asked as she eyed a group of young children, each one armed with weapons, as they moved towards one of the hidden gates to the village in preparation for whatever scouting mission they were being sent on.

"Being prisoner," Bellamy said. "We aren't being tortured. Definitely thought that was on the tables. We're free to move around — mostly," he added.

"Yeah," and Lexa stifled a yawn.

"It's like we're in a lull," he continued. "You know what I mean?"

And Lexa did.

"Yeah," she nodded her head a few times as if she was trying to reorder her thoughts into something a little more recognisable. "It's like we all know something big is coming, we're just waiting for the hammer to fall and turn our world upside down."

"Exactly."

Lexa rolled her shoulders and let her mind wander for a moment. Perhaps it was because she didn't really know what to say, perhaps she didn't know how to say whatever it was that occupied her mind. But in that silence she found herself contemplating everything that had happened between her and Clarke, between herself and Ontari, between her and every person that had crossed her path since coming to Earth.

"How are they treating you?" Lexa asked eventually.

"Good," Bellamy said and he gestured to the clothes he now wore. "A man called Ryder has been keeping a watch on me, he at least answers questions when I have them. Maya is around, too."

"That's good," Lexa said.

"Yeah, I guess it is," he said. "But I'm pretty sure Ryder will kill me if I try anything."

"You're not planning on doing anything though, right?" Lexa didn't entirely know why she wanted reassurances, but she didn't think it could hurt.

"No," Bellamy answered as he shook his head. "Not at all. I'm sure the things we're being told are stretched just a little to make Mount Weather seem more evil, but what Maya says lines up with everything we've seen."

"Yeah," Lexa paused for a moment as she looked around to make sure no one was too close. "At least we'll wait until we get answers from everyone heading into Mount Weather. Then we can make a real decision."

"Exactly," he said. "The only thing we can do is wait and see."

It took them almost three days to completely move into Mount Weather and in that time Anya didn't know what to expect of the Mountain Fort. Part of her assumed it would be full of green vegetation brought in from the outside in an attempt to make it seem more natural and less like the military bunker it had originally been designed as. Part of her had even expected it to be just as high tech as the Ark, just as cobbled together from component and machine after component and machine. Just as the Ark had been cobbled together. But it wasn't really any of those things.

Mount Weather was simple, so simple in fact that it seemed far older than anyone would have expected. Of course there was technology throughout, but it seemed dated, older than the screens and systems on the Ark. She assumed it simply because it needed to withstand nuclear war and only the most simple of technologies were trusted to do so. And yet she knew there was more if everything Maya had told her was true.

"This is the main dining hall," Carl said as he stopped by a large set of open doors.

The hall was large, rows of tables stretched from one end to the other with enough seats for at least half of those living at Mount Weather to eat at the same time.

"We don't all eat at the same time," Carl continued as he began walking down the hallway and away from the dining hall. "It's best that we always have people on watch in case the reapers try attacking us."

"Do they do that often?" Anya asked, and she ignored the slight raised eyebrows of Octavia who shadowed her.

"Occasionally," Carl said with a grim smile as he looked over his shoulder at her before acknowledging the others from the Ark who followed him. "Most of the time they don't come close enough to trigger any alarms, but it's always better safe than sorry," and he paused by a large map of Mount Weather that was hung on the concrete walls. "We're here," and he pointed to a location on the map. "We've got main housing here," he pointed to another level. "And then these areas are restricted to medical personnel only. This is where we create our medicine that helps us stay above ground."

Anya didn't say anything, but it partly surprised her that they were so open about what areas were and which ones they weren't allowed to be in. But it made sense, too. She knew from experience on the Ark that communicating to people clearly was the key to keeping everyone pulling in the same direction.

And so Anya simply nodded as Carl continued to walk, continue to explain things that needed explaining, and through it all she began to compare what was said with what she had been told in the few short conversations with Lexa and Maya.

One thing was certain, though. She would need to get away somehow and made radio contact to let them know she was inside and safe.

It was late at night, the moon shone bright in the sky and Lexa tried not to yawn too loudly as she made her way back from the communal washrooms, a towel wrapped around her head and a loose coat tugged across her shoulders. With each passing day she spent in Ton DC and amongst the grounders the more she discovered that they were far more advanced than she had initially thought.

Things like plumbing still existed, trade and money were things still used and even medicines and ointments and the knowledge of healers all surprised her. Perhaps assuming the grounders had none of those things was a poor reflection on herself, on the things she assumed. But she wouldn't let that impact her or make her feel guilty.

Over the last few days she had realised that she was able to move about at night more freely, whoever guarded her giving her the space to roam without feeling too much like a prisoner. Though she was under no false impressions that she wasn't being watched. It was more than she expected and she wouldn't question it for the time being. Life could be worse.

And so Lexa took in a deep breath, she willed herself not to fall or stumble in her tired state, earth's gravity still a little too heavy for her liking. It was getting easier though, her legs and arms didn't feel as sore and tired as they did days ago, even walking wasn't as ba—

"—exa?"

She paused mid stride as her ears picked up the quietest of sounds.

"Lexa? Can you hear me?"

It took her only a second longer to realise it was the radio in her pocket she kept with her at all times.

"Anya?" Lexa hissed into the radio as she pulled it free.

"Yeah, it's me," Anya's voice sounded quiet, hushed as if she were trying not to be heard.

"Is it safe, can you talk?" Lexa asked, reports of Anya and the others having been taken to the Mountain flashing through her mind.

"I'm safe for now," Anya said before she paused a second. "I'm in the Mountain with the others," she continued. "They've shown us around, introducing everyone to each other, trying to integrate and get along."

"They don't suspect anything?" Lexa asked.

"Not that I can sense," Anya said again before she fell quiet, and Lexa was sure she heard the feint sounds of someone walking by wherever it was Anya had hidden herself. "Sorry."

"It's ok," Lexa said. "You stay safe," and she looked around as if she were trying to summon Maya, Ontari, Clarke, anyone who could give her an idea of what to say to Anya.

"Look," Anya said, her voice a little more quick now. "I can't talk long, but when they were showing us around Carl mentioned a restricted area where they created the medicine that keeps them alive," Anya said. "It reminds me of what Maya said. I have the access codes to get into that area."

"You're going to see for yourself, aren't you?" Lexa didn't need Anya's confirmation to know what the other woman had planned.

"I am," Anya said. "Some of the others will cover for me," she paused again. "If I can get into this area, if I can get some proof I can go to Kane, to anyone else higher up and show them."

"Ok," Lexa said. "What do you need from me?"

"A distraction," Anya answered. "In two days time from now I'll go down there but if you guys out there can do something to keep them distracted for as long as possible then there's less of a chance my disappearance will be noticed."

"Ok," Lexa said, her mind already beginning to turn over the things she would need to do, to say, to plan. "Two days from now, midnight. I won't let you down, Anya."

"I know you won't."

And with that Anya's voice ended and left Lexa looking down at the radio in her hand, her mind racing as she began to move towards Clarke's room.

Lexa wouldn't let herself think too much about the fact she had found out where Clarke slept in Ton DC, nor would she really let herself think about the fact that she assumed she'd be welcome to interrupt the Commander's sleep at such a late hour.

And so she took in a steady sigh as she came to a stop outside one of the many nondescript buildings that sat in the heart of Ton DC, whose exterior was just as any other. Lexa swallowed as she raised a fist as she prepared to knock, but something told her to stop, to turn away, to come back in the morning. And yet, truthfully, she didn't think it could wait. Not when Anya was risking her life to get the evidence they needed, not when Lexa promised to organise a distraction to give her as much of a chance as possible.

And so knock she did—

Before Lexa's knuckles hit the door she saw movement through the corner of her eye. She hadn't noticed Gustus standing not four paces away from her, and she knew he had been watching her as soon as she had come into view.

"It is late," Gustus said quietly, one hand resting atop the knife strapped to his side.

"I need to speak with the Commander," Lexa said as she straightened her back in an attempt to make herself look a little more regal given the circumstances.

"Wait here."

With that Gustus opened the door a crack and slipped into Clarke's home away from wherever she called home. Lexa heard hushed words, she heard something like a yawn. And then Gustus stepped outside, his head inclined for her to enter.

Lexa took in a steadying breath as she looked over her shoulder as if her subconscious warned her not to enter. But enter she did. She had never actually been inside this particular building that belonged to Clarke. They had shared small room after small room throughout Ton DC, ones that were grander than others, some easily dismissed as empty storeroom.

But this one was different. There was a large table that dominated the centre of the room with a map strewn across its surface. Models of horses, warriors, other things she couldn't recognise sat atop it showing locations and battle plans. A beaker of drink sat at one corner of the table, on the other an empty plate of food. Furs lay on the ground, some pelts white and pristine, others mottled and beautiful shades of brown and red and orange of animals Lexa couldn't place.

But Lexa's gaze was drawn to the far corner where a sheer curtain hung from the ceiling. It was backlit by candles that cast their light as far as they could and danced shadow across every surface. But Lexa's eyes widened.

And they widened as she realised that the shadow was she saw.

Clarke's figure seemingly rose from a bed, her body just barely hidden by the mirage cast by light and thin curtain and shadow. And though Lexa couldn't quite see any detail, she saw enough to realise Clarke was naked as her body stretched, the motion so languid and smooth and serpentine that Lexa almost thought Clarke put on a show.

"It is late, Lexa," Clarke's voice sounded out from behind the barrier that separated them.

"I'm—" Lexa hated that her voice had a habit of going dry around Clarke. "I'm sorry."

"And yet you come to my bed chambers?" there was jest in Clarke's voice, enough that it told Lexa she hadn't insulted as much as she had feared. "Do you wish for my company? The warmth of my bed?"

"No, of course not, that's not what I came for, not what I intended for you to think at all—"

"I jest, Lexa," Clarke laughed, the sound rich to Lexa's ears. "Sit."

And with that Lexa took a seat in the nearest chair though her eyes never wavered from the figure before her. She watched as Clarke slipped on what appeared to be a night gown before she ducked out from behind the curtain.

Whatever Lexa could have imagined Clarke to be wearing didn't compare to what she saw.

Lexa swallowed hard as Clarke came into full view. Her hair fell delicately down one shoulder, the gold of it aglow in the candle light. Her eyes were sleepy, half lidded as if she still fought the sleep she had been in. But the thing that stole Lexa's breath the most was the fact that she wore a silk robe, the only thing keeping it closed a thin sash that was tied loosely around her waist. With each step Clarke took forward the robe hugged her body, it swayed with each step and gave Lexa a tantalising view of pale skin.

"I— uhm," Lexa swallowed as she forgot what she had intended to say as Clarke came to sit in her own chair, her legs crossing, the robe falling open to expose almost the entirety of her leg up to her hip, the muscles of her thigh flexing elegantly, the line of her calf bending with the candle light.

Enough of Clarke's robe had fallen open to reveal the hints of that scar Lexa had first seen etched into her chest, and Lexa knew she was staring, she knew she hadn't pulled her gaze away quick enough and she knew that Clarke knew for she heard a chuckle that sounded both quietly humoured and predatory in tone.

"Would you like to see it?" Clarke asked, her tone not at all full of jest as it had once been.

"What?" Lexa blinked and snapped her gaze up to meet Clarke's.

"My scar," Clarke asked, a hand slowly moving up the hem of her robe until it rested above the scar.

"I'm ok," it took a significant amount of willpower for Lexa not to actually say yes. She knew Clarke would have shown her, she knew Clarke enjoyed whatever game it was. And she knew it was all too much for her to handle.

"A shame," Clarke tutted. "Perhaps another time," Lexa sighed as Clarke's hand fell away. "So," Clarke said. "Are you here for business, Lexa of the Sky People?" a pause. "Or are you here for pleasure?" and Lexa saw Clarke's eyes wander up from her gaze to settle somewhere above her head.

It took her far too long to remember she had wrapped her hair in a towel, that she had come from the washrooms and hadn't actually made herself in any way decent for a meeting with the Commander.

And though Lexa knew Clarke didn't care for such formalities when it came to her, though they had both inadvertently seen each other naked, and though she had actually killed the other woman in some way, she felt a rush of embarrassment flush her face as she reached up and snatched the towel from her head only to wince as it tangled together and made it far too awkward for her to unravel with any dignity.

"Anya made contact," Lexa managed to say after she had managed to untangle the mess she had made. "Just now."

"Ah," and Clarke's demeanour shifted almost instantly into something far more dangerous.

"She needs a distraction."