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chapter fifty-three, Always and Forever

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"Mm" Nova cries out as the guard stabs her yet again, this time just little bit harder. Multiple tears fall down Nova's cheek before the guard rips their knife out of Nova's stomach and tosses her onto the ground where the rest of her blood lies. "For Clarke.." Nova whispers as she places her hand on her open wound and knows there's no saving her this time...

Octavia opens the door and Levitt enters. Clarke and Octavia follow while Madi lays unmoving in a chair and Nova lays in a pool of her own blood. "Nova! Nova!" Octavia shouts as she rushes to Nova and Clarke rushes to Madi. Clarke looks over her shoulder and sees an unconscious Nova and her eyes immediately fill with tears. "Madi. Hey" Clarke greets as she and Levitt loosen the restraints around Madi. "Nova.." Octavia calls out as she tries to ignore the blood and places her hand on Nova's cheek.

"Clarke... Clarke" Nova whispers as she slowly starts to open her eyes and her vision becomes clear and she sees Octavia above her and Clarke over by Madi. "Something's wrong. She's breathing. Why isn't she responding?" Clarke asks and Nova begins coughing harshly. "Ca- Cadogan" Nova calls out as blood continues to pour out from her wound. "She's says it was Cadogan" Octavia relate as as she rips the fabric from her pants and tries her best to wrap it around Nova's wound securely.

"Madi! Madi, look at me. Hey. Hi. Say-say something. Please say something. Say something!" Clarke begs as pulls Madi into a hug and begins sobbing. "Oh, my baby. My baby. My baby. Oh, God" Clarke mumbles as she rocks Madi back and fourth. "What the hell happened!?" Octavia asks as she looks to Levitt. "There's still neural activity, but her brain stem shows evidence of a massive stroke. She's conscious, but she can't move...anything. She's locked in" Levitt explains and Clarke sobs even louder before she walks away from Madi and drops to her knees as she gets to Nova.

"I'm so- sorry" Nova chokes up and Clarke shakes her head as she pushes Nova's hair out of her face. "It's not your fault" Clarke says as she bends down and places her lips on Nova's forehead. "Clarke- I'll always- love you" Nova says as she can feel her body wanting to leave. "No, No! Please! I can't lose you too" Clarke says as she holds Nova's head up. "There's no way you can save me. You have to end this so... go. End it for me, for Madi, and for...Bellamy" Nova assures as she looks into Clarke's eyes watching as the tears slide down her cheek.

"I can't do this without you-". "You can. And you will. I was never afraid to die, I was just afraid to lose you" Nova says as he eyes start to close. "No! Please.. please" Clarke begs as she puts her forehead up against Nova's. "At least I got to die happily with the girl I've loved for over 100 years" Nova whispers and Clarke shakes her head. "You don't get to die. Not you, not Madi, not anyone" Clarke states as she stands to her feet.

"Clarke, what are you doing?" Octavia asks as she stands to her feet. "I'm going to kill every last person here" Clarke states as she swallows a large lump down her throat. "Clarke, they're dying-" Octavia argues. "No one- no one is dying! They don't get to leave me! Not them!" Clarke shouts and Octavia slowly nods her head. "I understand but Nova- Madi wouldn't want this" Octavia argues and Nova tries to talk but she can't. Nothing will come out.

"Nova wants me to end it. So that's what I'm going to do. I'll come back. I'll be back after I stop the test, and I promise I will not let him win" Clarke says as she looks down at Nova and back over at Madi before she pulls out her gun and her, Octavia, and Levitt leave the room. "Clarke..." Nova breathes out as a tear rolls down her cheek as she leaves the room and shortly after she falls unconscious.

"Nova.. Nova" Someone calls out and Nova slowly opens her eyes and she's in the same white room where she's bleeding out at waiting for Clarke to come back. "Mom?" Nova questions as she stands to her feet and looks over and sees her body on the ground. "Mom" Nova says as she looks back at her mom and rushes up to her, hugging her. "Am I dead?" Nova asks before she pulls away from the hug.

"No, but you will" Someone says behind Nova and Nova turns around seeing Fio. "Why are you here Nova?" Fio asks and Nova furrows her eyebrows as she walks over to Fio. "I- I can't fight anymore. I'm tired, Fio" Nova states as she looks back over at her body. "You don't want this. You think dying makes you happy let me tell you something... it doesn't" Fio argues and Nova can tell he's getting quite angry. "He's right, you just live in an endless loop. It's not sunshine and rainbows over her sweetie" Nova's mom says and Nova sighs as she looks between her brother and her mother.

"I've always lived in an endless loop. War. That's what I've been in my entire life since I got on the ground. I'm not happy there" Nova states referring to the real world. "But you're happy with Clarke" Layla, Nova's mom states. "Of course I'm happy with Clarke and... Octavia and Theo" Nova says as she goes down the list in her head she realizes she's happy there. She has people who make life worth living. "You have something- someone special back there. I only had you but I messed up and I killed children... there parents. I didn't deserve to live" Layla states and Nova looks to her mother with such sad eyes.

"Are you gonna give me some big speech too?" Nova asks as she turns and looks at Fio who chuckles and shakes his head. "I don't feel bad for the way I went out because I went out for you. You were all I had and if you die we all died for nothing. Me, your dad, your mother, Naira..." Fio explains and Nova tenses up at the sound of Naira's name.

"Go back- live your life. Transcend because we didn't get too. Live for us" Fio says as he walks up to Nova. "I promise you, honey. The war... is over" Layla reassures as her and Fio pull Nova into a hug. "I'm going to lose you guys again" Nova says as she tightens the hug. "We know but we're always with you" Layla reassures and Nova forms a smile on her face as she closes her eyes and when she opens them she's back in the same white room but this time she's laying in Clarke's arms.

"Madi already went. I was thinking I'd save the best for last" Clarke says as she pushes Nova's hair back. "I love you, Nova Bailey. I've always loved you since the minute you said hi to me at the drop ship.

"Amazing right?" The blonde girl asked Nova releasing her from her thoughts. Nova looked over and gave the girl a smile along with a nod "It's crazy.. Uh- Nova" She introduces and the girl smiles.

"Clarke" Clarke introduces and Nova nods glad to have learned her name.

"I've loved you even when you left me crying in the middle of the woods... for you"

"Nova, I love you" Clarke confesses and Nova's face drops. Tears fall down Clarke's face as she puts her hand on Nova's cheek. Nova stares into Clarke's eyes "I love you and I need you" Clarke whispers and Nova slowly removes Clarke's hand from her face.

"It's too late" Nova says as she can't stop the tears anymore. They all come crashing down her face as she turns around and starts walking away from Clarke.

"I loved you even when you were the worst version of yourself"

"6 years is a long time. Things have changed" Nova explains and Clarke shakes her head. "But you've changed a lot. When people change they change a hairstyle or the way they dress. You've changed everything. The face, the clothes, the attitude... You look at things differently" Clarke states and Nova furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

"You've been here two minutes and you already know everything?" Nova questions. "Yes because there's blood on the walls and floor of that bunker. Lets not forgot about the weapons hanging around. What do you you do? Make people fight to the death?" Clarke wonders and Nova doesn't answer she just simply looks Clarke in the eyes and Clarke's face softens into a curious one.

"I loved you then and I love you now. Always and forever" Clarke reassures as she looks down at Nova. "I understand that I can't save you but I can at least let you be free... I can let you go" Clarke mumbles and looks away from Nova as tears uncontrollably fall from her eyes. "I understand too..." Nova says which grabs Clarke's attention.

"I will always love you, Clarke but it seems. My fight is over" Nova whispers as her eyes begin to close. "In peace may you leave the shore, in love may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels until our final journey to the ground-" Clarke says as closes her eyes not wanting to finish the last past. "May we meet... again" Nova finishes as she begins glow and soon turns into a ball of light and floats up and away.

~~

"What do you want?" Clarke asks as she turns around and sees 'Lexa'. "To explain" Lexa states. "There's no need. I get it. I bear it so they don't have to again" Clarke says as she rolls her eyes and begins walking in the woods. "Such a curious species. You've added so much to us already. I'm glad to have been wrong about you" Lexa states and Clarke furrows her eyebrows.

"Wait. Does that mean...you're here to take me with you?" Clarke asks and Lexa shakes her head. "No. You can never join us, Clarke. Your actions must have a cost" Lexa states and Clarke's smile slowly fades away and all the hope she had. "Just tell me- Is Madi with you? Nova?" Clarke asks and Lexa nods her head slowly. "Madi's consciousness has joined ours. She's at peace. She'll never feel pain, she'll never die. She knew that living here without anyone her own age to love is something you wouldn't have wanted for her, even if it meant you being alone. I suppose that choice was made easier with the realization you wouldn't be" Madi states and Clarke continues to move through the woods.

"And Nova?" She asks. "Undecided" Lexa says and Clarke stops in her tracks looking to Lexa before she hears laughing in the distance. Clarke peeks around the corner and sees her friends but no Nova...

Murphy pets Picasso. Miller cuts wood for the shelter. Jackson and Niylah carry a branch for the shelter. Indra and Gaia carries wood for the fire. Emori gather fish from the lake while Echo is helping to build the shelter. "There won't be offspring, and they won't join us when they die. None of them seem to care" Lexa assures as she looks at how happy Clarke's friends are. "Hey. There she is" Murphy calls out and Raven and Theo stops cutting logs for the fire. Jordan and Hope look up. Clarke turns around to look at Lexa one more time. But she has vanished so she turns back towards her friends and smiles knowing Nova and Madi are at peace.

Clarke runs toward her friends and hugs every single one of them with such happiness knowing they'll all be at peace as long as they're all together. "Where's Nova?" Theo asks as Clarke finishes hugging Octavia. "She's at peace" Clarke answers and Theo's smile drops.

"Oh, come on. You guys didn't actually think I'd leave you" Nova says as she comes out of the woods looking to her friends with a bright smile on her face. "Nova!" Theo and Octavia call out as they're the first to run to her. Theo lifts Nova up and spins her around as he hugs her. Once Theo puts her down Octavia pulls Nova in for a hug and Nova accepts it. "Just as I thought you were gone for good" Murphy says as he walks over to Nova. Nova shakes her head jokingly as she pulls him for a hug.

"Thought I'd save the best for the last" Nova says as she walks towards Clarke. Clarke waste no time in pulling Nova in for a loving hug. "I thought you were gone" Clarke determines as she tightens the hug. "I couldn't leave you" Nova declares as she pulls away from the hug and places the palm of her hand on Clarke's cheek. "I love you" Nova says knowing that won't be the last time she says it.

"We know declare you two wife and wife. You may kiss each other" Murphy says from behind making Clarke smiles and pull Nova closer, placing her lips onto hers. The kiss was passionate and it was meant to be. They were meant to be. Nova knew her mother, Fio and anyone she's ever loved that she has lost would be with her but she was with Clarke and Clarke topped them all.

The end of Nova's story ended where it all began. Earth and she couldn't be any more happier.

THE... END