AN: This is my first fanfiction ever. I really love Clexa, so I decided to give it a try.

Warning: There is violence included in the first chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own the 100 or any of its characters.

I hope you all enjoy the story!

Chapter 1

Lexa had been following the tracks for days now, looking for Wanheda. She got word from Roan of Azgeda that he had captured Clarke at the trading post a few days ago, but she had escaped, and Lexa had been tracking her ever since. She could hear the crackling of a fire up ahead, and the smoke that permeated the air stung her eyes. She knew that it had to have been Clarke who started this fire, and as it was still day time, she figured Clarke must have been cooking something. When she got to the edge of the clearing, she froze. There was Clarke, her hair back to its original blond, stamping out the fire, probably meaning to leave the clearing. However, before she could, Lexa emerged from the trees.

"Hello, Clarke," Lexa said, carefully avoiding the term Wanheda, as she knew it would probably upset the other girl.

Clarke stopped in her tracks, eyes widening as if she were seeing a ghost. Clarke blinked, but Lexa did not vanish. Clarke's face set in a scowl. Then, she was pulling her sword from its sheath and coming at Lexa with it.

"You left me all alone at the mountain. You left me to die," Clarke snarled, stopping in front of Lexa, "You forced me to kill all those people!"

"I did what I had to do. For my people," Lexa said, careful not to let any signs of emotion onto her face.

"So why are you here? Shouldn't you be with your people?" Clarke asked.

"I left Indra in charge of my people. She knows I may be a while. I am here to ask you to return to your people or to accompany me back to Polis. It's not safe out here. The Ice Queen wants your power and is looking for you," Lexa explained.

"So why do you care? Why not just let me die?" Clarke asked.

"Because I do care, Clarke. I care about you, and I want you to be safe," Lexa said.

"Yeah, well it didn't look like it when you left me standing in front of that mountain. It's too late, Lexa. You've already made your choice, and I hate you for it," Clarke growled.

"Clarke, please," Lexa said, allowing a little of her love for the blonde to show in her eyes.

She hoped this tiny show of emotion would get through to Clarke, but it didn't. It just seemed to fuel her anger.

"No. You don't get to pretend you still care. You made it quite clear that you don't. I want you to feel the pain that I felt. I will not come back with you because I'm going to kill you," Clarke said darkly.

Clarke immediately slashed her sword as if to cut off Lexa's head, but Lexa was ready, grabbing her own sword with lightning speed and blocking Clarke's attempt. Clarke was fierce and a better fighter than Lexa expected, but she was no match for the commander. Lexa refused to attack, choosing only to defend herself because she did not wish to hurt Clarke. At the realization of this, Clarke swung with more force, and there was more anger behind every swing.

"Fight back!" Clarke screamed, eyes sparking with fury, "Don't just defend! Fight back!"

Lexa refused to fight back however as she hoped that Clarke would break at some point, and the Clarke she knew would come out. As they fought on and on though, Lexa became less and less hopeful that this would happen. She even allowed Clarke to slash her arm once to see if this would break through to her and bring back the old Clarke, the Clarke that hated hurting people. The slash only seemed to encourage Clarke though, her face twisting up into a wicked grin, a dark glee written all over it. Clarke continued to yell at Lexa to fight back, and Lexa eventually decided to give in, thinking that this might be able to break the blonde out of her bloodthirsty haze. She swooped her sword down to scratch along the lower half of Clarke's left leg, careful not to cut too deep. Clarke, not expecting this, turned to the left a bit, shielding her leg but making it easy for Lexa to get behind her and slice down her back. Lexa gasped a little and pulled back as she realized her sword had gone a bit deeper than she intended, and the blonde doubled over in pain. Lexa backed off immediately, afraid she had severely injured the blonde, and that's when Clarke lunged for her, catching her completely off guard, and smashing the hilt of her sword hard into Lexa's jaw. Lexa cried out in pain, and Clarke reared back her arm and did it again, driving her sword hilt hard into Lexa's face. Lexa could feel her jawbone shattering. She grabbed Clarke by the waist and shoved her away before collapsing against a low-hanging branch of the tree behind her. She leaned back against the branch, hoping against hope that Clarke would just leave her be, but this was not the case. Clarke wasted no time in hurrying to Lexa's side and rubbing her fingers against Lexa's jaw. Lexa bit down hard, but she could not help crying out in pain. The minute she did, Clarke's hand was in Lexa's mouth, pulling roughly on the side of the jawbone she broke. Searing pain shot through Lexa's jaw, making it feel as if it were on fire as Clarke ruthlessly tugged it sideways. Lexa screamed again, unable to stop the tears from pouring down her cheeks as she begged for Clarke to stop. Clarke just laughed mercilessly, her cold fury and her brokenness clear in the sound, taking immense joy in the commander's every scream.

"This is what you deserve, Lexa," Clarke whispered in her ear, "You destroyed me, and you deserve to die a very painful death for it."

"Stop, Clarke! Beja, Clarke! Stop!" Lexa cried.

Lexa knew she could not get Clarke away from her without seriously harming the blonde. All she could do was hope that her pleas would get through to the angry girl in front of her. Clarke reluctantly removed her hand from Lexa's mouth and backed away, glaring at Lexa as the tears streamed down the brunette's face.

"Fine. I hope you have a nice time dying," Clarke sneered.

She threw Lexa roughly to the ground before leaving, causing Lexa to cry out one more time, which is probably exactly what she wanted to hear. Lexa knew this, and she freely gave it while she lied defenseless in the grass. Lexa curled onto her side, the uninjured side of her face pressed against the grass, as Clarke walked away. She knew she should get up and try to get back to her people, so they could help her, but she didn't want them to see how weak she had been, how she had gotten severely injured by an opponent who was no match for her all because she let her guard down for a moment to worry about the blonde. Plus, she didn't want her people to go after Clarke because of this. She knew they would want her dead if they ever heard what happened. Lexa would probably die out here on her own, but she didn't care. She could not stand the thought of living with the memory of Clarke's hate-filled gaze any longer. So she just lied in the grass, watching as the girl she loved walked away from her this time. She normally wouldn't let herself hope, but as she would probably die anyway, she hoped that Clarke might come to her senses and realize what she had done, that Clarke might come back to her. Her heart almost stopped when she saw Clarke freeze in her tracks and turn back towards her. Lexa held her breath as she watched the conflict in Clarke's blue eyes. She could tell Clarke wanted to find joy in what she had done, but she could also see the genuine concern that was fighting its way through. Clarke began to walk back to her, and Lexa wanted to melt into her arms, but she also knew that Clarke could be coming back to finish what she'd started. This could all be a ploy to get Lexa to trust her so that she could laugh in the brunette's face. Lexa pushed herself up immediately into a sitting position, scooting away from Clarke, wary.

"Lexa?" Clarke asked, and it sounded like her Clarke, but she couldn't be sure it wasn't a trick.

Lexa tried to back further away, but she was overwhelmed by the blinding pain that was still coursing through her jawbone, and she collapsed back onto her side. Clarke wandered over to her, crouching down beside her, and made as if to touch her face, or hit her, Lexa still wasn't sure. Lexa flinched away, and a tear fell from Clarke's eye.

"Lexa, please. I didn't mean to," she said, starting to cry.

Lexa realized that this was it. Her Clarke had finally broken through and replaced the person that she had become in the days since the mountain. That's when Lexa softened her gaze and brought her eyes to rest on Clarke's. Clarke reached out a tentative hand, and Lexa gave a slight nod, finally allowing Clarke permission to touch her. Clarke immediately lifted Lexa's head into her lap, and Lexa sunk into Clarke as the blonde cried.

"I'm so sorry, Lexa. I'm so, so sorry," she sobbed, "What have I done? I didn't mean to. I promise, I didn't mean to."

Lexa opened her mouth to tell Clarke that it was okay. She wasn't mad, and she understood, but this slight movement sent fresh pain rocketing through her jaw, and she cried out, a few tears slipping from her own eyes.

"Shh, it's okay," Clarke's hands were immediately stroking Lexa's hair, "Don't try to talk. It'll only hurt more."

Lexa nodded to show she understood, and Clarke took a shaky breath, wiping the tears from her face.

"I'm so sorry, Lexa," Clarke apologized again, "You must hate me now."

Lexa was quick to shake her head, wanting the blonde to know that she would never hate her.

"I understand," Lexa managed to get out between clenched teeth.

"I know," Clarke admitted, "I wish I could be as strong as you. I know if the roles were reversed, and the Mountain Men offered me that deal, I would've done the same thing. I would've taken it. And yet, I spent all this time hating you, for what? Nothing. But still you understand my rage, even though it is uncalled for, and I don't deserve it. Your understanding. You have been nothing but kind to me, and look at the way I repaid you. I hurt you. Your poor jaw."

Clarke ran her hand over Lexa's jaw as she said this, and Lexa hissed in pain. Clarke drew her hand back from Lexa's face like she had been burned.

"I'm sorry, Lexa!" she said, starting to freak out again.

Lexa brought her hand up to squeeze Clarke's knee, letting her know that it was okay. Anything Clarke did would always be okay to Lexa. That was the thing. Lexa had never felt this way before about anyone, not even Costia, and she wanted nothing more than for the blonde to just stay with her. They were quiet for a moment, Clarke's hands returning to run through Lexa's hair, as she was seemingly lost in thought, and Lexa tried to focus on that soothing movement rather than the pain that was coursing through her face.

"Lexa, we should go back to the cave I've been staying in. We'll be safer there. Like you said, everyone is hunting me. Are you okay to walk?" Clarke asked.

Lexa nodded, and Clarke nodded back. Clarke helped Lexa sit up before getting to her feet and helping Lexa to hers as well. Clarke led the way, and Lexa followed her through the trees. Lexa felt a little lightheaded, and she hoped this cave was not far away. Before long, Clarke dropped back to walk beside Lexa.

"Can I hold your hand?" Clarke asked shyly.

Lexa nodded, allowing Clarke to slip her hand into hers and intertwine their fingers. Lexa wondered if Clarke was still feeling guilty and wanted to comfort Lexa, but then Lexa realized that Clarke asked to hold her hand to comfort herself, to reassure herself that she wasn't alone anymore and that Lexa didn't hate her, even after all she'd done. Lexa squeezed Clarke's hand in hers.

When they reached the cave, Clarke got a fire going for light because it was getting dark outside. While she was doing this, Lexa looked around. There was a bow and quiver of arrows in the corner and some fur laid out on the floor, but other than that, the cave was bare. Lexa realized that this was just a temporary shelter for Clarke as she was passing through. She wondered where the blonde had intended to settle down or if she even did at all. Lexa was torn from her thoughts when Clarke moved back over to her, sitting in front of her to look at her face.

"It's worse than I thought," she admitted, "I don't how to treat this. I need my mom. I'll have to go back to my people."

Lexa shook her head, trying to tell Clarke she didn't have to do that for her.

"Lexa, I have to fix this. You have a huge bruise on your cheek, and it's already really swollen, and it's all my fault. You need medicine, and my mom's the best doctor we have. She'll know what to do to heal you. You shouldn't be in pain anymore because of me," Clarke said, "I'll go now. If I leave now, I can make it there around dawn. I'll get back as soon as I can."

Lexa's eyes widened in fear, and she shook her head again, trying to protest. She didn't want Clarke to go out there all on her own. What if the Ice Queen found her?

"I'll be fine, Lexa. I haven't gotten caught so far, have I?" Clarke asked.

Lexa raised an eyebrow at her.

"Okay, but that was one of your warriors. I won't get caught by the Ice Nation. I promise," Clarke said.

Lexa knew it was a promise that Clarke might not be able to keep, but she gave in anyway, nodding her head.

"That's not the only reason you don't want me to leave. You're afraid to stay here alone while you're hurt," Clarke realized, and Lexa wondered how Clarke could have possibly known that.

"Don't worry, Lexa. I'll be back before you know it. Just get some rest," Clarke said gently.

Lexa lied on the furs that Clarke had on the floor, and Clarke pulled another one over her. Only when her head hit the furs did Lexa realize how exhausted she was, and she was already drifting off to sleep as Clarke slipped out of the cave.

AN: Thank you for reading! Please review!