Major differences from the show: Anya is alive, and there is no City of Light.

Italics= Flashbacks or "translations"

It had almost been two and a half months since the destruction of Mount Weather. Two and a half months since Lexa was given an ultimatum: Betray Skaikru or risk more of her people's lives. And two and a half months since she ignored her heart, leaving Clarke to be alone.

When word came that the Mountain Men were no more, the streets were flooded with excited cries of peace, and whispers of Wanheda. Each time the tale was told new parts were added to it, but Lexa knew the truth of it all. She knew what Wanheda was forced to do. She wanted to reach out to Clarke- comfort her, but she knew her disloyalty was still too fresh in minds for new efforts of communication to begin.

When her inner musings became too much to handle, Lexa would go to the training grounds to clear her head.

Today she decided to work on her swordsmanship, she found it was best for her when she felt too emotional. Lexa had been hacking away at a wooden dummy when a real sword blocked her most recent blow from happening.

"You want to test those skills on someone that can actually fight back?" Anya asked with the raise of her brow. Lexa wiped her sleeved arm across her forehead, trying to keep the sweat from her eyes.

"Not now Anya," Lexa said before preparing to return to her drills. In all honesty, she did miss her frequent sparring lessons with her previous mentor, it had been too long since their last one. She learned a long time ago though not to fight someone when her feelings weren't in check, if she could help it. Lexa looked up at the other woman, and tried to lighten the mood. "I don't want to hurt you."

Anya rolled her eyes and chuckled, something she only did when hardly any people were around, and said, "Glad to see you still have your confidence Lexa, or should I say Heda? Remember the times when you could never beat me?"Anya paused and looked Lexa in her green eyes, seeing the torment buried beneath them. "Take a walk with me."

Lexa sighed and sheathed her sword. As she picked up her jacket she asked, "You should know by now that when alone you may refer to me as Lexa. How did the scouting mission go?" She had been curious since Anya first returned.

Anya was the one who told Lexa what happened at Mount Weather. She had stayed behind on Lexa's request, and informed Lexa what happened the moment Skaikru emerged from the mountain's door. She was the one that told Lexa of Clarke's disappearance. She was also the only one that Lexa truly trusted enough to keep her updated on what was happening around Arkadia.

Again Anya said, "Take a walk with me." The way she took her eyes off of Lexa piked the other girls interest, so they both headed towards Polis's wall.

After about half an hour, the two were far enough away so their ears would be the only ones in the conversation. Anya leaned against a tree and lazily crossed her arms. "It's Azgeda."

Lexa took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. Something was always going on between Trikru and Azgeda. Then it clicked, this shouldn't be a matter between the two people. "What does this have to do with Clarke's people."

"It's not her people, but more.. her," Anya said, stretching out the r in the second her.

Fear struck Lexa, she could clearly remember the last time Azgeda got involved with someone she cared about. Even if she had ruined anything from ever blossoming between her and Clarke, Lexa still didn't want her to feel any more pain- she herself had caused enough. She took a step closer to Anya. "Explain."

"Nia has set a bounty for Wanheda to be delivered to her, alive. I have seen Azgeda warriors in both Skaikru and Trikru territory. The last one I bested had a piece of parchment in his pocket, on it the warrant."

Without a second thought, Lexa said more to herself than Anya, "I must go after her." She had already started to head back in the direction they came from when an outreached arm stopped her.

"We.. must go after her," Anya corrected. Lexa thought about it for a second. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, but it was always wise to travel with another. "It is not like you can stop me from following you anyway, even if you are Heda. For old times sake?" Anya smirked.

Lexa knew she wouldn't say no. She had a soft spot for Anya, she had taught most of what she knew today. Because Lexa was her second, Anya would always have a unique bond with her.

"For old times sake," Lexa said while shaking her head and smiling for the first time since Anya found her training.

XXX

It had been three months since the destruction of Mount Weather. Three months since she had to pull the lever and irradiate an entire population. Three months since she left Camp Jaha. And three months since Lexa took the deal, leaving her to her probable death.

Physically, she had grown skinnier than what was normal for her. She hunted and gathered what she could. Her skills had gotten better in the last couple of months, but she was still no pro. One day she came across a trap with a rabbit caught in it. After inspecting the area, she came to the conclusion that no one was around and stole the. She managed to trade it for a flimsy dagger.

Mentally, that was a different story, she felt empty. The first three days she went without sleep, because anytime she closed her eyes her subconscious was invaded by burnt, boiled, radiated skin. She hated what she had to do- hated Lexa. She thought they really had something special. Their first and only kiss had been such a surprise, but a welcome one. Not yet, more like not ever she thought these days. She thought about those two words often, multiple questions accompanying them: Would the betrayal still have happened if I didn't pull away, would I still be in Camp Jaha, would we be more than just leaders to our people?

At first- when she wasn't mulling over Mount Weather, Clarke found herself blaming Lexa. One time she got so angry she punched the tree nearest her, busting up a few knuckles in the process. After some time, she couldn't be as furious; Lexa was just protecting her people. Clarke still wasn't ready for forgiveness though, in fact she didn't know if she ever would be.

One thing she was glad about though, was that her nightmares were less frequent. Not that she needed them, she now had every individual face etched to memory.

Clarke was currently headed to Niylah's trading post. She had found a true friend in the other woman. Niylah was a genuinely nice and helpful person, unlike many were these days with Clarke. Even when she found out who Clarke was- what she had done, she thanked her once then never referred to it again.

Clarke had been walking through the woods for sometime now. She was about to cross a stream when she heard a twig snap behind her; she quickly turned around and noted her surroundings. When she didn't hear anything, she took out her dagger and climbed up the closest tree. Clarke waited until her eyes landed on a black panther stalking below. When it started to sniff around Clarke got worried that it must've already caught her sent, so she took a quick breath and jumped down.

Her dagger stabbed it between the shoulder blades. It roared ferociously and tried to buck her off, but Clarke securely wrapped her legs around its torso. When Clarke's sense returned to her, she ripped the dagger out and sliced the animals throat. She felt warm blood pour over her hands as life left the panther.

When Clarke got off, she bent down with her elbows on her knees and whispered, "Yo gonplei ste odon." Your fight it over.

She was about to continue her trek when she looked back and figured she could trade the animal for some decent clothes and food, so she picked up the front paws and dragged the beast along.

What should have been a fifteen minute walk turned into forty five. By the time Clarke got to the trading post, sweat had already soaked through parts of her shirt. She pushed the wooden door open, and upon seeing Clarke, Niylah helped her with her kill.

"What you like for this?" Even during their first encounter, it wasn't every very hard to understand Niylah's broken English. Clarke couldn't blame her, she knew she was one of the only people she had to practice on.

Clarke's arms fell to her side; she could feel the strain from pulling something so heavy for as long as she had. "Food." That was the first thing that came to mind. She had grown used to the constant hunger, but it would be nice to have a real meal- or something close to it. "Its been getting colder out, do you have any winter clothing?"

The other woman simply nodded and went into a room to gather the items. Clarke waited in silence until a man came in. He was buff and looked as if he hadn't washed himself in at least a week. Even Clarke would go to a nearby creek every other day at the least. He looked like a warrior, but his armor differed from what Trikru wore. Everything was grey and white, except for a blue sliver of fabric wrapped around the waist.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Niylah came out first and said, "Here, I found bag carry items in." She faced the new person in the room. "Do you need help?"

"Have you seen Wanheda?" At hearing her title, Clarke gathered her things and headed towards the exit, until she was stopped by a voice, "Have you seen Wanheda?"

Clarke didn't turn around, but looked past her shoulder and shrugged, saying, "I don't know, what's she look like?"

Clarke left, and something clicked as she heard the door shut behind her. The man used trigedasleng with Niylah, but English with her. She got a bad feeling and sped up when she heard the door close again and she froze.

"Hello Wanheda." Even though her back was away from the man, she could still hear the smirk in his voice. Niylah had warned her to be wary with strangers during her last visit, and she was no fool. The man did not have the tone of someone who simply wanted a casual conversation, so she shot into a dead run.

She could hear his feet heavily hitting the ground, much louder than the other grounders she had come to know. The closer he came the harder she pumped her legs and urged herself forwards. In an effort to slow him down, Clarke rounded a tree, but her bag got caught on it. Without a second thought she took her arm out of the strap and left it hanging on the branch, continuing on forward.

For a moment Clarke didn't hear the other pair of feet, but then she felt pain explode through her right leg, and couldn't hold her scream at bay. The impact mixed with her speed was enough to throw her off balance and into the dirt. Clarke tried to stand, but failed and settled for pulling herself behind the largest tree.

The man's voice echoed throughout the forest. "Wanheddaa." Clarke heard him pause, but his steps came closer. "People make you sound like some goddess, when in reality you are just some frightened girl too far from home.

Home, Clarke thought. She hadn't had a home in months. She pushed her back further against the tree, knowing it wouldn't help. She decided she wasn't going down without a fight though, and reached for the dagger connected to her belt- holding it close. She glanced at her leg for the first time and saw an arrowhead sticking out of her thigh. Blood was soaking her pants and steadily pooling beneath her leg. She guessed it got irritated from the fall. Before she could think too long on it, Clarke heard a twig snap then several small thudding noises followed by a single large one.

Clarke didn't know what happened, all she knew was that it was no silent- not even a single bird was singing.

When her curiosity got the best of her, Clarke turned her head past the tree and was shocked to see her pursuer on the ground, motionless, with multiple arrows sticking out of his lifeless body. The longer she stared, the more lightheaded she began to feel.

"Clarke!" She almost jumped out of her skin- not just because she had been startled, but because knew that voice, she had had dreams about it. She didn't know what to think, maybe it's just blood loss she told herself. Then she turned her head in the direction she thought she heard it come from. When she did, she saw both Lexa and Anya coming towards her. They both looked controlled, but Lexa's eyes told the truth that her expression did not. The fact that Clarke saw worry in Lexa's eyes ignited something she thought she was moving past.

She growled and started shouting, "Fuck off Commander, I don't need your help! You've already done more than enough of that!"

Lexa stopped with one foot still in front of the other, Anya following suit. She could more than see and hear Clarke's furry, she could feel it in her bones. "Clarke-"

"No, I don't want to hear anything that you..." She had to pause, swaying even though she was still sitting. Lexa took another step, but Clarke only glared at her.

Lexa sighed, and after a moment asked, "If you will not allow me help you, then let Anya? Please?"

Clarke's glare lessened, she had never heard the brunette beg before. She looked down stubbornly. She knew she couldn't save herself in this state, but maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing she thought to herself. "Fine," she whispered, having using most of her strength to do what little yelling she was capable of.

Upon hearing that Anya moved forwards immediately. Lexa caught the sideways glance the other woman threw her and ignored it- keeping her eyes glued on the blonde.

When Anya finished the few steps it took to reach Clarke she dropped to her knees and began assessing the wound, trying to figure out the safest way to remove the shaft.

Clarke's view of Lexa was now broken, but she could still feel her gaze. When she felt Anya's hands on her leg she involuntarily flinched away. It wasn't that it hurt Clarke, but she had had next to no human contact in the previous months. Anya simply ignored it and continued on.

"My bag.. It had a water skin in it," Clarke mumbled groggily.

"I will retrieve it," Lexa said quickly. She left the area for two reasons: She wanted to help in some way, and it way obvious that Clarke wasn't exactly thrilled to see her.

Anya flicked Clarke on her left knee to catch her attention. When Clarke looked up, resting her head on the tree, she said, "I know you are upset- more than upset, but you are not the only one dealing with the consequences of their actions from that day… Give me that dagger."

Clarke had completely forgotten that she still had a grip on the dagger, a very loose one. "Are you going to stab me in the back as well?" It was a low blow for Clarke, and she knew it, yet she couldn't help but not care.

Anya's face turned into a scowl before she brought her face closer to Clarke's, and growled, "Listen sky girl, Heda did what she had to- exactly like you did. Tell me something, if it were you, would you have taken the deal? Would you not have taken the opportunity to save all of your people?" She then gestured to the arrow still sticking out of Clarke's thigh. "It will hurt less to cut through the wood instead of snapping it with my fist."

Clarke broke the eye contact, she wanted to say she would have found another way. She wanted to say she wouldn't have betrayed Lexa, but she couldn't. She had betrayed the people in the mountain that helped her and her people. Clarke shook her head from the thought and lazily handed Anya the dagger.

"I am going to tell you a story. I do not expect you to listen, but it will give you the chance to see a different.. perspective of things," Anya punctuated herself by withdrawing the arrow at last, to Clarke's credit she only groaned loudly. Anya swiftly pulled out a narrow piece of cloth, wrapping it around the wound and pulling it tight.

Clarke nodded, not having the strength to argue.

Anya was with Lexa, it had been no more than twenty five minutes since they departed to put an end to the shooting. Their party began with eight members, five of which had been shot by the rifles- their souls moving on. The now dwindling group had stealthily encountered several Maunon; each one was being killed from the shadows, without even the chance to scream.

The three warriors were currently scouting an open field from the tree line. Anya briefly looked at Lexa, she was proud of how far she'd come. Even with Lexa now being heda, both women knew that she would forever and always be Anya's second.

The general was ready to get her revenge on the mountain, and those that inhabited it; nothing acts as a prison for Anya kom Trikru and gets away with it. The Maunon had taken too much from her.

"We move now," Lexa ordered without a falter. Anya nodded, as did the other warrior, then they all leaped from the tree- landing without the crunch of a single leaf.

Lexa led, who had out both of her swords, a red sheen could be seen coloring the smooth metal. Anya was armed with one sword and her dagger, several more hidden on her body. The final member of their group had his bow with an arrow knocked on it. They all had a light coat of blood covering various parts of their body, prepared for more if necessary.

Suddenly Lexa held her armed fist up, signaling for them to halt. Anya peered into the distance and saw a lone figure make their way towards them.

"You," Lexa quietly motioned to the warrior who was the most hidden out of the trio, "Flank the Maunon." He nodded and became one with the darkness that was engulfing them.

After about half of a minute, the man came into hearing distance, saying, "Commander.. I see our escapee is with you.."

Anya saw his smirk through the night and growled, about to move forward until Lexa shook her head. She settled with a deep sigh, keeping her eyes locked on the man before them.

"I come with a proposition." Lexa's eyes narrowed dangerously, but the man continued, "But first… I'm not very fond of eavesdroppers." He then raised his gun, for the fear that Lexa would be shot- Anya darted in front of her with the speed of light, and Lexa was too slow to stop her. To each of their surprise, the man shot to his right side, and in the distance the body of their final surviving warrior fell. Out of furry, Anya pulled her arm back, aiming for the murderer until she heard, "All of your people will be returned to you."

Anya straightened herself and scanned Lexa who only had a furrowed brow. When Lexa moved to take a step in front of Anya, she wasn't stopped. With authority and not an ounce of fear, Lexa asked, "What do you want in return?"

"Leave, that's all I ask. Your people will no longer be bothered by us, no longer be stolen from your homes; you can live in peace for once."

Anya chuckled humorlessly, thinking they'd never be in peace.

"What of Clarke and her people?" Lexa's voice sounded strong, but Anya caught a slight hesitation when the sky girl's name was said. It was then that the general really started to wonder if a stronger bond than anticipated had been forged between the two leaders.

"Again, leave, never return, and your people will be returned to you. They'll walk right out of the metal door your warriors are standing in front of." When she looked at Lexa, Anya saw the stoic appearance, but knew well enough to search beyond that. She saw a conflict between head and heart, much like what had happened when Costia was murdered.

"What is your name?" It was more of an order than a request.

"Cage, Cage Wallace," The man said in a slightly amused tone, as if they should already know him.

Lexa began to march towards Cage, Anya was about to attempt to stop her, but knew it wasn't her place, opting to silently follow, weapons still at the ready. The commander stopped a few paces from Cage, grip still tight on her swords as she responded, "Cage, I have one requirement.." She paused when the man laughed lightly until he saw Anya take a step forward with a growl, to which he audibly gulped. "Clarke.. She is not to be harmed. If you can not guarantee that then you will die were you stand."

Cage contemplated it for a moment, then said, "Looks like we have a deal."

Lexa tipped her head once in response then turned around, headed back in the direction they came from. Anya could see the torment building in her heda's eyes, and nudged her gently to give what comfort she could at the moment.

Clarke had a new level of dizziness sweep over heart the realization. "You're telling me that she was about to sacrifice the chance to save her people, just so I would be safe?"

Anya simply nodded, handing the blonde her own water skin to drink from. Clarke eagerly excepted it and drank greedily. She didn't know what to think. The other Skaikru were still handed over, but.. She was confused, that's all Clarke knew for a fact. Before she could cause a greater headache, Clarke caught sight of Lexa emerging from between two trees, and with her bag.

When the younger girl looked up at her and opened her mouth slightly, about to say something, Anya nodded in understanding. She stood, walking past Lexa, saying, "I'm going to hunt for a meal." She ignored the quizzical look from Lexa.

She walked towards Clarke, and lightly dropped the bag, which to her surprise received an almost silent, "Thanks..." It wasn't difficult to find Clarke's pack, Lexa simply followed her tracks backwards until she found the tree. In an effort to give the blonde some space, Lexa headed for a large rock that was nearby and leaned against it, staring off into the distance.

Clarke was silent for a couple of minutes, not knowing what to say- where to start. She didn't know when Anya would return, so she decided to go with the flow, almost whispering, "Lexa.."

Lexa turned her head the moment her name was called. She was caught slightly off guard, thinking if Clarke were to speak to her that she'd be addressed with her title. Lexa looked at the blonde, but not in her eyes. "Yes, Clarke?"

"Why?" Clarke tried to look Lexa in the eyes, but couldn't comfortably maneuver herself and got frustrated. "Damn it, would you just look at me!?"

Lexa sighed and stepped forward, still far enough to give Clarke some space. Then she bent down, balancing on the balls of her toes, her green eyes meeting blue ones that swarmed with countless emotions. Her voice was controlled and even, "As heda, I have to protect my people. The deal I was offered, gave me the opportunity to save all of my people. Who knows how many-

Lexa was cut off by Clarke, who shook her head and exasperatedly said, "Why did you risk that for me, but still betray my people..?"

Lexa's mouth dropped slightly, and brought her hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose when she realized Anya had spoken to Clarke. She looked at Clarke, her mask still on, but before she could speak, Clarke interrupted her again.

"For crying out loud! I want to see you, Lexa. I want an answer from you, not your commander facade!" Clarke paused to shake the new spell that had overcome her. "Vulnerability isn't weakness. Just.. I want to hear it from you, not the commander. Please?"

Lexa tightly closed her eyes before looking back up. She no longer saw pent-up rage and hate, but a deep curiosity. "I told you, I care for you Clarke," Lexa responded in undertone.

Clarke took a heavy sigh, not for a single second removing her eyes from Lexa's. It was the first time that Clarke had seen such raw emotion from the woman. She saw vasts amounts of inner turmoil swarming the normally hard eyes. It was the first time Clarke had ever seen Lexa without any kind of wall built up. There had been a brief moment during the kiss they shared, but it disappeared the moment Clarke pulled away.She didn't have to look at Lexa to know she spoke nothing but the truth, it was laced throughout her soft voice. "Look," Clarke started. "I'm not saying that I am not still angry, because I am.. I don't know if it will ever completely go away, but.. I think I could be headed towards forgiveness."

Lexa inclined her head, wanting to say something, but kept her mouth shut for fear of becoming choked up. She leaned forward, one hand balancing her, the other tenderly touching Clarke's ankle. When the sun came out from its hiding spot behind the trees, it cast an orange hew over Clarke. It was then that Lexa was able to see the other girl clearly. It worried to see Clarke's skin so pale, so she said, "You should rest. I'll watch over you."

Clarke smiled weakly and nodded. She didn't think twice when she reached into her pack and pulled out the light jacket Niylah gave her, bunching it up and laying it on the dirt. Before she could lay down, a hand reached out and stopped her. Lexa then got up and walked off, disappearing momentarily. When she returned, she had her bow and her own bag slung around her shoulder. Lexa dropped everything except for the bag, she pulled out two furs, folding one a few times and handing it to Clarke.

"You don't have to-" Clarke tried to say before Lexa interrupted by saying, "I want to."

Clarke layed down, and groggily mumbled, "Thank you."

The moment Lexa saw Clarke close her eyes, she noticed her breathing quickly even out. She watched for a second before resting the other fur she took out over Clarke, stopping at her shoulders. When Clarke signed and snuggled into the blanket, Lexa backed away and sat against a tree- finally giving her legs a rest. She was keeping her word of watching the blonde, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to break it if she wanted to. So Lexa basked in relative silence, the occasional rodent or bird going by.

Lexa knew that Clarke's words offered no sure promise, but they did offer one thing she rarely felt; they offered hope.

A/N: Just a little thing off of Urban dictionary that brought up the feels: Clexa is the epitome of soul mates, there is no until death do us apart because even in death they find each other.