Chapter 3
After three hours Lexa needed to pee. She was lucky that the old Mrs. Oriano, who lived across from Clarke, chose this moment to open her door and inquire about Lexa’s presence in front of Clarke’s door. She remembered who Lexa was and after Lexa had explained that she was with the police department and here on official business, Mrs. Oriano let her use her restroom. Lexa hoped that Clarke wouldn’t use the two minutes she was gone to pull another vanishing act, but when she came back to the door, she heard her arguing on the phone.
Three minutes later the door opened and Clarke stared at her.
“You’re still here.”
“Yes.”
“My dad made you.”
“My Captain made me. Or better: You make me, because you won’t stay with you parents.”
Clarke furrowed her brow. She looked annoyed and ready to fight.
“Isn’t there somewhere else you have to be? At home with your new girlfriend, or something?
“I don’t have a …” Lexa was livid. “Shouldn’t your fiancé be here to make sure you’re okay?” She saw the way Clarke’s face changed and immediately regretted uttering the sentence. Clarke just stared at her for a second, before she slammed the door in her face. Again. This was going to be fun.
Raven and Octavia arrived at seven p.m. with a bunch of pizza boxes and couldn’t stop laughing when they found Lexa sitting on the floor.
“Wow, Detective, what a sight to see. I almost don’t believe my eyes.” Raven grinned at her. “She won’t let you in?”
“No.” Lexa stayed exactly where she was, staring at her boots.
“Have you asked nicely?”
“I don’t have the chance to ask her anything for she keeps slamming the door in my face.”
Raven was still laughing.
Octavia looked at Lexa. “Lets just for just one second put aside the fact that Clarke still hates you and therefore we are not supposed to like you either: Thank you for saving her, Lexa! And thank you for putting up with her right now to keep her save.”
Raven nodded. “Bell told us that this might not be over so we appreciate you being here.” A small grin appeared on her face. “Well, not exactly here here.” She pointed to Lexa’s position on the ground.“ She took one of the pizza boxes and gave it to her.
“Here. I figured, you might get hungry. Ham and extra pepperoni. That was your style, right?”
Lexa looked at her in awe.
“You remember stuff like this? It’s been three years since we last had pizza together.”
Raven just shrugged. “I have the memory of an elephant. Listen, if you have to go somewhere for a while, we’ll stay with Clarke for a few hours.”
Lexa smiled at her. “Thanks for offering, but don’t get me wrong: When some guy with a gun shows up, what exactly do you think you’re going to do?”
Both girls looked at her. “Point taken.”
Lexa’s phone rang at eight p.m. It was Bellamy with updates on the case. There were no connections between the Azgeda Corp. and Cage Wallace and nothing that connected Nia Queen to him. Monty was Monty though and when he came up empty he had been trying other angles. Nia Queen had two children: a son, Roan, who was in Japan and therefore not a likely suspect, and a daughter, named Ontari, who had a huge trust fund. Interestingly enough there had been a cash withdrawal of over one million dollars about one month ago. Bell wanted to confront her about it, but Lexa had a better idea. She told him to get Harper, Monty and Monroe to work. In this day and age there were video cameras everywhere. How hard would it be to find our where Ontari had taken the money after the withdrawal?
Raven and Octavia left at midnight. Clarke made an effort not to notice Lexa sitting next to her door when she said goodbye to her friends and closed the door seconds after. Raven looked at Lexa.
“Wow, she really is going to go through with this. Listen, we tried to talk some sense into her, but she won’t listen, so I guess, you’re going to be needing this.” She took something out of her jeans pocket and gave it to Lexa.
“What’s that?”
“Jeez, you’re supposed to be a detective. What do you think?”
“Her spare key?”
“Ten point for Gryffindor.”
“Thank you, Raven.”
“Just don’t tell on me.”
“I won’t.”
Just after one a.m. Clarke’s door opened again. Clarke stood in the doorframe and looked at her. Without a word she put down a blanket, a pillow and a bottle of water, then she closed the door again.
Lexa smiled.
A few hours earlier:
Clarke was mad. She ran around her apartment searching for something other to occupy her mind than Lexa standing outside her door like a damn watchdog. She started to paint, but everything that materialized on the canvas was vague and unsatisfying.
Three time she made her way to the door and looked through the peephole. Yes, she was still there, and yes, the pure sight of her still made her pulse go faster. Clarke was sure it was because of how much she despised her.
Yesterday she could have sworn that right before she woke up in the car Lexa had kissed her. She could still feel her lips on her forehead. It was a burning feeling.
Clarke sighed. Why the hell wouldn’t she leave? She could easily have put a few unis in front of her door and she would still be safe, but there she was. Suddenly it hit her.
She got the phone and called her dad.
“Clarke? Is everything okay?”
“Dad, are you responsible for Lexa staying in front of my apartment door?”
“Lexa is outside?”
“So, that’s a yes then?”
“Clarke, don’t act like a child and let her in.”
“Why the hell would you make her come here, dad?”
“She is supposed to keep you safe.”
“Every policeman in the city could do that. Why is she here?”
Her father sighed.
“Because I trust no one but her when it comes to your life, Clarke. Please, let her in, okay? You can be mad at me about this if you want to, but she is not your enemy.”
Clarke huffed. “I have plenty of reasons to be pissed at Lexa. I don’t need this particular one to make her stay outside of my apartment. If you really insist that she is going to be here instead of doing actual police work, this is how it’s going to be.” She hung up.
It was all too quiet now. She considered calling Finn, but then called Raven instead.
“Hey Raven? If the offer still stands I’d love you and O to come over. Keep me company for a while?”
“Sure, Clarke. Whatever you need. Should I grab pizza on the way?”
Clarke thought about it for a moment.
“Sure, sounds fine. Let’s say around seven?”
“Works for me.”
“Good. … and Raven?”
“Yes?”
Clarke sighed.
“Bring an extra pizza with ham and extra pepperoni, okay?”
“I can do that, but why?”
“It’s for Lexa. She’s sitting outside my door making sure nothing happens to me.”
“What?”
“My dad made her do it. Just bring the pizza and don’t tell her it was my idea.”
Raven laughed. “Whatever you say, boss.”
She must have dozed off. Lexa took a look at her watch. It was four a.m. and she wasn’t sure what it was that had woken her. Then she heard it again. Someone was calling her name. The sound came from Clarke’s apartment. Lexa shot upright. What if somebody had managed to get past her? She made the two steps to the door and listened. It didn’t sound like a fight, but she heard Clarke’s voice saying ‘No! No, please!” over and over again. Lexa took the key from her jeans and opened the door. The living room was dark and Clarke’s voice seemed to come from the bedroom.
Lexa took her gun from the holster and locked the door behind her. She moved quietly, avoiding the pieces of furniture in her way, always looking for a possible intruder, but there was nobody there. When she arrived in Clarke’s bedroom, she understood.
Clarke was alone. She was having a nightmare or it was more like she was having a panic attack while beeing asleep. She lay in her bed, her body almost convulsing and she was screaming in agony. Lexa put her gun back inside the holster and switched on the lamp that was on the little table next to the bed, but Clarke didn’t wake up. She was covered in sweat, her hand turned into fists, knuckles white. She kept repeating a name. Lexa’s name.
Lexa tried to wake her up, but Clarke was too far gone, so she did the only thing that she could think of: She pulled her into a sitting position und put her in a tight hug so she wouldn’t hurt herself.
“Clarke! Clarke, it’s me. You’re okay. I am here. No one is going to hurt you! I am here. Clarke, please! Listen to me!”
That seemed to calm her down to some extent. Lexa kept talking and after about ten minutes she felt Clarke relax in her embrace. Her head sank onto Lexa’s shoulder and her hands grabbed Lexa’s shirt.
“Lexa?”
“I am here, Clarke. You’re okay. You’re safe.”
She felt Clarke’s tears on her shoulder.
“He was about to kill me.”
“I know, but he didn’t. You’re right here. With me. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“You hurt me.”
Lexa stopped breathing for a second.
“I know, I did. I am sorry, Clarke.”
Clarke was shivering.
“Your shirt is soaked, Clarke. You need to change.” Lexa pulled away a few inches to look at her, but found Clarke’s gaze empty and exhausted. “Can you sit here alone for just a second. I’ll just get you something new to wear.”
Clarke nodded.
Lexa got up and went to the wardrobe. She opened a drawer and found Clarke’s shirts in exactly the same spot they had been in three years ago. She took one out and gave it to her. Clarke merely looked at it.
“Okay, no problem. I’m going to help you change, okay?”
Another nod.
Lexa put her hands to the rim of Clarke’s shirt and pulled it up and over her head. She tried not to look at the goosebumps on Clarke’s back as she sat there, wearing nothing but a pair of panties. She helped her get the new shirt on and briefly considered getting her some new underwear as well, but there was a thin line between restraint and masochism and she decided not to cross it.
Also Clarke looked extremely tired now. It seemed like the weight of the world pulled her body back down to the bed. Lexa helped her to lie down and looked at her. Clarke’s eyes were only merely open. She kissed her forehead. Again. It seemed to be her thing lately.
“Sleep now, Clarke. You will feel better in the morning. And maybe then we can talk …” Lexa got up, but Clarke’s hand shot up and grabbed her wrist.
“Please. Don’t go. … I don’t want to be alone.”
Lexa looked at her. She was so beautiful. How could she say no? So she sighed, put her holster with the gun on the bedside table and lay down next to Clarke. Their bodies found the right positions instantly. “Muscle memory”, Lexa thought and fell asleep.
“What the fuck are you doing in my fiancés bed?!”
Lexa woke up with a jolt. It took her a few seconds before she realized where she was and who was screaming at her. Finn stared at her like he was ready to kill.
Lexa looked at Clarke who seemed just as shocked as she was.
Lexa got up.
“I know this sounds stupid, but it really isn’t what it looks like.”
“Yeah? What do you think it looks like?”
“Finn, I just stayed, because Clarke had a panic attack. Nothing more. I fell asleep. I’m sorry.” She took the holster and put it back on. She hadn’t heard him come in. If he had been a killer, they both would’ve been dead. She messed up. This couldn’t happen again.
She took another look at Clarke, who looked tired and confused, but whose eyes wouldn’t leave her. Lexa gave her a small smile. “I will leave you guys alone. I’ll be outside if you need me.”
Finn glared at her as she passed him, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was that she felt Clarke’s eyes follow her as she left. What the hell was she supposed to do now?