Shallow Valley

35.Build Me Up From Bones

35.

The night's so dark and grey
But you've helped me find my way
[...]
I need to show you how
I can love you better than before
(Sarah Jarosz-Build Me Up From Bones)

"Great game, girls!" Clarke and Lexa greeted Madi and Charlotte. The two teens shrugged, smirking.

"Don't adulate my players, Griffin. I don't want them to become over-confident. We still have a lot of games to play and we need to stay with our feet on the ground." Echo said, joining them.

"This is what I call mentality." Lexa told the coach. She really admired Echo, considering her a really strong and brave woman. She had been a troubled kid, as her parents had abandoned her when she was only a toddler. Her foster parents were really abusive and if it hadn't been for the Blakes, the Griffins, Nyko and Sinclair, she would have been in jail, for sure. Lexa found herself thinking about the fact that she would have loved them to save her too. Well, it's too late now , she observed. She had no regrets. Yes, she wished her life had been different, but she couldn't change the past. All she could do was live the present.

"So, are you going to Charlotte's?" Clarke asked Madi, suddenly. The girl nodded.

"If Lexa allows me, of course."

"And if Echo and Bellamy agree." her coach added, smirking.

"And we agree." her husband claimed, hugging his wife and kissing her. Charlotte faked to puke.

"Dad, not in front of me.". All the four adults laughed and Echo and Bellamy stepped back and the journalist headed to the car.

"What about Rose? Is she coming with us?" he asked. Charlotte glanced at Madi, who shook her head in no. The blonde teen sighed. Since the Paulsons had showed up to the gym, Rose and Madi stopped talking. The tension between the two was running high and they barely had played together at the game. It wasn't really Rose's fault. The redhead had tried to talk to Madi, but the brunette was still too angry to listen to her. She knew that Rose had no part in what the Paulsons had said, but she needed time.

"No dad, just the two of us." Charlotte told Bellamy, who gestured them to get in the car.

"Madi, wait a moment!" Lexa called her kid. The girl turned, a confused gaze pictured on her face. Lexa approached her and hold her close.

"Are you okay?" Madi asked, a bit disoriented.

"Yes, I... I just wanted to remind you that I love you, Madi. And so does Clarke.". The girl could sense a lump in her throat. She didn't know how to reply. She loved Lexa, but she wasn't read to tell her yet.

"Y-you're choking me." she whispered, forcing the woman to step back a little. "See you tomorrow! And say hi to Anya and Raven.". Lexa smiled at the girl and nodded, watching her getting in the Blakes' car.

"You are seeing her tomorrow morning, don't worry." Clarke said to her, gently rubbing her back. Lexa leaned her head on the doctor's shoulder and sighed.

"Yeah, I know. Just hoping that Anya won't have to arrest her this time." the brunette joked. Clarke rolled her eyes and then snapped a kiss on Lexa's forehead.

"Hey, you lovebirds!". The two women turned to the gym. Raven and Anya were staring at them, with the brunette holding Aden by the wrist.

"Someone's really hungry here!" Anya said. "And I'm not talking about the little man."