Lightning Only Strikes Once - Clexa

Chapter 52: Nuclear Families

"Anya? What is it you wished to -" Lexa breaks off in mild surprise as she enters the tent. Instead of just containing Anya, her strategy tent has Wells and Raven in it as well. She hasn't seen Raven and Anya share the same space for a while now, and Wells and Raven have been taking turns spending time with Finn, so to see them all in one place is unusual. "Tris said you needed to speak to me, Anya."

"I do, Heda," Anya says, unusually hesitant. "We all do."

Clarke enters after Lexa, also looking confused. "What's going on? One of the Sekens called me out of a meeting with Cole, Jay and Fuji, saying it was important. Is Indra back?"

"Not yet," Anya says. "She should be soon, though."

Clarke blinks, noticing Wells and Raven. "If you're both here, who's with Finn?"

"Finn's busy learning braille. He asked us for some alone time," Wells says diplomatically.

Raven snorts. "I think his exact words were 'stop hovering, you're driving me insane'," she says, hiding her hurt with a mask of insouciance. "But anyway, that's given us the perfect opportunity to talk to you without him around. I don't wanna give him any more to worry about."

"What's the matter?" Clarke looks concerned.

"Is there news about the Maunon?" Lexa asks, keeping calm. "The radio Clarke broke?"

"That's working, I'm pretty sure, but we're too far away to pick up their signals," Raven says. "No. This is about you two."

There's a pause, and Clarke says, "Is this an intervention?" She crosses her arms casually and raises her eyebrows, looking amused.

Wells clears his throat. "Something like that," he allows. "All three of us have noticed that the two of you seem... different. Well, to be more accurate, I noticed you seemed different, Anya noticed Lexa seemed different, and Raven -"

"I just noticed something super-weird was going on," Raven interrupts helpfully. "I overheard some stuff. I mean, it takes me a while to wake up, but even I can't sleep through swordfights and interrogations. I was half-asleep, but what I heard ... I wanted to figure out what was going on but I also didn't want you to think I was accusing you of anything. So I just decided to wait and listen. After that I just kept noticing all the stuff it seemed kinda strange that you knew. Little things, but they added up."

"I was there when Octavia started making those accusations," Wells continues, eyes steady on Clarke, who has gone very still. "I saw how you reacted. You're a good liar, but I've been there since the first time we broke a vase, Clarke, I know when something's going on. Octavia wasn't right, but she wasn't entirely wrong either. Before then I just thought your time in solitary had changed you. But it's not that, is it?"

"When I noticed the difference in you I also dismissed it as unimportant, yongon," Anya says, still hesitant, but meeting Lexa's gaze anyway. "But that does not mean I did not notice it. I wondered why the change in you began before you met Clarke kom Skaikru, yet seemed like you fitted with her exactly because of that change. When I saw you with her for the first time... I wondered if somehow you had met before. But it did not seem possible."

"Listen, guys -" Clarke begins.

"I decided I needed to talk to you guys after I realised you knew the place the gorilla was at and Lexa knew what Arkadia would end up being called," Raven continues, talking quickly, apparently unable to stop herself spilling everything. "That's when I decided I had absolutely no clue what was going on, and I wanted to get Anya's opinion before I spoke to you, since I knew she thought something was weird too. But she's been avoiding me -" She shoots Anya a glare that Anya ignores, "- so I talked it through with Wells instead a few days back. Then cornered Anya today to say we were gonna have a talk with you. And here we are. Talking with you."