Pinch Me

Wells would be the first to admit, a gun in John Murphy’s hands made him nervous.

Murphy was too comfortable with that thing. He liked it too much, took too much pride in holding a weapon. But most of all, he hated Wells too much. Everything Murphy did was in Murphy’s best interest, and Wells feared what that meant.

But there’s nothing Wells could do with Mount Weather looming over their shoulders. Besides, his crime was minor, he’s guaranteed a free pass after the Ark fully assimilated in Mount Weather, but murder? There’s no guarantee how the criminal justice system would work. Did Mount Weather execute their criminals too? Would he be throwing away his life to guarantee the elimination of a threat?

Finn strolled at Wells side, smiling up at the overcast sky. “It’s weird not being able to see the stars.”

Wells glared. “Well, things are weird on the ground.”

Finn shrugged. “Miss the Ark?”

Wells heaved a sigh. “I guess? I miss when things were simple. Not as scary.”

Murphy scoffed. “Not scary for you maybe. The rest of us had to live under your father’s reign.”

“Not exactly my fault, Murphy.” Wells sneered. “Let’s just go. We have to get to the Ark by nightfall. Who knows what kind of animals out here come out at night.”

“The Grounders probably.” Finn shrugged.

Wells frowned, but refrained from commenting. “Do you think, Clarke, Raven, and Octavia will be there?”

“At the Ark? I don’t know.” Finn grunted. “The Grounders could have killed them by now.”

“If they wanted to kill us, they would have stormed camp days ago. But they kept a perimeter. The Commander didn’t have us killed. That has to mean something.” Wells grumbled as he tripped over a root.

“Does it?” Murphy called from behind. “They could be playing with us you know. Like those videos of the dogs playing with flies they caught. Cat and mouse, you know?”

“They’re territorial, not sadistic.” Wells snapped.

“You don’t know that.”

“Shut up, Murphy, would you?”

“Hey Wells, what if we just let Murphy go here, he gets out of the Mountain like he’s been begging to, and we get some peace and quiet, yeah?” Finn smiled.

Wells remained silent for a few minutes as they walked. “I don’t honestly care, let him go. The last thing we need is someone completely resistant to any type of authority.”

“Uh, Wells?”

“What is it Finn?”

“He’s already gone.”

“Good.”

Finn lasted an hour before he had to break the silence. “So, you into Clarke?”

“You know, the point of stealth is to be quiet.” Wells quipped.

“So that’s a yes.”

“No, I’m not into Clarke. She’s my best friend.”

“Huh, so she’s not your soulmate.”

Wells rolled his eyes, glaring straight ahead. “No, she’s not. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I mean. I don’t know.” Finn tossed his head back, that admittedly charming smile cutting crooked across his face. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “She’s cute. And brilliant. She’s our leader, and a good one at that. Keeps Bellamy in line. I can admire her desire for peace you know?”

“I’m fully aware of how great Clarke is. Don’t you have a girlfriend?”

“Raven? Nah, I broke up with her, remember everyone got high off those nuts? Around then. Told her I found my soulmate. May have told her it was Clarke, but how else am I supposed to break up with her you know?”

Wells turned to Finn, eyebrows drawn, he couldn’t help the judgment in his tone. “You could, I don’t know, tell her you don’t want a relationship anymore. What the fuck, Finn?”

Finn shrugged, something like guilt crossing his features. It was the first time Wells had ever seen him regret anything. “Listen, Raven is my best friend, I love her. But like, she’s all I’ve ever known. We grew up together, and started dating a couple years ago, but now, like, I’m not in the Sky Box!” Finn grinned. “I have a chance, and I want to take it. I love Raven, but there’s more out here, you know? Maybe I’ll find my real soulmate.”

Wells shook his head. “I think that was a bad idea, man. Raven will be upset when she finds out.”

Finn nodded. “Yeah, well, she’ll get over it. Raven’s strong.”

“We should be there soon.” Wells grunted. “You should get your story straight, if the girls are here you’re going to face a firestorm.”

“Titus is my top advisor.” Lexa explained quietly at Clarke’s side as they watched the group of horses pluck their way across the meadow towards the Ark. “He is known as the Fleimkappa, or Flame Keeper. He guards the spirit of the Commander. His job is to carry the Flame from my body when I die, and give it to the next Commander after their ascension in the Conclave. I’ll explain that to you more later. Titus also serves as something of a record keeper. He has journals dating back to the first Heda, Commander Becca.” Lexa met Clarke’s eyes for a moment. “Becca fell from the sky, like you. And Titus will know more about who she was and where she came from. We need to know if the Ark contains any Natblida, and if your people contain the key to destroy Alie.”

“I don’t understand most of what you’ve said.”

Lexa cracked the smallest of smiles. “Titus will explain more. Titus can be… frustrating. He is distrustful of everyone, and he believes himself to be all-knowing. I- Titus has served as primary leader of our people for a long time, until I could wrestle the control of my people from him, he will likely respond with hostility if you are to challenge him directly. I will act as buffer as much as I can, but you will be seen as weak if you cannot keep up with him.”

Clarke arched an eyebrow, a slight twinge in her jaw told Lexa that she had annoyed the blonde. “I can handle myself.”

Lexa glanced away. “I know that, but Titus is not easily convinced. He responds to- well he doesn’t respond to anything well. You must deliver your logic forcefully. You cannot give him an inch, or he will take a mile. He is used to power and lenience. Don’t give him the chance to label you weak. You will find yourself dead by tomorrow.”

Clarke took a steadying breath, and Lexa was hit with the urge to comfort her. Of course, that urge accompanied a wave of frustration and anger at herself, but she was able to cover her hesitation as Titus dismounted from his mount.

Lexa strode forward, allowing her annoyance to show. “When I give orders for your immediate presence, fleimkappa, I intend for you to follow them with haste.”

Titus, for his credit, didn’t even flinch. “Heda, you requested my expertise regarding the history of the clans. The Journals slowed us considerably. They must be treated with great care.” He barely hid his own sneer. “If you wish me to confirm this alliance as a wise decision, I’m afraid, Heda, that I can’t do that.”

“Then it’s a good thing that this alliance is not up for discussion.” Lexa snarled, her shoulders tensing.

Clarke stepped forward to greet Titus, and his eyes slid disdainfully from Lexa to the other girl. “I’m Clarke Griffin, and this is the Ark. Commander Lexa tells us that you have questions regarding our survival in space.”

Titus pulled himself to his full height, glaring down the length of his nose. “Heda has sent word that your people have shot Anya kom Trikru.”

“It was an accident, we’re treating her in the hospital.”

Titus turned back to Lexa. “Ai nou wich em op. Em veida. Du emo na bilaik feisbona en de Kongeda.”

Lexa turned to Clarke, ignoring Titus entirely. “We should begin discussions. I will allow Titus time to unload his journals, we will meet in half an hour.”

Clarke nodded once, tossing a confused glance towards Titus. “We’ll talk later, Lexa. Titus.” Clarke nodded in a hesitant parting. Lexa could tell that Clarke was caught off guard, and probably a little offended.

Titus tutted his disapproval. “This alliance is foolish, Heda.”

“They fell from the sky, just as Becca did.” Lexa warned. “To ignore them, or exterminate them, would be foolish.”

“Gustus spoke of the Maunon, they got you captured!”

“Do you think me so incapable of leading that the Maunon Ripa could extract information from me?” Lexa snarled, stepping closer to Titus and lowering her voice so as not to be overheard. “They know nothing of our people beyond what they could discover on their own. Clarke is the reason I am alive and free.”

Titus tilted his head back and regarded Lexa coldly. “You care for her.”

Lexa’s eyes widened just a fraction before she could control her features once more. “I am perfectly capable of separating feelings from duty.” Lexa’s voice had grown so low, it was nearly a whisper. “I’d expect you to know this.” Titus showed no hesitation. “There is no weakness in my heart, Fleimkappa.”

Titus studied her closely. A breath and he was striding forward towards the Ark, Lexa pushed off of her toes to move fast enough to lead him, or at least appear to be leading him.

Lexa wanted to hate him, to despise him. But he was all she had ever known. He served the last Heda, and the Heda before him. Titus had experience and invaluable advice and control. He had loyalty, and most importantly, he taught the Natblidas. He was the man that shaped Heda from the very beginning.

But Lexa saw other sides to Titus. She knew he was power hungry, knew that his ego fueled him. She was not blind to the tiny moments of Titus’ defiance. But those tiny moments could cost Lexa her life. Titus was strong and dominant in his words and logic; his debate and argumentative skills were unparalleled. Lexa could keep up with him, but that was years and years in the making.

Even now, Lexa walked into every argument with Titus unsure of who would walk out victorious. Titus tore through logical error and ill-advised decisions like an Azgeda hunting dog does a rabbit. But when he couldn’t find a chink in the armor, he simply battered it with passion and anger until he could wear down his opponent.

More often than not, that opponent was Lexa.

Lexa was forced to admit, without Titus, she would have far less control over her dominion, her people. She would not be the skilled negotiator and strategist she was, though some of that credit went to Anya.

No, without Titus she would not be Heda Lexa, Commander of the Coalition. But with Titus, she ran the risk, every minute, of revealing the tension between her and her top advisor.

She wanted to hate Titus for the vulnerabilities he forced upon her. The way he undermined her power by dismissing himself from her presence, by leading the way across rooms and down halls, by trying to force her to follow him as if she were still the Natblida child trying to keep up as he taught.

Titus made her this way, but because she resisted, not because he wanted her this way.

And so, Lexa wanted to hate him.

As Lexa moved to enter the Ark, there was a commotion, and calls for her attention had her whipping around and stalking towards two young men struggling in the grips of a few of her warriors.

“Heda, emo laik Skaikru.”

“Let us go!” One struggled harder than the other, his greasy, long hair hanging in his face, stringy with sweat and dirt. “Where’s Clarke?”

That question gave Lexa a brief pause; she looked to the other man. He stared at her levelly, a calm, observant gaze settling over her face. Lexa was given the distinct feeling that this man was not surprised by the presence of her people surrounding his own. “Commander.”

“Would you let us go? Fuck! We belong here!”

Lexa no longer needed to spare a glance to the other man, he was not in charge. “You are Skaikru? You have also escaped the Maunon?”

The man shook his head. “My name is Wells Jaha. I need to speak with the Chancellor, and Clarke. I know she’s here. She stole an asset from Mount Weather.”

Lexa turned her head just slightly. “Your allegiance is with the Maunon?”

Wells grit his jaw and raised his chin in defiance. “No,”

“Speak true.”

“We aren’t with Mount Weather. We want to help Clarke and the Ark free our people.”

Lexa hesitated, but with a gesture of her hand, the two men were released.

“Finally,” The other man looked to Lexa, glanced at her up and down. “So where is Clarke anyway? Do you know Raven? Is she okay? What about Octavia?”

Lexa didn’t like this one. “All of them are well. You will find Raven in the hospital.”

His eyes widened comically. “What happened to her?”

Lexa sent a sidelong glance towards Wells. “She is in the hospital with her Keryontai. Anya was shot. Raven rests with her. It’s… taxing to feel a Keryontai in pain.” Lexa left the two to pick her way back towards the Ark. “Wells, come with me.”

Wells jogged to catch up with Lexa, her long strides serving their purpose. She had control, they both knew that, now, if she could master this tactic with Titus…

“What’s a Keryontai?”

“I believe the word you use is ‘soulmate’.” Lexa answered calmly. “My Trikru general Anya will protect your friend. There is no need to worry for her.”

Wells nodded slightly. “Don’t mind Finn. He’s dug his own hole.”

Lexa hummed an acknowledgement that he had spoken, but did little to respond properly. Wells gave off the aura of ease, and Lexa had to commend him for that. He was more comfortable with his role than any other Skaikru Lexa had met so far.

When they entered the negotiating room, they found the Skaikru leadership already there. A lance of pain shot through Lexa’s chest as Wells stood beside her, but it was gone in seconds. Clarke stood from her seat and rushed over, throwing her arms around the man Lexa had led in.

Wells, for his part, was quite shocked at Clarke’s reaction. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Clarke murmured before separating from him and avoiding all eye contact with anyone in the room.

Lexa could feel pain reignite in her chest, like the slow squeeze of her lungs until the pain was something she could no longer ignore. But Clarke was avoiding Lexa’s eyes too.

It wasn’t her place. She needed to keep her distance. It didn’t matter.

Wells cleared his throat as he surveyed the room. “Where’s my dad?”

The room seemed to stop. A feeling of dread filled the pit of Lexa’s stomach as the council members looked to each other to answer the question. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

It was Abby that stepped to the mantle. She stood and led Wells to one of the seats. “Wells, your father- There was an error when the Ark tried to launch. It could only exit orbit if someone stayed behind to manually operate the machinations. Thelonious volunteered. He was a hero.”

Wells blinked rapidly, and Lexa watched as slowly but surely tears streamed down his face. He hid his face behind one of his hands, let out a single sob before he took a breath and held it. When he let it out, his breathing was shaky and uneven, but he was in control of himself again. He looked back up to the group around him and nodded. “Okay,” His voice broke in agony. “Okay.” He managed another few moments before he turned back to Lexa. “I need a minute. I-“ He didn’t finish his sentence before he was up out of the chair and through the door once more.

Abby wiped the tears from her own face and sat back, eyeing Lexa warily. “I apologize, he deserved to know.”

Lexa bowed her head, sneaking another glance at a pale faced and somber Clarke. “Hopefully, with this alliance, we can prevent the loss of many more fathers.”

Clarke finally lifted her eyes to meet Lexa’s, her eyes shone brighter than Lexa had ever seen them before, complimented by the red rim of her eyes. Lexa averted her gaze. “Titus will be ready soon.” Lexa turned towards Abby. “Anya must be present.”

Abby shook her head vehemently. “No, she needs to rest. She was shot yesterday. She needs time to heal.”

The door opened again, and Raven shuffled in, looking a little worse for wear, followed by a devastated Wells. Titus shoved his way through the doorway just after Wells, holding three dusty, two-inch thick tomes in his arms.

“Everyone is present?”

“Let’s begin.” Abby pulled her chair closer to the table, pulling a set of papers towards her chest. Lexa could spy several different sets of handwriting on them. “We need to discuss Mount Weather and our role in the assault. As well as the military presence surrounding the Ark, and provisions.”

Titus leaned forward to address the Chancellor, narrowing his eyes. “First, we should discuss Pramheda Becca.”

Abby tilted her head, her lips thinning in irritation. “Who is this Becca we should know of?”

Lexa sighed, leaning onto her elbows. “Becca was the first Commander of the Trikru. She fell from the sky, like the Ark.”

Kaplan shook his head. “No one before us has been launched from the Ark.”

“I have Becca’s journals.” Titus opened one of the tomes, flipping through the papers reverentially. “She mentions Polaris. The north star, but not. She isn’t talking about navigation.”

Abby glanced between Kane and Kaplan, and then towards Clarke, Raven, and Wells. “The details of Polaris are classified.”

This garnered surprised reactions from the three younger occupants of the room. But Lexa shook her head. “That won’t do Chancellor. This is of upmost importance to our people. You come from the same place as my earliest predecessor.”

Abby lifted her chin. “Polaris was destroyed two months after the bombs decimated humanity. They were noncompliant and threatening towards the twelve other stations. They had to be eliminated to prevent unnecessary deaths. That is all of the information we can tell you.”

Lexa tilted her head. “I don’t think you understand Chancellor. As a future clan, you will not want to be found noncompliant and threatening to the twelve other clans here on the ground. What did this Polaris station do?”

Kane shifted. “Abby, if we can’t be transparent with them, how can we build a strong alliance with them?”

Abby stared at him a beat longer than necessary, taking a steadying breath. When Abby faced Lexa once more, she was stone-faced. “It was nuclear bombs that destroyed the planet. But before that, humanity was not in a great place; a worldwide cold war gripped most developed nations.” Lexa nodded for her to continue, not quite familiar with some of the terms she used, but not willing to interrupt her as she was finally giving the information Lexa needed. “Twelve countries launched thirteen satellites into orbit. Japan, China, Russia, Australia, America, the United Kingdom, France, Uganda, Venezuela, India, Canada, and Brazil.” None of that made any sense, but Lexa nodded along anyway. “America launched two of them. One of those satellites was Polaris station. Polaris was a science based station, their mission was to study better ways to gather intelligence and transmit signals across long distances without other nations finding out. The other stations, at least half of them, were war waging stations. Several nations launched nuclear weapons into space, allowing them to increase their range. There were other research based stations, luckily. We wouldn’t have survived without a majority of the bio stations.”

Abby seemed to end her story there. “So, what happened to have Polaris destroyed? Who was Becca and how did she escape?” Lexa prodded.

Abby rubbed at her temple. “Polaris was unresponsive towards prompts to negotiate. Alpha station pled and threatened, but there was no response. They were forced to eliminate the station.” Abby paused a moment. “However, there are eyewitness accounts -never confirmed- that a dropship was deployed before impact.”

“And what of Becca?”

Kane leaned forward. “Alpha station ordered the procurement of the files of all of the people on the station. Some three hundred people launched in space, most spoke one or two languages, but never the same ones. Alpha wanted to access the skills and mental health records of everyone on board. And in doing so, they also found the records of Polaris station members. There is a Becca, she was an engineer, specialized in artificial intelligence. She had a background in genetics, I remember because I thought it was an interesting combination. But there’s nothing we can do about re-accessing her files while the Ark mainframe is down.”

“Forgive me, but how does one gain artificial intelligence?” Lexa asked glancing towards Clarke, but finding no confusion in the other girl.

Clarke gave her a half smile. “Artificial intelligence is essentially the algorithms programed into computers and robots that allow the machine to learn from its environment. This ability to spot and process patterns allows it to predict future outcomes, giving it the semblance of human intelligence. It’s exceedingly difficult, most people on the Ark don’t bother with it much.”

“Yeah, us in mechanics and engineering have other things to worry about like oxygen recycling and water filtration.” Raven added. “I think AI is just some sci-fi disaster waiting to happen.”

“So, you can make your tek learn like people do?” Lexa furrowed her brows. “How successful have you been in creating intelligence?”

Raven shrugged. “Not particularly, but your Becca may have made some chess playing robots or something.”

“Wait,” Clarke held a hand. “Solid form,” She mumbled. “Lexa, what exactly is Alie?”

Titus’ eyebrows raised severely as he set the full force of his glare on Clarke. “How do you know of Alie?”

Lexa waved him down. “An entity. She has no solid form, she has been plotting against Heda for generations.”

Clarke turned towards the council. “Do you think maybe Alie is an AI? Maybe Becca built her to preserve some of history after the bombs?”

“I don’t think Alie was ever a name on any of Becca’s files.” Kane shrugged.

“Does it matter?” Raven asked. “I mean, listen. There has to be a power source, right? What’s running this thing? Seems to me like we’re talking about crap that’s never going to affect us.”

Lexa exchanged looks with Titus and Clarke. “If that’s all of the information available at the moment, we’ll move on to the Maunon.”

“Great!” Raven leaned forward, a wide grin on her face. “I have some ideas.”

It was Lexa’s turn to pause in surprise. “You do?”

Raven’s smile didn’t diminish in the slightest. “Listen, I told Anya all of this, but you’re the commander and all, and Abby is the Chancellor now so it’s time to get serious.” The glint in her eye rather impressed Lexa, she nodded for Raven to continue. “We jumped off a dam. Remember that Clarke? Most terrifying moment of your life, right?”

Clarke pursed her lips in agreement. Personally, Lexa hadn’t thought much of the jump. But she supposed Clarke didn’t swim much in space. “Get to the point, Raven.”

“The dam is Mount Weather’s main power source. If we blow it, we could probably buy a few seconds to open that vault door.”

“And what do we do about the poison fog?” Lexa retorted. “We can’t get close with the fog.”

“There’s poison fog?” Abby asked incredulously.

Lexa nodded once. “It melts the skin of the people caught in its path. The Maunon deploys it when large groups of people get close to their coward’s nest. We will need to stop them from deploying the fog before we can exterminate them.”

Wells leaned forward. “Listen, I think we should try negotiating first-“

“Out of the question.” Lexa and Clarke spoke in unison.

Wells raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. Okay. If there’s no making peace with Mount Weather, we still have people in the Mountain. Bellamy is there, and last time I talked to them, he was in good standing. If we can get in touch with him, he can be our inside man. Shut the acid off from inside.”

“How do we do that then?” Clarke leaned forward, raising her eyebrows in question.

“Finn,”

“Finn’s here?” Raven gasped. “Nobody told me?”

“I thought he was meeting you in the hospital.” Wells shrugged. “Anyway, they sent me with Murphy and Finn to negotiate an alliance between Mount Weather and the Ark. But I’d personally like to live till the end of the week, so I’ll do whatever needs to be done. Murphy disappeared. But we can send Finn in, say we were attacked, the Ark was attacked. Have Finn deliver a message, or a system of communication, to Bellamy.”

“We’re gonna send Finn back in there?” Raven glared at Wells. “Why don’t you go then? Or would you rather volunteer other people for risks you’re not willing to take?”

“Raven,” Abby warned.

“I get you’re hesitant.” Wells soothed. “But they will suspect me.” He glanced towards Lexa and back to Raven. “They consider Clarke, Bellamy, and I in charge of the delinquents. They don’t think Finn is very important. We need to utilize that.”

Raven scoffed. “You really want to send him in there?”

Kaplan rolled his eyes. “And why should we be concerned?”

Raven crossed her arms, leaning back from the table to glare at the other occupants of the room. “He’s delusional.”

“He’s not.” Wells shook his head. “He’s an idiot, no doubt. But he’s not delusional.”

“No,” Raven snarled. “You don’t understand. He thinks Clarke is his soulmate. Those nuts screwed with his head.” Lexa struggled to hide her surprise at this revelation, and even worse, the feeling of jealousy settling in the pit of her stomach.

Wells shut his eyes and heaved sigh. “He knows it’s not true. He was talking about it earlier today. You need to talk to him.”

“Now is not the time to be discussing lovers’ spats.” Titus spat caustically.

Clarke buried her face in her hands. “Why’d he have to involve me?” She muttered into her palms.

Lexa could feel the beginnings of a headache press in on her temples. She wasn’t quite sure if it was hers or Clarke’s, but either way, it was distracting. “This is unnecessary. I will leave it to the Skaikru leadership to decide who to send and how to communicate with our spy.” Lexa interrupted Raven as she opened her mouth to insult Titus. “We will plan the assault on the Maunon in the coming days while Clarke, Wells, and anyone appointed to aid them will orchestrate this Bellamy in the enemy hive. He will gather intelligence and then, when we are prepared, disable the fog. In the meantime, Titus, Abby, Clarke, and I will negotiate and record the terms of the Skaikru membership as a clan in the coalition. I assume the Skaikru will want to appoint Kane and Kaplan to organize and settle your people? This is not my decision, but it doesn’t matter. I suggest Skaikru begin preparations for war, the manufacture of weapons and training of your warriors is of utmost importance. Indra will act as General in Anya’s stead, Trikru warriors will train alongside Skaikru warriors to ensure seamless battle. Titus, send riders to Polis, tell them that I am declaring war upon the Maunon, and that I call upon the armies of the twelve clans to assist.” Lexa stood from her chair to begin a slow, thoughtful pace before the table. “Will that be all for this meeting?”

Abby shook her head. “We need to discuss provisions. The stations that crashed in Azgeda were our main agricultural sector, we have very few rations left. The Arkers won’t be able to fight without eating for weeks on end.”

Lexa pursed her lips, allowing herself three slow steps in either direction as she steepled her fingers. A furrow in her brow, she weighed her options. If she ordered the TonDC villagers to provide not only for their villagers, but also for a thousand foreign peoples who invaded their territory and scared their game, then the villagers and warriors of TonDC would grow impatient and resentful of their closest neighbors. If she ordered her Trikru warriors she ran the risk of undertraining her warriors in the crucial few days before a major battle in order to provide for twice as many people, many of whom could not pull their own weight.

But again, the Skaikru were invaluable, and she promised protection and provision. Choosing not to provide for them would sour their entrance into the coalition and hamper their proficiency with their tek and superior weaponry. The Skaikru was their only opportunity to remove the threat of the Maunon. Anything she did ran the risk of demoralizing her troops and dampening trust in her own leadership, all in the single most important moments of one of the most important wars Lexa will ever wage in her lifetime. Victory over the Maunon would cement Lexa’s position as the single, all powerful head of the Coalition, and would elevate the Trikru beyond the Commander’s favored clan. She could not fumble this opportunity because she put faith in a people weakened by starvation.

“Very well. I will have civilian villagers of TonDC teach non-warring Skaikru the skills necessary to survive and provide for their clan.” Lexa sighed softly. “Your people as members of the coalition will need to provide for yourselves. That includes hunting, and the new establishment of agriculture. TonDC will provide aid until you are fully independent. Titus, ensure this is done. Until then, your people will be fed by the combined generosity of the people of TonDC and my warriors stationed here.”

Kane bowed his head. “Thank you, Commander. Our people will not forget your generosity.”

“This meeting is dismissed. We will develop and employ strategies in the coming days.”

“Sha, Heda.” Titus sounded dully, glancing about the room in irritation when the sentiment was not repeated by the other members of the council.

The council, plus Wells, Raven, and Clarke, slowly stood and filtered their way through the door.

“Clarke,” She hadn’t even meant to say her name. She didn’t know what she wanted to say or do, but Lexa could hear her own voice, far quieter, far softer than she’d ever intended, leave her lips without her permission.

Clarke stopped, raising an eyebrow at the Commander. She paused to allow everyone else to leave, most unaware of the changing tension in the room. Clarke took a single step back towards Lexa and waited. Whatever it was that would happen, it was entirely on Lexa.

Her eyes slid away from the challenging blue stare, fixing instead on the wall to Lexa’s right, this way, Clarke couldn’t see her, right?

“I, um, I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Her hand automatically coming up to rub at her throat and chest, for just a second, the constricting pain in her chest lightened. “I’m sorry. It’s not my place.”

Clarke huffed the slightest hint of laughter. “If it’s anyone’s…” She trailed off, leaving Lexa once again to close the conversational distance.

Lexa fidgeted. She was a child again, fidgeting and squirming in front of a pretty girl she shouldn’t be talking to, foolishly close to ignoring her duty for some fleeting feeling in her chest. “I am… hesitant.” Lexa stopped, crossing and uncrossing her arms. “This, this could get both of us killed.”

“It’s not exactly something we can avoid. We’ve tried ignoring it.”

“Not really, but-“

“Not the point.” Clarke ran a hand through her hair, nodding. “Yeah.” They stood in an awkward silence, awkwardly avoiding each other’s eyes, awkwardly shifting and fidgeting. “So, what do we do?”

Lexa shrugged. “I maintain that no one can know.”

“And?”

“I don’t know.” Lexa sighed, taking her seat once more. “I’ve never- I don’t know.”

Clarke sighed. “Alright, we’ll wing it.”

Lexa attempted a small smile. “I’m not much help when it comes to this sort of thing.”

Clarke grinned. “I can tell.”