Chapter 9
“That’s a nice place.”
Raven looked around and gave the apartment an approving nod.
“Thank you.”
Lexa smiled at her. She was standing by the door, not knowing if she was supposed to leave or stay. So she waited for any sign Clarke would give her, but Clarke was distracted. She was sitting on the couch cross-legged, her hands fidgeting and did not know how to start.
Octavia sat on the chair across from her and waited. Usually Clarke wasn’t as restless as this and she wondered what it was she wanted to tell them. She also wondered why they were here, in Lexa’s apartment. Raven sat down next to Clarke and looked at her.
“So, are you going to tell us what’s up, or what?”
Clarke nodded, but stayed silent and Lexa thought of leaving again, but as soon as she made her first step Clarke looked at her. She looked at her like Lexa was her lifeline and it made her stop. She gave her an almost imperceptible nod and stayed right were she was. Which was almost in the middle of the room and therefore in the middle of the attention.
“What the hell, Clarke?” Raven grew impatient. “Spit it out. You’re bi, she’s hot. Are you a couple?”
Clarke was positively flummoxed. “What?”
Raven laughed. “You and Lexa. Are you two together and for some weird reason you’re afraid to tell us?”
“No and no!” Clarke stared at Raven and therefore didn’t see Lexa’s expression give away the tiniest bit of disappointment. It hadn’t been lost on Octavia though.
Clarke tried to focus. “This is not … Lexa and I … Damn it, this is not what this is about.”
“So, what is it about then?” Octavia looked at her. “There is obviously something on your mind. We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. You can tell us everything. You know that, right?”
Clarke felt like her brain was about to melt. Why was it so hard to just say it? She looked at Lexa who was still standing in the middle of the room, waiting. Her eyes were on her and she exuded a sort of calmness that Clarke desperately needed. Lexa smiled at her and so she continued.
“It’s about Finn. It’s about why I left.”
“What does the douche bag have to do with it?” Raven had that look she sported when she had a hunch and Clarke knew there was no going back now. She sighed.
“He is stalking me.” There it was.
Raven and O both stared at her in disbelief.
“He does what now?”
“He is stalking me. It started a few weeks before I left. He called me, waited in front of my door or at my car, sent me letters and flowers and one day …” There it was again, the lump in her throat. Every time she thought about that particular night she felt it. The panic that he would rape her … kill her. She saw the look in his eyes that wasn’t his, but that of a monster. She had never seen him like that before. She felt Raven’s hand on her arm.
“What did the bastard do, Clarke?”
She looked up. “He tried to rape me.”
Octavia was on her feet, before she could think about it.
“He did what?! I am going to kill him.” She looked furious. In fact she looked so mad that Lexa made a few steps backwards to stand between her and the door in case she decided to kill Finn right now.
Raven’s face was blank for a second, but then she put her arms around Clarke.
O looked at them and closed the distance between them to join in the embrace. They were all crying and Lexa gave them space.
“Why didn’t you tell us? We would have been there for you. We’re always there for you, Clarke.” Raven’s voice was shaky when they finally let go of each other.
Clarke was sobbing now and Lexa felt her heart break. It took Clarke a moment to be able to answer.
“There was nothing you could have done and I didn’t know … I wasn’t able to talk about it.”
“But the police …”
“Can’t do anything without an actual crime.”
“So you left.”
“I had a chance to get out for a while and I took it.” She looked at Octavia. “I’m sorry.”
“What the hell for?”
“For leaving you with the wedding … without Lincoln …”
“Don’t sweat it, Clarke. There is plenty left to do.” Octavia laughed. She was relieved. She was relieved that Clarke finally let her guard down and told them. Now they could confront the issue. Together, like they always had. She directed her attention at Lexa.
“So this is why Clarke is here with you? You’re basically her bodyguard?”
Lexa didn’t know how to answer that question. She hadn’t really thought about it, but it sounded about right.
“When she went home yesterday there was a rose on her doormat. He knows she’s back, so Clarke came here. My sister and I have a company that specializes in personal security so I guess you can say that I am some kind of bodyguard.”
“I bet that’s not the way she wants to guard Clarke’s body.” Raven’s voice was so low that Clarke almost didn’t here her, but she did. She glared at Raven who just shrugged.
Octavia wasn’t finished with Lexa yet.
“My brother works for you now, right?”
“Yes. Actually he is trying to get a hold of Finn to talk to him right now.”
“I hope he beats him up in the process.” Raven frowned. “If he doesn’t I just might. Don’t you ever think that I can’t.” She tipped on the brace on her leg.
Lexa smiled. “Raven, I think you’re perfectly able to kick someone’s ass.”
“What if he doesn’t find him or if he keeps harassing Clarke?”
Octavia looked at her and Lexa tilted her head a bit. This one was persistent. She liked her.
“We will deal with that.”
“How?”
Lexa smiled. “I have my ways.”
Octavia didn’t know why, but even if the answer was vague it satisfied her, because it came from Lexa. The woman had something going on. It seemed like underneath the calm and composed exterior there was a different person that would be able to deal with almost any situation. Octavia admired that.
Clarke listened to the conversation and realized that she was smiling. The way Lexa handled herself with her friends was something new. None of her boyfriends had ever been able to win her friends over, but with Lexa it was different. Seconds later she blushed at the realization that she had thought of Lexa in terms of a girlfriend. She saw the amused look on Raven’s face and glared at her some more.
“So what are we going to do now? Can we help in any way?” Raven took a closer look at Lexa. She had been right. The woman was hot and the way she looked at Clarke didn’t need an explanation. She was curious how long it would take the two of them to realize what was so clear to see.
“For starters you need to be aware that Finn might try to contact you to get to Clarke. I don’t know how he will react, so please, be careful if you see him.”
“He better be careful.”
“Raven!” Clarke looked at her friend. “Please.”
Raven sighed. “I know, I know. I won’t do anything stupid. I promise.”
Lexa nodded. “Okay. As long as Clarke isn’t safe she will stay here. If you guys could pick some things up from her place that would be a big help.”
“Sure. We can do that.” O looked at Clarke. “Make a list and we’re on it.”
She thought for a second. “Hey, how about we get your stuff and grab some pizza on our way back? We could hang out some more tonight.”
She looked at Lexa.
“If that’s cool with you? I mean, it’s your place after all.”
Lexa grinned. “Why does everybody feel the need to remind me of that?”
--
“He’s on leave.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Lexa stared at her phone that was on speaker.
“Since when?”
“For the last four days. He came in one morning and told his boss he needed a time out.”
“Four days. That’s probably after he ran into Abby.”
“Hm.” Bellamy agreed.
“Okay, then we have to get a hold of him another way.”
“I already gave all of his data to the tech guy.”
Lexa smiled at the phone.
“That would be Monty. Be nice to him. He’s a sweet kid and what he does with computers is just short of a miracle.”
“He’s a little weird though.”
“Aren’t tech guys always weird?”
Bell laughed.
Lexa took a look at Clarke who had said nothing. She knew Clarke was even more afraid than she was before.
“Listen, Bell, Octavia and Raven decided to come over in an hour or so. I guess they’ll bring Lincoln along. Do you want to join us?”
“Sure. I can bring the beer.”
Lexa heard in his voice that he understood why she was asking. Clarke needed to feel safe and Lexa guessed that having her friends around would take her mind off things.
“They said something about bringing pizza. Maybe you should call them and give them your order.”
“Yeah, I better, before Reyes gets me tuna again. I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye, Bellamy.”
Lexa ended the call and sat down next to Clarke.
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
“I guessed as much.” She took Clarke’s hand. “Nothing has changed, Clarke. You are safe here and we will find him.”
Clarke looked up. “But he is hiding, Lexa. This is worse than I thought. It’s like being on the run from Hannibal Lecter.”
The comparison mad Lexa grin just a little bit.
“I’ve seen Finn’s photo. He doesn’t look like Anthony Hopkins. Actually I’d be creeped out if he did.”
“That’s not funny.”
“It is a little bit.”
Lexa watched the slight raise of Clarke’s eyebrow and briefly wondered how it had come to this. She was sitting on her couch, holding a woman’s hand and wanting nothing more than to make her smile. When did this happen?
“Listen, Monty is a genius. He will find Finn. Knowing him he will even go to the dark side of the law to find him. He will. He is that good. The second we know where he is we will deal with him.”
“How? How will you deal with him?”
Clarke sounded angry, but Lexa knew she wasn’t angry at her.
“The boys will make sure he gets what’s at stake for him. And when everything else fails I will send Anya. My sister can be … very persuasive.”
For a second Lexa had a flashback. Anya with blood on her hands. Anya with a look on her face that Lexa would never forget. Anya who had killed a burglar that was about to lay hands on her kid sister. Lexa felt herself trembling.
“Lexa? Are you okay?” Clarke seemed worried. She didn’t want her to worry about her too, so Lexa shrugged it off.
“I’m fine.”
Clarke didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t ask any further.
“I guess I should take a look at your stitches and change the bandage. Or I could call my mum if you’d rather have her do it.”
Lexa grinned.
“It’s not like you haven’t seen me without my shirt before.”
Clarke blushed.
“It’s not … I don’t … Oh, come on, just take it off then.”
Lexa grinned some more. She undressed while Clarke got new bandages.
When she came back she carefully removed the old bandage and took a close look at the wound. It seemed to heal alright. She couldn’t help but notice the goosebumps on Lexa skin and smiled. She started to redress the wound.
“Are you cold?”
“Maybe a little.” Lexa didn’t sound too convincing. The sensation of Clarke’s fingers on her stomach did something to her and she fought hard not to act on it.
“Are you satisfied?”
Clarke smiled the most mischievous smile. “Not in the least.”
Lexa just stared at her. She was about to say something, do something, but then the doorbell rang. She put her shirt back on and got up.
“We will have to talk about this later.”
Clarke was still smiling.
“Maybe we do.”
--
“You’re early.”
Raven looked at Lexa and then over her shoulder at Clarke and raised an eyebrow.
“Why? Am I interrupting something?”
“Nope.”
“Then I guess I’m not that early. May I come in?”
Lexa took a step back.
“Sure. Where’s Octavia?”
“She’s picking up Lincoln and the pizza.” Raven held out a large back. “I hope that this is what you wanted, Clarke.”
Clarke got up to say hello. “Thanks, Raven. Was everything okay?”
“If you want to know if I saw that weirdo who is following you: no. And I checked.”
Clarke exhaled and Raven looked at her. “What do I miss? You seem even more tense than a few hours ago.”
Lexa closed the door.
“Finn is nowhere to be found. He took a leave of absence four days ago.”
“That son of a bitch!”
“My thoughts exactly. Sit down, Raven. Do you want something to drink?”
“Do you have a beer?”
“Sure. And Bellamy is bringing more.”
Lexa went to the kitchen.
“Clarke, what’s your poison?”
“A beer would be great, but I don’t know …”
Lexa smiled at her from the kitchen counter. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay sober.”
Clarke seemed to relax. “Okay, one beer is okay then, I guess.”
Octavia, Lincoln and Bellamy arrived about an hour later and they had a very pleasant evening all things considered. At some point Lexa felt Clarke’s hand on her knee as she was animatedly telling a story from the army hospital. Lexa didn’t mind. She also didn’t mind when Clarke started to lean into her carefully avoiding the bullet wound. She put her arm around her and listened to Bellamy and Lincoln talking about how they met. She missed that Octavia and Raven were watching them, exchanging the occasional knowing grin. Right now and right here the world was a perfect place … if it hadn’t been for the psychopath who was out there waiting for his prey. But she would deal with him. She would deal with him tomorrow.