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Clarke could not believe that she was really sitting in a waiting room at the age of twenty-three with her pregnant mom. Pregnant. She was going to have a sibling when she was old enough to have her own baby.
"Honey, you need to sit still," Abby scolded her as if she was a young child. "You're more nervous than I am. If this is making you uncomfortable maybe you should go home."
"No, no, I'm not uncomfortable," Clarke said and then sighed when her mom gave her the look. "Okay, maybe I am a little. But usually when people get siblings they're too young to understand what's happening and picturing you and Marcus… It's gross."
Abby laughed. "Then don't picture us."
Clarke made a gagging sound as she remembered how a week ago, she was sat down on the couch in her mom's apartment.
Clarke's keys jiggled as she unlocked the front door with the key she was given. She received a text message from her mom to come over. Which got her worried because her mom never sent messages. She called. And when she called she talked for hours. "Hey, I'm here."
"Come in the living room," Abby called out.
Clarke put the keys in her pocket. "Hey mom. Sup, Marcus?"
Abby patted a seat on the couch next to her and then scooted away. "Sit down. We have something to tell you."
Clarke frowned. "That sounds bad. Is it bad news? Now I'm worried."
"Sit," Marcus offered calmly.
"Okay," Clarke breathed out nervously and sat down on the couch. She hasn't seen her mom look as worried and scared since the day Clarke was told about her dad's sickness. "You're seriously freaking me out guys."
Marcus took a seat next to Abby. "Your mother's pregnant."
And then Clarke laughed. She laughed so hard that she had to bend over just to catch her breath and her eyes burned with tears. "You're hilarious," she gasped out, chuckling. "I thought something was wrong, not that you'll prank me. But good one. You almost had me."
"Marcus is not joking, honey. I really am," Abby said.
Clarke snorted. "As if I'd ever believe this."
Abby folded her arms over her stomach. "Clarke, we're telling the truth."
Clarke's eyes widened. "Ew! That's gross. And no offense mom, but isn't a bit too late to have another baby? I mean naturally. Adoption is way less risky."
"Clarke, I'm a doctor. I'm aware of the risks," Abby said. "And Marcus and I decided that if any time along the pregnancy we feel like it is a danger to me we will talk about it. Worst case scenario, terminate. But for now, can you try and be supportive?"
"Wait till I tell Raven about this. She'll flip. And I'm supportive. I did always want a younger sibling. Just didn't think it would happen once I was past my twentieth birthday," Clarke joked. She hugged her mom. "I'm happy for you, as long as you know you're making the right decision." And then Clarke bumped her fist against Marcus's shoulder. "I didn't know you had it in you."
Marcus laughed. "You're going to make a great big sister."
"Mom are you sure going through with this pregnancy is the best thing health-wise?" Clarke asked worriedly. Her mom wasn't as young anymore and she knew that risks greatly increase with age. "I'm just worried."
Abby patted Clarke's knee. "That's why I chose the best doctor in this country."
"He better be the best doctor in the universe," Clarke sighed.
"I'm afraid it's a she," a beautiful woman butted in their conversation and it took Clarke a moment before she realized it was her mom's doctor. "Good morning Abby," the doctor added cheerfully.
Clarke looked at her carefully. There was something about her that intrigued Clarke. Maybe it was the braids in her hair or maybe it was the sharp jaw.
"Good morning Lexa," Abby replied, smiling.
Clarke snorted. "Lexa? What an unusual name."
"I could say the same thing about yours," Lexa said with a smirk and then added, "Clarke." She laughed at Clarke's confused expression. "Your mom talks."
"All good, I hope," Clarke said.
Abby shrugged.
Clarke looked down at Abby's stomach. "I feel bad for you, kid."
Lexa smiled. "Follow me into my office."
Clarke was surprised that Lexa's office wasn't the usual boring white color. Her mom's office was in the same private practice and it was white. "Nice office," Clarke commented.
"Thank you. I figured since I spend so much time here I might as well make it feel like home," Lexa explained. "
Abby smirked. "You know Lexa, Clarke happens to be single."
"Mom!"
Lexa laughed. "As much as I appreciate that information Abby, you know it's against the rules or at least frowned upon to date patient's relatives."
"Lexa," Abby said. "We're friends. I've known you since you came into the practice as an assistant."
"Mom," Clarke warned. "No offense, Lexa, but I'm not looking for anyone to date right now. And mom, you know better than to meddle into my love life. Now, I'm here to be supportive and calm so you can get this ultrasound done so can we please get to that?"
Abby rolled her eyes. "This is why she's single," she muttered to Lexa. "She's bossy."
"I'm not bossy," Clarke argued.
Lexa laughed but then cleared her throat and put on a more serious face. "Let's get to the ultrasound then, shall we? Abby, you know how everything goes. First change, then hop on this table."
It was fifteen minutes later when Clarke made a face. "Another reason why I wouldn't date you is because you've just seen my mother's vagina and that's too weird."
"Clarke," Abby said through a sigh.
Clarke put on her most innocent smile. "Yes, mother?"
"I knew I should have taken Marcus with me," Abby complained. "I apologize Lexa, but it appears Clarke is in a weird mood today."
A huff left Clarke's lips. "I'm not in a weird mood. I ju-"
"Shh," Lexa suddenly interrupted, furrowing her eyebrows as she leaned closer to the monitor. She turned up the volume so that the room was suddenly filled with an odd heartbeat.
Abby immediately propped herself on the elbows and leaned on her side.
Clarke started laughing. "Two? You're having twins? Jesus, I guess when Marcus does something he really does it."
Lexa couldn't help but laugh before she cleared her throat. "It appears your daughter's right, Abby. You're having twins. So far with two very healthy heartbeats. Everything else looks good. The placentas. Their positions. I would still prefer if you take it slow, but I'm feeling optimistic."
Abby beamed with delight and even Clarke couldn't hide her smile. "Thanks Lexa. Oh, I can't wait to show the picture to Marcus. He's going to be so excited."
And while Clarke really was one-hundred percent excited and supportive, she also needed to get used to the idea that she was about to have not one, but two siblings. But kids weren't a problem. Clarke loved them. Most of the time they were easygoing and funny. Which is why she was a preschool teacher. Well, a substitute teacher for now.
"Raven, what would you do if your mom told you she's pregnant?" Clarke asked her best friend when she came over to preschool for a lunch date.
Raven shrugged. "I dunno," she replied with her mouth full and then swallowed. "I guess I'd be weirded out. But she also doesn't have a boyfriend for longer than a few months. Abby and Marcus have been together, for what, six years now?"
Clarke nodded. Her dad died almost eight years ago, and Marcus was his best friend. So, after his death he was around a lot, to help with things like fixing the plumbing or repainting the garage and taking Clarke to her soccer practices when Abby couldn't make it. He was always in Clarke's life to some extent, so it wasn't really a shock when Abby announced one day that she's dating Marcus. It also wasn't lifechanging when he moved in. Clarke knew he would never try and replace her dad and that's all she needed know.
"He's family. And don't worry, I'll help you babysit," Raven promised.
Clarke laughed. "Raven, you're so awkward with children. There's no way my mom would ever let you babysit. You'd probably blow them up."
"Hey!" Raven exclaimed, offended. "That microwave thing was a complete accident."
"You microwaved a spoon on the highest temperature for ten minutes to see what happens. The microwave exploded. It wasn't an accident," Clarke reminded her, though she found it hilarious. "You weren't allowed in our kitchen or near our electronics for a whole month."
"I learned my lesson," Raven murmured before stuffing more food in her mouth.
Clarke chuckled. "So, you're not gonna believe this but, my mom's doctor is actually super-hot. Like illegally hot. And she can't be much older than us. And apparently, she's like super tight with mom, but I've never once seen her around."
Raven rolled her eyes. "Smitten much?"
"I'm not. I just think it's weird mom has a friend that's my age."
"In case you haven't noticed your mom is also about to have two kids. She doesn't do things the usual way. Which, by the way, way to go mama Griffin. I didn't think her and Marcus had it in them."
Clarke gagged and then dropped sandwich onto the foil. "Raven," she whined. "You just ruined my appetite."
Raven laughed. "Sorry, Griff. You gotta go back anyway. Nap time's over soon."
Clarke sighed heavily. After nap time, the kids were the worst. They were full of energy and ready to destroy things around them. "Well, we're painting mugs today, so that should be fun. Thanks for dropping by for lunch."
"Always," Raven said with a grin as she accepted a kiss on the cheek and then hugged Clarke.
When Clarke walked back into the classroom tiny little bodies were already running around. Clarke just finished studying art and while she did make her own paintings, she figured nothing would be as great as sharing her knowledge and love for art with the young ones.
"Clarke," a little boy called, though it sounded a lot more like Clalk, and tugged on Clarke's jeans. "Paint?"
Clarke nodded. "We'll paint, yes."
Which is why she appeared at her mom's doorsteps three hours later with colorful stripes in her usually blonde hair. She knew it would wash out but it was getting uncomfortable and her mom invited her over for dinner so she didn't have time to wash it beforehand.
Clarke didn't know they were expecting guests though.
"Hey hon-," Abby started before falling silent. "What happened?"
"Kids and paint," Clarke answered simply.
"I think this look suits you," an unfamiliar voice complimented.
Clarke jumped slightly and her eyes widened before she laughed nervously. "I guess nobody told me that we would have guests over. And now I feel like I have to explain this to you."
"She's a preschool substitute," Abby explained for her. "Honey, why don't you go wash your hair so it can stop looking like a unicorn threw up on it?"
"Rude," Clarke huffed and disappeared into the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later Clarke's hair was clean but still slightly damp and everyone, including the guest, was already seated around the table. The only empty spot was next to Lexa's chair.
"We'll need a bigger table," Clarke pointed out. "There's no way you could fit two highchairs around this one."
"We were just planning on never inviting you over for dinner again," Marcus joked.
Clarke laughed but Abby nudged Marcus with a stern look.
"So, Clarke," Lexa started. "What school did you go to?"
Clarke raised her eyebrows, surprised her mom hasn't mentioned that yet. "I studied art. Which was a bit unexpected for some. But I love it and it's something I enjoy doing. And teaching art to kids is probably the greatest thing ever. If you don't mind the dirt."
"Um, speaking of dirt, you do have a little speck of red left right here," Lexa pointed out towards Clarke's cleavage area.
"Oh." Clarke's cheeks reddened and she pulled her shirt up a little higher.
"I'm surprised you didn't go to med school though," Lexa spoke.
Clarke and Abby shared a look. "You're not the only one," Clarke replied. "I could go to med school, follow my mom's footsteps. But I didn't feel it. The excitement and feeling of success when it's done right."
"I guess I just don't understand art like Clarke's father did," Abby murmured.
Marcus squeezed Abby's hand who smiled sadly and Clarke hung her head and there was a silence for a moment before pots and bowls started going around the table and then spoons hitting plates filled the dining room.
An hour later they moved to the living room, Clarke and Marcus nursing a glass of wine each while Abby and Lexa settled on water. "What made you go into OB?" Clarke asked.
"I guess there's nothing quite as thrilling as following the growth of a fetus and then bringing them out in the world. It's a mostly happy-endings job," Lexa explained with a smile. Sure, there were sick babies or babies that were miscarried or died. But mostly there were healthy babies.
"We should do this again sometimes," Abby said thoughtfully. "And next time you can invite Raven. We never have to deal with leftovers when she's around."
Over the course of the next months, Clarke was seeing Lexa everywhere. She was being a supportive daughter and she went to all the ultrasounds and had dinners at her mom's house more often than before. Lexa sometimes dropped by early in the morning to drink tea with Abby and while Clarke was always invited she never came over that early. And every couple of weeks Lexa was invited over for dinner which made Clarke curious about her private life but she never asked. She didn't get the opportunity to. That was until Abby decided to break a wall between the spare room in the upper floor and the bathroom that used to be a part of Clarke's room. And instead of hiring actual workers it was Clarke and her friends that were helping Abby out.
Abby also invited Lexa.
Clarke didn't know Lexa was invited until she was carrying plaster out of the house and stumbled into Lexa wearing a clingy black tank top and sweatpants and she almost dropped everything on Lexa.
"Careful there," Lexa warned and placed her hands under Clarke's to make sure she wasn't going to drop the plaster. "You okay?"
Clarke finally dragged her eyes away from Lexa's chest up to her face. "Aha," she confirmed, somewhat distractedly.
Lexa smirked. "You look great," she called over her shoulder once she brushed past Clarke.
"That's the sexy doctor?" Raven asked.
"Yes," Clarke said with a dreamy sigh. "I mean she's sexy in her uniform but holy shit, that tank top should be illegal."
Abby looked over at Clarke and her best friend and cleared her throat. "Should I set up a swear jar to make sure there won't be any cursing in this nursery?"
Clarke blushed.
Raven agreed to the swear jar idea. She was also the first one to make a donation after she hit her finger with a hammer and a long stream of swear words were yelled out.
Clarke was laughing but when Lexa raised her top to wipe the sweat off her brow she shamelessly added another dollar in the jar.
"If this goes on we might as well start a college fund," Marcus pointed out and shook the jar.
After most of the work was finished they ordered pizzas and took a moment to relax. Clarke was in the kitchen and grabbed a beer when she heard someone behind her. She smiled at Lexa. "Want a beer?"
"Sure," Lexa agreed. "Thanks," she said gratefully when a cold beer was placed in her hand. "So, how are you holding up?"
Clarke raised her eyebrows in confusion.
"I mean, it must be weird, having your mom pregnant at this age and with someone who's not your dad." Lexa cringed. "Sorry, if I overstepped."
"No, it's okay," Clarke said and shook her head. "I was shocked at first. A little weirded out. But, I know they love each other. And I know that they'll love these kids. And I'll be the best older sister they need. Teach them important stuff. Teach them how to drive and smoke weed."
Lexa laughed.
Abby didn't find it amusing when she entered the kitchen just as Clarke said the last sentence. "Clarke," she warned. "You will not teach them how to smoke weed. And you," she said, pointing at Lexa, "do not encourage her. God knows Raven got her in all kinds of trouble."
"Trouble?" Lexa repeated, looking at Clarke.
Clarke rolled her eyes. "We got caught smoking weed."
"You also pulled a fire alarm, stole gum and got arrested for vandalism," Abby reminded Clarke.
"It was a graffiti," Clarke clarified. She poked her mom's belly. "You better hope they won't come out half as cool as me then."
Abby sighed. "I truly do."
Clarke just grinned innocently at her mom.
"So, what I'm getting from this is that you were a handful," Lexa joked after Abby left.
"No, Lexa, I was just cool."
Lexa smiled. "Are you cool enough to go on a date with me on Friday?"
"Didn't you say you don't date your patient's family?" Clarke asked.
Lexa laughed. "Well, normally my patient's family meant their significant others or very young children. And I certainly don't plan on dating those. Besides, you're so cool that I just have to have you."
Clarke smirked. "I'm awesome." She scribbled her number down on a sticky note, because they were the kind of family who had a pad of sticky notes and a pen in the kitchen, and stuck it to Lexa's cheek. "There. I look forward to seeing you."
"Didn't you say you're not looking to date anybody?"
"Yeah, but you have abs so I changed my mind."
Lexa, not even trying to be subtle, raised her top and looked down. "Huh, I guess I do."
Friday couldn't come soon enough for Clarke. They texted each other over the week but they were both busy people. Of course, it rained on Friday but after nap time the sun was out so the kids were playing in the mud. It was fun to watch it but a bitch to clean after them. Muddy shoes and dirty pants. It also meant Clarke had gotten dirty in the process. It also meant she took an even longer shower to scrub thoroughly and to get the mud out of her hair. So, when Lexa rang the doorbell she wasn't ready yet.
"Hi," Clarke said breathlessly, after sprinting to the door. "I'll be just a minute."
Lexa smiled. "It's okay, Clarke."
The date was as every bit of perfect as Clarke imagined it would be. Lexa was the perfect gentlewoman and Clarke almost struggled to keep up. Lexa would open the car door for her so Clarke held the door to the restaurant. Lexa held the chair out for Clarke. Clarke ordered them a fancy wine.
The conversation ran smoothly. They already knew a lot about each other so they talked about trivial things and things you would normally discuss on a third date.
"How come you and my mom are like besties?" Clarke asked.
Lexa laughed. "I was the new kid at the practice and no patient wanted my opinion because they thought I wasn't experienced enough and your mom stood up for me. She made me the kickass doctor I am today. And now I'm her doctor."
Clarke wrinkled her nose. "Is it weird being her doctor?"
"You mean because I've seen her vagina?" Clarke grimaced. "I'm an OBGYN, Clarke. I see a lot of vaginas. But they're all… clinical. I see them differently from a partner's vagina."
"I guess. I mean if I had a kid I would see them differently than the kids in my class. I can understand where you're coming from," Clarke admitted.
Lexa nodded. "So, really, why go into teaching preschool?"
"When I was little my parents were both very busy with their jobs so I was in preschool as much as possible. And it was really a pivoting moment, you know. Those are the first contacts with peers and teachers and a learning system. I want to be someone who inspires the little ones. Art, music, movies, outdoor activities, or love for learning."
"You are something else, Clarke Griffin," Lexa murmured in awe.
Clarke blushed. "Sorry, I totally went off, didn't I?"
"It was cute," Lexa brushed it off. "If you're passionate about something, you shouldn't be embarrassed by talking about it."
"Do you have any hobbies?"
"Martial arts."
Clarke raised her eyebrows. "That's oddly… sexy. How come?"
Lexa laughed and leaned just a little bit closer to Clarke. "I guess I was angry a lot as a teen. I didn't know how to deal with emotions and stuff, so I signed up for a martial arts class and ended up loving it. I still do it to this day. My friend owns a dojo."
Clarke hummed thoughtfully. "I should come see you sometime. For purely scientific reasons, obviously."
Lexa laughed. "Obviously."
Their date ended in front of Clarke's apartment, with Clarke sitting on the hood of Lexa's car and Lexa leaning against it next to her. They were watching the stars, Clarke pointing out the names of important ones.
Lexa tried to keep up but eventually her eyes just settled on Clarke and she watched her instead. She loved the space. As in, it's huge and mysterious and there are places out there that haven't yet been touched or ruined by people. But Clarke loved the beauty of it. The colors, the names, the endless possibilities. They were different but they fit.
"The stars are up there, dummy," Clarke joked affectionally when she noticed Lexa was staring at her.
"Yeah, but you're prettier."
Clarke scooted closer and slipped one leg around Lexa, trapping her between her legs. "Charmer," she murmured. Lexa leaned into her and even though Clarke was sitting on the car Lexa was still taller than her. Clarke's lips parted and she knocked her forehead into Lexa's who looked just as smitten. Their first kiss started on the hood of the car and their fifth kiss ended in Clarke's bedroom.
"Sorry," Lexa apologized, not entirely sure why, after she pushed Clarke against the bedroom wall.
"There's nothing to apologize for," Clarke reassured her. "We can stop. If you want. Or we can not stop. Either way sounds good to me."
Lexa nodded and connected their kiss-swollen lips. Clarke was soft and warm and their bodies molded together like two pieces of puzzle. They made out against the wall until Clarke scratched a particularly sensitive skin behind Lexa's ear and her knees almost buckled.
"Easy tiger," Clarke whispered breathlessly at the way Lexa slumped against her.
They stayed quiet for a moment, the only sounds were their labored breaths. "I had a fiancée," Lexa admitted. "She, um… She died a few years ago. I haven't been with anyone since."
"It's okay," Clarke breathed out. She ran her hand over Lexa's back in a comforting motion. "I'm feeling a bit buzzed from the wine anyway so maybe we should slow down."
Slow down apparently meant getting in the same bed and cuddling. Clarke was sleepily tracing Lexa's back tattoo that was peeking out from underneath her sports bra. "What does it mean?" she rasped out, her voice cracking from almost falling asleep.
Lexa nuzzled into her, Clarke's, pillow. "My family. My adoptive parents and my brother."
They talked a little about Lexa's family until they both fell asleep.
Lexa woke up first, nuzzling into Clarke's neck before she realized how intertwined their bodies were. She sighed and placed a kiss on her exposed neck which made Clarke stir. She didn't say anything but she leaned backwards into Lexa.
"Morning," Lexa whispered.
Clarke just hummed.
Lexa realized Clarke's shirt had ridden up over the night and now her hand was resting on her exposed stomach. She went to pull it away but Clarke whined.
"It's cold," she murmured and squirmed back into Lexa.
Lexa started tracing the soft skin just above Clarke's panties and her breath hitched when Clarke moaned quietly. She felt her legs part and she dropped a kiss on her neck. "You sure?"
"Yes," Clarke breathed out. "Are you?"
After she admitted to Clarke that she hadn't been with anyone since her fiancée passed away she didn't feel guilty anymore. So, she nodded and slipped her hand under the waistband of Clarke's panties.
They fell back asleep three hours later, satisfied and worn out.
When they woke up again they showered and Lexa made them dinner and somewhere along the lines of eating and planning to watch some TV they ended up naked again, this time on the couch.
"You wore me out," Lexa stated breathlessly.
Clarke chuckled and rolled on top of her. "Honestly, I'm kind of worn out too. Party girl Griffin isn't who she used to be. Hanging out with kids all the time ruined me."
Lexa would have replied if her eyes weren't closed and she wasn't comfortably warm, squished between the couch and Clarke. It was exactly where she needed to be.
An hour later Lexa somehow managed to sleepily carry Clarke in her bedroom and covered them with the duvet while cuddling close. They slept peacefully until the clock turned two-eighteen am and Lexa's hospital pager started blaring loudly. Clarke woke up with a jolt and groaned. "The fuck is that?"
"Shit, it's my pager. I forgot I was on call," Lexa explained. She blinked a few times until her eyes focused. She checked her pager and sighed. "It's the hospital. I have to go, but go back to sleep." Clarke's eyes were already closed and Lexa placed a pillow where her body previously was and tucked Clarke in with a kiss on the forehead. "I'll call you later."
Lexa ran around the apartment, trying to find her clothes. Half of them were in the living room and half of them were in the bedroom so she was hopping in her jeans, trying to find her bra. Sighing in relief when she was fully dressed she grabbed her things and thankfully, Clarke's front door locked from the outside when being closed so she didn't have to worry about leaving them unlocked.
Clarke's phone rang an hour later and she thought it was Lexa calling her so she reached over without opening her eyes and slid across the screen. "Hmm?"
"Clarke?"
Clarke looked at her phone screen and cringed at the brightness. It was her mom's phone number and it said mom on the screen but it was Marcus's voice. At three in the morning. "Marcus?"
"Um, yeah. Were you sleeping?" Marcus asked and then cleared his throat. Of course, Clarke was sleeping. "Right, um, it's your mom. We're in the hospital."
Clarke immediately sat up, eyes wide open and her body no longer tired. "What?"
"She's okay," Marcus said distractedly and Clarke knew he wasn't completely sure. "I don't want to bother you or make you lose more sleep."
Clarke threw the covers off her. "I'll be there in fifteen. OB?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you for calling," Clarke said quickly and hung up. She quickly got dressed and grabbed her keys. She wondered if that's why Lexa got paged. But she left over an hour ago and she was certain she would call her if it was her mom. Clarke shook her head. She tried not to race to the hospital but the streets were empty and she knew there weren't cops around. She parked and practically ran inside. She took an elevator to the OB department and her heart sank when she saw Marcus sitting on a white plastic chair, face buried in his hands. "Hey."
Marcus looked relieved but his shoulders were still tense. "Thanks for coming."
Clarke nodded and took a seat next to him. "What happened?"
"There was so much blood."
Clarke reached for his hand. "They'll be okay."
Marcus nodded but he didn't look very convinced.
When Lexa came out of the room Marcus said Abby was in she glanced at Clarke and quickly back at Marcus and Clarke felt a little bit betrayed and quite a bit angry.
"They're okay," Lexa started with. "The bleeding was caused by low placentas. I've noticed them before but it's not usually dangerous until the third trimester. We managed to stop the bleeding and we've given some steroids to make sure the babies' lungs get stronger. Just in case. I'll keep Abby overnight for observation and she's on strict bed rest and weekly checkups until they're born."
Marcus nodded and released a long breath. "Thank you."
Lexa nodded and smiled tiredly. "You can go see her." She watched Marcus walk through the door. "Clarke," she started and went to reach for her hand but Clarke flinched away. Lexa immediately took a step back and sighed. "I'm sorry."
"That's my mom," Clarke gritted through her teeth. "My only biological parent."
"I know."
"And those are my siblings in there. You don't get to just Clarke me. You should have called."
Lexa nodded. "I know. I didn't know it was your mom when I got the page and when I got here it was madness. I'm sorry. They're okay though and you can go see her."
Clarke took a step forward and leaned into Lexa's arms and sighed when the other woman hugged her back. "I'm still mad at you. But the last time I got a call in the middle of the night was mom telling me that dad is dying."
"I know I should have called but I wanted to make sure your mom was okay first. I didn't want you to know until I knew everyone was fine."
Clarke inhaled deeply, drawing in Lexa's scent. "I want to see her now. Come with me."
Lexa nodded and followed Clarke in Abby's room.
Maybe if she wasn't so tired and be able to control her emotions Clarke would notice she was tearing up the moment she stepped inside. It brought back memories of when her dad was in a bed like that, except he was dying and her mom wasn't.
"Oh honey," Abby murmured and Clarke collapsed in her arms like a little girl. "It's okay."
"I know," Clarke sniffled. "Sorry, I just…"
And Abby nodded because she knew what Clarke was thinking about. "Lexa confirmed we're all good. Just bed rest for the next four months."
"Strict bed rest," Marcus pointed out.
Abby rolled her eyes.
Lexa's pager went off and she looked at it. "Baby time for someone," she explained.
Without realizing Clarke walked to her and kissed her on the lips which made Abby gasp and Marcus cough. Lexa flushed and awkwardly waved her pager around before slipping out of the room. Clarke laughed nervously.
"Um, how long has that been going on?" Abby asked sternly.
"Friday?"
"That's… sudden," Marcus chimed in.
Clarke shrugged. "I like her. I mean I'm kind of mad that she wasn't the one to call me to tell me that you are in the hospital, but we've had a great weekend together."
Abby wrinkled her nose and rubbed her baby bump. "Too much information, sweetheart."
"She's… different. I like her."
Abby reached out her hand and with a dramatic sigh Marcus placed twenty dollars in her waiting hand. "Thank you very much."
Clarke frowned. "You betted on me?"
"Yup. Thanks for making me lose," Marcus said.
"What was the bet about?"
"It's whether you and Lexa will hook up before or after the babies are born," Abby explained.
Clarke huffed. "I'm going home."
Abby laughed.
Clarke went home and fell back asleep, Marcus promising to call if anything happened. Lexa was knocking on her apartment door in the afternoon, with a bag of groceries. Clarke grinned. "Are you cooking for me again?"
Lexa nodded.
"How was the delivery?"
"Quick, thank god. I went home afterwards to catch up on some sleep," Lexa explained. "And can I apologize again for not calling you?"
Clarke shook her head. "No more apologizing. Food and kisses will do."
Lexa smiled at the puckered lips and leaned down for a quick kiss. "Lucky for you I almost went into professional cooking instead of medicine. And I have plenty of kisses saved up for you."
With Abby being on a bed-rest Clarke found herself around her childhood home more often. She always visited and she tried to have dinner there every Sunday but now she was the one making tea in the morning. Not always, but she tried to at least twice a week. Maybe it was because Lexa came over too, or because she just really wanted to help.
Marcus still worked full-time so Clarke took the preparations for a baby shower on her shoulders. It wasn't really anything big or glorious. It was family and friends and a few co-workers. Clarke even contacted her dad's parents and they sent two quilted blankets for the babies, similar to one they gave Clarke when she was born. It warmed Clarke's heart that they cared even though they weren't going to be connected biologically.
The gifts were pretty much baby essentials. Marcus went to buy the cribs the previous day, though they haven't set them up yet because they wanted to paint the room first. Clarke had enough money saved up to buy two car seats. They knew their genders now, but she kept them gender-neutral and made sure they had different designs. Twins or not, she didn't want them to always match. The rest of the gifts were diapers, cute outfits, toiletries, some things for Abby. Raven bought her a large pack of coffee with a mug that had tired mom written on it.
"You know she can't drink coffee if she nurses," Clarke pointed out.
"Actually," Lexa chimed in, "one cup of coffee a day is perfectly okay. As long as the baby, or babies in this case, don't get jittery afterwards.
Clarke pouted. "You were supposed to take my side."
"There are no sides in science," Lexa defended but wrapped her arms around Clarke to kiss her.
Raven gagged dramatically. "These two are so gross. Mama G, why did you have to introduce them?"
"Blame Marcus," Abby said shamelessly.
"Y'all are gross," Raven loudly complained.
Clarke helped wash the baby clothes afterwards while Lexa helped Marcus clean up. They weren't living together but they rarely spent the night away from each other.
"Do you love her?" Abby asked.
Clarke froze. They've known each other for seven months now. Dated for four. Clarke never really thought about it. She wanted to murmur it sometimes when Lexa slipped in bed behind her after getting back from a long shift. She wanted to scream it from the top of the apartment building when there was a particularly long day at work and kids were being crazier than usually and Lexa was there with a candle-lit dinner. "We haven't said it yet."
"But do you?"
"Yeah."
"I love you too."
Abby removed herself from the private moment as Clarke jumped at the new voice joining their conversation and accidentally banged her head in the corner of a cabinet. "Holy fucking shit," she yelled out.
Lexa immediately started checking her head for injuries before gently kissing the bump and placing two dollars on the washing machine, for the swear jar. "Sorry, for scaring you. Marcus and I cleaned it up so I thought I'd come up here to check on you two."
Clarke just nodded dumbly.
Lexa smiled. "I love you," she repeated.
Clarke laughed, kissing Lexa until they were both smiling too widely to keep the kiss going. "I love you." She grabbed Lexa's hand and pulled her into the hallway. "We're leaving!" she shouted. They got downstairs where Lexa pushed her against the wall, one hand on the back of her head to make sure she didn't bump it again, while she kissed her deeply.
Marcus faked a cough, looking as equally mortified as Clarke was with kiss-swollen lips and her hair just a little disheveled; Lexa loved to tug on it.
Lexa laughed and pulled Clarke out of the house, saying her goodbyes over the shoulder.
"Bye," Marcus muttered and shook his head. He walked up the stairs and sat down on the bed. "You two are not dating. Ever," he ordered, pointing his index finger at the baby bump.
Lexa unofficially moved into Clarke's apartment a month later. She never asked but Clarke made a copy of her apartment key for her after Lexa stayed over on her day off and Clarke had to go to work. A week later Lexa had gotten her space in the dressing drawer. And a few days afterwards Clarke just gave her the whole dresser, claiming she had enough space in her closet and her smaller dresser.
As they were nearing Abby's due date and all her checkups after the bleeding scare were okay Lexa allowed Marcus to take them somewhere for the weekend. There was a strict no-sex rule though because it could trigger another bleeding or even contractions.
Clarke and Lexa were stuck in their home, putting together the cribs. The babies weren't going to be using them at first, the bassinets in the master bedroom were already set up, but Clarke was determined to do this before her mom and Marcus return. Almost everything was set up. The changing table was ready, the diaper bag for the hospital was packed, first outfits were chosen.
"I give up," Clarke complained.
Lexa patted the space between her legs and passed Clarke the instructions. She already had the bottom of her crib standing. Clarke leaned into her and she walked her through the steps. Maybe Clarke was just bored or she really wanted to cuddle for a moment but she stopped complaining. "So, I know I didn't get your mom anything fancy at the baby shower, so I went to pick something up."
"Uh-oh," Clarke murmured knowingly.
Lexa shrugged sheepishly. Ever since Clarke started buying random baby things for her soon-to-be-born siblings it seemed like Lexa was dragged into the addictive world of baby things as well. She ran down to her car and grabbed the two boxes.
Clarke laughed. "You're crazy, you know? What did you buy?"
"It's like a rocker. I mean, they're different but they pretty much do the same thing. They rock the baby. I didn't want to buy two of the same and I didn't want to buy just one because I wanted to include both of them," Lexa rambled.
"You're adorable," Clarke stated and kissed her cheek. "Go do the cribs while I play with your toys."
When Abby and Marcus came back Abby cried a little, Clarke blamed the hormones, and Marcus looked a little teary-eyed too, Clarke really had no excuse for him.
Clarke fell into an easy routine with Lexa and sometimes she forgot about the sole reason of why they met. Not that she forgot about her pregnant mother or that she was about to become a big sister but when she was cooking for her beautiful girlfriend on their sixth monthy anniversary she really wasn't thinking about them.
Her phone started ringing and a picture of Lexa flashed on the screen. She smiled and picked it up, even though she knew Lexa was most likely going to be late. She always called when an emergency came and she had to stay late.
"It's baby time," Lexa said before they even had the chance to greet each other the way they normally do.
Clarke stopped stirring the sauce. "What?"
Lexa laughed. "Your pregnant mother?" she reminded her. "Marcus said not to call yet because they just got here and it will most likely be hours before we even start anything but I just wanted to let you know."
Because Clarke still remembered when Lexa didn't call. "Thank you for calling. I'll finish dinner and come over. Actually, I'll stop by at a baby shop or something first to get them something cute."
"Okay," Lexa said, knowing her girlfriend was about to get distracted in the ocean of cute baby things. "I love you."
Clarke beamed. "I love you too. Make sure mom doesn't break Marcus's hand, because she sprained dad's wrist when she was giving birth to me."
She got to the hospital an hour later with her hands full. They gave them a private room and Clarke didn't expect anything less. Except Abby wasn't in the room. Nor Marcus. She left the gift bags and roamed the hallways, trying to figure out where to go.
Lexa was all gowned up when she saw Clarke. "Hey, babe."
"You're going to the OR," Clarke realized.
"Yes. Your mother must have been hiding her contractions from Marcus because someone was seven centimeters dilated when they arrived," Lexa said and laughed slightly. "They're okay, but I don't want to strain her with natural birth so we're doing a C-section. We can get you dressed too, if you want to watch," Lexa suggested.
Clarke shook her head. "I'm okay. Marcus is with her, right?"
Lexa nodded.
"Okay. Just, tell them that I love them and that I'm out here waiting."
"Okay," Lexa agreed. She went to kiss Clarke but sighed when the mask got in the way. Clarke pulled it down just enough for a quick kiss. "Next time I see you, Clarke Griffin, you will be a sister."
Clarke laughed. "Go deliver my siblings," she ordered.
"Your mother was right," Lexa said, almost down the hallway, "you are bossy."
Half an hour later Clarke was standing in front of the big glass window that overlooked the nursery. Her siblings were in there. Somewhere. Clarke couldn't tell over the mass of wrinkly newborns. "Congratulations dad," Clarke said softly, the word dad feeling foreign on her lips, but she was still happy to say it.
"You don't have to call me dad," Marcus reminded her, one hand reaching for Clarke's.
"I know. But they will, so I figured I could give you a preview of what's that about to feel like," Clarke explained. "By the way, you make beautiful babies. I mean look at them, their heads are full of hair. When I was born, I was bald for like a year," Clarke joked.
Marcus laughed and nodded. "They're beautiful. Your mom and I agreed to let you name the boy and middle name the girl."
"Oh wow, really? Is that a reward for being such a good big girl?" Clarke teased, knowing sometimes parents let their older kids name the newborn to make them feel involved. "Does that mean you already have a name for the girl and middle name for the boy?"
"Mhm. We chose Charlotte for the girl and Jake as the middle name for the boy."
"Jake?" Clarke repeated with a strangle.
Marcus nodded. "What's a bigger honor than being named after one of the strongest men I ever knew?"
Clarke nodded in agreement. "He was your best friend."
"Sometimes I feel like he still is."
"You need more friends," Clarke joked, her voice choked up, but she understood. Sometimes it felt like her dad was still her friend. She was silent for a moment, observing the babies through the glass. "How about Cameron Jake? That way we can all have cute matching first name initials."
"CJ?" Marcus questioned it.
Clarke's eyes widened. "That's so cute. We definitely have to go with Cameron Jake. It can also be Cam for short. Do you hate it?"
"I love it," Marcus said honestly. "What about the girl?"
"Charlotte," Clarke said quietly, tasting the name. "Charlotte Rose? Charlotte Grace? I would go with Charlotte Jane, but we don't want both of them to be CJs, right?"
"Rose would work," Marcus agreed. "Abby wanted the girl to be named Rose, but I vetoed it. It goes well as a middle name though."
Clarke beamed. "Glad we agree. Now, when can I hold them?"
Cameron and Charlotte were taken to the private room and Clarke gave them some time to be alone while she went to get some coffee. She figured fifteen minutes was enough. The room suddenly felt different with her mom in the bed and the babies' bassinets in the corner. "Hi," she whispered.
"Hey," Abby said, sniffling slightly as she adjusted the baby in her arms. "Come here."
Clarke walked over to the bed, slightly excited to finally meet them. Or one of them as the other one seemed quietly content in the bassinet. "Congratulations mom," she murmured and kissed her mom on the forehead.
Abby smiled. "Meet Charlotte Rose Griffin."
"Griffin?"
"It's actually Griffin-Kane," Marcus explained. "But, you're siblings. You deserve the same last name."
"It wouldn't matter," Clarke argued softly. Full blood or not, they were her siblings. Her to protect and teach and love. "She's beautiful."
"Put your hand below her head," Abby instructed and then smiled proudly when her eldest daughter cradled the baby close to her chest.
It felt weird, holding someone so tiny, Clarke realized. "Hi Charlie. I'm the one who's gonna teach you how to smoke weed. Oh, and draw graffities."
Abby just sighed helplessly.
Clarke walked over to the bassinet and glanced between them. She quickly learned the differences. Charlie had chubby, fuzzy cheeks and Cam's face was less round. He was also longer. And he seemed perfectly happy sucking on his yellow pacifier.
The door slowly opened and Lexa walked in. "Hi. How is everyone feeling?"
"A bit sore. But you did a wonderful job," Abby praised her.
Clarke was engrossed with her siblings so Lexa gently cleared her throat and placed one hand on her lower back. "So, which one's your favorite?"
"You can't possibly be asking me that," Clarke replied quietly, eyes glossy with tears as she slowly swayed her newborn sister. "They're both so cute. I just want to smoosh their cheeks. You think mom would mind if I just took one back to my apartment?"
"Yes, she would," Abby replied.
"They really are beautiful," Lexa complimented. She looked over Clarke's shoulder and down at the baby. "She's Charlie, right?"
Clarke nodded. "And he's Cam."
Lexa smiled. "I love that all of your names start with C. And they're so lucky. They have the most wonderful older sister."
Clarke looked up from her sister and found herself hypnotized with the green eyes that were staring right at her. Clarke craned her neck until her lips found Lexa's and she really wished she wasn't holding a baby at that moment.
"Hey, hey, babies around," Abby warned. "My poor, innocent, not even a day-old daughter should not be in the middle of that."
Clarke rolled her eyes. "You love us Charlie, don't you?"
Charlie opened her mouth to yawn and Clarke took it as a yes.
Exactly a year later, on the twins' first birthday party Abby gave Lexa the ring Jake gave her when he asked her to marry him. She kept it for Clarke. Lexa promised to save it for when the time was right.
She dropped down on one knee twenty minutes later when the twins were giggling and throwing cake at Clarke and Clarke was laughing and Lexa has never been more in love.
"You couldn't even wait for thirty minutes," Abby called her out.
This time Marcus was laughing because the twenty dollars he lost on their first bet were given back to him as he won this one.