Chapter Text
Lexa came as fast as she could. Clarke's call in the middle of the night was no joke. Her voice trembled so much that the brunette gathered herself without thinking and was in the car in five minutes. Even if they were ex-wives, even if everything was not so smooth in their relationship - she will come at the first call of this woman.
On the way to Griffin's house, she felt anxious, unable to understand what could have caused such an alarm call. When the car was parked, her heart raced with excitement. She ran down the stairs and knocked on the door. The blonde opened it and stood in front of her with tear-stained cheeks and red eyes that showed relief and sadness at the same time. Without saying a word, Lexa pulled her into a tight hug, knowing that sometimes words weren't enough to ease a situation like this.
"Clarke what happened?" Finally, she asked gently, not letting go of her embrace. "What's the trouble?" The worry in her voice was obvious.
The blonde hesitated for a moment before letting Woods into the apartment. She closed the door behind her and went out into the vestibule.
"Something bad happened..." Clarke began, switching to a whisper. "Madi..." She burst into tears again.
"Madi?" Lexa was surprised. "What is our student here for?"
Griffin took a deep breath and continued, "She came to me tonight. I found her at my door, beaten and bruised... Terrified."
The brunette's eyes widened in shock and horror. "Oh my God..." Fear gripped her and she jumped up. "Who did it? Where is she?" Lexa started to enter, but was stopped.
"She's sleeping, don't... You'll scare her even more."
"Are we going to solve this issue here?" The question was quite logical, given that it was two o'clock in the morning...
"Just quiet..."
They entered the apartment, the brunette without thinking approached the sofa on which the girl was sleeping. She was so small, defenseless, so vulnerable... On her face there were visible traces of beatings, seeing which it was scary to think about what she had to go through. "What monster could do such a thing to a child, especially one as sincere and kind as Madi..." Lexa thought.
"Let's go to my room..."
Clarke gave herself time to gather her thoughts before she spoke about what had happened. Lexa's initial concern quickly turned to anger as she listened to the story. She couldn't believe that Griffin had kept this from her - Madi was suffering and she had been in the dark all this time. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Lexa tried hard not to scream.
"I didn't know what to do," the woman admitted. "I wanted to protect her, figure out the best course of action before involving anyone else. Her stepfather is just a terrible person, I didn't want to hurt the little one even more..."
Lexa took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger that was bubbling up inside her. She knew her ex-wife well enough to know that she always took on too much. "I had a right to know." Her voice was firm. "I'm the class teacher, the one directly responsible for her and her life at school. First of all, you should have told me about everything."
"You don't understand... He's a big lump in the police, he has connections everywhere. The child told me such things that I just feared for her life!"
Madi shifted on the couch when she heard the loud and boisterous noises coming from the next room. Gray-blue eyes widened in a mixture of confusion and fear as the surrounding reality hit her. She was scared that Russell had come after her.
The girl stood up slowly and quietly, her movements were careful, each of them painfully reminded of her physical condition. When she got closer to the door, silhouettes of two adults could be seen through the glass. Their appearance, which was very close, caused a flow of emotions in her.
Tears began to roll down her face, born of a deep sense of powerlessness and betrayal. She trusted again, let her guard down, and now she feared the worst had happened. Her breath hitched in her throat as she choked on sobs, the pain in her chest instantly moving further down into her stomach as she fell to her knees and coughed violently.
Hearing that, Clarke rushed to the girl. But when she approached, she pushed her away, trying to crawl back. Her every movement caused excruciating pain and made her suffocate from her own cough. Red drops of blood were visible on the floor.
At that moment, Ms. Griffin's heart beat faster, fear replacing her initial concern. "Madi!" - she exclaimed, anxiety in her voice.
The teacher carefully tried to stop the crawling girl, realizing that her every sharp movement would cause even more damage.
"Sunny, please calm down..." Clarke said. "Don't move, please."
"No! Go away!" Suppressing a cough, the girl shouted. "You promised me… He's here… Russell's here!" The horror was an unhealed, open wound, her belief that her stepfather was somewhere nearby led to panic.
"No, sunshine, no… He's not here. You're safe," Clarke whispered soothingly, holding out her hand, which was pushed away again.
"He's here... I know it... he always finds me," whimpered the little one, whose body was shaking uncontrollably. Madi curled up on the floor, covering her head with her hands as if to protect herself from the blows. "Don't beat me, please... Please don't..."
The women exchanged looks of despair, not believing their eyes. What had to be done with the child to bring it to this point? Lexa was now fully aware of Clarke's fears as to why she had remained silent in an attempt to protect Madi.
Clarke's soul was torn by what she heard, she dropped to her knees next to the frightened child. "Baby, no one is going to hurt you. Sweetheart..."
The blonde slowly reached out her hand again, allowing Madi to feel the warmth and care. She gently picked her up from the floor, hugging her to comfort her. But the girl still trembled and covered her head like a little kitten.
Lexa stood opposite with her hand over her mouth, holding back her own emotions.
"She needs a doctor, urgently. I think she has a fever..."
The teacher did not loosen her embrace, gently stroking her hair. "We are here, dear. No one will harm you," she assured, pressing her lips to the girl's forehead, confirming the presence of a high temperature.
"Is your mother on duty today?"
"Yes, she should be in the hospital now." Pulling her phone out of her back pocket, the woman dialed Dr. Abigail Griffin.
"I don't want to go to the hospital! You don't need a doctor, no, no, no…” Madi stirred again in Clarke's arms.
"Shhhh, baby, it's okay. Don't be afraid, everything will be fine." At this moment, the feedback was answered. "Hello… Mom."
"I'll talk." Lexa picked up the phone and walked away.
Madi's sobs subsided little by little, but she still shivered. The teacher hugged her even tighter, wrapping her fragile body in a protective cocoon.
"Everything will be fine, my little one," she whispered and felt the girl clinging to her, clutching her clothes with her hands like a lifeline. "I'm here and I won't let you go."
As the tremors in her body gradually subsided, the woman felt this, a small opening in the protective walls that Medi had built around her. "I know, kitty… I know… This world has been very cruel to you…" she continued, sympathy in her tone. "But things will be different from now on. I promise you that."
Saying this, Clarke choked back her sobs, her heart aching wildly at the thought of how cruel this world was, and that such a beautiful, kind, and talented child had become its hostage. That everyone around her was so indifferent, no one even tried to help her, on the contrary, they made the life of this girl even more unbearable, full of pain and suffering. She was ignored, mocked, insulted, beaten... But no one protected her, no one even hugged her, no one ever loved.
“I will take you away from them…” She was as determined as ever. "I will do everything that depends on me and even more, and they will pay for everything..."
"It's not possible…" Madi whispered softly. "No one ever wanted me, and neither you do... You just feel sorry for me, and that's all."
"You're wrong." - she said firmly, gently cupping the girl's face with her palms, forcing her to look into her eyes. "I don't just feel sorry for you. I really care about you, more than you can possibly understand right now."
Her eyes, filled with years of pain and rejection, searched the woman's face for any signs of insincerity. "But why? Why do you care about me all of a sudden?" she asked, her voice a fragile whisper. "Nobody likes me... Nobody loves me. I'm so pitiful, ugly, weak... I'm just a laughingstock...' She went through what she thought were flaws, while nervously biting the sleeve of her sweater.
"Madi…" Clarke interrupted softly, wiping the tears from the teenager's cheeks with her thumbs. "Don't say that, you're not like that at all... Look at you, you're like a flower..." The blonde soothingly combed her hair and spoke gently. "Your eyes are so big and beautiful like the pure crystal sky... Your hair is so thick and long... I love you and I need you... I really need you."
Her chest tightened again, no one had ever said something like that to her. They only harassed, convinced for years otherwise . "Do you really think so?" asked the girl so quietly and uncertainly, as if she was afraid to believe it.
"Sure… You’re a gift to this world." Griffin pressed her lips in a gentle kiss to her hot temples then whispered in girl’s ear. "I will become the best mother for you, of course if you want it..."
"I would really like that." Madi said in a low whisper, still couldn’t believe in this words, that she always wanted to hear.
A fever was raging inside of her, her skin hot to the touch, a stark contrast to the chills that periodically shot through every muscle, causing her to shiver despite the warmth of the room. Beneath her clothes, the bruises and injuries from the beatings she had suffered constantly throbbed in pain. Every movement, even the slightest, brought pain.
"Now, kitty." Saying this, Clarke looked at the door, waiting for Lexa. "We will go to the hospital and help you, my mom is an excellent doctor."
"I'm scared... I don't want..."
"I know you're scared, little one, but you won't be alone. I will be by your side every step of the way."
The girl's gaze, filled with a mixture of fear and trust, fell on the woman. The thought of the hospital was scary, but the promise of not being alone was a little comforting. "Will it hurt?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"No, they'll do everything they can to make sure you don't feel any more pain," Clarke explained, patting her back soothingly. "Everything will be fine…"
At this time, Woods appeared at the door "We're leaving." She said decisively. "My car is right under the house."
Griffin gently helped the teenager to her feet, but it quickly became apparent that Madi didn't have the strength to walk. Her legs wobbled unsteadily. Seeing this, Lexa quickly approached her. With a careful but quick movement, she picked up the fragile girl in her arms. The lightness of her body was striking, she was like a feather, and this would not be a compliment, but rather a cause for concern.
Holding her close, Lexa could feel the girl's heartbeat racing against her chest, a rhythmic echo of fear and vulnerability. Her head rested softly on the woman's shoulder, and her breathing was shallow and uneven both from pain and from anxiety about the unknown that awaited ahead.
Madi's visits to hospitals were infrequent, and each of them was etched in her memory with a mixture of unpleasant and bad memories. Her last one, three years ago, took place under terrible circumstances. She "fell down the stairs", which resulted in a severe concussion. It was one of those rare occasions when Simone, fearing that Russell could cause her irreparable harm, took her daughter to a medical examination herself.
However, a private clinic or a well-equipped hospital was never an option for her. She ended up in a run-down hospital on the outskirts of Polis, where the standard of medicine and patient care was appallingly low. The environment was bleak, the facilities old, a stark contrast to the care she desperately needed.
Nurses, overworked and desensitized, often showed indifference, and their relationships sometimes bordered on callousness. The lack of compassion made an indelible impression on her, imprinting in her young mind a deep fear of medical institutions.
This case instilled in her deep anxiety about hospitals. Just the thought of returning to such a place brought back memories of cold, uncaring hands and sharp injections administered with a clinical detachment that hurt both emotionally and physically.
Clarke understood everything, so she tried to cheer her up as much as she could. "Everything will be fine, I'm here..."
"We are here." Lexa added. "Every step of the way, Madi."
Dr. Abigail Griffin, Clarke's mother, met them in the emergency room. Her professional demeanor changed to deep concern when she saw the condition of the newly arrived patient. "I knew that the girl was injured, but I did not expect..." - she stopped when her eyes saw her fragile figure.
"It is bad, mom," answered the daughter. "That's why we're here."
Dr. Griffin quickly mastered herself, her medical training showed. "Sure," she replied, her tone business-like now. "Jackson, put the poor child on the gurney, she's barely standing!" A woman turned to her subordinate.
Madi clung to the blonde, her fear growing in the unfamiliar environment. "Clarke, please… don't leave me," she begged, barely audible.
The woman looked at her mother and she gave non-verbal consent, but then added. "Only in the inspection room, hardly any further..."
As Dr. Griffin began her examination, the extent of the injuries became apparent. Her experienced hands carefully manipulated the areas around the bruises, assessing the extent of the damage with a clinical eye. The grimace of pain on Madi’s face with every touch made her emotional, Abby looked focused on the outside, but still her eyes showed pity for the girl.
Aware of the need for clearer vision, Dr. Jackson, her protégé, quickly arranged for an X-ray. The results confirmed their suspicions: a broken rib leading to a pneumothorax and a crack in the hip. These images were more than clinical evidence; they were a stark revelation of the physical abuse this child had suffered.
Jackson went on to point out Madi's delayed responses to questions, which is a clear sign of cognitive impairment. Her eyes struggled to focus, the world seemed blurry, adding to her disorientation and fear.
"Can you follow my finger with your eyes, Madi?" Dr. Jackson asked softly. When she tried to do this, her eyes flickered, unable to clearly track the movement - a warning sign.
Short-term memory loss was evident as the girl tried to recall recent events. Simple questions about the day of the week seemed to puzzle her for a moment, her brows furrowed in concentration.
“My head hurts, really… My ears are whistling, please stop…” She mumbled, fighting the fear and nausea.
The doctors exchanged glances, and Abby took Clarke away to talk. In a quiet corner of the hallway, away from Madi's worried gaze, she shared a critical assessment.
"Her condition is more serious than we first thought," the elder Griffin began, "The pneumothorax caused by a broken rib is putting pressure on her lung. It is imperative that surgery be performed to relieve this pressure and prevent further complications."
The woman felt that a knot had formed in her stomach. "Operation?" she repeated, and the word was heavy with excitement.
"Yes, it's necessary to repair the damage and ensure proper expansion of her lungs," the doctor explained. "As for the femur, we'll deal with it after we stabilize the chest. She will have to go through a lot…”
Clarke nodded, considering the information. "What about the police? And custody?" - she asked, considering the legal consequences of the situation.
"We have to report it given the nature of her injuries. It's standard procedure in cases of suspected abuse," said the elder Griffin. "But this is not just a suspicion, it's pure child abuse and direct evidence!"
"We will deal with the police and guardianship authorities in the morning."
"I will prepare the team. We must act quickly."
Alone in the hallway, Clarke took a deep breath to calm her nerves. The upcoming operation loomed large, a terrifying prospect that paled only in comparison to the thought of a confrontation with the authorities - one that may have been influenced by Russell's connections. But her determination was unquestionable: she would do anything to protect Madi.
Returning, the blonde smiled soothingly. "You're in the best hands. I'll be here waiting for you, sunshine." She ran her hand over the girl's tear-soaked cheek.
“No… I don't want to, no. Don't go, don't go away from me... You promised...'' The teenager clutched the woman with her hands and begged inconsolably. But in a second she weakened and closed her eyes falling on the couch. Jackson injected her with a sedative before anesthesia.
Clarke felt a wave of emotion wash over her as the door to the operating room closed, separating Madi from her. She leaned against the cold wall of the hospital corridor, a whirlwind of "what ifs" and decisions swirling in her head.
Memories of her own past, of the child she had lost, flooded her mind. The miscarriage, a painful scar on her heart, left a void she never thought she could fill. And here she was, feeling a surge of protection and love for this girl that was as overwhelming as it was unexpected. It was as if her maternal instincts, dormant and distressed, had awakened with cruel purpose.
If Clarke ever had a daughter, she realized, she would have wanted her to be like Madi. Brave despite her fears, resilient in the face of unimaginable hardships. Madi, with her soft and gentle nature and her hidden strength, had stirred something deep within Clarke. A bond had formed, unspoken but as real as if it had been forged by blood.
But the fear of losing her to the system, to a scoundrel like Russell, was gnawing at her inside. The thought of sending the teenager back to that hell was unbearable. Clarke's jaw clenched at the prospect. No, she won't let that happen. She will fight with all her powers, legal and emotional, to ensure the child's safety, to give her the life she deserves, a life filled with love and care, away from the shadow of violence. She will be there for her, will be the mother she needs.
Her train of thought was interrupted by Lexa handing her a cup of hot cocoa. "You don't drink coffee so late." She smiled. "But the night promises to be long." Sitting next to her, she sipped her coffee and looked ahead, not daring to look her ex in the eye. Fifteen years of marriage and three more to go, and she still, like a girl, is awkward next to her...
"Thank you for being here for me." Said the blonde, who also tasted her hot drink.
"Always..." Receiving thanks is nice, but it's even nicer when it's expressed by a person dear to you. "Aden told me at Christmas that he misses the way we used to spend it."
Clarke smiled sadly. "Yeah, me too…Griffin-Woods Christmas was always the most epic." She leaned her head towards the mountain and gave in to pleasant memories. "Remember when Lincoln dressed up as the Grinch and scared the kids?"
"Not only did he scare them, he also knocked over the Christmas tree, and caused mayhem in my parents' house when Ontari, defending the presents, rushed to fight him." They both laughed.
"And Aden was crying so hard in my arms that the neighbors came running."
"But next year, by Christmas, he was a decent boy."
"He's always been, my little polite boy… He's sixteen now." The blonde sighed. "Recently, we have completely distanced ourselves from each other. Because I was so long inside myself, with my problems, I didn't notice how my baby turned from a boy into a man."
"You are not guilty of this, you are not guilty of anything at all. I wasn't around when you needed me so much." Woods wiped away a tear. "Instead of supporting, I betrayed you…" She lowered her head, looking at her shoes.
Clarke didn't answer. But you could see how her cheekbones were moving, her expression was full of despair. She is still in pain.
"I'm sorry." Lexa said and still dared to look into those unearthly beauty blue eyes.
"We've discussed this before Lexa…I forgive you." She wiped her cheeks with her thumb. "But I just have one question… Why?"
She had no answer, preferring to sink through the ground in shame.
"What was between us... As much as I loved you, more than anything in the world... You were my universe, I don't understand... Why?" For the first time in a long time, Clarke dared to say these words. "And yes, damn it, I still love you! No matter how much I want to forget you, no matter how much I try to hate you, replace you, I can't..."
It sat inside for so long, and when it came out it left her completely powerless. Lexa's heart skipped a beat as she listened, the raw honesty in her words resonated deeply. She reached out timidly, it hesitated in the air before finally resting on the blonde's shoulder. The touch was light, but it carried the weight of unspoken apologies, regret, and love that never faded.
"I'm sorry," Lexa repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've asked myself that question a thousand times. I don't have an answer that will ever be good enough..." But she remembered her mother's words and continued. "I made mistakes that I cannot correct. But my love for you, Clarke, was always true… And still is.”
Their tears flowed freely as they looked at each other. At that moment, they both felt this burning impulse of passion and love. Clarke was the first to push the boundaries, running her hand into Woods' black hair with a light and gentle movement and gently kissing her warm and soft lips. She couldn't resist the way her body responded to Lexa. This moment was so emotionally strong, so passionate that it seemed they were drowning in the abyss of feelings.
The brunette stepped back and asked. "Do you really want this?"
"Yes…"