Title: The Dance

Writers: femslash_writer

Chapter Rating: T

Fandom: The 100

Pairing: Lexa/Clarke

Prompt(s): none

Warning: Femslash

Beta: MountainLion503

Summary: Inspired by how I think Clarke and Lexa would make up.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I just couldn't resist this.

Lexa's feet felt like they were floating as she twirled over the worn rugs that littered the Heda's bedroom. The only people that stayed on the floor as the Heda was her personal guests. The only person to ever use the guest bedroom on that floor had been Costia, and no since or before until Clarke. The sky was unaware of just what an honor she has received. Indra had rolled her eyes, and Titus had protested but one glare from their Commander brought them back to order. Although Lexa listened to her people and her loyal advisors, she had final say. She was Heda, and her word was law.

Only with the door closed did Lexa ever allow herself any respite. Here, in her inner sanctum, she could be no one more than a girl in Polis, a girl whose heart had been broken once and had been stomped on twice. Being Heda had almost destroyed that part of her, but with Clarke back the girl inside seemed to be making more appearances. It often made Commander look weak to follow the girl who would do away with the Heda's spirit. Make it find a new host. It is why she had spoken to Clarke so much of death. Many days she wondered if she had anything left to give, if perhaps death would not be kinder to her. She wanted to be the girl that still believed in hope and love for Clarke.

That is how her bare feet found themselves gliding in a rhythm she should long have forgotten. Her marriage dance with Costia, it had been a dance to honor the people of the lakes. A craftsman's dance for when they drank in the bars waiting for the fishermen to return with their boats. It wasn't elegant. Not something that befitted the Heda to perform, but it had meant something to Costia. Her father had been a craftsman and taught her the Dance of Ship when she was but a little girl. It took not two summers for him to be taken by the mountain. Leaving Costia and her three sisters with a despondent mother and hungry bellies. The dance had brought many murmurs at their union ceremony, but the Commander's ears had been deaf to them, for she was just a girl dancing for her love.

Lexa chose to dance rather than to think now. Unbidden thoughts plagued her in the night. Thoughts of Costia's soul finding Clarke in the stars. Thoughts of how she and Clarke seemed destined to be together just as she and Costia had. But those thoughts weren't fair to the sky girl or her beloved. Guilt would often accompany the thoughts in waves that would drown a lesser girl. For she was Heda, and the Heda must prevail, not for herself but for her people.

The Commander barely heard the soft tap of someone knocking at her door. Her steps faltered. Her people were always loud when approaching her room giving her time to prepare for them. Clarke was the only one who would have knocked like that. It had to be her. The older girl's heart stood still for a moment unsure if it should just stop right then and save itself another break, but Lexa forced it to continue as she crossed the room in a hurried pass.

There stood the sky girl on the other side. Her blonde curls rolling down her shoulders in ringlets. She had obviously found the oils next to her bath most agreeable. Lexa made a note to send more. It would be a thoughtful gesture as host to guest. "Everyone has already turned in for the night, Ambassador."

The girl shook her head. Lexa hated the smile she got from Clarke now. It was so much sadder than before the mountain. "Something bothers you?"

The girl looked at her, really looked at her, into her soul. It was another new thing since the mountain. Clarke was always staring into her eyes. It was unnerving, never truly knowing what the girl was thinking.

The sky girl heart felt heavy. She was sick of fighting. Lexa understood her more than anyone. She knew what it was like to sacrifice. It felt like she had been doing that even before she came to earth. Probably since her father first got floated. She fought for him, for them, for everyone. Now she just wanted someone to fight for her, and Lexa seemed like the one who could. "May I come in?"

The older girl moved aside allowing the sky girl to enter. It was odd. No one had been in the Commander's room since Costia. Lexa did not allow anyone else the privilege, but for some reason she gave it to Clarke without a second thought. It did not feel wrong to let her in. Not like it had with the others.

For a second, Clarke hesitated. The room seemed to belong to another person entirely. It was far too light for the Commander who never wore anything that wasn't dark. "Is this your room?"

The question didn't sound right even to the sky girl's lips. It was obvious this was Lexa's room. Clarke had seen her retire here at night. At least the nights she waited outside her door to catch a glimpse of the older girl wondering if she would be go alone or if someone would accompany her. So far, not even the bathing girls had gone into the room.

A smile played at the Heda's lips. "Yes, Clarke. This is mine."

"It's just so-" Clarke blushed realizing that what she was saying might be interrupted as rude. "Never mind. It is lovely."

Lexa stared transfixed on the girl before her. "It doesn't seem quite me does it."

Clarke nodded her head. Since coming to Polis, everything she thought about the grounders had been turned on its head. She still thought their politics a little too basic, but she had come to respect them at least. How could she approve of a system that was so brutal? Lexa could have been killed and in all rights should have been by Roan.

It was that day, that Clarke realized she must forgive the Commander completely. It was not fair to hold onto anger that didn't belong to Lexa. She understood that as Heda, the older girl needed to consider her people first. She needed to deal with the anger, the anger that should be directed at herself. In that moment she pulled the trigger, it had been for her mother and for the people she had known only a couple months. She had given up every moral code she had ever believed for them. She had killed hundreds to save a few. The sky girl had turned to violence. She had killed children. Something Jaha couldn't even claim. It sickened her stomach even comparing herself to the man who had floated her father, but the truth was she was no better. She was a person with nothing. No morals left to stand, no friends to understand, and here stood Lexa, the last of her hope for salvation. If the Commander could live on through all the wickedness, so could she.

"As I said, Polis will change your view of us." Lexa stopped staring at the girl finding it hard to look into those heart breaking eyes anymore. Instead, she moved to the bed that was draped in all white including the canopy. "Why did you come here, Clarke?"

The girl hesitated for a moment, but decided she was ready for the fall. She moved forward until she stood just where the Commander's legs met. She had to lean down to kiss the already shorter girl, but it didn't matter. All that mattered is Lexa was there and so was she. They could heal each other.

I hope you like this. I ummm…well it was a passion project.