Chapter 1:

Low wispy moans pierced the gray horizon, touching the crashing, rhythmic waters that rested before her cerulean eyes. "Hurricane?" Her raised eyebrow was an indication of the bitter sarcasm that leaked from her usually steeled demeanor. The precedent of her question being another when referring to the harsh storms that tormented her otherwise perfect home. Her nimble fingers delicately trailed through golden waves of hair as she released an unsteady sigh, dropping her hands to her sides in the process. "We aren't prepared for this weather—not after last time."

The taller woman with fierce green eyes mimicked Clarke's behavior, equally annoyed and partially scared of the change in atmosphere. Thea, a native to the oceanic tribes, knew of the treacherous storms and their historically disastrous nature. The woman appeared to be in her thirties but she once divulged over the mysterious grounder wine that she was only twenty-four. Thea was branded with symbolic marks—a custom of her people—but her compassion and innocence seeped past the scars indicating the number of kills and the tattoos indicating her clan position. Her dark brown hair cascaded down her back in intricate, complicated braids that highlighted her olive complexion. Clarke considered her a friend of sorts—that is, if a friend is solely defined with the knowledge that said person would die for you. "What are your orders, Chancellor?"

It was a joke or the best attempt at a joke that Thea could muster up in light of things, "I regret telling you of my past." Clarke mumbled distractedly as she watched a seagull dip around the shore, creating chaos with the other birds. "We should move towards our allies."

"You're not seriously considering fleeing back to your former home, are you?" Thea furrowed her eyebrows, "Lexa made sure you were always welcomed here and you haven't mentioned returning in four years. Four very pleasant years, I might add…what's a little rain?"

Clarke bit her lip before turning her entire body towards Thea, "She wants to know why she doesn't have a dad like everyone else, Thea. I'm not talking about permanently moving back there but how much longer can I keep her from him? It's not her fault we couldn't get our shit together long enough to make it work out. Three days, long enough for this storm to pass and long enough for me to tell him about her."

Clarke had been a co-leader, a partner, a best friend, a medic, a traitor, a recluse, a bitch according to some people but her title as mother was her favorite. Lidia was born on the first day of spring, a sign of good faith to the people she lived with. She was truly the most beautiful little person she'd ever seen even when she flashed that devilish smirk and informed her of what she was, and was not, going to do. "She has your eyes…" seemed to be only thing people could atone to Clarke when it came to her physical appearance, though. Fortunately, Lidia seemed to be highly intelligent for her age mostly due to her impressive observation skills—much like her mother. The brunette would run around the entire village asking monstrous amounts of questions concerning the body modifications each person seemed to have and more importantly, family structure. Her friends constantly talked about their fathers—how brave they were, how they hunted last week, how they were warriors and eventually, Lidia became slightly envious that she only had a mother who fit under both categories concerning the mother and father dynamics.

And much like anything else, Clarke would do anything to make Lidia happy without lying to her. She never had the strength or courage to lie to her daughter due to her personal experiences.

"The whole village isn't going to pack up and leave. The elders will want to stay and so will some of the younger clansmen. Who do you want to go with you?" Thea asked, "Choose wisely…not saying that I'm your wisest choice or anything but I meet all the qualifications."

She snorted and let the wind carry her hair as she thought over the group she wanted to take with her. They lived in a small community, less than fifty people in the entire village. Twenty of those people were elders, fifteen were warriors typically away doing their duties in other areas, and the rest were political leaders or people with status. Clarke wasn't the leader but if something suddenly happened to the old man who reigned loosely over them, she would become the de facto spokesperson. "Obviously I want to take you and Lidia would be highly upset with me if I didn't bring Uncle Briggs and Aunt Stella."

"So me, Briggs and Stella?" Thea seemed satisfied but then she opened her mouth to add another name to the list, "What about Layne?"

"Layne?" Clarke wanted to hit her for bringing up the man who followed her around, proposing left and right because he thought she was beautiful and special. Layne was attractive with his sandy blonde hair, sun kissed skin and hazel eyes but he was not the one. It could be said that he was the exact opposite of the one. "Because introducing Lidia to her father is code for romantic adventure."

"What's he like?" Thea asked slowly, "You never talk about him…is that because he broke your heart?" Memories of their relationship flooded Clarke's head as if the thought of returning to a place she hadn't seen in five years broke down the dam she'd built just for him. The first kiss, the first night together, the first confession of love and the goodbye, the lies, the hatred, the turmoil… it all rose in her chest until it felt like five years ago all over again—until she felt like she was pregnant and alone all over again.

Clarke cleared her throat, "Something like that."

Thea waited for a more elaborate response.

"Like I said before, we were a mess. We couldn't figure out what we wanted and it destroyed us, I guess. Still, just because we didn't work doesn't mean I had the right to run away and never tell him about his child. That was selfish. I was selfish, not just concerning him but concerning Lidia as well. She has a right to have a relationship with him."

"She's four." Thea stated, "You're all she's ever known. Her curiosity will pass, I don't know why you're pushing this."

"Because it's the right thing to do. It just took me a long time to figure it out." Clarke didn't want to fight with Thea about her decision—it'd been made and Clarke was the type of person that stuck with her choice once it was established.

Thea ran her tongue across her teeth before mumbling, "What if he's got a completely different life now? What if he's married?" Clarke's wry laugh caused Thea to frown, "What?"

"He is married." Clarke shrugged, "At least, the last time I saw him it was his wedding day so…I don't know, his life and the trouble this might cause him doesn't really concern me. If he's a complete ass about it, as he is about most things, then we'll know. I'll be able to tell Lidia the truth rather than a poor assumption based off of my own bias." She inhaled a large breath before continuing, "My intentions aren't to get him back or ruin his life. This is for Lidia. It's always going to be about Lidia."

"I wonder what he's going to think about the name Lidia…"

Clarke shrugged, "I don't know, I don't really care either. His sister helped me name her…you know, after Lexa and Indra delivered her." She practically sang her daughter's name, "Lidia Octavia Griffin-Blake."

"Not that last names really apply here." Thea commented, "So, when do you want to leave?"

"As soon as possible."