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Chapter Text

Clarke Griffin and her daughter Madi were sitting in their favourite booth at The Grounders Cafe, hard at work. Well, Clarke was diligently working on her final university paper, and Madi was working on her Disney colouring book. 

All of the Grounders employees knew the Griffin girls by name, as Clarke and Madi were usually a permanent fixture in the second booth away from the window. The baristas loved to check in on Madi, and the owner, Indra, often snuck the four year old an extra cookie or sweet treat at some point during their visits. 

Earlier today Indra had brought Madi a bright pink cake pop covered in sprinkles, which the four year old had gobbled up immediately. And the extra rush of sugar meant that Madi was even more bouncy and excitable than usual. 

“Mom, when can we go home?” Madi whined, rolling a crayon back and forth on the table and swinging her legs back and forth. 

Clarke looked up from her laptop, and fiddled with the cuff of her jean jacket, “Just a little while longer, okay? I’m almost done.” 

“Fine.” Madi let out an exasperated sigh from across the table. 

“How about we stop at the park on our way home?” Clarke offered, knowing her daughter would love the chance to run around outside at the playground. After a long cold winter, It had finally warmed up just enough that they could spend some time at the park without risk of freezing. Plus, it would hopefully give Madi a chance to burn off enough energy so she would go to bed with less fuss and tantrums. 

This seemed to please Madi, as she agreed excitedly before returning to her colouring page. She picked up a blue crayon and concentrated on filling in Cinderella’s dress, even staying nicely in the lines, which the future art teacher in Clarke happily noted.  

She turned her attention back to her laptop, and found where she left off in her notes, and began typing again. A few more moments passed by and the sound of Clarke’s laptop keys tapping faded into the background noise of the busy coffee shop. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Clarke noticed that Madi was sticking her tongue out, and making a silly face. Which soon morphed into a scrunched nose and a toothy smile. Then Madi giggled, and puffed her cheeks and was holding her ears out with her fingers as she stared at the table next to them. That’s when Clarke connected the dots and realized that her daughter was making silly faces at a stranger at the next table. 

“I’m sorry...” Clarke began to say out of habit, as she was still distracted by her work, turning to apologize to the stranger. Only to realize that the man was making silly faces back at Madi. 

“Oh, no, don’t apologize. I’m sorry for disturbing you,” he replied with an easy grin. He seemed to be a few years older than her, and unquestionably attractive with his dark hair, strong arms, and freckled tan skin.  

Clarke smiled at him quickly, before refocusing her attention back on Madi. “What have we said about talking to strangers?” 

“Don’t do it,” Madi mumbled, and then rolled her eyes, “But I wasn’t. I was only making silly faces.” 

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, Madi.” Clarke chastised. 

“What? Besides, he started it!” the four year old blurted, pointing to the grown man and passing the blame to someone who would certainly not start a silly face contest with a child. 

Clarke sighed in frustration and dropped her head into her hands, only to hear the man chuckling at Madi’s outburst. There was never a dull moment single-parenting a four-year old, especially a four year old as spunky as Madi. 

She looked back up at the stranger, “I’m so sorry for my daughter’s behaviour.”

“No worries,” he said, waving them off, but then smirked. “Though I will admit I started it.” 

“What?” A laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head. “Well then, I take back my apology. It’s your fault for encouraging her.” 

He laughed again. “I’m Bellamy, by the way.”

“Clarke,” she replied, reaching over to shake his hand, “And my daughter, Madi.”

“Hey Madi,” he said, waving at the small girl. 

Madi flashed a quick smile, but kept quiet as she glanced over to her mom. 

“Mads, you can say hi,” Clarke whispered, slightly embarrassed by her daughter’s behaviour once again. 

“Mom, I thought you just told me I wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers. But now I’m allowed to?” Madi argued back. 

Clarke raked a hand through her hair in defeat, another sigh of frustration escaping at Madi’s words. 

“She’s trouble, isn’t she,” Bellamy commented with a grin, before taking a sip of coffee.

Clarke started to nod in agreement, but Madi interrupted and answered, “Yes, I am.” 

“And too smart for her own good,” Clarke muttered, absentmindedly playing with one of the pins on her jacket, while Bellamy laughed once again. 

“Mom, can I play on the iPad now? Colouring is so boring,” Madi said, holding up her page, where all of Cinderella’s skin was now coloured bright green and made the poor princess look as if she had a deadly plague. 

“Yeah, but just until we leave, okay?” 

Madi agreed, so Clarke dug out the iPad and a pair of headphones from her backpack, handing them over to her daughter. She hoped the technology would distract her daughter long enough. 

“Well, she’s certainly feisty,” Bellamy commented, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, which emphasized his biceps, and made him look even more muscular and strong. Not that she was looking, she thought, quickly pulling her gaze back to her hands.

“Does she get that from you, or her dad?” he asked. 

Clarke chuckled. “Oh definitely me. My mom still complains about my bad attitude. And Madi doesn’t have a dad.” She noticed he looked curious, and quickly filled the silence by explaining, “My ex had zero interest in being a father, or monogamy apparently. He left before Madi was born.” 

“Ouch. I’m sorry. That’s despicable.” He looked genuinely appalled that someone had put her through that situation. It was rare for someone to show her genuine concern. Usually she found people were quick to judge her as the girl who got knocked up by her cheating high school boyfriend. 

She shrugged her shoulders, “Eh, I’m over it. I have Mads, so that’s all that matters now.” 

He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud shout. 

“Bell!” 

Clarke turned to see a thin brunette waltz in the door, and watched as the woman hurried over to Bellamy, kissing him on the cheek before enveloping him in a tight hug. 

And that’s when Clarke noticed the second cup of coffee on Bellamy’s table. Clearly he had been waiting to meet someone here. And she hated that she felt a pang of disappointment, which wasn’t helped by the fact that his date was such an attractive woman. 

Clarke quickly focused back on her table to avoid any awkwardness. Once she had checked that Madi was still entertained on the iPad, she centered her attention back on her laptop and quickly got back to work, tuning out the background noise of the coffeeshop and all of the people talking around her. Especially the conversation at the next table. 

It was a small miracle that Madi was as calm and focused as she was for the next forty minutes. A few years ago, Clarke would have guilted herself over allowing Madi to spend so much time on the iPad, determined not to be one of those terrible mothers , as her own mother so eloquently phrased it. But she was on a deadline and needed to finish the rough draft of her final paper. Besides, she could justify employing the technology babysitter by the fact that they would be going to the park afterwards. 

A sudden movement in her peripheral vision caused Clarke to look up from her laptop. 

The brunette woman who had greeted Bellamy enthusiastically earlier had moved, and was now at Clarke’s table. She sat across from Clarke, on the bench seat beside Madi, who didn’t even notice because she was so engrossed in the iPad. 

“Umm, hi. Can I help you?” Clarke asked, wary of the stranger’s arrival at her booth, especially sitting so close to her daughter. A quick glance to the side revealed that Bellamy was no longer at his table, but their coffee mugs and coats still occupied the space. He was probably in the washroom, and this woman seemed ready to tell Clarke off for talking to him earlier, to stake her claim. 

“Yeah. You’re Clarke, right? I’m Octavia.” The beautiful brunette woman introduced herself with a smile. 

Clarke nodded, signalling for the woman to continue, unsure of where the conversation was headed. How did this woman know her name? Had Bellamy been talking about her? And why was she being so friendly - what was her angle?

“So my brother,” she pointed to their table, where Bellamy had been sitting minutes before, “won’t say anything, but he is totally into you. One, are you single? And two, if he asked you out, would you say yes?” 

Clarke paused, processing the information all while trying to ignore the flutter of excitement from not only learning that Bellamy had been meeting his sister , not a date , but also that he was into her . 

“Yeah, I’m single,” she answered, “But I’m a single mom… so that tends to turn people off.” She looked over at Madi, who was giggling at whatever she was watching on the screen, still oblivious to the stanger’s presence beside her. 

Octavia glanced over at Madi too, and muttered, “And that’s probably what turns him on… gross.” 

Raising her eyebrows questioningly, Clarke asked, “Wait, what?” She closed her laptop, giving her full attention to Bellamy’s sister. 

Octavia quickly explained that they had grown up with a single mom too, and had practically raised her because their mom was always working. And when their mom had passed, Bellamy had taken sole responsibility of Octavia because they had no other extended family, and he refused to let her go into the foster care system. It definitely hadn’t been easy, and Bellamy had sacrificed a lot to care for his sister. 

It was a tragic story and broke Clarke’s heart to hear, but it also made her want to know more about Bellamy. “Wow. So you’re saying he’s genuinely a good guy then?” 

Octavia grinned, tucking her hair behind her ear. “My friends call him ‘dad’, and joke that his only flaw is caring too much. But yeah, he’s pretty much the best.”

“Who’s the best?” Bellamy asked, interrupting their conversation as he returned to his table, and eyed the two women warily as he sat down. 

“Adam Driver” Octavia answered smoothly, winking at Clarke, “I mean, have you seen him in the new Star Wars movie?” 

Clarke laughed, and was definitely in awe of Octavia’s quick save. She spared a quick glance  over to Madi and was grateful to see the four year old still happily entertained despite the loud conversation. That iPad was the best investment she’d made in a long time. 

“But it’s so hard to watch, there’s so many- ,” Bellamy argued back, before Octavia cut him off. 

“I’m gonna stop you right there, big brother, because I don’t have time for one of your rants.” Octavia stood up from where she sat at Clarke’s booth and picked up her coat. “Thanks for the coffee, Bell, but I have to go meet Lincoln.”

Bellamy stood up, smiling, ready to hug his sister goodbye. 

She zipped up her coat and turned to leave, before pausing to look back at her brother. “Oh, and Bell? Clarke is totally single, and if you asked her out, she’d probably say yes.”

Clarke’s jaw dropped and felt her cheeks grow hot as she blushed. Bellamy stood unmoving, staring at his sister through the awkward silence. 

“Aaand that’s my cue to leave. Bye Bell! And Clarke, I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you and Madi again,” Octavia said with another wink, before spinning on her toes and leaving the coffee shop. 

Warily, Clarke side-eyed Bellamy to gauge his reaction while she began to pack up her things, sliding her laptop into its protective case. Once her laptop had shut, she realized that she couldn’t keep working on her paper right now. It’d be better to leave the coffee shop and all of it’s distractions and take Madi to the park. She still had time to work on her paper tomorrow. 

“I’m going to kill her,” he muttered under his breath as he sat back down in his chair, his fist clenching around the empty coffee mug in front of him. 

“That’s some wing woman you’ve got there,” Clarke joked, hoping to lighten the mood. Her fingers spun another one of the pins on her jacket, something she always did when she was nervous or anxious. 

“Oh, she’s something alright. Too much trouble for her own good,” Bellamy laughed nervously, repeating Clarke’s words about Madi from earlier. 

He ran a hand through his hair. “But would you want to, uh,  meet me for coffee sometime? I would like to get to know you better. I mean, if you’re interested?” he asked, his dark eyes overwhelmingly sincere. 

Clarke felt her face flush again. “Yeah, I think I’d like that too. But Madi… it doesn’t scare you that I have a kid?” 

He shook his head earnestly, “Nah, kids are cool. I teach middle school, so they definitely don’t scare me.” 

She grinned. “Then yes, I’d like to get coffee with you sometime.” 

“Would tomorrow be too soon?” he asked, fiddling with the empty coffee mug once again.

“Uh, I don’t know. I’ll have to see if my friend can babysit… but I can let you know,” she offered. She quickly caught Madi’s attention over the top of the iPad and asked her daughter to pack up her things so they could leave. 

After a beat of silence, Bellamy said, “Or Madi could come along, if that’s easier. I don’t mind.” 

“Really?” Clarke was shocked by his suggestion. 

He raised his eyebrows, “Of course, why not?” 

“Wow. It’s just been a long time since someone’s actually wanted Madi around. I’m not used to it.” 

“You should be, she seems like a great kid,” he responded. 

“Mooooom, I thought we were going to the park” Madi whined, loudly interrupting. She had packed up her colouring book and crayons into her Frozen backpack, and pushed the iPad and headphones across the table to her mom’s bag. 

“Yes, we’re going now. Put on your coat and hat.” She answered quickly, placing the iPad in her own bag and zipping it shut. She looked up to Bellamy and asked, “Well, how do you feel about parks? We’re heading over there now, if you want to walk with us?” 

Bellamy grinned, standing up to put on his own coat. “Sounds great.” He collected the ceramic mugs from his and Clarke’s tables, and brought them to the front counter before following the Griffin girls to the door. 

They left the cafe, waving goodbye as Indra called out “Bye Clarke, bye Madi. See you again soon,” on their way out. 

Chapter Text

Clarke was holding Madi’s hand as they walked, and they had only gone a few steps toward the park before Madi whispered loudly. “Mom, why is the stranger-man coming with us to the park?”

She grinned down at her daughter, “His name’s Bellamy, and he’s not a stranger anymore. He’s a new friend.” Clarke looked over to see Bellamy smiling as he walked beside her, which sent butterflies straight to her stomach. 

“Okay.” Madi answered warily. “Does that mean I can make silly faces at him again?” 

Clarke threw her head back and laughed at her daughter’s question. “Sure honey, but you might have to ask him.” 

Madi stopped walking and looked up at Bellamy. “Bell-me…” She tried to ask, stumbling over his name. 

“You can call me ‘Bell’,” he responded smoothly. 

Madi’s eyes twinkled, “Okay, Bell! Can we have a silly face contest again, Bell?” 

“You’re on,” he answered before sticking his tongue out at the Madi, which dissolved her into a fit of giggles. 

Clarke and Bellamy laughed along too, as they continued walking to the park. Clarke had a feeling her new friend Bellamy was someone special, and she definitely wanted to spend more time with him. 

The short walk to the park passed quickly as Madi continued to make silly faces at Clarke and Bellamy. Madi’s giggles were contagious and soon they were all laughing as they crossed the street and arrived at the park. 

Madi took off her backpack, dropping it at Clarke’s feet as she ran toward the jungle gym, effortlessly scaling the ladder to reach the tallest slide. 

Clarke rolled her eyes as she picked up Madi’s bag and made her way to a nearby picnic table. Bellamy followed and took a seat beside her. 

“She’s full of energy, isn’t she?” he commented. 

“Well, the extra cake pop from Indra certainly didn’t help. But Madi sure keeps me on my toes,” Clarke answered, looking over at the play structure where Madi was calling ‘Mom! Mom, look at me!’ as she crossed the monkey bars. 

“You’re a great mom, I can tell.”

“Really? I never feel like I’m doing enough for her…” Clarke fiddled with the zipper on her coat. She was glad they were sitting side by side, watching Madi, instead of looking at each other.  “It’s like I’m torn between not spending enough time with her because I’m busy with school, but also knowing how important my education is so I can provide for her. I never thought I’d be worried about things like these while I’m this young.” 

“Yeah, I’m not a parent, but I totally understand,” Bellamy said. 

Clarke thought back to what Octavia had told her earlier that afternoon. “Your sister told me that you pretty much raised her.”

Bellamy looked over at her, “She told you that?”

Clarke nodded, “She told me that you had a single mom, and when your mom passed away, you took care of her. She was trying to prove that me being a single mom wasn’t a deal breaker for you.”

“It’s definitely not,” Bellamy agreed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and filled the easy silence between them, sharing more of his story. “I had to help my mom with Octavia since the day she was born. And then took full custody when I was nineteen, and O was only thirteen. So I know how hard it is to balance school while taking care of a child.” 

“Holy shit,” Clarke breathed out, “I can’t even imagine…”

“I know. It wasn’t ideal, but we made it work,” he exhaled, and then sat back up straight. “But yeah, like I said, you’re a good mom. Madi clearly adores you.” 

“Thank you,” Clarke whispered, letting herself accept the compliment that spoke against her deepest insecurities. 

“Mom, watch me!” Madi called from the top of the tallest slide, before sliding down headfirst, and exploding in a fit of giggles as she tumbled to the ground. Clarke gave her a big thumbs up and smiled. 

“So you’re a teacher?” Clarke asked, hoping to lighten the mood. 

Bellamy grinned, “Yeah, I teach eighth grade at Polis Middle School. Just started in September, so it’s been a huge learning curve, but I love it.” 

“That’s awesome. You’re from Polis, then?” Clarke asked, knowing Polis was the next town over, about a thirty minute drive from downtown Arkadia where they were now. 

“Born and raised. Octavia moved in with her boyfriend a few months ago, here in Arkadia. And we try to catch up every few weeks. You?” 

Clarke watched Madi swing wildly across the monkey bars as she answered, “Well, I’m born and raised here in Arkadia, but I grew up in the county. I’ve only been living downtown for a few years.” 

“For school?” 

Clarke tilted her head, torn between a yes and no. “Short story, yes. Long story, no, not at all.” 

He leaned back against the picnic table, crossing one leg over the other. “Well, I’m in no rush…” and his willing silence encouraged her to keep talking. 

“Would you take the medium version?” she asked, hesitant to go into all the details right away. There was no way he would want to keep talking to her if she dumped all of her baggage on him the first day. It had scared off others in the past - but if Bellamy wasn’t phased by the fact that she was a single mom, then maybe all her crazy wouldn’t be a dealbreaker either. 

He nodded, allowing her to begin her story.

“I had the cliche perfect childhood - my mom’s a doctor, my dad was an engineer, we had a big house in the country. Then, when I was in middle school, my dad died. It was a freak accident at work, but it was so sudden and I never got to say goodbye and that really messed me up. I was always closer to my dad than my mom, because she was always at work, so I just kinda withdrew from everyone and everything.”

Keeping her eyes looking out toward the play structure to watch Madi, Clarke continued. “Hindsight is twenty-twenty, right? So I was probably depressed, and did not handle things well, especially when my mom remarried. I started dating this guy in high school, Finn. He had just transferred to Arkadia, and we were inseparable, totally codependent, and it was not a healthy relationship. Just before graduation I found out I was pregnant, so I went over to his place to tell him the news, and well, I found him with another girl. Turns out he already had a girlfriend from his last school, and was cheating on both of us.”

She took a deep breath to steady herself. “He wanted nothing to do with the baby, or me, for that matter, once I’d called him out as a cheater. He just told me to ‘deal with it’.”

Bellamy inhaled sharply in reaction, but Clarke continued speaking. 

“I just knew I couldn’t do that. So I told my mom, and she was surprisingly helpful. We made a plan for me to defer college for a year. Madi was born that December, and then my mom got a job offer at a hospital across the country. So she sold our house, bought me an apartment downtown, and she and my step-dad moved to California.”

Clarke let out a small laugh, “It is kinda funny how things work out, because when I started school, Madi was eight months old, and I hated being alone all the time. So I started looking for a roommate, and thought I’d never find someone normal who would be okay living with a baby. But then Raven came along, needing a place to live, and was totally cool with Madi - despite the fact that she was Finn’s other girlfriend.”  

“Wait, seriously?” he asked. But he had no judgment or shame in his voice, only compassionate curiosity. 

“Yeah, somehow we just clicked. The whole Finn situation sucked - the ‘Finncident’, we call it - but it brought me Madi and Raven, so at the end of the day, I’m really grateful.” Clarke glanced over and realized Bellamy was watching her, and suddenly the weight of his gaze felt heavy. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. 

“I just met you… why am I telling you all of this?” She covered her face with her hands. 

“I’ve been told I’m easy to talk to,” he shrugged. “O’s friends call me ‘dad’ when they’re drunk.” 

Lifting her head, Clarke looked at him, and was suddenly thankful that he genuinely cared. She was filled with a sense of calm as she returned her focus to Madi, climbing the play structure with practiced ease, and finding her way to her favourite slide once again. 

“So Madi’s how old now? Four?” he asked, noting her nod in agreement. “So that makes you…”

“Just turned twenty-three. You?”

“Twenty seven.” 

“You know, your beard makes you look older than that,” Clarke teased, and was quickly rewarded by his laughter. 

“My sister says the same thing,” he answered, running a hand through his hair. 

They continued their conversation easily, learning more about one another while gently teasing too. Barely noticing the time flying by, Clarke was surprised when Madi made her way back to the picnic bench and flopped on her mother’s lap, announcing she was tired and ready to go home. Gathering up their bags, Clarke and Madi said goodbye to Bellamy, and walked away hand in hand toward their apartment. 

Bellamy waved goodbye to Clarke and Madi, grinning as Madi stuck her tongue out at him one last time. They were walking in the opposite direction as he ventured back toward the coffee shop parking lot for his car. 

As he unlocked his car, he was struck with the sudden realization that he had forgotten to ask for Clarke’s number. 

Shit. How could he forget to ask for that?

Spending time with Clarke and Madi at the park had seemed so natural, and talking to Clarke about, well, about more than he would normally bring up to his close friends, let alone anyone he had just met, had been so effortless. 

Crap. 

He had to find a way to contact her, because he definitely wanted to see her again. To see them both again. 

Bellamy turned back to the coffee shop and marched inside, walking right up toward the manager who had said goodbye to Clarke and Madi earlier. 

“Umm, Hi.” He glanced down at her name tag. “Indra. I was hoping you could help me.”

She nodded, waiting for him to continue. Her silence was intimidating. 

“You seem to know Clarke and Madi well. I told her I’ll call her, but,” he hesitated. “I- I forgot to get her number. Do you know how I could contact her?”

“I wouldn’t give you her number, even if I knew it.” Indra stated, a fierce note of protection in her voice. 

“I figured.” He shuffled side to side for a second as he thought. “But Clarke comes here a lot, right? If I left her a note, could you pass it on to her?”

Indra’s face lightened. She didn’t smile, but she at least she wasn’t glaring anymore, so that was something. “Yes, I could do that.” 

He took the Sharpie she offered, and scrawled his message on a napkin. Folding it in half, he wrote her name on the front. 

“There’s an ‘e’,” Indra noted. “It’s Clarke with an e.” 

Bellamy hastily added the extra letter, and passed the napkin to Indra, who tucked it into the front pocket of her apron. 

He thanked Indra, who answered with a curt nod. All he could do was hope and trust that Indra would pass on the note to Clarke. But he might just have to make time to drive back to Arkadia and come by the coffee shop tomorrow, and the next day, and even the day after that if that’s what it took. 

All he knew was that he wanted to see Clarke again. There was no way he could forget about the beautiful blonde woman he’d met today, or her mischievous daughter. 

It wasn’t until Clarke was at home stirring the pot of macaroni and cheese for dinner that she realized Bellamy didn’t ask for her number. 

Well, to be fair, she hadn’t remembered to ask for his number either. 

She’d really enjoyed spending time with him at the park. It was so rare to meet someone who really understood what it was like to juggle being a young single parent and a university student. Plus he was a teacher and had been great with Madi. And he was hot, like really attractive , and she couldn’t deny that she really wanted to see him again. 

“Honey, I’m home!” Raven called, as she entered the apartment as she arrived home from work, causing Clarke to grin at their inside joke of being platonic co-parents and roommates. 

“Auntie Rae-Rae!” Madi screamed, jumping up from where she had been colouring on the kitchen floor, and launching herself into Raven’s arms.  

“Easy there, kiddo,” Raven laughed, catching Madi in her arms and hugging her close. 

But Clarke could see the slight grimace of pain, as Raven subtly leaned against the wall to take the pressure off of her bad knee. “Mads, take it easy on Raven.” Her friend was strong and rarely let anyone in to see the pain she dealt with on a daily basis, a constant reminder of the car accident that almost left her paralyzed a few years ago. 

“So Madi-Monster, what trouble did you get into today?” Raven asked her niece, who had returned to her colouring. She dropped her bag at the kitchen table, grabbed a glass of water, and hopped up on the counter beside Clarke. 

“Mom and I went to Grounders, and I got in trouble for making silly faces at a stranger.” Madi listed as she scribbled in her colouring book. Lying on her stomach, with her legs swinging in the air above her, she continued, “And then we went to the park, and the stranger-man came with us, and I think he’s in love with mommy.” 

Clarke turned beet red hearing Madi’s summary of the day.  Why would Madi think Bellamy was in love with her? Interested in possibly dating, sure. But in love , no way!

Raven’s eyes popped wide open in surprise. “Wait, Mads -  a strange man is in love with your mom?” She tapped Clarke on the arm, catching her eye, and mouthed, ‘ What the heck, dude .’

“I think so.” Madi answered. “He was looking at Mommy the same way Uncle Monty looks at Auntie Harper.” 

Oh. 

“Madi, can you clean up your crayons, dinner’s ready.” Clarke started, hoping to redirect the conversation, while simultaneously wondering how the heck her daughter had become so observant. 

But Raven was not letting this new information go, and whispered, “Griff, what happened? I leave you alone for a couple hours and some strange man falls head over heels in love with you?” 

“Not now, Rae,” Clarke said softly, hoping to avoid Madi’s attention and the conversation she was so not ready for. “I’ll tell you everything after dinner, okay?” 

Raven rolled her eyes, “Why do you always have to be so responsible and parental?” She hopped down from the counter and opened the cupboard, selecting the bowls they would need. 

Clarke spooned out the mac’n’cheese - a classic Clarke Griffin dinner - and brought the bowls over to the table where Madi was waiting. After adding a ridiculous amount of ketchup, Madi took a few bites of her meal. 

“Mommy, are we going to see Bell again tomorrow?” she asked, mouth half full of cheesy noodles.

“Bell?” Raven snorted, “What kind of name is Bell?” 

Clarke kicked her friend in the shin under the table. “His name is Bellamy, but he told Madi she could call him Bell.” She looked at Madi, “And I don’t know yet, baby, we’ll see.” 

“Okay. And Mom?” Madi asked again, but oddly shy this time. 

Clarke set down her fork, unsure of what her daughter might ask. “Yeah?”

“Is Bell going to be my daddy?” 

Clarke’s jaw dropped. 

Raven choked on her water. 

Clarke cleared her throat, “Umm, Madi, why would you ask that?”

“Well, Jordan has a mommy and a daddy. And I only have a mommy, and I really want to have a daddy too.” 

Clarke glanced over at Raven, wide-eyed. How was she supposed to answer this question? She had been dreading talking to Madi about her father since before Madi was born. And when Madi had first asked last year, Clarke was able to explain by saying that some kids have both parents, and some only have moms, and that was okay. Madi had accepted that answer then, and the few other times she had asked - but this was different. Her lack of a love life had kept the issue at bay. Madi was too young to remember her relationship with Lexa, but if Clarke started dating Bellamy now, well, she knew the conversation would come up, but not four hours later. 

“And I like Bell,” Madi continued, “He’s good at silly faces, so I think he’d be a good daddy.” 

“And what else would a good dad do, Mads?” Raven asked her niece, her eyes twinkling mischievously. 

Clarke elbowed her friend for encouraging Madi. 

Madi thought for a moment, and then listed, “He would play with me, teach me to ride a bike, lots of snuggles and read me bedtime stories!”

“Hey, I do all of that with you, missy!” Clarke argued, laughing along with her daughter to fight the bubble of embarrassment that was building in her chest. 

“I know, but you’re a mom , not a dad ,” Madi explained, as if it was that simple. 

Clarke sighed, “I know, baby. I’m sorry that our family looks a little bit different. But you know there are a lot of people who love you, right?” She hoped that maybe Madi would realize how lucky she was to have so many unofficial aunts and uncles who had stepped into her life, and loved her unconditionally. But she also knew that this conversation was far from over, and Madi would keep asking questions until she got an answer she wanted. 

After three different stories, and two requests for a drink of water and an extra hug, Madi was finally tucked away in bed and asleep. 

Clarke collapsed on the couch beside Raven, who had been typing away on her laptop, but was quick to close the device once Clarke sat down. 

“Spill the beans, Griff.” Raven stretched out her legs onto the coffee table, absentmindedly massaging her bad knee, while giving Clarke her full attention. 

“Ugh, where do I even start?” Clarke groaned into the throw pillow she had hugged to her chest. But she filled Raven in on the day she’d had anyway, from start to finish. 

“So you’re telling me that your four year old daughter and this guy’s sister both factored in setting you up?” Raven questioned, her voice laced with amusement. 

“Not intentionally, but yeah, I guess so.” Clarke answered, a blush rising to her face again as she remembered Octavia’s bluntness. 

Raven smirked, “So are you going to see him again?”

Clarke groaned again and covered her face with her hands. “I don’t know. We forgot to exchange numbers,” she mumbled. “I mean, he shouldn’t be hard to find online, with a name like Bellamy. And I know where he works, but at what point does that become stalking?” 

“It’s not stalking,” Raven grinned, “just creative problem solving.” 

This made Clarke giggle, but she soon fell silent, and dropped her head onto Raven’s shoulder. “What am I going to do with Madi, and her new obsession with having a dad?” 

Raven shrugged, “I have no idea. Hopefully it’s just a phase and she’ll just let the whole thing go. But you’ll probably have to keep talking to her about it.” 

“I guess, it’s just so hard,” her fingers absently played with the end of her blonde braid, as she mulled over her thoughts. 

Raven hummed in agreement, and paused for a moment as she thought. “But what do you want? Would you be happy to stay single, or would you be interested in dating someone seriously?”

“I always thought I would find someone and get married eventually, and maybe have more kids. But I never thought about what it would look like in reality. There’s just so much pressure with dating because of Madi - like what happens if we date and then break up? That would crush her.” 

“I know babe, it won’t be easy. But don’t say no to him just because you’re scared of things not working out. I mean, sure, take it slow, and tell him why this is hard for you.” Raven said, leaning her head against Clarke’s in a comforting gesture. “And if he’s really a great guy, like you say, then he’ll totally understand.”

“Now who’s all parental and responsible, and full of good advice,” Clarke muttered, elbowing Raven lightly in the stomach. 

Raven didn’t retaliate. And after a moment of silence, Clarke voiced the insecurity that was eating her inside. “Bellamy might be a great guy, and even if we do see each other again, does he know what he’s getting into? I’m not really a catch, you know. The whole depressed, daddy issues, and knocked up at eighteen schtick is a real prize.” 

Raven stared at her. “Clarke, no. Don’t talk about yourself like that. Yeah, you’ve dealt with a lot of crap, but you’re a survivor.” 

Raven’s voice was firm, authoritative even. Clarke willed herself to believe these words, but her insecurities fought back. 

“And you’re definitely a catch,” Raven added, “I’d choose you any day.” 

Clarke hugged Raven close. She really didn’t deserve to have such a great friend, but she was thankful every day for the way their lives had intertwined. 

The next morning Clarke woke up to the sun streaming through the curtains and a small child crawling into her bed, snuggling in close to her side. 

While Madi and the sunshine normally brought a smile to her face, Clarke couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed that her dream had been interrupted. She had been lost in a wonderful dream of a certain tall, dark-haired, handsome and kindhearted man. It was certainly clear that meeting Bellamy had left a significant impression on her heart, or at least her subconscious thoughts. 

Still half asleep, Clarke hugged Madi closer, taking in a deep breath of her sweet soapy scent. “Good morning, beautiful.”

“Hi mommy,” the girl whispered against Clarke’s neck, her tiny fingers tangling in the neck of her mother’s shirt.

Kissing the dark curls on Madi’s head, she asked. “Did you have a good sleep?” 

Madi nodded, her hair frizzy and wildly out of place with the action. “But now I’m really really hungry. My stomach is super growly this morning.”

Giggling, Clarke tickled her daughter’s side. “Growly, eh? We better fix that. Let’s go.”

Madi insisted on a piggy-back ride to the kitchen, and mother and daughter giggled the whole trip down the hallway. 

“Good morning, Griffin girls,” Raven smiled. She was holding a steaming mug of coffee to her face, warming her fingers through the porcelain. 

“Is there coffee for me?” Clarke asked, sliding Madi off her back, to the kitchen floor.

“No, I drank it all,” Raven teased. 

Clarke starred in shock, before realizing that it was a joke, and Raven had already filled her favourite mug on the counter. 

“Thanks Rae, what would I do without you?” She gave her friend a quick side hug as she picked up her mug and took a sip. 

“Umm, walk over to Grounders and get your own dang coffee?” Raven quipped. “Plus, you’d have a better chance of running into your mystery man there than in your own kitchen… I’m just saying.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes at her friend and took another sip of her precious coffee.

“So I really should just take this back,” Raven threatened to take back the mug, but Clarke was too quick, laughing as she sped away.  

“Mooooom, I’m still hungry,” Madi called, from her seat at the table, where she was eagerly waiting with an empty bowl and a spoon. 

“Right, feed the child and then caffeinate,” Clarke murmured over Raven’s laughter while grabbing the cereal and milk for her daughter. 

“So what’s the plan for today,” Raven asked once she and Clarke had poured their own bowls of cereal. 

“I have to work on my paper,” Clarke began, before Madi interrupted the conversation, with a mouth full of half chewed cereal. 

“Can we go to the park again? I want to go on the swings.”

“Yeah, we can figure something out.” Clarke said, “Maybe after I do my school work?” 

Madi agreed and slurped another spoonful of soggy cereal into her mouth. 

“Shaw and I are going to Monty and Harper’s this afternoon,” Raven offered. “If you want to get some work done, we can bring the Madi-monster along. I’m sure Jordan would love to go to the park too.” 

“Mom, can I? I wanna see Uncle Shaw, and Jordie and Auntie Harper and Uncle Monty.” Madi pleaded, holding her small hands together in a begging position, as she listed off her favourite people. 

Clarke rolled her eyes. “Of course, babe. But you have to listen to Aunt Raven, okay?” She turned to her friend and mouthed ‘thank-you’. 

Raven nodded and turned to Madi, holding up her palm for a high-five which the young girl eagerly returned. “Of course Mom,” Raven teased, “Madi and I will be on our absolute best behaviour, right?” 

Madi nodded, eyes twinkling, “Yeah, the bestest.” 

After a hug and an extra kiss, Clarke waved goodbye to Madi as she left with Raven and Shaw to see their friends for the afternoon. Clarke was not used to having so much free time to herself, always used to keeping an eye on Madi while balancing everything else. Oddly, she was  torn between getting her homework done or taking the opportunity to clean the apartment really well.

In an effort to exercise a teeny bit of self-indulgence while multitasking her school work, Clarke decided to take Raven’s advice and walk over to Grounders for a few hours. There she could work on her paper, and order a latte with extra whipped cream and sprinkles to meet the self-care requirement of the day. 

And the fact that Raven’s words echoed in her mind - that Clarke would have a better chance of running into Bellamy again at the place that they met rather than in her kitchen - only had a slight factor in her decision. Okay, maybe like a forty percent factor. But she really did need to get some work done on her paper too. 

“Clarke, welcome back!” Indra called as she entered the coffee shop that was practically her second home at this point. 

“Hi Indra.” She walked up to the front counter and ordered her self-indulgent latte with extra whip cream and sprinkles. “Yeah, I have one last paper to write today, and Raven is watching Madi, so I’m going to focus and get it done.” 

“Good luck with that,” the corner of Indra’s mouth turned up in a slight smile. “Oh, I have something for you, but it might be a distraction to your work. I can hold onto it until you’re ready to leave?”

Clarke wrinkled her brow in confusion. She and Indra were friendly acquaintances, but not quite at the level of friendship where they gave each other gifts. “What is it?”

Indra finished making Clarke’s drink and passed it across the counter. She then reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a napkin - a napkin that had ‘Clarke’ written on the front. 

“After you left with the gentleman yesterday, he came back inside and asked me about you, he wanted your number. And he left a note.” 

“Really?” she reached out her hand to accept the note. 

Indra hesitated. “Are you sure? Don’t you have a paper to write?” 

Clarke huffed. “Indra, come on. I’ll get my work done, I promise. Please give me the note.” 

Indra relented with a small smile, which Clarke knew was a sign of true affection from the stoic coffee shop owner. 

“Thanks for looking out for me.” With her latte in one hand and the note in the other, Clarke walked over to her favourite booth, which just so happened to be vacant, and settled into her favourite seat. 

She opened the note and read the message, a smile stealing across her face. Reaching for her phone, she tapped in the numbers found on the napkin. Her heart began to race as the tinny sound of the phone ringing echoed in her ear. 

“Hello?” A gruff voice on the other end said, picking up after the third ring.

Her heart skipped a beat in recognition of his voice. “Uh hi. It’s Clarke.”

“Hi.” Bellamy said again, sounding breathless and softer this time. 

“I got your note,” she said softly. 

“I figured.” The smile and lightness of his voice was evident as he teased. “I’m glad though. Part of me thought Indra would rip it up rather than give it to you.” 

Clarke giggled, as she could definitely picture Indra doing exactly that. “She must like you then, because she is very protective over me and Madi.”

“I believe that. I don’t -” His voice was muffled by the loud sound of a car horn blaring from his end of the phone call. 

“Are you driving?” she asked. “I can call you back later?”

“I’m, uh, yeah I am driving. I’m actually on my way over to Grounders right now.” 

“Wait, really?” 

“Yeah. Like I said, I wasn’t sure if Indra would actually give you my note if she saw you,” he admitted. “So I thought I’d head back over to the coffee shop and hang out for a bit, just in case you stopped by.”

Clarke felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she blushed, knowing she had done exactly the same thing hoping to see him again. “Well then, I guess I’ll see you soon.”

“So it’s okay? Not too creepy?”

“No, not creepy at all. Just creative problem solving.” Clarke laughed, maybe a little too loudly, and felt her blush return.

Bellamy echoed her laugh through the phone, “Phew, that’s good. Look up.”

Turning toward the door, she saw Bellamy pulling open the front door of Grounders, his phone held to his ear, and a messenger bag slung across his chest. Grinning, she ended the call and set down her phone, as he navigated his way through the busy tables to her booth.

“Hi again,” Bellamy said softly, not taking his eyes off of her as he pulled his bag over his shoulder, setting it on the bench seat.  

“Hi,” she echoed, standing up to hug him, leaning into his open embrace. Bellamy’s leather jacket was cool from the chill wind outside, but he was warm.

Bellamy walked over to the counter to buy a coffee. Clarke saw Indra’s pointed look, and could only hope the barista would go easy on him.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she said, once he sat down across from her. 

He wrapped his hands around the large mug of steaming coffee. “Me too. I would have hated myself if I didn’t get to see you again, just because I forgot to get your number.” 

“Clearly,” she teased, picking up his napkin note, before admitting, “But I forgot to ask too. I tried to find you online. I thought it would be easy with a name like ‘Bellamy’ but you’re nowhere to be found.”

Bellamy chuckled. “I actually don’t have social media, much to O’s horror.” 

Oddly, that didn’t surprise Clarke, and she let him know as much. “Thank you for leaving the note though, and for coming to find me.” 

He smiled back at her. “Of course.” His gaze drifted down to where her laptop, notebook, and planner lay open. “What are we working on?”

Clarke explained that it was the final paper for her degree, her last assignment before graduation. 

“Well, I wouldn’t want to interrupt,” he said, reaching into his bag, and pulling out a stack of papers and green pen. “I came prepared with eighth grade history tests. This should be fun,” Bellamy smirked, with an infectious spark in his eye. 

Clarke took another sip of her latte and positioned her laptop in front of her, getting back into work mode. 

Soon there was a comfortable silence at their table as both Bellamy and Clarke got to work. The only sounds from their booth were Clarke’s laptop keys as she typed, and the scratch of Bellamy’s pen as he marked the tests, fading into the symphony of the coffee shop ambience. 

They spent the next few hours working hard, taking a few well deserved breaks to chat and refill their cups. Bellamy finished marking his tests and a class assignment as well, before pulling out a well-worn paperback, content to simply read while she continued to work on her paper. Hours later they were interrupted by Clarke’s phone chiming Raven’s signature ringtone. 

“Hey Rae, what’s up?” Clarke answered, noticing Bellamy glance up from his book, observing.

“Where the heavens are you?” her roommate grumbled through the line, “Madi and I just got home.” 

Clarke felt a blush rising to her cheeks as she glanced at her watch, finally noticing the time and how late it had gotten. “Oh crap,” she said. “Sorry Rae. I didn’t realize how late it was. I’m on my way home from Grounders now. Can you make dinner for Madi, I think there's still a frozen pizza in the freezer.”

“Wait, Grounders? Are you out with your mystery man? Did you find him?” Raven interrogated. 

“Shut up,” Clarke answered, mouthing ‘sorry’ to Bellamy across the table as he smirked. She had really hoped he wouldn’t be able to hear Raven’s half of the conversation, but judging by the smirk on his face, he definitely could. 

“You know, you could bring him home with you.” Raven continued, “Madi was asking about him all afternoon.”

“Not today, Rae. I’m leaving now. See you soon.” Clarke ended the call and met Bellamy’s watchful gaze. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize how late it was,” he apologized.

Clarke waved off his words. “It’s my fault. I should have been watching the clock, and now I have a hangry daughter to go home to.” She closed her laptop and hurriedly packed away her things in her bag. 

“I can only imagine,” he grinned, packing up his things as well. “But I’m glad I got to see you today, and that I officially have your number now.” 

She smiled back at him. “Me too. This was fun. And I surprisingly got a lot of work done on my paper too. Indra said you’d be too distracting for me…” she trailed off as she realized what she was saying. 

And Bellamy definitely heard too, if his playful grin was any clue. “Distracting, eh?” 

“Oh, shut up.” Clarke rolled her eyes at him and pulled her coat around her shoulders. 

As she stood, Bellamy stood as well, stepping forward and wrapping her in a hug. “Bye, say hi to Madi for me?”

Clarke nodded, holding on to their hug for a second longer than she normally would have. “Text me?” 

Bellamy smiled, “Of course. Bye.” 

Clarke waved to Indra and exited the coffee shop with a huge grin on her face. She saw Bellamy once more through the window and waved again as she headed home, all the while wondering how she was going to tell Raven about this. And she was already looking forward to talking with Bellamy again when her phone buzzed in her pocket. 

Bellamy: Today was fun. When can we hang out again?  

Clarke’s smile stretched even wider as joy pulsed through her body. If anyone had told her forty-eight hours ago she would be feeling like this, she would never have believed them. But now? Now she was excited.