When we arrived into the gates everyone was checked for weapons. They were all brought into the underground holding keep as Anya brought Wells with us to the chief's tent. I paused in front of my home letting out a breath and then pulled the flap aside, nodding to the guards in front.

When I walked in, I saw Lexa sitting in her chair. Hair braided. Commander cape, face paint and all. We made eye contact before I shifted my gaze to Wells. Anya ripped off the hood above his head and Wells' blinked and squeezed his eyes shut a few times.

I grabbed his arm and dragged him in front of Lexa before forcing him to lower to the ground.

I kneeled as did Anya before I stood and faced the commander.

"This is Wells.". I stated. Lexa looked to me and a moment of compassion crossed her features and she nodded to me.

I swallowed as I looked back down to him. Steeling myself for what I was about to say.

"They sent children down to Earth, with no resources, no training, they sent them here to die in a chance to see if it was livable. To see if they could survive here." The pain I was feeling to have the same thing happen to the same generation that I was supposed to live in up there for years was surmountable.

The threat was evident in my statement. They were coming. Lexa's eyes flashed in anger.

She turned to Wells. Her gaze icy and cold.

"Wells of the sky people." She spoke.

His head shot up in fear. Anya removed his gag and he coughed a few times.

"Why did your people send you down here?" She asked.

Wells turned to me then back to Lexa, before looking down at his hands. Anya shoved him. He startled before croaking out the beginning of his story.

"My father told me they were sending all the kids that committed crimes against the Ark down to Earth for a last shot at survival. There is something wrong with the air supply. That's all he would tell me." After he said that he looked back up to me.

"Why are you here then." I asked.

He gulped. "My father told me to see if my friend and her mom were alive. He grabbed me straight out of bed and told me he couldn't see me suffocate a long with them if that's what happened." He whispered. "I thought…I thought they had died in an accident that happened…t-there was…" He couldn't finish as his voice cracked from tears. They dripped down his face as he shook in agony. "There was a breach and my friends whole family died. My best friend died."

He sobbed as if the pain had just happened and it's been ten years. I was seething in anger.

"They made it look like an accident. They've got to be joking." I growled as I began to pace. I ran my hand through my hair. Lexa put her hand up and I paused as I glanced at her as she stood and looked down at Wells.

"Your people wish to come down out of the sky. After spending ten years thinking that the threat of air pollution was incorrect. Made by a sound technician. Whom They killed. The people responsible for Clarke's "Death" are led by whom you call father." She let her words hang in the air. Wells was shaking as he looked at me. I saw the recognition immediately. I stared him down as tears began to well in his eyes again as he looked at me and then they fell. Before croaking out what I had hoped he would have said the first time we saw each other. "Clarke."

Lexa walked down the dais. Wells turned back to look up at her.

"They sacrificed you to test this new risk because they fear the one thing that Clarke deserves to give them." She gritted out the last word and I felt the hair at the back of my neck stand up. "Death."

I moved closer and looked down at Wells.

"They gave my father no choice. They were coming Wells. Your father. Kane. The council." I crouched down to meet his eyes. "He sent me and my mother to the one place he thought was covered in radiation and death but that was a better alternative than no chance at all. They were going to float us. All three of us. Just because my father spoke up and wanted to tell the whole Ark that they were running out of air."

By this time Wells was shaking in fear and disbelief but I could tell he knew I was telling the truth.

"What do we do Clarke." He rasped out as he bowed his head and covered his face with his hands. "I know what they did was wrong, but they are all going to die up there. What do we do?"

My face was impassive. "Let them." I said as Anya grabbed Well's. The look of dread, fear and hurt was new on Wells' face. He was dragged away. All I could hear was Wells calling my name. Yelling it before being gagged once again and taken down to the others.

I felt Lexa move to me. She stood in my space before putting her fingers on my jaw and turning my head. I could barely see her behind the tears.

"Clarke." She whispered.

"I know." I mumbled as she took me into her arms and held me close. She shielded me as I cried. I cried for my dad. I cried for our continued losses. I cried for the future I never had. And I cried most for the 100 delinquents that never had a chance to live until they were thrown away like I was to the unknown.

I was finally letting go. Earth was my home. The Trikru were my people. Lexa was it. The Ark is no more.

A Month Later

I was feeling a lot better and all my injuries were healed as I moved to where we had set up the camp for the 100. We had given them a choice. Live here and become a part of this people by kneeling to Lexa or be exiled and try to survive which was pretty much a 0% chance. They decided to take the deal. Especially after Wells took leadership and convinced them. I was noticing that most of the kids looked to him for guidance on what to do and that was okay. He was the link between us. We removed all their bracelets that had them in contact with the Ark. I had commanded that after I had told Wells their fate. The look of loss and grim acceptance was harsh and aged him considerably to realize he would never see his father again.

I met him and who he felt was a suitable to take the bracelets off and we began the process. I split them up into tasks around the camp and assigned Wells to their wellbeing. They were aware of the consequences to anyone stepping out of line after a few of them rebelled against the village. They were strung up and sentenced to 1000 cuts. More decided it was easier to leave and were found days later with their throats ripped out by jaguars. Those that were left accepted that this was their new home and adapted to the workload.

"Clarke."

I turned and found Anya looking annoyed. I raised an eyebrow and she huffed.

"That sky girl is messing with the drop ship tech again."

I sighed and shook my head. Raven Reyes. She came down in a pod a few weeks ago and was wreaking havoc. Especially for Anya. She intentionally messed with her and scared her with new explosions or mishaps when she was tinkering away. After she came down asking for the boy she loved and found out his throat was ripped out by jaguars she has been diving headfirst in whatever she could get her hands on.

"It's her way to cope. Just keep an eye on her and make sure she isn't creating anything for communication." I said.

Anya nodded and mumbled as she gave dirty looks to the girl in question who was laughing at something someone said around the campfire.

"You could always ask her some questions if you're that curious." I told her.

She looked almost sheepish and she narrowed her eyes at me. Well. As sheepish as she could be. Anya still freaked me out since our training days when she was training Lexa and I.

"I don't know what you mean." She said.

I smirked when I turned away from her. There was something there.

"Clarke."

I turned again and saw Lexa walking towards me.

"We need to speak."

I nodded. I looked Lexa over, and she looked tired. Dark circles under her eyes as she walked around in her commander outfit. This month has been hard on her. We have been getting reports of more and more people being taken to the mountain.

"War room?" I asked. She nodded.

We haven't had a moment to talk about what I wanted to say to her that day the 100 came down from the Ark. She has been going back and forth to Polis for meetings while I stayed put to keep my eye on the Arkians. She has been in meetings day in and day out lately. I promised myself I would drag her away from everything once we dealt with the worst thing that has haunted this civilization since the end of the old world. The mountain.

Later

I was reading when Lexa walked in. I looked up as she began disassembling. I got up to help her and she let out a breath as the last piece was removed. Her shoulders relaxed.

"Would you like me to draw you a bath Heda?" I said teasingly. She glared good naturedly and then a small smile came over her face. "Thank you, Clarke." Her shoulders lowered more. "I'm sorry we haven't seen much of each other. This is the first time I've been able to get out of meetings so early."

I raised an eyebrow as I looked at all the candles around us and at the dark sky outside.

"Earlish?" she asked. I laughed.

"I'm sorry too. I haven't been much better."

We looked into each other's eyes smiling before she turned away to take her face paint off.

"Thank you for always supporting me Clarke." She said quietly as she put a soft cloth in water and looked into the mirror. Wiping her face.

I watched her silently and let out the breath I was holding before getting up and moving closer to her.

I stood beside her and put my hand on her shoulder. I squeezed it and she put her hand on mine.

"Always." I said.

She looked up at me and I was momentarily stunned at how green her eyes were as she watched me.

"Clarke." She said. I visibly swallowed. Here hair was still braided, and water was dripping as if she had slicked her hair back while she was washing her face. She was so beautiful. Her fingers were playing with mine on her shoulder and she was squeezing them so tightly as she searched my eyes for something. I wasn't sure what. Or pretended not to know what she was looking for. I had to look away and into the mirror in front of us. I watched her. She was looking at me in a way I wasn't expecting. Almost so intently I was sure I was going to combust.

Have I really been this blind? I looked back at her and she stood up to be at my level. She was so close yet so far from my grasp.

She ran her hands across my shoulders, across my neck, into my hair and I visibly swallowed again.

"Lexa?" I questioned hoarsely.

"Clarke…" Her eyelids became heavy as she looked down to what I could only assume were my lips.

My heart was beating out of my chest. I gripped her hips and shirt. She leaned in. Our noses brushed and I could feel her hair on my cheek.

"What were you going to ask me?" she asked me.

I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. My lips parted. I dug my fingers into her. This was it. I watched her eyes. They were begging me to ask.

"Do you have feelings for me?" I whispered against her lips. The slow smile that came across her face was almost worth every second I agonized over her.

"Yes." She said to me in relief.

I kissed her.

She breathed out as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and melted into me. The kiss was like I had just returned home from the longest adventure. The longest wait. The longest drought.

I moved a centimeter away from her and she followed. Continuing to kiss me as she buried her fingers in my hair. Using her thumbs to rub across my jawline. I pulled her flush against me as I fell against the vanity almost sitting on it as I leaned against it. She was so warm. I was on fire everywhere her body touched mine. I wrapped my arms around her as she bit my bottom lip and then sucked on it.

When we pulled away, we were breathing hard. Foreheads leaning on the others.

"Wow." She breathed out.

I flicked my eyes up to see her looking at me as she put a bit more space in between us so she could look at me.

I smiled at her.

She cupped my cheek and moved back into my space. "Clarke."

There was loud yelling outside the tent.

We both closed our eyes in disappointment.

"It's okay." I whispered.

She pulled me to her. I relaxed into her embrace.

"I promise. We will be continuing this."

I nodded. "Duty calls Lex."

She curled around me for a bit longer until she heard her title called.

"Heda."

We both let go and turned to see Indra enter. The look on her face was grim.

"Some of the Arkians. They've been taken."

My blood ran cold.

The Mountain.

Hey guys, Thank you so much for the messages and support on the changes. Here is another chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

Artemis