i trusted you and you ...

*** Lexa

I knew it was the best decision, but I felt bad. I didn't want to leave Clarke alone. Yet, I also knew it was for the best. For all of us.

So there I stood, in front of the car that would drive me away from her. Raven, O, and I stood there, watching them talk to Roan and Clarke.

"We'll see each other every day. Oh my God, we could go paintballing," Raven bounced up and down like a little kid, and I saw a smile on Clarke's face too. I wanted to be happy too, but I couldn't really. Because I felt like I was leaving Clarke again. No matter how often I told myself it was for the best, and even though my heart told me it was the best, I didn't feel good about it.

As I watched Raven and O say goodbye to Roan and Clarke, I felt worse. But that feeling faded when I saw Clarke walking towards me.

"Hey, don't make that face. It's for the best, and we'll see each other again tomorrow," I saw how hard she tried not to show fear, but I could see it in her eyes.

I wasn't sure what to do, so I followed my heart and pulled her into a hug.

At first, she tensed up, but after a while, she relaxed, and I felt her arms wrap around me. "Don't worry, Clarke. Like I said, we're staying with you." With those words, I released the hug and got into the car.

Clarke stood in front of the house, and Roan moved to stand beside her, but before that, he approached the car window again. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her. Well, as best as I can. But I have one question." He looked at me with a questioning gaze.

"Clarke doesn't have to go to school anymore because you've sorted all that out, but she doesn't know. What should I tell her?"

*** flashback

"Roan, could you come here for a moment?" I stood on the balcony, as usual. When I saw him standing next to me, I began to tell him what I had been working on for the past few days.

"Clarke was sentenced to retake her final year at a school for troubled youth and fined. But now everything looks different, and the fine needs to be repaid. Since she passed everything in her final year when everything happened, I talked to several lawyers. There was a confidential settlement, which means the affected parties don't have to be present. The end result was that Clarke will receive her rightful diploma, and the money she raised to pay her fine will be refunded. Because she suffered innocently under the punishment, she will receive compensation about six times the amount of her fine." I took a brief pause and continued.

"However, due to Costia Mollens' case going to trial, Clarke will still have to testify in court. I wish I could have spared her that." There was silence for a while.

"Do you always talk so formally about these things?" A hearty laugh swept through my body, and I looked at Roan happily.

"It's just part of my job." He glanced at me for a brief moment.

"Man, I don't know what to say. That's great news! But will it help her emotionally?"

That was a good question. Clarke could now go to university and wouldn't have to worry about money for several years. But whether it would truly heal her heart, I didn't know. Hopefully, it would close some wounds, but not all of them.

"No, I don't think so. But it will help her move forward. We'll see the rest unfold in the courtroom, as Costia will surely have to compensate Clarke for her games, probably with money. But then Clarke will have a good foundation to build a real life."

"Yeah, you're right, and besides, she has us." Roan said, looking back at the city illuminated by the night.

*** end of flashback

"Not yet, I'll tell her, but I want to wait a little longer." He simply nodded and went to Clarke's side in front of the house.

As Raven drove us away, I saw them waving to us and disappearing into the house.

I'll tell her, I just don't know how yet.