Chapter Text
“I vote pizza for dinner” Tristan piped up as he collapsed on the floor beside his eldest sister in the empty living room. The nine year old looked up at Lexa batting his eyelids hoping it convinced her. Gesturing for his twin brother to help, it wasn’t long before Dax put on the puppy dog eyes too.
“We had pizza last night” Ontari groaned as she made her way into the room and putting down the box she’d been carrying. Full of photo frames from their old house, the fifteen year old made sure it was safely against the wall. With some of the last images of their parents in that box it was the most valuable thing in that house.
Ontari and Aden joined their siblings on the floor only surrounded by the boxes they couldn’t fit into the moving van. The rest of their furniture would be there in the morning so for tonight, they would have to camp out on the floor.
It hadn’t been anyone’s choice to move to a new house in a new neighbourhood but it was just another thing thrown at the Woods children after their world was flipped upside down. The day the soldiers dressed in full uniform turned up on their doorstep was one that none of the Woods children could quite comprehend. When one parent dies while on active duty, there’s still a sense of protection and stability from the other parent. When both are killed by a suicide bomber whilst on their final active tour of duty, there’s nothing and no one left to lean on back home.
It was then that Lexa, only newly turned 18, stepped up and became that stability for her younger brothers and sisters. She needed to be that for them even if it meant that no one was that for her. Being the eldest, it wasn’t a foreign concept for Lexa to look after her siblings but the teenager always knew her parents would be coming home. She always had that assurance that their parents were just a Skype call away but now it was all up to her. She didn’t know how she would look after her family, keep a roof over their head and finish high school but Lexa was going to do her best. She had to.
“Why doesn’t someone go get Anya and we’ll take a vote?” Lexa sighed tiredly. She’d hoped to have their new house at least somewhat set up on their first day but things hadn’t been working out the way she’d hoped lately. Pushing thirteen year old Aden back to his feet, she asked him to get Anya from her room so they might decide on what they’d do for dinner. Anya who was 17, moody and far from happy about the move had found her bedroom and holed herself up there since they arrived. Thankfully Lexa had organised the phone, internet and electricity to be connected the day they moved in otherwise she might have had to deal with Anya’s attitude.
Two sets of feet trudging down the stairs alerted Lexa to her sister’s presence. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for Anya’s quips and snide remarks. They were all the family had heard since the day of their parents’ funeral. As the pair reached the living room, the sound of the doorbell echoed through the empty house. Aden bounded for the door with Lexa hot on his heels. If it wasn’t military personnel, it was someone sharing their condolences with the young family at the door and Lexa didn’t want Aden seeing another sympathetic look. The pair opened the door to see a beautiful blonde girl about Lexa’s age and another woman who appeared to be her mother.
“Hi” Lexa smiled awkwardly as she wrapped an arm around her brother’s shoulder, holding him close.
“Hi” the blonde beamed, her bright blue eyes shining in the late afternoon sunlight. Lexa was mesmerised by the pools of heavenly blue staring back at her. It took a nudge from Aden to bring her back to reality.
“I’m Abby Griffin and this is my daughter Clarke” the brunette standing at the door smiled as she extended her hand to Lexa. “We live across the street”.
Lexa shook her hand politely before sharing a quick glance with Clarke before feeling the rest of her siblings join them at the door. “I’m Lexa and this is Aden, Anya, Ontari, Tristan and Dax” she introduced as each of the Woods children waved as their names were called. “We just moved in”
“If you can call it that” Anya scoffed as her eyes stayed glued to her cell phone. Shooting her sister a stern glare, Lexa sighed as it went unseen.
“The moving truck will be here in the morning. We’re camping out in the living room for our first night” Lexa chuckled as she twirled the ends of her ponytail with her free hand. Turning to her siblings for a moment, Lexa nudged Anya with her foot to get her attention. “Why don’t you guys go decide on what we’re having for dinner and order it. Anything but pizza, please”
“Burgers!” Tristan calls.
“Chinese” Aden added as the five youngest Woods’ retreated back toward the kitchen arguing over their choices. Sighing softly, Lexa hoped Abby and Clarke didn’t judge her for the lack of control she seemed to have over her family.
“Don’t worry, we have a full house too” Clarke chuckled softly hoping it eased Lexa’s mind. “Bellamy’s the eldest then Octavia, Raven and Charlotte are all younger than me”. Lexa could have easily gotten lost in the sweet symphony of Clarke’s voice. Like wind whistling through the trees late at night or the light hearted giggle of her youngest brothers, Lexa could listen to Clarke’s voice forever.
“I’d love to meet your Mom or Dad if they’re around” Abby spoke up, unaware of the connection between her daughter and their new neighbour.
Lexa’s hand rubbed the back of her neck nervously as she thought about how to tell their new neighbours of their situation. Thankful that she’d sent her siblings back into the house, Lexa didn’t want them around to see Abby and Clarke’s smiles fall to looks of pity. “Uh… it’s just us kids. Our parents were killed on active duty in the Middle East. I’m 18 so I’m their legal guardian” she spoke softly. Looking up from her feet where her eyes had gravitated, Lexa was surprised to see the expressions on Abby and Clarke’s faces. While there was a sense of sympathy, there was no pity but flickers of hope and pride.
“You should be very proud of your parents for their service” Abby began with a smile. “And very proud of yourself for becoming their guardian. If you need a hand wrangling them or need a break just let me know. I’m a paediatrician and a foster parent, I know a thing or two about kids”
“Thank you Abby” Lexa smiled as her anxiety began to lift. It was like striking gold, moving in across the street from the Griffin family. The sound of Lexa’s siblings arguing in the kitchen grew louder as they fought over what to eat. It was a common sound in the Woods’ house but if they didn’t decide soon, they’d never eat. “I should go tame the beasts”
“I’ll send my husband Marcus and the kids over to help you guys move in the morning. Many hands make light work”
“That would be amazing, thank you”
“If you need extra pillows and whatever for your living room camp out, let us know. We have heaps” Clarke added before she and Abby said their goodbyes and made their way home. Lexa watched the pair walk back across the street until they’d both disappeared through their heavy oak door. With a slight smile, she still couldn’t believe how lucky they’d gotten to have the Griffin’s just across the road. Lexa shut their door as the sound of her siblings argument got to the point of ear piercing and retreated to the kitchen.
She found Aden, Ontari and Dax on one side of the kitchen island with Anya and Tristan on the other shouting at each other. It was so loud that Lexa couldn’t even make out what they were arguing about. “ENOUGH!” she boomed causing her five siblings to fall instantly silent. If Lexa had one superpower it was getting the Woods’ children to shut up.
“What are the choices you’re all arguing about?”
Dax, while the youngest was definitely the boldest of the family and spoke up. “Anya and Tristan want burgers but Aden, Ontari and me want Chinese food”
“Aden, Ontari and I” Lexa corrected without even thinking. It was a bad habit of hers that annoyed her siblings, especially Anya to no end. “If we order Chinese food tonight then we’ll cook up some burgers on the grill tomorrow night when the barbeque gets here on the truck”
“Of course” Anya scoffed before pulling out her phone and disappearing back upstairs. With a heavy sigh, Lexa didn’t bother to chase after her. She’d spent the last month since they lost their parents trying to talk to Anya but Lexa had gotten to the point where she was ready to give up. Maybe Lexa would need to enlist the help of Abby with Anya.
Lexa got everyone’s requests written down before googling the number of the local Chinese takeaway and ordering enough food to feed her army. While they waited for their food, they set up all their sleeping bags and whatever pillows and blankets they could fit in Lexa’s car on the living room floor. Pulling up Netflix on her laptop, Lexa connected it to her projector onto the crisp cream wall. Other than her siblings and their photos, Lexa’s laptop and projector were the most essential things she had to pack into her car.
Anya joined her family when the food arrived and sat silently by them as the movie Aden got to pick played on the wall. If Lexa could get anything from their first night in their new home was that they were all fed, entertained and quiet. It may not have been much but it was a win for Lexa.
-------------------------------------------------------
Pulling the last packet of Pop Tarts from the box, Lexa ripped open the packaging and handed one off to Dax before taking one for herself. Without any appliances, their breakfast options were limited and while they weren’t the healthiest choice, Pop Tarts were something all the Woods’ children would happily eat untoasted. Mid bite, Lexa heard the doorbell echo through the house and so she made her way to the door. Expecting it to be the moving van, Lexa was surprised to see Clarke standing at the door with a basket covered in a tea towel in her hands.
“Hi Clarke” Lexa smiled as she brushed the Pop Tart crumbs from her shirt as she swallowed the last of her unhealthy breakfast. The smell wafting from the basket in Clarke’s hand made the brunette even guiltier for the breakfast she’d fed her family.
“Marcus bakes about 4 dozen muffins every Sunday morning because Bellamy inhales food like there’s no tomorrow” the blonde giggled and held out the basket to Lexa.
“He sent some over for you guys”.
“Oh wow, thanks. You didn’t have to…”
Clarke simply shrugged as Lexa took the basket and sighed as she inhaled the intoxicating scent of blueberry muffins. Her favourite. “These smell amazing”
“Marcus is a pretty good baker and he doesn’t know how to cook for less than an army so expect more of these”
“Gladly” Lexa laughed and leant on the door frame. For someone who rarely opened up and found it hard to make friends, Lexa was so comfortable in Clarke’s presence. As if they’d known each other for years rather than days, Lexa and Clarke fell into easy conversation. “I understand what it’s like cooking for an army. Aden and the twins are starting to really put it away so I’ve learnt to double my recipes”
“You’ll have to swap recipes…” Clarke began before a voice inside the Woods’ home interrupted them.
“What is that heavenly smell?” Ontari groaned as she made her way to the door and smiled at Clarke. Spotting the muffins in her sister’s hands, she quickly grabbed the basket and clutched it close to her chest. Lexa snatched a muffin before her sister disappeared to no doubt hide them from her siblings.
“You have to get in quick around here or you don’t eat” Lexa laughed “Thanks again for the muffins even if Ontari forgets to say that. Beats the Pop Tarts I gave them”
“Any time” Clarke smiled sweetly. As she opened her mouth to suggest the pair exchanged numbers or made a time to hang out, the screeching of truck brakes stopped her. Turning around she saw the Woods’ moving van pull up in front of their house. “I’ll go get Marcus and my family if you’d still like some help?”
“That would be great, thanks” the brunette smiled. “I’ll cook up burgers for everyone once we get the grill out of the truck and set up”
“Sounds good. I’ll be right back with reinforcements” the blonde said before bouncing down the porch stairs and back toward her own house. Glancing over her shoulder before she made her way through the door, she saw Lexa still watching her with a gentle smile.
“She’s cute” Bellamy chuckled as he opened the front door and found his sister staring across the street. Clarke hummed in agreement until she realised who was there next to her. Stuttering over her words and trying to cover up what she’d just said, Clarke sighed softly knowing there was no use. She would never live this down with Bellamy, that’s for sure. “You should ask her out”.
“Yeah because the beautiful girl across the street is going to want to date me of all people, Bell” she sighed softly. “Even if she was gay, single or even remotely interested in me, she’s been through a lot. She’s raising her brothers and sisters, the last thing she’d want is me”
“Why don’t you let her be the judge of that?” he shrugged. There had to be some interest on Lexa’s part if she’d watched Clarke til she made it home. As much as Bellamy wanted to protect his sister from any harm, he had a feeling that Lexa would be the one Clarke needed. “Just see how it goes, she might just surprise you”
“Since when did you become the relationship guru?” Clarke laughed as she nudged Bellamy with her elbow. For a guy that hit on the blonde the very first day they came to live with her, Bellamy wasn’t always known for the best relationship choices. “Come on, let’s get the others and help empty the truck”
Over on the other side of the street, Lexa turned away from Clarke when she noticed the dark haired boy join her on the porch. She really didn’t need to be staring at the beautiful blonde neighbour, it was only going to get her in trouble. Seeing no sign of her siblings, Lexa put her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly much like her father used to do. Titus’ whistle meant only one thing ‘come running’ and even coming from Lexa it worked like a charm. The six Woods’ children were in the living room in no time.
“Moving truck is here” she began with a smile. Lexa was happy to finally get this house set up and hope that it began to feel like home. It may take a while to really make it feel like home but having a couch and a fridge was a good start. “The Griffin’s across the street have given up their Sunday to help us move all our stuff in so please be nice today. Say hi, remember your please and thank you’s and just help them out. I’ll head down to the market later and we can treat them to a cook out as a thank you. How does that sound?”
Lexa got a nod and smile from 4 of the 5 faces before her and really wasn’t surprised by Anya’s sour look. “Y’know it’s a pity party right?” she spat. “Why else would they want to help?”
Holding her tongue and clenching her fists by her side, Lexa was getting to the end with her sister. “Maybe because they’re nice people? Have you ever thought of that An?”
“Unlikely”
“Enough Anya!” the eldest Woods’ snapped. It sent shockwaves through their other siblings even though they all saw this coming. As much as she wanted to scream and shout at her sister, Lexa knew she couldn’t. Not now at least. They had work to do and this conversation didn’t need to be heard by the rest of the family. Taking a deep breath, Lexa composed herself. “Can we all just go out there, introduce ourselves to the Griffin’s and get our stuff moved in. Once it’s all in we can unpack and make this place feel a bit more like home. Ok?”
Everyone nodded, not daring to speak up against Lexa now. With a huff, Anya pushed past her eldest sister and out to the truck. It took all of Lexa’s energy to keep her mouth shut and her eyes from rolling. The eldest Woods’ child knew she needed to mindful of Anya’s grieving process but she could only take so much. With another deep breath, Lexa joined her siblings out the front of their house along with Clarke and her family.
“Thank you guys again for helping us with this. You may want to rescind the offer once you see how much stuff six people can fit in a truck” Lexa chuckled as she met Clarke’s bright blue eyes. The pair remain locked in each other’s gaze and the movers opened the door to the truck and Bellamy let out a loud, disbelieving whistle.
“Looks like a rainbow threw up in here” he laughed.
“Thanks to the Queen of the rainbow flag over here” Anya chuckled slyly as she nudged her older sister. Snapping out of her daydream in Clarke’s eyes, Lexa threw her a foul look. She wasn’t ashamed or embarrassed by her sexuality but even Lexa didn’t want her sister broadcasting it to the world. The comment didn’t go unnoticed by Clarke and Bellamy who shared a slight smile. Of course it would only ensure Bellamy pestered his sister more about asking Lexa out.
“I colour coded everything” Lexa shrugged as a blush flooded her cheeks “Figured it would be easier to get everything in their respective rooms. I didn’t want to lose anything”
Stepping up beside Lexa, Clarke knocked their shoulders together gently. “I think it’s pretty smart… for a bit of a dork”
Dropping her jaw, Lexa knocked her shoulder with Clarke’s in retaliation as a smile cut across her cheeks.
“Come on you two! Let’s get this truck unloaded” Bellamy chuckled with a roll of his eyes. Watching their interaction, he was sure it would be only a matter of time.
Marcus jumped up into the truck with the movers and began passing boxes and furniture down to the waiting hands on the ground. Lexa’s colour coding worked well once Tristan and Dax became traffic controllers. The pair ordered everyone through the door and to each room complete with hand movements and dance moves. They kept the masses entertained and hydrated once they found the box containing the water glasses.
Like Abby had said, many hands make light work and the group were finished by the early afternoon. Everyone gravitated out to the backyard once every box found it’s room with Bellamy and Marcus staring at the dismantled pieces of the barbeque in front of them.
“How’s it going boys?” Lexa chuckled as she made her way out to the back porch. She’d just spent the last twenty minutes connecting up the fridge and needed a break before she even looked at the dishwasher. It didn’t look like they’d be cooking burgers any time soon but both men had assured her that it would be connected by the time she returned from the supermarket. Tristan and Dax were the first on their feet when Lexa asked if anyone wanted to come and both raced to pull on their sneakers.
“Mind if I come to?”
The brunette’s head turned at the sound of Clarke’s voice and before even meeting her eye, had a smile on her face. Lexa had only felt like this for one person in the past but she never fell for Costia quite so fast as she was with Clarke. She felt the anxiety rise in her chest as she thought about having feelings for anyone after how things ended with Costia. Lexa didn’t know if she could put herself through that again but she deserved a chance to try with Clarke.
Lexa and Clarke followed the boys out to the car and listened to their excited ramblings all the way to the supermarket. They couldn’t wait to put their bunk beds together and make blanket forts like they did in the old house. With a shared love for everything Outer Space, they couldn’t wait to put their glow in the dark stars back up on their ceiling.
“If it’s ok with your sister, maybe I could paint the Solar System on your wall? I love to paint murals, the mountain ranges on Charlotte’s wall is by far my favourite” Clarke piped up and was met with excited shouts and agreements. Lexa couldn’t dampen that happiness and agreed to the mural without a second thought. She didn’t even know about Clarke’s love or talent for art but trusted her wholeheartedly. “I’ve got a year to fill up my portfolio for my Polis Art School application. I’d appreciate the practice” the blonde smiled thankfully. She had spent the years since her Dad gave her her first set of watercolour paints working towards one of the best arts schools in the country. If Abby had let her, every bedroom would have a mural covering each wall but for now it was only Clarke’s and Charlotte’s rooms that got the special treatment.
Looking across the centre console, Lexa couldn’t hold back her smile at the blonde beside her. Just the way her golden hair had been pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head, to the way she leant back in her seat like she’d spent days driving with Lexa, Clarke had captivated the brunette. In the space of two days Lexa had found comfort in this beautiful girl and couldn’t think of a future without her by her side.