The princess and the spy

As the three left, Madi looked at Clarke once more before the door closed with a soft hiss. Clarke's eyes moved slowly, almost shyly, to Echo and settled on her. Echo had surprised her, she had changed so much. So much so that Clarke wondered if it was really the Echo that had fought her. But it was. Bellamy's influence on her was remarkable. Not only did he seem to have really turned her around, but he also seemed to be a truly good influence on her. But so was she. After all, Echo had been by his side when he was going through probably the hardest time of his life.

But just 48 hours earlier, Echo's hands had been wrapped tightly around her neck, about to strangle her to death. In front of Madi. Echo had her reasons to be angry with her, just as Clarke had her reasons to be angry with Bellamy. Clarke knew that she had endangered Bellamy's life, just as he had endangered Madi's. Everything was a matter of opinion, depending on one's personal point of view. And Echo was just giving in to her feelings and the almost natural animosity between them.

And just a few moments ago, Echo was the first to stand up and hand her a cup of water. Voluntarily, it seemed. As if to prove that whatever had happened between them was now in the past. But the only real question in Clarke's mind was whether Echo did this because she really cared for Clarke, all of a sudden and willingly, to move on, to even mark a new beginning between them. Or just because she wanted to give Bellamy the comfort he needed, to make him believe that she was finally on good terms with her. To pretend that their feud was over.

Bellamy seemed very disturbed and unsettled by her near death. This meant that their close and unique friendship might still have a chance. Although she still had to forgive him completely and stop being angry with him. And she wasn't sure if he had forgiven her as well, or if he still carried a sting deep inside. Even though Clarke had the slight feeling that Bellamy had replaced her with Echo, she knew that she had actually done the same to him. Replaced him with Madi. Just like with Bellamy, it was not their choice to be together. But it was their choice to love each other. When she left Bellamy in Polis, she chose Madi. That was when her fearful heart took over. But the truth was that it was just. While Madi was now more important to her than Bellamy, he probably felt the same about Echo. And vice versa. But the fact that he wanted to see her spoke volumes. Maybe they were still as close as when they had parted at the height of the Praimfaya. After all this time. But was it really her destiny to lead her people again?

While Clarke sorted her thoughts, she didn't notice Echo staring back at her. By now, she was a complete mystery to Clarke. What was driving her? Was she really worried about her, or was she just trying to appease Bellamy and maybe even Madi? No, that couldn't make sense. Echo never depended on anyone else's opinion or favor. Probably not even Bellamy's, but six years was a long time. The calculation in her head was a painful one. She and Bellamy had only seen each other in real time for about four months. From the time they landed with the dropship until they left without her to go back into space. Not counting the time she had been separated from her friends for almost three months after the battle against the mountain. After Lexa's betrayal. After she became Wanheda. Echo, on the other hand, had known him for more than six years. A terrible realization. But it affected all her friendships. Raven, Monty, Murphy, Octavia... and of course Niylah. For the first time in her life, it all felt so long ago. At times, the dropship days felt almost like a dream itself. A dream with ups and downs, but mostly downs, though sometimes she silently wished to go back to that time. Maybe to correct her... their mistakes. Maybe just to experience what it felt like to be a naive teenager again. Growing up sucked. But one thing she knew for sure: she wouldn't go back without Madi. Nowhere, to be exact.

Clarke and Echo were still exchanging glances. The two remained in an uncomfortable silence before Echo was the first to break it.

"How do you feel?" Echo asked her. She leaned forward, closing the distance between them. From the right angle, her eyes now reflected the dim ceiling light. She spoke in a soft and calm voice, as if she had been sitting here all the time, assigned to watch her.

"Still terrible," Clarke replied curtly.

"I didn't mean your injury. That's obvious." Echo dug deeper.

"Huh?" Clarke asked her, genuinely confused. Did Echo really care about her feelings? How she felt?

"Can we count on you?" Echo then began to get more specific "I know Bellamy put you through a lot. But the decision he and Madi made…"

It was strange. Echo had just silenced their discussion and now she was about to start it again. But why does she care at all? There must be more to it…

"I can't believe that was the only way. Their only option," Clarke cut her off, expressing her doubts about their actions, "I'm a Nightblood too. He should have freed me. Talked to me, given me the flame instead."

There she was again. Insulted, hurt, angry and disappointed. It still felt better than wallowing in self-pity. But it also sapped her strength. For six long years she had not known these feelings. Or had to endure them. And now they were stronger than ever.

"You betrayed me. Echo... You were there when I tried to solve this problem once. When Roan came in before I could take the flame. He screwed everything up but I don't blame him for that. After all, my people betrayed him. And he tried to save his people. Like everyone else at the time. Do you remember? You didn't like it when I wanted to take the flame. But Madi taking the flame was okay for you. Why do you keep asking me for help when you don't want me to help you? I should have taken the flame." She threw out the last sentence in her strongest voice since waking up and continued with the same energy "I am Wanheda, the Mountain Slayer. The title I never wanted and which now hangs over me like a stigma. The choice between Wanheda and Bloodreina doesn't seem to be a hard one for me. I defeated the mountain. I took out A.L.I.E. Not alone, of course. I had help. Great help, I couldn't have done it without it. But I took action, I risked my life. To keep everyone safe - we all did. And this is the thanks? I don't want a prize, I don't even want anything. But I deserve better than this. Not that everyone hates me. That Madi had to talk to you, to Bellamy, to keep you both from being mad at me..." Clarke fired her words afterwards.

After saying those words, Clarke realized that maybe it wasn't the best idea to take out all her frustration on Echo. Especially now, when she seemed to show the first superficial signs of liking her. Or at least not wanting to fight her right now. She still remained an enigma. Especially after Clarke had stopped once, taken a breath and felt her heart almost beating out of her neck. The heart monitor made a few nervous beeps, revealing her nervousness. But Echo did not seem to care; she watched her calmly, not even making a face as she sat and listened to her. 

Echo nodded. She listened to Clarke carefully. Every word of her tirade. It was important to listen to her, to understand what she felt, what she thought. What drove her and where she stood. Echo didn't want to start a fight or defend herself. Now that Clarke was playing with open cards, especially without the - in this case - disturbing presence of Madi and Bellamy, she could begin to win Clarke over to her plan. The plan she and Bellamy had devised with Madi while evacuating Wonkru from the storm. To make the valley their new home, with Clarke's help. In fact, Clarke was her most important variable in that equation. To Echo, Clarke was a natural leader. Despite their differences. She had a natural instinct to help others, to leave no one behind, not even people like Echo. Bellamy explained that it would not be easy to dissuade Clarke from that instinct. That it would take something big to change that behavior. Like a betrayal from someone she truly cared for and loved.

"I know Clarke," Echo began in a calm and collected voice. "I'm sorry I fought you back then. Don't think I don't have regrets of my own. Bellamy and I have talked about it so many times. So many times, in fact, that we both got tired of it. You know best what I did to him, what I did to you. But my..."

"Loyalty was to the Ice Nation," Clarke finished her sentence, "and Roan... He was my friend too, Echo. A good friend, actually. He helped us create the Nightblood, but things got out of hand. My people and Trikru betrayed him. I wanted to stop the conclave and its carnage. I didn't want Roan to die. Or anyone else..."

"Clarke. This is not the past. You can't change it. But you can help shape the future," Echo said emphatically. "Not just helping us... you are needed. We need you."

"You sound like Bellamy," Clarke remarked, causing them both to laugh briefly. Clarke watched Echo intently. She was beginning to feel a little more comfortable in her presence. Echo wanted to use their time together to talk. And she wanted to take full advantage of this private moment. Without being disturbed by Bellamy and Madi. Bellamy probably didn't know that Echo had been waiting for this opportunity. She was calculating as always. But what was her plan? Why was Echo trying so hard to win her over to her plan? It made no sense unless there was more to it. Something she couldn't figure out right now. Not with all the medicine in her system.

"Bellamy and Madi took on a responsibility they can't fulfill now," Clarke said reproachfully, "and I wondered all the time why she took the flame when I told her it was dangerous. That I was against it. Really against it. And not in a way that could be misunderstood. So that she would dare to test me. Because he tricked Madi by telling her that my life was at stake. Am I right?"

"I don't know Clarke, really," Echo told her. She sounded sincere. She wasn't there, so she wasn't involved in this betrayal. She didn't know the whole truth. And Bellamy probably hadn't told her too much about it.

"She told me she took the flame to save me. It was Bellamy who lied to her. Who else? Playing the save Clarke card," Clarke muttered. "He was using me to use her," Clarke said. She knew this wasn't over. That she was still mad at him. And besides, she hoped that her betrayal had hit him as hard as it had hit her. Hopefully even harder. That vengeful side was also the voice she heard in her head when she killed President Dante Wallace, screaming at her to leave Bellamy. And by a hair's breadth she would have even shot Bellamy. Had he been a stranger, she would have killed him without flinching.

The scary thing was that this voice was actually much more than that. It was almost like a demon that had been living inside her since her father died. It first manifested itself when she found out that her father had been betrayed. And Well's was the first person who had to endure this new side of her. She hated him. For taking the blame, for trying to protect her from the real truth. That it was her mother who caused her father's death, albeit unintentionally. And with each death, starting with Well's and Charlotte's, her demon grew and gained strength.

"I don't know if I can ever fully trust him again..." Clarke revealed to Echo.

"Do you trust me, Clarke?" Echo asked her. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. The sting was deeper than she thought, "Because if you trust me, you trust Bellamy. Otherwise we really have a problem here. How dare you not trust him?" Echo's voice sounded almost insulted. But she remained calm. But before Clarke could answer, Echo continued, "Even if he did make a mistake..." She paused and did something unusual. She moved closer to her side and gently took her hand. It felt like a small electric shock when their hands touched. Her hand felt soft. A little rough the longer she kept contact, but it was still pleasant, even though Echo grabbed her hand with some force. Probably the main reason it felt better now was that this time her hands were not wrapped around her neck, trying to choke her. "He made one mistake. One. Just like you did. According to my calculations, you are even now. And besides, Madi isn't angry with him. Clarke, when he heard you were shot, he stopped functioning. Madi stopped functioning. They both... Yes, Madi told us. But he cares about you. Give him a chance to make up for his mistake. But don't leave us alone with this, Clarke."

"Seriously, Echo. Why do you care? Why are you trying so hard to convince me? A few days ago we had a fight and you almost killed me. Don't get me wrong. I like that caring side of you. But our history is... troubled." Clarke explained as she let herself fall back onto the soft pillow. This conversation was starting to get annoying, not only because it wasn't going anywhere, but also because she didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to talk about anything right now. As if that weren't enough, Echo even seemed amused by her obviously annoyed question.

"I admit, when I found out what you did to Bellamy, I started to hate you again. I didn't even question your motives. It should have been obvious that you wouldn't leave Bellamy for a bunch of criminals. It never occurred to me that you were angry. So, when I saw you with the prisoners... maybe I blew a fuse there. I shouldn't have attacked you in front of Madi. Just like you shouldn't have pointed a gun at us..."

"I would not have pulled the trigger. It was stupid. But I just wanted you to get away from her. To leave us alone…"

"The love between you and Madi is adorable. I even envy you for it. She really loves you," Echo said, "otherwise she wouldn't have punched Bellamy in the gut, broken Octavia's nose - I liked that, by the way," Echo said with a smirk on her face, "and she even fought with me. She was following her heart and ran away from us, straight to you. She left everyone behind. For you. "

"She told me," Clarke said, smiling at her again. In a way, she was so proud and touched that Madi just wanted to be with her. So desperately that she began to fight ruthlessly against anyone who dared to come between them. But on the other hand, it was wrong and further proof that Bellamy and Madi's decision was wrong. Madi wasn't perfect for the part. Also because she loved Clarke so much. Just like Clarke loved her. And that was why she should never be Commander. And the fear rose deep inside her that the flame could separate or damage their relationship. In Clarke's eyes, love was not a weakness. But sometimes a challenge. It could provide closeness, warmth and security, as well as strength. But at the same time, love definitely made a person vulnerable. And dangerous. As Clarke had shown. Or Madi shortly after her. Losing a loved one could lead to despair, anger, and terrible things. She had seen the look on Finn's face after he had killed the people of Lincoln's village. It was because he loved her. In the end, love killed Lexa as well, but it was not her weakness. Lexa was stronger, and Clarke's last hope was that she would take over and lead Madi. And it was hard for her to be literally so close to Lexa and yet so distant and separated. She was in Madi's head now. But Lexa should be in Clarke's head instead. Should be there in general. And give her advice. She needed it much more than Madi or anyone else. Clarke knew how selfish her intention was. But she didn't care. Neither did her grieving heart. Bellamy and Madi had inadvertently opened one of her most painful wounds. A wound that may never fully heal.

For a moment, Clarke lost herself in her almost whirling thoughts, just staring at Echo with empty eyes. Although the pause was welcome, allowing her to mentally catch her breath, she simply couldn't stop now. She had reached her operating temperature. Now she wanted to finish the discussion Echo was so eager to have.

"That's because she shouldn't have the flame. None of us should have the flame," Clarke told Echo. "Or better: No one at all." And before Echo could say anything in response, Clarke looked at her to say something more. "Echo. I'm afraid to lose her over this," Clarke said with a sad face. She looked down and a few tears ran down her cheeks. "I've done bad things. To save my people... to save Madi... I just want to live in peace," she raised her head, "for all of us."

"You're afraid of losing her?" Echo asked, incredulous and slightly outraged. "She wouldn't love you if you were a bad person. Bellamy wouldn't. Just a few moments ago, before you woke up, she told us that you are everything she has. And you were never a bad person. Yes, you made mistakes, but so did I. After all, we were just... on different sides all along. But this time we are on the same side. I want peace just as much as you do. All my life I have known nothing but fighting. To lie, to conspire. To kill. And to betray. I was tortured at Mount Weather. And yet, the time I had on the Ring, with Bellamy and the others, was a happy time. There were many bad days, of course. But not fearing for our lives, trying to be happy and make the best of it was a pleasant experience. You inspired us. We knew we couldn't die and give up, no matter what challenges we faced. Like having to eat algae for six years. We knew we had to find a way and come back to earth. Because of you. Because you sacrificed yourself. Bellamy made sure to remind us of that more often than you might think"

Echo's monologue was moving. Deeply. Clarke had no idea about all these things. It was uplifting for Clarke that Echo was defending her against herself.

"I had no idea about any of this," Clarke said. She remained quiet for a moment, still trying to absorb and reflect on Echo's words.

"I trust you Echo. Let us bury our feuds. Once and for all" Clarke suggested. She couldn't pass up the chance to finally turn the tide of her perpetual battle with Echo and gain her as an ally instead.

"You're right," Echo said as she nodded in agreement. She broke eye contact with Clarke for a moment and stared down at her feet before looking back at her. "So. Are we... friends now?" Her question sounded almost like a shy girl asking someone out on a date. "So unlike her, but kind of refreshing," Clarke thought. It didn't take her long to answer.

"Yes," Clarke gasped, nodding to give her words more meaning. Suddenly she realized that this was much more than she had expected. After all, she had no expectations for this conversation. And suddenly, Echo was warming up to her. The only thing Clarke hoped for was that Echo's words reflected her truest and most genuine feelings. And that they were not faked. And yet a kind of suspicion lingered in the back of Clarke's mind. Time would tell, and actions would prove how much value Echo had put on her own words. But for now, Clarke was happy to have gained a friend instead of losing one.

"I'm glad to hear that," Echo said. She looked at Clarke a little uncomfortably. Coming to terms with Clarke had been one of her goals, but now she realized that she hadn't thought about what would come after that. She had never really had a peaceful moment with her. And now that they had just become friends, Echo had no idea what the first step in this new chapter between them might be. She exchanged another look with Clarke and let out a shy laugh. "Come closer," Clarke said suddenly. Echo looked at her a little confused, so Clarke explained her intention: "I wanna hug you."

"Oh," Echo said before accepting the invitation. She stood and gently wrapped her arms around Clarke's torso. Clarke had lifted herself despite the pain it caused her. Fortunately, Echo was much more careful than Bellamy or Madi, who hugged her in their blind fear and emotion.

Clarke and Echo embraced for the first time. After everything that had happened between them. Feeling Echo's closeness outside of a fight - for once not being put through the wringer by her - was a pleasant experience. It felt special, as if this had been one of her first real successes in recent weeks. She had officially won Echo as a friend. Clarke tried to pull her closer with her weak arms. Fortunately, Echo understood her intention and came closer on her own. Clarke could now rest her head on her shoulder and whisper in her ear.

"I'm sorry, Echo," Clarke breathed, "for putting Bellamy in danger, for making you fear for his life. For making it seem like I betrayed you all, which I probably did. "

"Enough, Clarke," Echo almost barked at her as they parted from their first hug, "but I'm sorry too," she said, changing to a much calmer voice. Despite the dim light, Clarke could see that Echo's eyes were a little watery. After all, Echo was a human being. With feelings and emotions and not a cold-blooded warrior. Sometimes Clarke forgot that in all their heated encounters. Echo wasn't born that way, she was made that way. Just like Madi. Neither had a choice. No one had a choice. To be born on the ark, to be born on the ground, or to live in the bunker. For a moment everything was said. Echo took her seat again and leaned back into a more comfortable position. Now she sat on Bellamy's chair and watched her closely. Bellamy was right. Moving on was the best thing they could do. The next few months would be challenging enough without them stumbling over their old scars and sins.

"Let's move on. Like Bellamy wants it," she said. For some unknown reason, saying that herself made her feel optimistic. Although she wasn't sure where Clarke's place in Bellamy's and her relationship might be, she wasn't afraid of having Clarke at their side. Even if it meant that she would have to share Bellamy at times. 

"Yeah. I guess you are right. Both of you" Clarke said insightfully

"That's good to hear" Echo said pleased.

"I'm proud of you Echo" Clarke was the first to break the brief silence between them, after everything had been said for a while. Although she was exhausted, she wanted to continue the conversation with Echo. She had made Echo a friend, but knew almost nothing about her. It was no secret that their friendship was mainly due to her close relationship with Bellamy. But even if it was only a friendship of convenience, it was still an important achievement because it meant stability. Only time would tell where Echo and Clarke really stood, whether they were true friends or just allies of convenience. Secretly, Clarke hoped this was the beginning of a real friendship. She knew she could use something like that right now.

"Not Clarke." Echo rejected her praise. "You should know something too," Echo said. "He saved me too."

"I know" Clarke answered to her surprise

"You already know?" Echo asked simultaneously irritated and confused, "I don't think you really understand." She paused and leaned closer to Clarke. But before Echo could tell her any further, she was interrupted by a gentle knocking to the door.

Echo's expression was as surprised as Clarke's. This couldn't be Bellamy and Madi. Although Echo remembered that she hadn't given them the code for the door, it was too early for them to come back. Especially with food. Echo's mind was already running through reasons and possibilities, but she soon realized that she still had her radio on her belt. And a quick glance at the device told her that it was activated and ready to go. So it couldn't be them, or the bridge. The knocking was insistent. Someone wanted to enter. Echo looked at Clarke.

"Should I?" Echo asked her

Clarke began to think hard about who that might be. There weren't many names she could think of, and the ones she could think of were either mad at her, unless Madi had worked some more miracles, or they were names she wasn't very eager to see. At least for now.

"These are not Bellamy or Madi. It's too early for them. Whoever this is, please don't be Niylah or Octavia."

For some unknown reason, she felt this discomfort now. It could only be one of them. She wasn't ready to face them. Not ready because her feelings were still conflicted between being angry and wanting to reconcile. She wasn't ready for another round of that right now. She was tired and wanted to rest.

Clarke gave Echo her approval. "But if it's Octavia or Niylah, please send them away. I don't feel ready to talk to them right now."

"Sure," Echo confirmed as she stood up and approached the door. As she was about to open the door, Clarke caught herself holding her breath.

The door opened with the usual hiss and revealed a familiar voice. Too familiar

"Hey, is Clarke awake? I just saw them leaving," the voice said. It was Niylah. Clarke clawed at the blanket with both hands. Of course it was Niylah. She had probably been waiting outside the door for some time. Waited for the coast to clear.

"She is tired. She needs to rest," Echo explained, manifesting herself across the entire width of the door. She was definitely determined to fulfill Clarke's wish. And for some reason, Clarke began to like her new 'guardian'. But at the same time, she felt her heart sink to her knees. Her broken heart.

"I am quickly finished. I need to check her wounds. Abby told me that..."

"Sorry, this will have to wait. Abby has already taken care of her. Please come back later. Clarke is fine, she's resting before Bellamy comes back with Madi. She needs to speak to them first," Echo said.

Niylah sighed, but she wasn't ready to give up. "Please, let me see her. You know I have the access code as well, and I respect her time with them. But please. If she's still awake, let me talk to her. Just tell her..."

"No, I'm sorry," Echo said. Even though Echo could feel her pain, she was not ready to give in.

"Let her in, Echo," another voice yelled down the hall. "Octavia! Great! Beautiful. Fucking beautiful!" As if someone had listened to what she had said to Echo a few moments ago. "Can this get any worse?"

Knowing the history between Octavia and Echo, Clarke knew that Echo was now more than determined to deny them access. Especially Octavia. But at the same time, Clarke could hear the warning sirens in her head. This situation was going from bad to very bad. And the last thing Clarke wanted was to be the cause of another confrontation, or worse, a fight. She straightened carefully, preparing herself to stand up and intervene. She hadn't walked or stood for two days. And even though her head felt only slightly dizzy, she wasn't too sure she could actually take steps, aside from worrying about her wound. In fact, for the first time, she was worried about further damaging her fragile injury. But in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter as she was ready to step in before things got worse and someone got hurt.

Watching this standoff between Echo and Octavia was chilling to the bone. The tense moment made the air feel as if a spark could ignite the entire room. Octavia looked at Echo with her wide-open eyes, which were more red than blue. Her long hair was frizzy and disheveled. She stared at Echo with the most determined "don't you dare" look.

"I said no, Octavia" Echo gave her answer with a tense voice.

"We want to see her," Octavia said, even more heated now "Let us in".

"Don't you get it, Clarke needs to rest," Echo said. Clarke was worried about how long Echo could keep her cool without boiling over. But the same was even more true for Octavia. It was Echo and Octavia, of all people, who were about to clash. How ironic, and what a mess...

"Who said that? You? Abby? Or was it Bellamy?" Octavia asked as she approached Echo.

"None of us. This isn't about you Octavia. Give Clarke the time she needs to find her strength"

"Okay," Niylah agreed in a quiet voice. Just like Clarke, she didn't want to escalate the situation. As much as she wanted to rush into the room just to see Clarke, she didn't want to challenge or even fight Echo. As much as she appreciated Octavia's care and effort, she knew she would have been more successful without her hot-tempered behavior. Now the chance to get a quick look at Clarke was gone for hours. Echo was far too observant to not see through her apparent reasons. Niylah had no choice but to accept the situation. Even if Clarke couldn't see her face, she knew it was sad. Clarke understood that Niylah still cared for her and for a moment she even wanted to tell Echo to let her through. But at the same time she was too upset to find the right words. To find words that were not insults or accusations. It wasn't the right time.

"In a few hours, the world will look very different." This phrase, which her father had often said to her when she was sad, ran through her mind. By now, Clarke had realized how ironic his phrase really sounded, since they were - at that time - trapped on a dying space station and spent their days just watching the world he was talking about. It was the only thing Clarke could think of as a 'world'. The Ark certainly wasn't a world. It was a dystopian confinement.

Niylah gently tapped Octavia's upper arm as she was still in confrontation mode and about to move even closer to Echo. Clarke could see Echo's body tensing.

No, not on her account should anyone get hurt. Even though Clarke didn't feel ready, she just didn't want Echo to fight her own battles. Despite her impressive dedication. It felt good to have her keep her back free. Clarke lifted herself even higher, now sitting with her hole torso upright. The pain intensified because she hadn't moved her body that much since waking up. Suddenly, her confidence to just jump out of bed and de-escalate the situation vanished. She realized that she was lucky to be able to stand upright. Without help. So when it came down to it, only her - hopefully strong - voice would help her.

"You can't do this," Octavia said, stamping on the ground. This time Echo made no reply, just focused on her with her hazel eyes. For a few agonizingly long moments, Echo and Octavia stared at each other. Like two stags about to start a turf war.

"If you really care about her, leave her alone and give her some time. The storm is not even here yet. You'll have plenty of time in the next few days when Clarke feels better and stronger." Echo replied in a very clear voice.

"And why was Bellamy here?" Octavia snorted. Her eyes teared up a little. She was not only angry, she was sad, desperate and torn inside. 

"Because he almost lost her. Because they had things to work out. I know you need to talk to her too, but stay out of it until it's time for you. And this is the last thing I'll tell you for now." Echo said, ending the conversation for her part. She quickly glanced at Niylah, who was about to turn away, and added, "Niylah, you can see her later," which Niylah confirmed with a short nod. Octavia, on the other hand, was about to launch another tirade at her, but before she could say anything, Echo quickly backed away and closed the door. Not only closed, but locked. A loud hammering could be heard for a few moments before it faded. Echo let out a loud sigh as she stood there for a few moments, staring at the closed door before turning around.

"Thank you, Echo" Clarke said, relieved. "I owe you"

"You owe me? I thought that was the meaning of friendship. But now you can't take it back." Echo said with a victorious smile, "I want you to help us."

"Of course you do," Clarke muttered, annoyed. But she had maneuvered herself into this situation. That was the price for a few hours' reprieve. And the price for her cowardice to face them and discuss the matter. But maybe it was a wise move instead of starting more fires with her words now. From the moment she almost screamed in Bellamy's face in front of Madi and Echo, she realized that he had destroyed her life by giving Madi the flame.

 "I just need some time" Clarke added sighing after a while

"Should I…?" Echo asked

"No, stay" Clarke insisted with a smile.