Faces On Pictures
Song : Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine
8am and inside her office, Nia was fuming. How dared that Woods bitch not give her the Arcadia building? Of course, Nia didn’t need a new building; she just wanted to hit Lexa in every weak spot the girl had. Well, that task had been complicated, since Nia had taken care of Lexa’s last weakness. Nia smirked at the memory of Lexa’s face contortioned in pain and sadness, her heart broken in a billion pieces, when she had heard the news.
Yeah, that had been a good move from Nia, and she had almost succeeded in taking Lexa’s place; but that stupid child had put her head back into the game just in time to regain full control on Coalition Corp.
But now, Nia had discovered another weakness; the blonde girl and her child. Nia had spies all over the city, and she quickly had had intel about those two persons Lexa seemed to have a great interest in. One of the reasons she had asked for Arcadia building in the first place.
An assistant entered her office, lowering her head. Everyone feared Nia; she was well known for her cruelty and her excess of anger.
“My Queen”, the girl said, handing Nia some file, “We saw the blonde and her child yesterday, in the streets”.
That awoke Nia’s curiosity. She took the file from Ontari’s hands, looking at the pictures one of her spies had taken.
“Who is that third person?” Nia asked, pointing at the brunette with a brace on the pictures.
“Raven Reyes. We believe she is one of the Blonde’s friends, living in Arcadia”, Ontari informed her, “she was recently hired at Trikru Company. Best mechanic they could ever found on the continent”.
Nia clenched her teeth; if her plan had gone as expected, that brunette shouldn’t even have a place to live.
“What were they doing? Did you know where they went?” Nia asked then. If she wanted to hit Lexa hard, she needed to know everything.
“It seems like they were visiting some schools, my Queen” Ontari replied while showing other pictures to Nia, “The Blonde and Woods visited a few schools the day before, too”.
Nia closed the file, thinking. The Blonde was reachable, now that she seemed to go out of wherever she had been hiding for the last month. But why looking for schools? Maybe for the boy. Yeah, definitely for the boy. That meant the Blonde would have to go out to fetch the boy to school every day, without Lexa being here. Even better. Nia smirked; this was going to be a very good day.
“Do we have the identity of that Blonde?” Nia asked then; as she was asking every day. The truth was, the Blonde’s identity was really hard to find for some unknown reasons; and Nia’s spies were working on it for a month now.
“Yes, we do” Ontari smirked, handing another file to Nia. “Clarke Griffin. The boy is named Ayden.”
Nia’s brows raised. “Griffin? Like...”
“Like Jake Griffin, yes indeed. His only daughter.”
Things are getting really interesting, Nia smirked. This was going to be so much fun.
Lexa had just left for work, an hour before, and Clarke was alone in the apartment, pacing. Ayden was to be there any minute now, and Clarke was getting really bored. Then, she spotted the bags Lexa had brought home yesterday evening, remembering she had said something about canvas and stuff.
Clarke searched in the bags, her eyes widening when she saw what was inside; everything was brand new; a dozen of new brushes, a big box with fifty paint tubes and another one with colour pencils, a few canvas and four sketchbooks, all with a different type of paper. Clarke chuckled, in complete awe. Lexa had brought all this for her.
She took one of the sketchbook and the box of pencils, and sat down in the living-room, the sketchbook on her lap. Clarke was really lucky to have Lexa; she knew Lexa was probably ok with buying everything for the three of them, but Clarke wanted to contribute, too. Maybe she should apply for a job at the Polis’ Clinic, as a nurse. She had been really good at this job; even if her first intention had had to become a doctor. Which she hadn’t been able to be, with Ayden’s birth and everything. But Clarke didn’t regret it. Being a nurse was fine with her, too.
Without really paying attention to what she was drawing, Clarke was shocked to find out she had drawn Lexa’s face on the paper; but the Lexa only a few people knew. The smiling and laughing Lexa, the one with magic and malice in her eyes.
The doorbell rang, and Clarke didn’t have to check who was behind the door, as Ayden was shouting at her to open the door quick. It was freezing out there, and snow was threatening to fall anytime now.
At the second she had opened the door, Ayden had thrown himself at Clarke’s neck, hugging her hard.
“Hello to you too, honey” Clarke chuckled, hugging her son back. They exchanged a few words with Lincoln -who told Clarke everything had been ok, except for when Ayden had woken up in the middle of the night, disoriented, and had called for his mother and Lexa, before Octavia reassured him- before he left to go back to his job.
“Where is Yexa?” Ayden pouted, scanning the place with his eyes.
“She is at work, you know that” Clarke gently said. She was missing Lexa too; even if the girl was only gone for a couple of hours. “Maybe we could go fetch her, tonight, surprise her?” Clarke suggested. She knew where Lexa’s major building was; besides, Ayden and she could probably use a walk at the end of the day.
Octavia was restless in the loft, having nothing to do. Lincoln had just come home for lunch, and was watching his girlfriend with amusement in his eyes.
“Maybe you should go back” Lincoln gently suggested, putting a plate in front of the girl. Going back to her team and Indra, he meant, and Octavia had understood. Her eyes widened.
“No! I mean, yes I miss having something to do, but I don’t know, I just feel like it wouldn’t be right” Octavia said, ending the sentence with worry on her face.
Lincoln raised his brows. “Why wouldn’t it be right? This is your job”
“Yes I know” Octavia huffed, “But I mean, I can’t... I can’t turn my back on her again”.
And Lincoln understood the meaning behind his girlfriend’s words. His eyes softened, putting a hand on top of Octavia’s. “Octavia, Clarke would tell you to go back”.
Octavia weakly nodded; she knew this was true. But still, she couldn’t imagine doing it. “You don’t understand”.
Lincoln sat down in front of her girlfriend. “Try me”.
“I have been horrible to her, Lincoln” Octavia whispered, lowering her head, “blaming her for the impossible choices we were always asking her to do. I’ve been an awful friend and I just...”
Octavia sighed, not really knowing how to express what she was feeling. Clarke had been the first – with Finn – to be welcoming with Lincoln, and not see him as a threat. She had let Octavia be who she wanted to be, even taking her defence against Bellamy sometimes. Clarke also had had to make tough calls; decisions Octavia had not really agreed on. Octavia shook her head; it didn’t matter anymore. The only thing she cared right now was making amends to Clarke. And hope the Blonde would forgive her.
Because Octavia had seen what life looked like when Clarke wasn’t around. And this life sucked; more than the life with decisions she disagreed with. Octavia didn’t want a life without the Blonde in it.
“I think we all had been awful to Clarke at some points” Lincoln said, trying to reassure his girlfriend.
“You haven’t”.
Lincoln thought for a moment. “But only because I’ve seen a lot of people in Clarke’s shoes. She is not perfect. She is not god, she’s only one girl, and she cannot be right all the time. But I do think she is doing the best she can”. He paused for a moment, and Octavia nodded.
“I know it’s not right to ask her to make tough decisions, and then blame her for the choice she makes, and I think we all have been angry at her at some point, even me” he added, “but Clarke is a good person. She understands. And I think she forgave you a long ago”.
Octavia nodded again, really wanting to believe what Lincoln was saying. It was kind of funny for Lincoln, to see his girlfriend in such a state. Octavia hadn’t been sentimental for a while now, having grown into a fierce warrior. But since Clarke was back; she was a ball of nerves and feelings.
“Why don’t you text her to see if you can spend the day with her?” Lincoln suggested.
“I don’t want to bother her” Octavia mumbled. She was aware Raven and the Blonde had spent the day together yesterday; she wasn’t jealous, but she couldn’t help but think that Clarke didn’t want to see her.
“It doesn’t hurt to ask” Lincoln said, cleaning the table while Octavia was tossing her phone into her hands, trying to make her mind.
Octavia took a deep breath, and sent a text to the Blonde.
O: Hi Clarke, I hope you are well. Would you mind if I was to come to Lexa’s to spend the rest of the day with Ayden and you?
Octavia stayed still, waiting for Clarke’s reply. Which was quick to come.
Clarke: Since when do you ask? Take that sweet ass of you and come ASAP ;)
Clarke: Oh and Ayden says you have to bring the rest of the cake you ate together yesterday night!
Octavia’s heart jumped into her chest. Clarke didn’t seem mad nor angry at her. Maybe Lincoln was right. The girl jumped off her chair, rushing to her room to grab something wearable.
From the kitchen, Lincoln watched his girlfriend almost run to get ready, and a smile appeared on his lips to see Octavia happy.
Back in Nia’s office, Ontari the assistant had brought a big blackboard – which was more like a glass board, because made of glass obviously – and they had started hanging the pictures Nia’s spies had taken of Clarke and the people often around her and her child.
“Ok so”, Ontari said pointing to a picture, “the cob we spotted around Griffin’s daughter is Bellamy Blake. It seems that they are pretty close; maybe best-friends or ex-lovers”. Ontari put a piece of paper under the picture with the mention “best friend, ex lover?” on it.
“Raven Reyes, youngest mechanic to be this good, hired at Trikru. Clarke’s friend.” She put a “friend” label under the picture.
“Ayden, the son” Ontari said putting another piece of paper, “we don’t know the father yet. Maybe the Blake boy?”
Nia was scanning the board, looking for every weak spot she could hit. “Hm, doesn’t make sense. If he was his son, he would probably be around him a lot more. He is a cob, he has honour.”
Ontari nodded. “Ok. This one is a taxi driver. We don’t have his name yet”, she pointed to Lincoln’s picture.
“I know him” Nia said, looking closer at the picture, “Lincoln. He is a childhood friend of Woods.”
“Lexa has childhood friends?” Ontari smirked.
“No, the other one. Anya Woods”.
“Trikru’s ambassador. Lexa’s older cousin” Ontari said, showing Nia a picture of Anya.
“Yes, this one” Nia said through clenched teeth as Ontari was putting the picture on the board.
“Why don’t we target Anya Woods to get to Lexa?” Ontari asked again.
Nia took other pictures from the files, where people seemed to be unconscious on the floor, “Anya and Lexa are cousins that is true. Blood-related. But they are also very, very smart; Anya is as suspicious of me as Lexa is. She won’t let me close to her; and I couldn’t hurt Lexa with Anya.”
“Why not?”
“Because I already tried, a couple of years ago” Nia growled at her assistant who took a few steps away. “The older Woods seems to have resources. My men had succeeded in her capture -mostly like I have done with Costia- but she was escaped within the hour. And I found all my men knocked down on the ground.”
Ontari tried to think about the reason behind Anya’s escape. The police couldn’t have rescued her this quick; and they would have taken the men to jail.
“Something isn’t making sense” she said, “there’s no way she could have done this on her own”.
“No indeed” Nia nodded, “and I believe she had help, that day. But not a single person had been able to find who had helped her” she growled again, almost hitting the board with her fist. “And Lexa somehow knew Anya could handle herself. She didn’t even look worried when they told her she was missing”.
Ontari massaged her temples; there were too much things they didn’t know about everything.
“Let’s continue” Nia ordered pointing to the board.
Ontari nodded, hanging another picture; but really, there was just a silhouette on it. No face was recognisable, just a woman’s silhouette. “There is this black-haired girl. We have nothing on her. And when I say nothing, it’s nothing. It’s the only picture the spies were able to take since they started. It’s like she knows where the cameras are, and she is purposefully avoiding them”, Ontari sighed.
Nia scanned the picture. It was completely useless indeed.
“We only deduce she is living in Arcadia with the others because she went out of the building a few times” Ontari added, “but maybe she is not as close as Clarke as that Reyes girl is. Maybe she’s not even friend with them, just living in the same building”
Nia nodded. Somehow, the black-haired girl was intriguing her. Like Ontari had said, there was no way her spies hadn’t been able to get a single good picture of her.
Octavia was in front of Clarke’s door, waiting for the girl to come. To say she was anxious was a euphemism. Octavia was shitting her pants, really. What if Clarke was still a bit mad at her?
But she didn’t have the occasion to think more about it, as Clarke was opening the door.
“Hi Octavia” the Blonde said with a big smile on her face, stunning Octavia for a couple of seconds.
Clarke noticed it, “You’re ok, O?” she asked.
“Yeah yeah, I’m fine” Octavia quickly got out of her stupor, smiling furiously at her friend. It made Clarke chuckle, and the two girls got inside the loft.
“Hello O” Ayden greeted the girl, scanning the package Octavia had in her arms, “is it the cake?”
“Yes it is!” Octavia laughed as Ayden was gesturing for her to give the cake to him.
As Ayden was running into the kitchen to take plates to eat the cake, Octavia was awkwardly standing still, wanting to say something, and it made Clarke chuckle.
“Octavia.” Clarke raised an amused brow.
“Yes?”
“What’s on your mind?” Clarke gently asked. She had noticed how Octavia seemed conflicted; hell, even the text she has sent earlier was weird.
Octavia waved her arms in the arms, huffing, “nothing, it’s... nothing”.
“Octavia?” Clarke said again, showing the brunette she really cared about the answer.
Octavia sighed and sat on the couch. “I just...” she stopped, trying to structure her thoughts in her mind, “you’re not mad at me, are you?”
Clarke raised her brows, but with surprise this time. “Why would I be mad at you, O?”
Octavia sighed again. “Because I’ve been awful to you.”
Clarke frowned and took a seat next to Octavia. “Why are you saying that?”
“Because that’s the truth. I’m sorry I asked you to make hard decisions and then blame you for it”, Octavia said, lowering her head, “It was so easy Clarke, pushing you to carry everything on your shoulders so we wouldn’t have to do it, and then be mad at you for whatever impossible choice you had to make for us”.
A tear had fallen on Octavia’s cheek as she was waiting for Clarke to burst out in anger. But the Blonde did not, and put her arms around Octavia instead.
Octavia let a sob escape her chest; one she was holding since they had figured out Clarke had been running away and hiding from them.
“It’s ok O, I can take it” Clarke whispered as Octavia was burying her head into Clarke’s neck, “I did what I had to do to keep the most of us alive. But it doesn’t make what I did right. You are allowed to be mad at me for choices I make in your name, sometimes”.
Octavia shook her head, letting more of her tears fall down. This was stunning Clarke a little, because since she was a kind of secret spy/warrior, she had learned to keep her emotions at bay.
“You did so much for us” Octavia cried, “we are all here today thanks to you, and I’ve been awful Clarke, so awful, please forgive me...”
The girl was fully sobbing now, her chest shaking against Clarke’s who wanted to take all the pain away from her friend.
“There is nothing to forgive, O” Clarke murmured, gently stroking Octavia on her back to calm her down, “I was never mad at you”.
“You promise?” Octavia asked, sniffing, looking at Clarke with glassy eyes.
“I promise” the Blonde smile back, opening her arms to hug Octavia once more.
From the kitchen, Ayden had seen Octavia and his Mom beginning to speak on the couch, and when he had seen O cry, he had patiently waited for the conversation to end. Ayden wasn’t stupid. He knew her mom’s life had been complicated before he was born, and he knew things were complicated with her friends too. Family always was, right? He wasn’t old enough to understand what was wrong, but he could see Octavia and his mother needed to talk alone for a while. He didn’t mind; he knew his mother was going to call him soon.
And indeed, Clarke’s and O’s conversation was over, and Clarke was scanning the loft in search of Ayden.
“Ayden honey? Where are you?”
The boy made his way into the living room, almost dropping the plates on the floor. Fortunately Octavia caught everything just in time.
“OK, who wants some Cake?” the Blonde asked.