This Is What Peace Looks Like

AN: The end is here. Maybe. Read&Review Please!

The welcoming they receive upon passing the gates of Polis is nothing Clarke has ever felt before, let alone seen. It looked like every person residing in Polis was gathered around the main square, plus the hundreds of warriors and their families. Banners and flags fly in the air marked with the symbols of all the clans, but the most prominent of all the flags is the solid black with the Heda's symbol in red and the red flags that held the symbol of the Wanheda, a raven with it's wings to the sky, in black.

It's symbolism on top of symbolism, and Clarke blushes because she knows what their people are saying. The Heda and Wanheda,opposites of each other, but together as one, and Clarke knows that there will be no denying anything, anymore. No one voice can be heard over the roar of the crowd nor can one face stand out, but Clarke searches anyways, looking for one face and one face only, her son's.

"Clarke." Clarke turns to Lexa and sees bright eyes and a loving smile, Clarke blushes once more. "Ouder ste oso nomfa." There is our son. Lexa points to a small group of people gathered on the first step of the Commander's home.

"Sef of. Beja!" Move aside. Please! Clarke calls out to the crowd, her horse paws at the dirt, seeming to sense Clarke's anxiety. Lexa calls out next to her as well, without the niceties of course. Like a great wave the crowd starts to shift and then, they part. Clarke's horse leaps forward and she can hear Lexa following close behind.

"Nomon! Nomi!" Mother! Mom! Lenox's little voice cries out and Clarke forgoes all caution as she dismounts the horse while it's still moving. Her feet hit the ground running as mother and son race toward one another. Clarke catches Lenox by the armpits and swings him into the air, pulling him into her for a desperate hug. Small sobs escape her as she presses her nose to his hair. Clarke pulls back enough to hold his face between her hands and peppers his face with reverent kisses, savoring and loving the giggles that escape him. "Nomi!" Mom!

Clarke feels movement next to her and then a strong, sure arm wraps around her and another around Lenox as Lexa pulls them both into her embrace. "Oso seingeda ste klir." Our family is safe. Lexa whispers the words over Lenox's head as she looks to Clarke.

Clarke...Clarke gives no thought when she reaches out for Lexa. Her hand gripping the back of Lexa's head, pulling her forward and kissing Lexa with everything Clarke has, trying to make up for everything she's put Lexa through, every game of push and pull, every denial of Lexa and their love, and Clarke knows that it's not enough. It'll never be enough, but Clarke has a lifetime to try. "Ai hod yu in, Leksa. Ai hodness. Ai niron." I love you, Lexa. My love. My lover. Clarke cries into their kiss and when Lexa pulls back, they rest their foreheads together, and Clarke has more to say. "Feva Leksa." Forever, Lexa.

Lexa doesn't cry, instead she rises from the ground as Lenox clings to her, and she takes Clarke along as well. Lexa doesn't have to cry because all Clarke has to do is look into those green eyes and she can see all the love Lexa holds for both her and their son. Clarke has only ever needed to look into those eyes to know how much Lexa loves her – them. Lexa faces her people, their people, her shoulders proud, her chin strong and her expression can only be described as elation. "Wor ste odon!" The war is over! She yells over the roar and the people's voices become louder and louder until they are deafening, and Lexa feeds off it. "Oso teik wimplei tromon laud!" We sound the victory horn! The command is instant as warriors who've come home from war, raise their horns to the sky in tribute to their leaders, their Heda and their Wanheda.

Proceedings, council meetings and banquets are held at bay for the night, all too exhausted to truly celebrate. This night is for the reunited families and for the ones mourning those who never made it back. Her friends, and mother, are even put aside for tonight, as Clarke only welcomed them with hugs and a promise of tomorrow. Clarke cannot let go of Lenox, she touches him constantly, a brush of her hand through his hair, kisses pressed to every place she can reach, but most of all she holds him for as long as he lets her, and Lexa can't seem to let them go from her sight. She had pulled Clarke and Lenox to her chambers where she and Clarke took turns washing away the remnants of war.

As Clarke enters from the back of Lexa's room, she pauses to lean against the fourposter bed and she watches her two loves in silence. Lexa weaves Lenox a story of the war and Lenox watches, his attention solely on Lexa as the woman tells her tale. "She took the city by horseback and within the Ice Nation, an army arose to fight for Nomon turning their backs on the evil Queen."

"Enough talk of war, don't you think?" Clarke cuts in, gaining the attention of the room. Clarke doesn't stop the beaming grin that stretches her lips, watching Lexa as Lexa watches her, and she shivers from the emotions she finds in Lexa's eyes. Clarke knows that there are conversations to be had, apologies to be made, but there will be time enough for them once their son is safely sleeping in Lexa's bed. Clarke can't think of anywhere she'd rather be than here, surrounded by Lexa's presence.

"But Nomon!" Lenox whines softly with a pout so cute, Clarke almost wants to gives in, and she almost does.

"Daun ste pleni Lenox." That is enough, Lenox. Lexa quirks an eyebrow at him with a soft smile on her lips. "Warriors do not whine." Mock arrogance clouds her voice and it makes both mother and son laugh, Lexa looks all too smug about eliciting these noises from her companions.

Lenox puffs his small chest out and stands with his hands on his hips, looking every bit of a superhero. "I am a warrior." He declares to his mothers with a serious face that quickly dissolves into the squinted eyes and wide grin that comes with mischief. "Ahhhh!" Lenox sounds his war cry and does his best to tackle Lexa, and of course, like the pushover Lexa is, she falls back and pretends to be defeated.

Clarke covers her smiling lips with her fingers, eyes bright and shining as she looks over the scene. She knows that this could have been hers all along, if only she hadn't let her past define her future, but she is here and so are they. This is enough. Lexa and Lenox, in this room with her, is all Clarke ever wants for the rest of her days on the earth. This is it, this is what Clarke fought for.

Clarke focuses back onto the dynamic duo and she frowns when she sees the two of them with identical grins and circling around her like a snare. Her eyes widen as Lenox lunges first, but she's too quick as she rushes onto Lexa's bed, her bare feet sinking into the softest of furs, but now she's truly trapped. Lenox on one side and Lexa at the other, Clarke has nowhere to go. "You have nowhere to go, Klark." Obviously, Lexa sees her predicament as well.

"Yeah Nomon! Surrender!" Lenox cries, thrusting his arms above his head like he's already won the victory.

Clarke grins and shifts her weight. "Never!" She cries and rushes forward to jump from the foot of the bed, but she cut off at the pass. Before she knows it, Clarke finds herself thrown over one of Lexa's shoulders, ever mindful of the healing wounds on Clarke's body. Loud laughter fills the room as the boisterous family plays. Clarke hangs upside down until she's flipped back onto the bed only to be immediately smothered by both Lenox and Lexa. Lexa holds her hands above her head, pinned to the bed, and Clarke finds that she must revisit this predicament later, at a more appropriate time.

"Get her, Lenox!" Lexa cries out just as his small hands finds Clarke's sides and underarms. She bucks and wiggles beneath Lexa's weight on her hips as unyielding laughter explodes from her chest.

"Surrender!" The two shout in unison and double their efforts when Clarke shakes her head. "Give up, Klark!" Lexa laughs and it's so innocent and free that whatever unclaimed parts of her heart left, is claimed, to be forever marked, and given to this wondrous creature above her, the woman that's asking her to surrender, to give in, and yeah it's a game, but Clarke gives weight to the words.

Lenox ceases the tickling, giving Clarke a chance to catch her breath. "Ok," She breathes out, "I surrender." There's laughter to be had by everyone and the sounds start to heal the broken parts in each of them.

Later, as Lenox sleeps soundly in the middle of Lexa's bed, the two women find themselves on Lexa's couch, leaning against one another and staring into the fire. "We need to talk." Just like that, four words change the atmosphere from relaxed to tense filled. Clarke sits up and positions herself to lean against the armrest, looking to Lexa as she sits stiffly, not changing her position on the couch but she does turn her head so that she can look at Clarke appropriately, and Clarke is thankful to have her attention, even if it's strained.

"What must we talk about, Klark?" Lexa turns her body just enough so that she won't have a kink in it.

Clarke gives a small smile, but shakes her head. "We need to talk about my behavior." Lexa frowns, most likely confused about where Clarke is going with this, but Clarke knows where she's headed and she knows that this conversation is long overdue. "I owe you an apology, Lexa. I owe you the biggest apology I can give. The way I treated you, you need to know why before anything more happens between us."

Lexa relaxes slightly, obviously reassured by Clarke's words, at least Clarke hopes she has reassured Lexa. "Okay. I am listening, Clarke."

Clarke ducks her head, overwhelmed at the length of rope Lexa gives her to save herself, lengths that Clarke isn't sure she deserves, but she knows that Lexa gives it freely and that makes it all the more worse. "I've hurt you, Lexa, and only I know my reasons because I've been selfish with my thoughts and I've kept all these things inside. I've taken my pain and pushed it onto you. I was wrong Lexa, so wrong to do that."

Lexa scoots closer to Clarke, and Clarke wants to scoot back because if Lexa touches her, she'll never get this out and Lexa deserves to know everything. "I've hurt you, too, Clarke."

Clarke shakes her head and a sobbing sort of laugh escapes her lungs. "Don't, please don't do that. You don't owe me anything, Lexa, least of all an apology. What happen at the mountain, I've been over that for a long time now and I used it to hurt you and it wasn't right. I know why you did it, and I did the same when I brought the mountain down for my people. I've pushed you away because you have always, and you will always, find your way beneath my guards and take over my heart. And that scared me, after everything Lexa, I never expected to ever feel the way I did about you, again, but I did, I do."

Clarke takes a breath and keeps going before Lexa can cut in with reassurances of her own. "When Nia captured me, she took Lenox from me for weeks before she gave him back, but on the condition that I lead her army against the rebels in her kingdom, and I did Lexa, I raged war upon so many people until I understood the damage I was doing, until I saw what Nia was turning into. Those warriors that fought for me in the Ice Nation are men and women that I've fought against, most of them lost those they loved in the wars I waged, but they forgave me Lexa. I killed and shed blood in their villages and they forgave me, Lexa. It made me realize that I could not blame you for the mountain, and yet, when I came here I did blame you because I wanted to hurt you, I wanted to make it so that you could never love me because I knew that if you did it would kill us both."

"I was so unfair to you, Lexa and all you wanted to do was love me, and all I could do was run from you. I tried so hard to push you away but every time I tried you just came closer and closer. Then Lenox, god that boy, he refused to give up on the idea of us, of you and me, of you and I and him." Clarke runs a hand through her hair, ignoring the tears that slide down her cheeks. "I told him stories, on those cold nights in the Ice Nation, I told them of the girl I loved and lost, Lexa." Clarke pauses as she watches Lexa's eyes grow wide and her throat bob. "When we arrived here, he took one look at you and he figured it all out. I had no choice but to tell him about the strong Heda of the ground and how she loved a girl from the sky. I told him that the sky girl loved the Heda when she thought she'd never love again. I told him that you made the right choice to protect your people because it's the truth and I told him that I wasn't yours to protect, that my people weren't yours to protect. I told him all of this, and yet, I still tried to convince myself that it wasn't the truth. How insane is that?"

"You were so good, Lexa. You are so good to me and to him, how can I not love you? How could I ever convince myself that you didn't love me when all you did was show me that you did? I fucking love you, Lexa, with all my heart and I swear, I swear I won't let the scars of my past keep me from showing you that I do. I'm scared, Lexa. When I close my eyes I dream of the horrors I've committed since being on the ground, all I see is blood and the pain I've caused. But when I'm with you, when you hold me, when you look at me, all that goes away until it's just us. And I can't say that there won't be days where my nightmares haunt me during the day, but I can promise that I'll try everything I can to stop myself from running from you because I'm tired Lexa. I'm so tired."

Clarke finally takes a much needed breath and looks at Lexa, because the girl hasn't said a word, not one single word and Clarke fears the worst. Clarke fears that Lexa will turn away from her as Clarke has done so many times to Lexa. But Lexa is still here and those green eyes stare at Clarke like they always do, they are calm and light. "I forgive you, Klark."

Clarke flinches at the words and her breath is stolen from her lungs. "How can you? After everything I put you through, how can you forgive me?" Clarke cries, tears rushing down her face and Lexa cups her hands around Clarke's cheeks and pulls Clarke closer.

Lexa smiles as she wipes Clarke's tears away. "Because...I love you." Clarke chokes at the simple answer and throws herself into Lexa's arms.

"I love you, too. I love you, Lexa." Clarke repeats her words over and over again as she clings to Lexa, and Lexa? Lexa just holds her as Clarke falls apart in her arms. Clarke knows without a shadow of a doubt that Lexa will be there as Clarke puts her pieces back into place. Lexa will always be there.

"You're sickening," Raven sneers as she watches Clarke watch Lexa and Lenox from across the courtyard.

"Told you," Octavia adds, and Clarke rolls her eyes as she gives attention to her friends.

Clarke shrugs as she looks at them, the huge smile on her face giving everything away. "I love her." Clarke says it so simply that all Raven and Octavia can do is stare at her as if Clarke has lost her mind, and yet, Clarke feels like she's never been more sane.

"You love her," Raven repeats the words slowly, as if she's never heard them before and is trying to decipher their meaning.

Octavia rolls her eyes and bumps shoulders with Raven. "She loves her," O states as fact because, well, it is a fact. Clarke grins and looks down at the ground, not as though she's ashamed, but because she'd dazed by the feeling of light, giddiness she feels in her chest. "Oh my god! Stop it!" Octavia groans, making Clarke look back up to see a disgusted look on her friend's face. Clarke laughs, unweighted and free.

"Great, another Octavia/Lincoln situation. I'm so not doing this again." Raven jests with a small smile at the corner of her lips.

Arms circle around Clarke from behind and she smells the distinct salty ocean smell that is unique to one person. Luna. "There is my Sky Princess," Luna laughs.

Clarke turns around, Luna's arms falling off her. "Who told you that?" Clarke demands with a fierce glare.

Luna looks behind Clarke and grins. "A little bird told me." A strangled cough sounds from behind Clarke and she turns with wide eyes and amused smile when she sees the blush decorating Raven's cheeks. "Hei skaipeka." Hello small bird. Luna gives a lecherous grin and it's enough for Clarke to give a laughing scoff as she looks between Raven and Raven's new found friend.

Raven mouth opens and shuts, words obviously escaping her as O and Clarke share a silent amusement. "Hi," Raven finally croaks out.

Someone calls out to Luna from the sparing pits and Luna takes a step away from Clarke. "I will speak with you later, Clarke and I shall see you later too, skaipeka." Clarke waits until Luna is far away before turning a smug smile loose on Raven.

"What was that, Raven?" Clarke folds her arms across her chest as she and Octavia set their sights on the blushing Raven.

Raven scoffs and rolls her eyes, trying to wave them off with a flick of her wrist. "Nothing. That was nothing. That is nothing. It's nothing. Just nothing." Raven babbles, which isn't out of character, however it is reserved for when Raven is talking about building or taking apart anything, so maybe it is just a little out of character in this situation, and Clarke is more than happy to shift the attention away from herself.

"It definitely is something," Octavia smirks at Raven, earning herself a piercing glare. "Raven and Luna sitting in a tree," Raven lunges for the singing girl and Octavia skillfully dodges her by standing. "K-i-s-s-i-n-g." Raven tries to lunge once more but Octavia stays just out of reach until Raven is trying her best to run down the teasing girl as they race as quickly as Raven can away from Clarke. "First comes love!" Clarke can barely hear Octavia and then she can't hear the singing at all.

"Klark." A soft voice pulls back her attention as a warm body comes to settle next to her.

"Lexa," Clarke sighs softly, turning to face her. Clarke grins as her nose gently grazes Lexa's nose as she steals a sweet, chaste kiss from Clarke. "Where is Lenox?" Clarke looks around and spots him in the meadow with Meino now.

"I've been replaced." Lexa teases as she too looks to Lenox. The boys run around in a game of tag, giggling in a way a warrior wouldn't and Clarke grins because her little warrior is still just a little boy...and maybe she still has a chance to change his mind about being a warrior. He'd make a fine healer, an even better hunter or scout, but her chances at changing his mind are slight at best and she knows it. "You think…?" Lexa trails in her question, choosing instead to quirk a brow at Clarke.

Clarke frowns for a moment not understanding the question, until she looks back to the boys and find them making flower crowns instead of running around and when Lenox places his crown on Meino's head, Clarke laughs, finally understanding. "Lexa, they're four and six...they're babies." Clarke laughs in disbelief. Lexa frowns and then shrugs.

"They are not too young to know they want to be warriors, but they are too young to know who they love?" Lexa shakes her head. "Children are often the ones who love the clearest and strongest." She defends her point of view.

"Yes, I agree, but they are too young to recognize the difference between loves. The love of friends and family are a lot different than the love between two people." Clarke counters.

Lexa sighs and nods. "You are right, they are too young, we will have to wait. I still think there is something between them...something that might be if their fates should allow."

"Fate? I see it more like chance." Clarke grins as she leans her body into Lexa's warm embrace. "It was chance that got me on the dropship, I could have been floated, and chance that we landed on your lands, we could have landed anywhere, and it was chance that we met instead of meeting Nia first."

Lexa laughs, "You just explained fate, Clarke. It was fate that you were in the ship and fate that landed you in my territory and it was fate that I met you first and not Nia, like you said you could have landed anywhere, but you landed here."

Clarke shakes her head with an amused smile. "By chance."

"By fate," Lexa corrects her, and Clarke is happy to let Lexa think what she wants, because a part of her thinks that maybe Lexa is right.

"I'll agree that meeting you was fate, but becoming friends was a choice," Clarke looks into those green eyes, "falling in love though, that was beyond our control." Lexa beams brighter than the sun as she smiles and it leaves Clarke in awe.

"Fate," Lexa whispers. Clarke rolls her eyes, but it doesn't escape her notice that this time she doesn't argue with Lexa. This time, Clarke accepts the words because they mean something to Lexa and so, they mean something to her.