A/N: I refuse to watch the new season. I'm still smarting from the last couple, y'all know why.

It had been a long time since Clarke had seen her Mother. The 100 prisoners that had fallen and were picked off by the nearby village of Ton DC were taken by the Mountain Men. Things had cooled down once they had escaped. But nothing was the same anymore. They were all of them different.

Clarke gritted her teeth as she prepared for what would seem like an agonizing conversation. She hadn't forgotten what Wells had said before, about her Mom being the reason why her Father was floated. Why her dad was killed and left to burn in the stars like he had never existed.

She was here today to do as the Commander requested of a people who had crashed into her home village.

To talk with her Mother, one who had betrayed her family, as if nothing was wrong to keep the rest of the Sky People away for as long as possible. Until the Nations were convinced these cloudlings were not a risk.

Clarke and Anya had been meeting with the ambassadors of the Capitol in the Commanders tent to speak peace for a week now. And they were making some headway.

But this conversation, these next few moments right now, would determine everything.

Raven had finally fixed the radio and after a short chat Abby, as newly elected Chancellor, had gathered the Council and were waiting to speak with Clarke. If all goes well, the Commander will be able to gauge whether Anya has spoken true and the Sky People are not readying to do battle.

Clarke really hoped they all behaved. She prayed the Ark will choose to leave their weapons in the sky before they come down.

For now, Raven has chosen to say that the former prisoners have all left the immediate area and only a few stayed behind. Her chief among them.

Clarke uncomfortably shifts in her old jeans. They restrict more than she is used to now that she's been given looser clothing from Anya.

She hates that she's forced to act and dress like who she was before. Its embarrassing to look and act so different in front of the others as she talks with the Council and her mother like nothing has happened.

She has to act like she's telling the truth.

Of course, Clarke doesn't realize that the Commander will be impressed with how Clarke conducts herself in the next few moments:

"Clarke, baby," Abby said, relieved.

...

"Hi mom", she said smiling slightly. She knew any wider and it'd look cracked or unsure.

"You're alive. You're ok."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine."

The Grounders shift, confused. Clarke has never looked that open or talked so lightly before. Her teeth grit slightly as she tried to reign in her embarrassment and slight frustration. The village leaders insisted on sitting in. If she was to be seen talking with a member of her family, she would have much preferred to have done it in private.

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry about your Dad." A metal lance could have pierced her heart and it wouldn't have compared to the pain these words caused.

Shocked, she could only whisper "Its-...," she couldn't say fine. It wasn't fine it can never be fine. What Abby did-

"I've had a lot of time to process it," she said noncommittally.

Abby's face tightened-remembering she's the reason Clarke was put into prison, into isolation no doubt.

Before Abby could talk Raven elected to get in the middle. She knew the whole story and Clarke could only take so much.

"Hey, Doctor Griffin!"

"Raven. Sweetheart. You made it!" Raven jerked her head in a nod. She only did that death-defying stunt for Finn, the cheat.

"How many of you are alive?"

"A lot more than we thought considering-"

Clarke shouldered Raven before she could go into a rant. Not that it was undeserved but things needed to seem okay. Especially on the ground. If everyone appeared to be angry then crowd control would come down with more guns!

"We made it. Most wandered away on their own, away from the vicinity. We're all that's left."

"Good, good. You're whats important." Raven felt a pinch. This lady really only seemed to care about one person other than herself.

Clarke's expression darkened slightly more than what would be termed as "okay". Did the 100 mean nothing to her?! All those kids, thrown into a supposed fire ridden planet to burn?!

Lexa could read the destruction and chaos in Clarke's eyes. She grew perturbed by this Chancellor. What good leader would not value everyone under her command? Clarke was good and pure and would not stand for even one of her gonas to be harmed. She shifted into Clarke's view hoping to convey through her eyes a warning, and a comfort she forced herself not to examine too closely.

Clarke needed to hold it together in the face of this test.

"Clarke are you alright?", asked Abby.

"Yes . . . the connections weak." (Her connection with her mother, certainly). "I can barely hear you."

Raven surreptitiously squeezed Clarke's wrist in comfort too before stepping to the console.

"So sorry Abby but this thing can only hang on for so long."

Abby pulled a face.

"I know but Clarke can talk to you tomorrow after I've ironed out the kinks."

"See that you do. And Clarke, be careful. We're working on getting to the ground soon so stay safe until we get there."

Clarke forced a smile and a nod, inwardly cringing on how much her mother actively babied her.

"See you soon. Love you, Mom."

"Love you, baby."

Soon as her Mother's hologram snapped off Clarke breathed through her nose and tipped her head back shaking her head. She never knew she used to smile so much or caved under Abby's incessant demands so often.

Her eyes opened, emotions under control, getting back to the task at hand. When she was done answering questions from the village leaders she made her way over to Anya and Lexa.

Anya smirked eyeing her get-up up and down.

"Don't."

"Who knew you looked so innocent back then hey Skaikru?" She teased.

Lexa smiled lightly, amused. She couldn't agree more. When she saw Clarke step out looking so . . . different she nearly choked on her tongue. Without her dark hides, hair pulled back into braids and her sword or dagger strapped to her hip, without her new healer tattoo peeking out or even her customary expression exposed only in her eyes, Clarke looked like an entirely different person.

Not like the girl she'd come to secretly lust over and admire but like a young girl new to the ways of the ground. Her eyes could not be kept off of Clarke and she purposely ignored Anya's knowing eyes.

She liked the look and Anya knew she liked the look. And considering how perceptive Clarke usually is she would know too if she didn't keep her eyes to herself.

Clarke snorted looking down. "Yeah well, I like the clothes I have now. More freedom to move. This," she picked at the lapels of her blue jacket, "is just who I used to be."