A/N: This is my attempt to rewrite the end of 3x7. The story picks up right after the shot was fired, but I've changed that outcome. I have not watched 3x8 and I don't plan on watching any more season 3 episodes until this is completely posted so any events in 3x8 or beyond will not be covered here.

Chapter 1:

Her skin felt hot. She took two steps to the right and nearly collapsed before leaning back against something. No. It wasn't something. It was someone. Her only thought was of how heat seemed to be rushing over her. It reminded her of only a few moments ago when heat rushed over her in a very different way. She'd been underneath her. They'd shared several perfect moments finally after everything they'd been through. She'd been happy. They'd smiled at each other in a way they never had before because war had always been at the forefront of their lives. Their people were always their primary concern. She had to admit it was one of the main things that attracted her to the woman she now understood she loved in a way she never thought she'd love someone. She knew they'd be parted shortly after they explored each other for the first time, but she never would have predicted that it would be this way; that they could be parted forever after everything they'd been through.

She felt arms wrap around her from behind. She heard a mix of sounds around her, but she couldn't make them out. She knew the shooting had stopped after the bullet entered her stomach. The arms that were holding her gently tried to move her to the ground while the man with the gun started moving toward her.

"No." She uttered mostly to herself because she was having trouble figuring out what was going on. Shock, she registered. She was in shock. "Away." She tried to tell the man in the robes as he tossed the gun onto the floor and she watched Murphy start to grab the man from behind.

"I've got him." She made out as she slouched over, guided by the arms. Murphy turned Titus around and punched him hard in the face, causing Titus to take several unexpected steps backward. Murphy ran toward the gun and picked it up, quickly aiming it in Titus's direction.

"Not now! Help me!" She heard the woman behind her yell at Murphy.

"Just let me-" Murphy aimed the gun at the man's head.

"He will pay for this, but help me with Clarke!" She heard the voice behind her. "Clarke, come on. Stay with me." It was Lexa's voice. She was the one holding her, keeping her from slamming into the ground after having been shot by Titus. "Why did you do this?" Clarke assumed Lexa was asking Titus the question, referring to the fact that he shot her, but she realized that her voice had been lower. She was whispering in her ear. "Why did you do this? Why did you push me aside?" She asked her as Murphy kept an eye on Titus who was crouching in the corner while he also walked toward Clarke to help Lexa lift her to get her on the bed.

"I'm sorry, Heda." Titus finally spoke up. "I meant to only-"

"You meant to kill her!" Lexa yelled in his direction after placing Clarke on the bed. She stood straight up and stared at Titus. "You better hope she survives. If not, you may just get your wish. Jus drein jus daun, Titus. That is what you wanted, isn't it?" She asked him before leaning over Clarke and pushing her hand against her stomach hard to try to stop the bleeding. "Murphy, tell the men outside to get the healer."

"What if they don't listen to me?" Murphy rightly asked.

Lexa pulled the circle she normally had pressed against her forehead denoting that she was the Commander off and handed it to him.

"Show them this." She ordered. "Octavia might still be in Polis. Find her. Have her send for a doctor from Arkadia."

"My mom." Clarke offered.

"Tell Octavia the kill order is off." Lexa looked from Murphy to Clarke. "Everything is off right now."

"I'm on it." Murphy sat the gun on the bed next to Clarke who was beginning to have a hard time breathing and he rushed out of the room.

"Lexa…" Clarke started, but stopped when she felt Lexa's free hand against her cheek. It had only been a short time ago when it was against her cheek in a moment of pure adoration. "I can't-"

"Shhh…" Lexa leaned in closer to her. "You'll be fine, Clarke."

"You're… always… so calm." Clarke got out with a small smile, referencing her comment from earlier that same day when things seemed so different.

"Heda!" A guard entered the room and observed the scene.

"Take Titus. Lock him away."

"Heda, I-" Titus tried to get out.

"Em pleni!" She looked at him as the Commander. "There is nothing you can offer, Titus." She nodded toward the guard to took Titus by the arm. Titus appeared to be going willingly though as if in shock by what had happened. He clearly planned to kill Clarke, but his attempt to blame Murphy hadn't gone as planned and now his Commander knew of his betrayal. "Clarke?" Lexa looked back at her and it was Lexa that spoke; not the Commander from a moment ago. "I am calm because I know you will make it through this." She lifted her hand from Clarke's stomach to watch blood rush out. She looked scared for only a moment before lifting Clarke's shirt up and putting her hand back in place. Her free hand now went to clasped Clarke's at her side. "Tell me what to do." Lexa stared down at her.

Clarke's eyes met hers and she squeezed the hand Lexa held. She felt herself gasping for breath more so now than before and wondered if that meant she didn't have long. Is this what all the people she'd killed at Mount Weather felt before they died? Is this what Finn felt as the knife she'd held entered his chest?

"You need to roll me over to see if the bullet went through." She managed to get out in one breath.

"It didn't. I was behind you." Lexa reminded her. "You jumped in front of me." She leaned down further and pressed her lips against Clarke's forehead. She didn't kiss her. She just rested them there. "You shouldn't have done that."

Clarke laughed, but felt the pain shoot through her body immediately and regretted it.

"You can't… die. Arkadia needs… you as… Commander." She tried.

Lexa lifted her head up and stared into Clarke's eyes.

"Don't make it about your people, Clarke." She implored. "Not this time." She leaned back down and purposefully pressed her lips to Clarke's forehead, applying a gentle kiss.

Clarke just nodded.

"It's still… inside." She referred to the bullet. "I need surgery. Your… healer… can't help." She covered Lexa's hand on her wound with her free hand and looked at her in a way she'd unfortunately grown accustomed too. One of them was facing death while the other one had to look on helplessly.

A healer rushed into the room, but paused a few feet away from the bed when he noticed it was Wanheda in the bed.

"Heda?"

"Help her!" The Commander ordered.

Clarke released her hands while Lexa took a step backward to allow the healer to approach and begin working.

"Lexa?"

"I'm here." Lexa expressed while placing a gentle hand on Clarke's knee.

"Lexa, I-" She stopped herself. She closed her eyes momentarily as if that could push the pain away before she opened them up again and met Lexa's eyes with her own again. "I lo-"
"No." Lexa told her. "Shof op." She knew Clarke would understand her. A tear fell down her face and she used her hand, now covered in Clarke's blood to wipe it away, leaving a trace of it on her cheek. "Not like this." She begged. Clarke lightly nodded again as the healer began trying to examine her wound. Clarke felt her field of vision begin to blur. She couldn't make out the features of Lexa's face anymore. She felt the room begin to fade away. "Clarke, stay awake." Lexa moved around the healer and leaned down near Clarke's ear. "Please don't leave me." She whispered right as Clarke closed her eyes for what she worried might be the final time.