Epilogue 1: The New Coalition

Clarke placed a bouquet of flowers on Maya's grave, and took a moment to solemnly take in everything that had happened since they had arrived on Earth. When Clarke moved back, Jasper's strong arm linked around her shoulders.

"Thanks for coming," he said, and though there was a bittersweet tone to his voice, the pain of losing his girlfriend had faded enough for him to move forward. He had taken it on himself to keep the graveyard in good condition, and though it mostly hosted the people of Mount Weather, it served as a final resting place for their own people as well. Though no one spoke of it, it was a much-appreciated perk to being back on Earth.

The two of them walked back up to the open gates of the Skaikru, greeting the guards that were stationed out of habit, not need. They parted ways at the elevator, and before Clarke left to return to the Grounder camp, she stopped at each of the stations to catch up with her old friends.

Everyone was in high spirits today. Raven and Wick showed her the new radio system they had built, and to prove how efficient it was, they chatted back and forth with the screen in front of them. After the war, they had travelled to many of the Woods Clan villages, along with the Capital, installing towers and updating devices.

"Check, one two," Raven called into the radio. Luna's smiling face came over the computer, and though Clarke noted it was no clearer or more advanced than what Ark had been using for decades, she felt a surge of excitement.

"All set here, Raven. We are looking forward to you touring with us, so our people can make contact with the Capital and Mount Weather like this. This is going to change everything!"

"We'll be coming your way once we're all done here." After the war, the Coalition had been reformed with Lexa heading it once again. The neutral clans, along with those who had sided with the Ice Nation, had been welcome into the fold after a collective apology. The Ice Nation had a new leader appointed – someone with a little less ambition and penchant for war, and Clarke had found that the people without a military presence were actually quite humble and friendly. The only clan with a standing army was Lexa's, but she had no qualms with each clan running their own lands as they saw fit. All in all, the world had been fairly quiet since the battle in the City of Lights.

"This is amazing," Clarke noted. "You two have accomplished so much over the last few months."

"Three," Raven said sheepishly, and a small girl poked her head from around the desk. Clarke's eyebrows almost hit her hairline.

"Allie?" The girl just offered her a tentative smile, before looking at Raven.

"I'm sorry, Clarke, I meant to tell you but it just never came up. I found her A.I. box while we were leaving, and I restored it to working condition a couple weeks after we got back here."

"Hello Allie," Clarke greeted, peeking around the desk. The girl visibly relaxed before standing back up to greet her. "Do you like it here? Have we changed your mind?"

"Yes, it's nice here. I can't go far from the gates, but I'm never bored and there are so many people to talk to."

"I'm glad," Clarke offered, honestly. She sat and spoke to the three for a bit longer before bidding them farewell and heading towards the Command Centre to visit Bellamy and Marcus.

Marcus was going over several stacks of paper when she came in. Clarke's mother had stepped down six months ago, and Marcus had taken on the role of Chancellor. He too had mellowed out over time and adjusted well to the ground, so the citizens of Ark found themselves able to come and go as they please, and trust in their leader to keep things running smooth. The holding cells were no longer packed with minor crimes, and a new system had been implemented. Sentencing now aligned comfortably with the impact that the crime had on people both emotionally and physically, and the council decided as a unit how to deal with each case individually. Bellamy would be up here most days, as he was head of security and also part of the Council (something Clarke could not be more proud of him for), but he was off today and most likely down at the camp with Lincoln and his sister. Marcus was busy, so he could only offer a quick hug and promise that they would speak later. Clarke promised that she would hold him to that before heading to her next stop.

Clarke headed to the medical wing next.

"Clarke!" Abby greeted, squeezing her daughter so tightly that the air would not return to her lungs. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

"It's only been a couple of months, Mom. How are things?"

"Great," Abby replied honestly, returning to her cabinet and organizing bottles. "I am going to miss Denna when she returns to the Capital. She has been a godsend, honestly. Such an amazing woman." Clarke smiled broadly, glad that the two women got along so well. "She thinks the world of you, you know. Will you be leaving right after the ceremony?"

"I think we're going to be here for a couple of weeks."

"You should come work with us in the hospital wing while you're here. Oh, and bring Lexa. She could use some training." Clarke barked out a laugh, before heading for the door.

"I'll see what she says. I'll see you in a bit, Mom. Don't get too caught up in your work and miss it." Abby, remembering something, asked Clarke to wait. She returned with a small bundle.

"It's a little something for the ceremony."

Clarke took the elevator back to the base level, and headed back towards the Grounder camp.

"Lexa is at the river," Indra called over to her as she approached the Commander's tent. Redirecting herself, Clarke travelled into the woods and towards the river. When she arrived, Clarke couldn't help but watch Lexa's form cut smoothly through the water as she swam back and forth.

"Is there enough room for two? Am I going to find anything that wants to eat me in here?" Clarke dipped her big toe in the stream tentatively.

"Oh you might," Lexa purred, swimming towards Clarke and standing up. She felt a blush spread across her cheeks as her eyes absorbed the rivets of water streaming down Lexa's slim form. She had seen her lover naked countless times, but it still made her stomach flutter in anticipation whenever Lexa looked at her with the wanting look that pinned her now.

Her eyes travelled down until the accent of Lexa's hipbone teasingly disappeared underneath the surface. Clarke couldn't get the rest of her clothes off fast enough, though her eyes did not move from her heda.

There was a splash as Clarke swam towards Lexa. The two of them collided, lips crashing and limbs entwining with one another. Lexa led the two of them through the pounding waterfall and out of sight from any passing eyes.

Clarke's back met the rock wall behind the falls, which had been polished smooth from decades of pounding water. The mist that swirled around them was therapeutic, and the two of them reveled in the peace that the moment brought them. It was as if no one, and nothing, existed except the two of them.

Lexa's lips left a trail of fire across Clarke's collarbone, and moved along her shoulders. The rush of water drowned out any noise she made as Lexa's fingers expertly found their way between her legs.

With Lexa's palm cupping her sex as fingers skillfully maneuvered inside of her, the Commander's other hand guided Clarke's mouth to her own into another searing kiss. When she felt the blonde's body seize against her, she pulled away and met Clarke's eyes – which exposed every feeling and thought she was having at that moment. Clarke forced herself to keep her eyes open as she bore the long and encompassing orgasm that followed. She reached down to return the favour to her lover, and the two of them peaked again. They pleasured one another until neither could take any more, and when they were done, they stayed beneath the falls.

"Clarke." The blonde hummed in reply, like she often did when she was too weak to muster words to answer. "Nothing," Lexa continued in a whisper. "I just love saying your name. It reminds me that you are here with me."

Clarke smiled against her lover's cheek and twisted her head up to plant a lingering kiss against Lexa's temple.

"I'm so lucky," she sighed, though she wasn't sure that Lexa could hear her. Either way, the Commander must have understood, because her grip tightened and she snuggled her nose deeper into a crook of Clarke's shoulder.

When they finally emerged, the two of them dressed and headed back to the camp hand in hand. When they reached the outskirts, the noise was deafening. The ceremony would start any time now.

Lexa put her armor away, and was pulled on an outfit that Clarke had only seen her wear once before at a formal event in the Capital. Seeing Lexa wear clothes that were not battle worn always intrigued Clarke, and she knew that this would be a day to sear into her memory.

Clarke found herself stealing looks at the Commander frequently. When Lexa began brushing out her hair, Clarke disappeared behind the divider to try on the dress that her Mom had given her.

"What do you think?" Lexa's mouth formed a small 'o', obviously not expecting the sight before her. Clarke resisted the urge to laugh, because her dress complimented Lexa's own dark clothing selection. Most of the Grounders would likely be wearing tans or browns, so it was a pleasant surprise that they complimented each other's colours without trying.

The little black sleeveless sundress fit her perfectly. Her light skin, despite the hours of sunlight it received, contrasted beautifully against the dark material. She was thankful that her mother had enough sense to include shoes, otherwise she would have had to wear her boots – and that would have ruined the entire outfit.

"Just a minute," Lexa suddenly said, and she moved to rummage through a trunk. Clarke watched her curiously. Despite travelling for so long together, she still didn't know what was kept in many of these trunks and boxes. "I want you to have this," Lexa said, a rare excitement shining in her eyes. She held up a gorgeous neckpiece, made of silver and turquoise. Lexa put it on, and kissed her soundly, before backing up and beaming at Clarke in pride.

"There are no words," Lexa finally said, which made Clarke flush with pleasure at the compliment. Arm in arm, the two of them left the tent and headed towards the ceremony.

"In one another, we find strength. Today we gather here to celebrate the joining of two lives and two clans, where hodnes laik uf." Indra stood proudly at the head of the ceremony, performing Octavia and Lincoln's wedding.

Lexa sat quietly and watched, but at some point, she reached over and squeezed Clarke's hand, not letting go. Clarke knew that Lexa had spent most of her life believing that love was a sign of weakness. Slowly, but surely, the Commander had come to realize that there could be strength in love. Clarke had reaped the rewards of this revelation time and time again, even if Lexa would not admit it out loud.

Indra did her best to incorporate both cultures into the ceremony, and though much of the Trigadesleng would be lost on the Skaikru, they could still appreciate the significance that backed the foreign words.

Octavia and Lincoln's wedding was beautiful, and was followed by a great feast and celebration. The Grounders sang traditional wedding ballads for the pair. When the celebration began to wind down the first time, Jasper and Raven introduced music over loud speakers. This was new for the Grounders, but as they watched the Skaikru jump around, they quickly adjusted and soon it was a mass of dancing bodies from both sides.

Clarke had never seen Lexa downright drunk, but she knew that the Commander had a little extra this night when she leaned heavily against Clarke and called out the words of a particularly catchy song.

"That was an excellent ballad," Lexa slurred. "I would like to hear it again sometime."

The next morning, the camp remained quiet long after the sun had rose, though many forced themselves up to see Octavia and Lincoln off. They would be leaving the clan for a year, as was customary, to celebrate their union with one another. When they returned, they could either rejoin the army or settle down in TonDC to have children. Octavia had tried to act indifferently about the prospect of having children, but Clarke could see the glimmer of hope that had caused the warrior's resounding 'not yet' to falter – if even just a little.

When the two were out of sight, Clarke returned to their tent and put together a day bag, eagerly anticipating the day with her mother and Denna, and learning a few more medical techniques. Lexa would likely sleep until the afternoon, and would likely be surly for the rest of the day. She left a chew on the pillow beside her lover's head, and leaned the give her a kiss goodbye. There was a small grumble of protest from the half-woken Commander, but it only made Clarke smile. After leaving the tent, the smile turned to a beaming grin.

A year of peace had done wonders for everyone. Though Lexa had warned Clarke that peace was never apt to last, Clarke would cherish every moment of it that did, and knew that the ever on-guard Commander had noticed and gladly embraced it as well.

Author's Note: This update was a bit slow to come, and it was originally meant to be the epilogue. I have one more chapter that I have been stewing on, so we have one more update before this story reaches its end. Thank you everyone for reading so far, and for the reviews. I'll try to have the last chapter up soon!