Strangers On A Bench

Song : I’ll Find You by Finding Favour

 Sunday morning. Octavia rolled over her side in the floor, coughing because of the dust she was lying in. Athol, the guy training with her, gave her his hand to help her get up after throwing her on the floor.

“Focus Oktavia” Indra said.

Octavia clenched her teeth, and put herself into position again. She knew she needed to concentrate more if she didn’t want to end on the floor again, but her mind was full of worry. She had exchanged a few texts with the group during the weekend, and none of them had had news about Clarke and little Ayden. Octavia bended down to dodge Athol’s fist coming in her direction, and hit him into his stomach, making him step back a little.

Indra had them fight each other for three hours now, and every muscle of Octavia’s body was aching. Athol wasn’t much better; blood was slipping from his nose and had trouble moving his left arm. Octavia was doing the best she could, because she was always feeling like she had to prove something; she knew she had been hired in an unconventional way, and she needed to prove she was worth the trust Indra was putting on her.

But today, and as the days before, Octavia didn’t have her mind completely focus. She was feeling home-sick, and that was weird to say coming from her, because Octavia had never really felt at home anywhere. But right now, she was missing Lincoln, his smile and his protective arms. She was missing her annoying big brother who would do anything to protect her. She was missing Raven with all her sassy comments, and she was missing everyone else. Hell, she was even missing Murphy with his sarcasm.

And most of all, she missed Clarke. God, how bad she was missing the blonde. She didn’t think it could be possible to miss her so much, because well Octavia and Clarke hadn’t always been agree on everything, and Octavia had been angry at her a lot of times in the past. But now without her, Octavia was feeling like her world was losing its balance, like everything was wrong. She didn’t see Athol’s foot coming towards her legs and fell on the dust again.

“That’s enough, take a break Athol” Indra ordered.

The boy nodded, and went away looking for water. Indra silently sighed; she could see Octavia was distracted by something, and the older woman had a probable inch of the matter, but she didn’t like Octavia’s mind to be preoccupied by other things as fighting for her life. If she was not a hundred percent in the fight, she would die or injure herself badly.

Indra gave her hand to Octavia, who slowly rose to her feet.

“What is it in your mind Oktavia?” Indra asked.

Octavia sat on a bench a few feet away, pouring water on her face.

“Nothing” the girl answered, only making Indra roll her eyes because it was obviously a lie.

She took a sit next to Octavia, waiting for her to explain.

“Clarke is missing” Octavia finally said “and we don’t know where she is. But she’s in danger; we think Finn is beating her, and it’s like she’s erasing all traces for us to find her”.

Indra didn’t reply, because what could she say?

“And I’m worried about her. We all are”.

Indra nodded, and put her hand on Octavia’s knee. If Octavia was surprised by the mark of affection, she tried hard not to show it.

“Clarke is a smart woman. She will find you when the time will be right”.

Octavia poured a little more water on her face. She knew Indra was right. There were no ways they could find Clarke if she didn’t want to be found, and that they’ll have to wait until she comes back to them on her own will. But that wasn’t stopping Octavia from worrying though.

“Get your head back in this, Oktavia com Skaikru, you can’t help Clarke if you’re dead because you didn’t pay attention enough” Indra said while getting up.

Octavia nodded, and resumed her position in front of Athol, determination now more present within herself. She needed to be strong. Strong like Clarke was probably trying to be right now.

Indra watched the two of them fight, and was pleased to see that Octavia had brought back her attention to the combat. The first time she had seen Octavia fight, she had been stunned by the girl’s determination; alone against a bunch of guys, trying to show she could stand up for herself. Of course, the girl had had her ass kicked really hard, but she hadn’t given up on fighting. Indra had intervened and had made the boys run away. She had seen something in that fit brunette, and she couldn’t let her alone in the wilderness. She had explained to Octavia what her job was. Strength of spirit like that is rare, Indra had told the girl, it must be guided. She had asked Octavia to join her, so she could become her second. And Octavia had said yes.

Since that day, Indra could see the progress her favourite second –even if she never had told Octavia she was her favourite- was making, and it was making her very proud. That girl had potential, and a huge one. Maybe one day, she’ll be the one to replace me, Indra thought.

 It was nine am, and Bellamy was making his way into the police station. He wasn’t supposed to be here, but with the whole “Clarke’s missing” story and Octavia on mission, he needed to do something to keep his mind busy.
But as Bellamy was making his way into the police station, he noticed how people were moving like in some kind of hive; he face-palmed himself. Today the boss of Polis’ police was going to be there for inspection. Bellamy was already clenching his teeth at the thought of it; he had chosen his day very well.

Thelonius Jaha. This guy wasn’t really a cob anymore, too old to go on the field, but he had managed to be still in charge somehow, and that was pissing Bellamy off. Every time he was in front of him, Bellamy was seeing Charlotte’s lifeless body on the floor again, Wells’ grave, and every troubles they all had had after that.

He took the corridor going through the cells to go into his office, because he did not want to cross roads with Jaha. As he was walking, his mind full of thoughts about Clarke and Octavia and Jaha, Bellamy suddenly noticed something familiar. He got closer to one of the cells, and his eyes widened. Finn. Finn was here, in a cell, lying on the camp-bed, sleeping. Or maybe he was unconscious, because he had several bruises on him. Bellamy couldn’t have done that, he had seen Finn a week ago and those bruises were not Bellamy’s doing. Why the fuck was Finn here?

 In Lexa’s loft, Ayden and her were making pancakes for breakfast. Last night, Ayden had finally agreed to sleep in the same bed as her mother, while Lexa was in the spare room, but in the middle of the night he had woken Lexa up, because Clarke had been fussing in the bed, completely asleep and having some nightmares. Lexa had got onto the bed with Ayden in her arms, had calmed Clarke down, and as the night before, the three of them had fallen asleep all together.

“Watch out Ayden, you’re putting syrup on the floor” Lexa gently said when maple syrup spilled on the floor.

Ayden looked up to her with an apologetic smile before reaching for the sponge to clean up his mess.

Lexa’s phone rang, and she answered frowning, because she didn’t recognize the number.

“Lexa Woods?”

“Hi Ms Woods, this is Marcus Kane”, the voice said back.

Lexa’s eyes widened in recognition. This was the guy who had helped her with Finn this other day, and who had handed him to the police. She silently told Ayden to watch the pancakes and not to eat them while she was gone.

“Yes hello!” she said.

“So hum I’m calling to tell you I did drop Finn Collins at the police station on Friday, and when I came back today they  made me give my testimony on the case but they need yours, and most of all they need to talk to Clarke”, the man explained.

Lexa frowned, because there was no way Clarke would agree to talk to the police. She wasn’t even talking to her, neither to her son.

“Hm I don’t know, she’s pretty...” Lexa began.

“Yeah she must be scared right now. Clarke’s testimony can wait, but you should go give yours soon, they need it for Finn’s aggression to be punished”.

“Ok, I’ll go today” Lexa said.

She thanked Kane for calling her, they said goodbye and hang up.

Lexa got back in the kitchen where Ayden had began to eat a pancake. She couldn’t stop herself from laughing when she spotted the boy trying to hide the half-chewed pancake.

“It’s ok Ayden, I’m hungry too!”

The boy smiled, and they prepared food on a trail to bring to Clarke. They all sat on the bed, ate breakfast, and Ayden left the room after finishing eating to play with his now favourite toy –and the only one he had here- while Lexa forced Clarke to put ointment on her bruises. Clarke had to let Lexa apply it, because there were movements she couldn’t make without whining in pain.  

“Clarke, I have to leave for an hour, maybe more” Lexa carefully said, testing Clarke’s reaction.

As expected, Clarke tensed.

“I have to go to the police station to give them my testimony about the other day, I won’t be long”, Lexa tried again.

The blonde didn’t say a thing.

“I’m going to call Anya to ask her to stay with Ayden and you, just in case you need something. Is that ok?”

Clarke reluctantly nodded. She didn’t want Lexa to go. She knew she was just being stupid, because Lexa would be back –it was her place after all- but still, she was uncomfortable with the idea of not having Lexa around. She was making her feel safe, and she didn’t want that feeling to leave her, even for a few hours.

“Clarke, I have something to ask” Lexa whispered, lowering her eyes. She needed to get that thought out of her head, and there was only one way to do it.

Clarke looked at Lexa curiously, waiting for the brunette to talk again.

“Don’t go. Don’t run away again”, Lexa murmured, locking her green eyes in blue eyes. She saw Clarke clenching her jaw, and looking away.

“Let me help you” Lexa said again, “be there when I come home”.

Clarke nodded, much to her own surprise. Lexa gave her a tiny smile, helped her get under the blankets, and left the room to check on Ayden and call Anya.

 In the police station, Bellamy couldn’t believe Finn was here. He frowned, and got at the end of the corridor where he knew Bryan –Nathan Miller’s boyfriend, living two floors ahead of his apartment- usually was, guarding the cells.

“Hi Blake, how are you doing?” Bryan asked a little surprised because he didn’t know what Bellamy was doing here, as he was not supposed to work today.

“I’m fine” Bellamy said. “I was trying to avoid Jaha by taking that way, but why Finn is in a cell?”

Bryan frowned. He hadn’t seen this. He had just gotten here.

“What?”

“Finn is here. Locked up in a cell” Bellamy said again.

Bryan rushed to the cell to be sure it was real, followed by Bellamy.

“Holy shit” Bryan exclaimed when he saw the bruises covering Finn’s face, “what happened to him? Are you the one responsible for that when you...”

“No I’m not” Bellamy answered cutting him off, “it’s been a week. Those are more recent”.

Bryan nodded, because he knew Bellamy was right. But how Finn had ended up here? Bryan got back to his desk, tipping on the computer to see Finn’s file.

“It just said he was brought back here on... Friday” Bryan said, his eyes widening. How the hell could he be in that cell for so long and they didn’t noticed it?

Bellamy clenched his teeth again, as he was having the same thoughts as Bryan.

“What charges?” he asked, not really sure to want the answer to that question.

Bryan looked through the file, and gasped when he saw what he was looking for.

“Domestic violence” he whispered, slowly turning to Bellamy.

Bellamy couldn’t hold his anger anymore, and rushed to Finn’s cell again, hitting the bars to wake him up.

“What did you do to her asshole?!” he shouted at Finn who was awakening from all the noise.

Bryan tried to hold Bellamy back because he didn’t want him to get into trouble, that was not what Clarke needed right now and he knew they all had to keep their minds clear in order to make things right.

“Bellamy calm down please” Bryan whispered, “Clarke needs us”.

Bellamy listened to him, because he knew he was right. They couldn’t get mad at someone in detention, he had to stay professional.

“Hey guys”, Finn said, now that he was fully awake “what are you two doing here?”

The both of them shot him a questioning glare. Finn knew they were working in the police. Didn’t he?

“The question is, what are you doing here Finn?” Bellamy shot back.

Finn shrugged.

“Dunno. Some guy took me in his car and brought me here.”

Bellamy and Bryan frowned. Finn knew a lot of people in the city; it was weird he didn’t remembered the face of the person who had taken him to the police station.

“Where were you?” Bryan asked.

Suddenly, Finn’s face lightened up.

“At home! With Clarke and that kid! I knew she was coming back, I know she would return home so I...”

But Bellamy hit the bars again, making Finn shut up.

“You say she was with you? At your house? With Ayden?” Bryan questioned him.

“Yeah. And then this... pathetic girl came in and pushed me to the floor. Then this guy took me out of my own house” Finn explained as he was trying to remember “he took me out of MY house guys!”

Bellamy and Bryan didn’t say anything, silently looking at one-another. They didn’t understand what was going on. From what they had understood from Finn, Clarke and Ayden had been back at Finn’s place on Friday. Why didn’t they have known about this? They were all taking turns around the neighbourhood, and no one had seen a thing, and the house had been empty when Bellamy had check, no later than yesterday. Where was Clarke?

Bellamy and Bryan were ready to interrogate Finn more, but one of their colleague arrived.

“Sergeant Blake, someone is here for a deposition on a case”, he started, “for Mr. Finn Collins, can you do it? We are a little overwhelmed back there with Jaha being here and everything...”

Bellamy raised a brow at Bryan who shrugged, but followed his colleague nonetheless.  

They entered a room, where a tall man was sitting on the chair.

“Hello Sir” Bellamy said, “you’re here for a deposition on Mr Finn Collins?”

“Yes that is right” the man nodded.

“Fine” Bellamy said, sitting down. He was curious about what that man knew; maybe he could tell him where Clarke was.

“I need your full name please and your relation to Finn Collins if you have any” Bellamy asked.

“Marcus Kane, I’m a neighbour from Mr Collins, and I know his girlfriend’s mother very well”.

Bellamy frowned. “What do you know about Clarke Griffin?”

“I didn’t say that name”, Kane stated.

Bellamy clenched his teeth.

“Tell me what you saw”, he said.

Kane explained how he had heard screams coming from Finn and Clarke’s house, and that he was suspecting Finn to hit Clarke for a few months now, but without any real proofs. He told Bellamy he had seen a brunette woman entering the house, and he had decided to go help too, when he had seen the woman knocking Finn on the floor, and hitting him cold. He explained how the two of them had talked, how Clarke seemed to know the woman, and how the woman had told him Ayden and her were going to be at her place.

“Who is that woman?” Bellamy asked. It was not someone they knew. That person would have told them.

“Lexa. Lexa Woods”.

Bellamy raised her brows. Lexa Woods, as Lexa Woods from Coalition Corp.? Bellamy knew the name too well, because Octavia and Raven were big fans of the woman.

“You’re saying Lexa Woods had taken Clarke and Ayden at her place?” Bellamy asked.

“Yes”, Marcus Kane confirmed.

Bellamy got up in a rush, and almost fell backwards doing so. “I need Lexa’s Woods address and number, and for the file she will have to come here to make her deposition, and Clarke, we need to talk to her”, he quickly said.

Marcus Kane gave Bellamy the card Lexa had given him. Bellamy ran out of the office, told Bryan he knew where to find Clarke, and headed towards Arcadia to tell the others.

 Almost an hour later, Lexa was heading out of the police station. She was quite angry, because Marcus Kane had told her to come to give her deposition, but the cob responsible of this had left before Lexa arrived. And now, she had left Clarke and Ayden alone for nothing. She sighed, and spotted the little grocery store near the police station, and decided to buy some stuffs, as she had three mouths to feed now.

When Lexa got out of the shop, she had heavy bags in her arms. Yeah, maybe she had bought too much stuff, but she didn’t know what the two of them liked, and she didn’t want to force them to eat something they didn’t like. And Lexa may have bought some toys for Ayden, too.

But fortunately, a car parked near Lexa, and she recognised the driver right away.

“Hey Lincoln” she greeted him.

“Hello Miss Woods, do you need a hand?” he asked, smiling back.

“Yeah, thank you, and please call me Lexa!”

The brunette didn’t know why, but there was something about this man which was making her feel comfortable. Lexa never had a lot of friends –she had none, actually- but she was feeling like she could be friend with Lincoln. They put all the groceries in the car, and got in.

“Small town huh?” Lincoln smiled. There were a lot of cabs here in Polis, but curiously they had managed to run into each other three times now, in a matter of week.

“Yeah indeed”, the brunette smiled back.

“So, are you having some kind of family dinner or...?” Lincoln asked, trying to make conversation.

“Oh no” Lexa said, “hum, I have this... friend, I guess... And she’s staying at my place, and I don’t know what she likes to eat so hum I...”

Lexa stopped talking, wondering why she was rambling. Lexa Woods never ramble. It made Lincoln smile a little.

“Are you close to this friend..?” he asked. He was really curious about this Lexa Woods; after all, no one knew her well, she was a mystery for everyone.

“I don’t know, actually...” Lexa sighed.

“Do you care about her?” Lincoln asked.

“Yes, I do”, Lexa smiled, “I don’t know her that much, but I don’t know, there is something about her, the way she smiles or...” Lexa stopped herself, her cheeks reddening when she realized what she was saying.

Lincoln noticed, and lightly smiled. “Don’t be ashamed to say what you’re feeling, Miss Woods, you have the right to like this girl”.

Lexa shifted uncomfortably on her sit. She wasn’t used to talk about her feelings, especially with strangers she had met only three times in her life. Hell, she wasn’t even talking to Anya about herself much, and this woman had been her cousin her entire life.

“I don’t even know her”, Lexa huffed, “She won’t talk to me”.

Lincoln frowned because he didn’t understand how that girl could be at Lexa’s without talking to her, but he didn’t ask questions; he had noticed how Lexa was shy and reserved about herself, and he didn’t want to cross a limit with her.

A few minutes later, Lincoln was parking in front of Lexa’s loft. The brunette opened her pursed and gave him more money than needed, and once again she didn’t let him gave the spare cash back to her.

“Alright but I’m helping with those bags”, Lincoln had said.

Lexa smiled, and let the guy took the bags and carry them into her apartment.

At the moment she opened the door, an excited Ayden ran into her legs, shouting.

“Yexa you’re back!”

Lexa smiled again, but then she looked at Lincoln, and frowned because the man had his mouth completely open in shock, and he almost dropped the bags.

“Lincoln?” Lexa asked.

“Hum yeah” he shook his head, “Ayden what are you doing here?”

Now it was Lexa’s turn to drop her jaw, and her eyes widened even more when Ayden turned himself to face the man.

“Hi Uncle Lincoln! I’m staying with Lexa now” Ayden shrugged, as if it was the clearest thing in the world.

Lexa was frozen on spot. What the fucking fuck was going on here?