𝘚𝘤𝘢́𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘤𝘩 · 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥 ⁵

𝟓.𝟐𝟕

───── 「PROTECTOR」 ─────

     I had stayed back with Lila while Roan went to join Sam for their meeting. I wouldn't lie, I'd have much rather be part of it, but I understood that wasn't what I was anymore; I wasn't the leader, that was Sam, and it had been stupid of me to think I could do better than Sam and Octavia just because of who I once was. Rebel King. I smiled to myself. Long time from that. I still had plenty of questions regarding their time in the bunker, and topics I had to make peace with as hard to digest as they were, starting with the cannibalism and going all the way to Sheidheda. I hoped Madi would be okay; the last thing I ever wanted was to hurt the child, but I had told her she didn't need to do it, and I'd have never let her do it if I had known about Sheidheda and that was on me. I just hoped Clarke would have taken the Flame out now that it wasn't an option for us anymore.

- "And this one is the first ones she made after she recovered."

Lila's voice brought me back. We were finishing packing her stuff, taking a couple of folders full of drawings she and Sam had made over the years.

- "Recovered?"

- "Yeah, the wound on her neck."

- "You know about that?"

- "She was protecting me when she got it." -Lila looked at the floor- "Sam could've died because she chose to protect me first instead of fighting."

- "Lila," -I kneeled in front of her- "it's not your fault. Some men are evil."

- "But she could have fought if I hadn't been there."

- "It was not your fault. Sam will always protect you because that's what mom's do, they take care of their cub."

- "I don't want to lose her." -Lila's voice trembled.

- "You won't, I promise." -I opened my arms for her- "Come here."

Lila let go of the drawings and moved into my arms, wrapping her own around my neck, sobbing quietly against my chest. It broke my heart. She was just a kid, she shouldn't have to know that kind of pain, of fear. It was cruel.

I picked her up and sat on the bed with her, humming a song that used to calm Octavia when we were little. I was not going to press Lila into talking about it, or tell her to stop crying; we had all the time in the world as far as I was concerned.

- "You know what happened?" -Lila finally murmured, resting her head on my shoulder and rubbing her eyes- "Did mom tell you?"

- "She did. Most of it, I think."

- "That was the day I met Jackson and Nate."

- "Yeah?"

- "Nate stayed with me while Roan went after Sam after she made me run and promise not to look back or stop until I found someone that wasn't Azgeda unless it was Roan. No matter what I heard."