Just a few quick things,
Bellamy, Miller & Wick are 28, Clarke & Raven are 26, Maya & Lincoln are 17, Octavia, Jasper & Monty are 15, and Aurora is 3.
Also, I have absolutely no idea if I'm going to continue this story or not, so please review and let me know if you honestly enjoy it and would like me to take it further than I have, there are a million and one stories swirling around in my head!
Clarke's POV
I hated him for breaking my heart and then leaving without explanation when I was twenty-two, for leaving me behind to look after ten year old Octavia, for leaving me behind while I was pregnant.
And yeah, even though I hated him, I loved him too. I loved him for giving me the most beautiful little girl ever, and for trusting me with Octavia, the most perfect teenager I had ever met.
"Up and at em' sleepy heads!" I yelled as I peeked into Octavia's room, only to find that she and Aurora were already awake, dressed and sitting in front of the big mirror in her room; Octavia was putting the finishing touches on her makeup and Aurora sat on her lap, wide eyed and amazed by what she was doing.
"Already awake Clarkey!" Octavia chirped as she flashed me a smirk.
"Ya mamma!" Aurora chimed in and I couldn't help but giggle.
"Pancakes will be ready in 10 ladies" I said softly before leaving the room and hearing them both burst into a roar of cheers. If there was one way to win the girls over on an early morning, it was with chocolate chip, banana pancakes.
Breakfast was just about ready when Octavia walked out, holding Aurora's hand, and plopped herself on the couch, catching the small child in her arms before she could run away and pulling her onto her lap. The two erupted into a fit of giggles and I couldn't help but smile proudly, applauding myself for how far the three of us had come.
"Come on ladies, pancakes are served!" I called from the kitchen and I could hear the pitter patter of their footsteps as they came rushing in and sat down at our table.
After breakfast, it took a whole five minutes for me to gather my things and meet the girls at the apartment door.
"Ready for you first day of high school O?" I asked and she offered me a nervous smile.
"Can we pick up Jasper and Maya on our way?" she asked sheepishly.
"Of course, why don't you give them a call?" I replied, offering her a smirk and she sighed.
"Ha ha ha, so funny Clarke" she mumbled before opening the apartment door and I took it as the perfect opportunity to set my plan in action. I whipped out my cell phone and clicked on Octavia, pressing call as I followed her and Aurora out.
I could see the confusion plastered across Octavia's face as her backpack began to ring and I bit my tongue, holding back the laughter.
"NO FREAKING WAY, REALLY CLARKE!" Octavia yelled as she opened the small pocket and pulled out the brand new phone, smiling wide as she looked from it and back to me over and over again.
"You're in high school now, you deserve it, plus I need a way to keep in touch with you kiddo" I said softly as she practically jumped onto me, wrapping her arms around my neck and legs around my waist.
"Thank you so much Clarke, I promise I won't disappoint you" she said, but her promise at the end was more of a whisper and I knew she was obviously fighting back tears as she made her way back to her feet.
"Hey now, you could never disappoint me O, you know that" I replied as I placed my hand on her chin, forcing her to look up at me.
"You have never disappointed me Octavia, in fact you are one of my biggest achievements, and I love you to pieces kid" I said and her eyes met mine, a smile playing on her lips as she whipped away a few stray tears.
"You kept your promise Clarke, I love you more" she replied and I smiled down at her.
"I love you both the mostttttttttttt" Aurora said, exaggerating as usual and I couldn't help but giggle as I swooped her into my arms.
"And we both love you the most, little lady" I replied as I placed a kiss on the tip of her nose, she looked over to Octavia who nodded quickly and then the three of us made our way to the elevator.
When we got down to the car, Octavia was scrolling through her phone, smiling because I had already pre-programmed all of her friends numbers into it, along with mine, Raven's and Wicks. I could hear her tapping away as I buckled Aurora into her car seat.
"Don't make me regret getting you the damn thing O!" I half yelled with a laugh as I climbed into the front seat and started the car.
"You won't, I just had to let Jasper know that we were picking them up" she said with a smile and I couldn't help but shake my head, smiling as well as I pulled out of the parking garage and began our journey.
The ride to Jasper's was quiet; Aurora kept herself busy playing with a popup book and Octavia stared quietly out the window.
"Hey Misses Griffin!" Jasper yelled as he ran up to the Rover and climbed in when we had arrived.
"Hey Jas, god you're getting so big. And it's Clarke, no Misses nonsense!" I said and I saw him blush in the rear view. Maya quickly hopped in after him, smiling as I nodded a hello in her direction.
"Thanks for the ride Clarke" they both said in unison before directing their attention to Aurora as I pulled onto the street and continued the drive to their school.
When we had arrived, Jasper and Maya exited quickly, running to catch up with their other friends, but Octavia stayed put.
"Aren't you going to join them?" I asked as I placed a hand on her shoulder and she sighed.
"I always thought mom or Bellamy would be here for this" she said softly and my heart sank.
"O-" I began but she cut me off.
"I know Clarke, mom was really sick; there was nothing we could do about that. But Bells, god I hate him so much. How could he do this to me, to you" she said as tears began to trickle down her face and my heart ached for her.
"I don't know O, and I wish he was here for you, I really do. But he made up his mind, and I promised you I wouldn't go anywhere, and I haven't… I'm trying really hard" I mumbled and her head shot up.
"I know Clarke and you're doing an amazing job. You have given me the only real family I've ever known. I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you, for adopting me, for giving me a home and a niece, for making me feel loved and safe, for keeping the promise you made when I was ten, I hope you know how much you mean to me and how lucky I am to have you, honestly" she half whispered and the tears began to roll down my face as well.
"I know O, and I love you and Aurora more than anything in this world, I always will, you're one of my girls" I said offering her a sincere smile and she reciprocated before taking off her seatbelt and grabbing her bag.
"I love you tooooooooo" Aurora yelled from the back and I burst into a gut wrenching laugh.
"Sorry little lady, I love you" I said as I locked eyes with her in my rear view mirror, holding back my laughs as best as I could.
"So do I!" Octavia chirped, earning a smile from Aurora before she hopped out of the car.
"Have a good day, Aunty Raven's going to pick you up from school and bring you home!" I yelled as she began to skip away.
"Mkay!" she yelled back and before I knew it she was gone, lost in a sea of people.
Bellamy's POV
If someone told me on the day that I left Redding that I'd be back four years later, I would have told them they were completely insane, but clearly I'm the insane one, because here I am, driving past the concrete Welcome to Redding sign.
I knew the first thing I had to do was see Octavia, I had to apologize to her and pray that she would forgive me, so I made my way to Shasta High, parking my truck quickly before practically running into the school.
I made my way through the front doors and followed all the signs that read main office as quickly as I could without looking suspicious, the nerves building with every step I took. As I took a deep breath, I walked through the office doors to be greeted by a young receptionist who immediately shot a wicked smile. She was smokin', she had long jet black hair and god, her breasts were begging me to look at them.
"Hello sir, what can I do for you?" she asked as she batted her eyelashes; focus on the task at hand Bellamy.
"I'm here to pick up Octavia Blake" I said, I had waited four years to be able to say those words again.
"Okay, just let me pull up her file" the young girl said before clicking away on her computer and I knew this is where I became screwed.
"Name, sir?" the girl asked again as she stared up at me.
"Bellamy Blake" I mumbled and a puzzled looked arose on her face.
"I understand you share the same last name, but I regret to inform you that you are not listed as a guardian, unless your name is Clarke Griffin or Raven Reyes, I cannot let you leave this property with Octavia" she said sternly, and my heart sank, are you fucking kidding me.
"I demand to see her, I am her brother, I possess the right to see my little sister" I replied, a little ruder than I should have and the woman's face dropped.
"I can call her to the office and you can speak in one of our offices, but she will not be leaving the premises with you" she stated matter-of-factly before making a call.
"You can wait for her in the first office to your right" she mumbled when she had hung up and I quickly walked over to it, sitting down in the first chair I saw.
Waiting wasn't my forte, and it pissed me off that it was taking so long for her to get to the office. I wanted to see her, hell I needed to see her, she was my fucking sister and I betrayed her. I could swear I heard the office door open, so I quickly stood up and waited for her to come to the office. Ten seconds seemed like ten hours while I stood there and waited, but before I knew there she was, a lot taller than I thought she'd be, standing in front of me.
"No, no no no" she half yelled and my heart sank.
"My god, look how big you've gotten O!" I said as I reached out for her, but all I remember was a sudden pain in my jaw, and then my cheek, and then below my eye. All I could see was her arms flying at me, tears streaming down her face as she yelled "you're dead to me" over and over again before the hitting stopped and a weird boy with goggles on his head was holding her back and stroking her hair as she sobbed into his chest.
"Octavia, I'm your brother for Christ's sake!" I yelled, but the boy slammed the door shut, leaving me in the office and comforting my sister, doing something I was supposed to be doing.
Clarke's POV
My phone buzzed just as I pulled up to Aurora's daycare, I didn't start work till eleven so I had brought her to the park for a few hours once we had dropped Octavia off.
"Hello" I said, confused as to why Octavia's school was calling.
"Miss Griffin we need you to come in, someone came to visit Octavia and well, she hit him Miss, five or six times before Jasper got her away. We need you at the school now, the man who came to visit is still here as well ma'am, along with the police" the woman said softly and I couldn't wrap my head around a word she had said. Man, hit, police?
"I'm on my way" I said in a hushed tone before hanging up and looking at Aurora in the mirror.
"Change of plans little lady, you're spending the day with me, we're going to get O okay?" I asked and her face lit up as she nodded her head.
The drive to the school was a blur, I don't remember how I even got us there, but we did. I quickly hopped out, nearly forgetting Aurora in the back, and I hate to say it but I may have if she hadn't of screamed 'Mamma!' the minute I shut the car door.
With her out and secured on my hip, I walked as fast as I could straight through the front doors, rounding the corner quickly and barging straight into the office.
"Where's my girl?!" I half yelled, and before I knew it Octavia was in my arms, sobbing as she clung to my side, grabbing onto my shirt as if her life depended on it. Aurora stirred on my hip, sighing before speaking up.
"Tavy crying mamma, why?" Aurora asked as tears formed in her eyes too and I honestly didn't know how to answer her question.
"Hey O" I cooed as I ran a hand through her hair, she held me tighter.
"Can you do me a favor?" I asked and she looked up with bloodshot eyes.
"Can you take Aurora into that office while I figure out what happened, surely Jasper will stay with you guys" I cooed and she nodded her head before Aurora found her way out of my arms and into a crying Octavia's. Once they had made their way into one of the side offices, rage consumed me and I couldn't hold it back any longer.
"What the hell happened here and why in the world is my girl crying? WHY?!" I yelled, unable to control myself as tears formed in my eyes and I shot daggers at the young woman.
"Why is my girl crying" I said, but it came out as a whisper, all I wanted was answers, Octavia was so strong, she wouldn't cry like that unless something serious had happened.
"Miss Griffin, come with me" the receptionist said and I quickly followed her to a room on the opposite side of the office, when I walked in I was nowhere near prepared to see the man who was sitting on the chair.
"HOW DARE YOU" I yelled before I could even think twice and his head snapped up, creamy hazel met my icy blues and it took everything in my power not to lunge for his throat.
"Miss Griffin, Mister Blake came to sign Octavia out of school, when she saw him, she attacked him" one of the officers explained and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Really princess, this is amusing to you?" he asked and I bit my tongue, not wanting to get into trouble.
"The name is Clarke, not princess. And if Octavia hit you it's for good reasoning" I mumbled, trying to keep my cool and the officer gawked at me.
"Miss Griffin, surely you don't condone this behavior, Mister Blake is her brother after all" the officer said, and I scoffed.
"Oh is that what he told you? That he's her loving big brother and he wanted nothing more than to see his baby sister? Want to know why Octavia hit him officer?"
"Clarke don't" Bellamy said sternly and I laughed.
"I'm assuming Mister Blake didn't tell you that when Octavia was eleven and I was pregnant, he left us with no warning? Octavia is my girl, at twenty two I adopted her and gave her the stability she deserved. I have raised Octavia Blake and my daughter for the past four years, Mister Blake has no legal hold over his sister nor does he have any legal hold over MY daughter. So if my little lady didn't want to see him and her first reaction was to punch him, then yes I do condone her behavior" I said and the officer just turned to glare at Bellamy while he shook his head from left to right as if I had just spit up a bunch of lies.
"She shouldn't have hit me" Bellamy mumbled and I just rolled my eyes.
"You shouldn't have abandoned her Bell, god what the fuck were you thinking? How could you do that to us" I said softly, not wanting to know his answer.
"I told you I didn't fucking want kids Clarke, and you went and got pregnant, I panicked!" he half yelled just as the door behind me opened and Aurora popped her head in.
"Mamma, Tavy needs you" she said softly and I reached down to pick her up, shielding her from Bellamy.
"Mamma, why cry?" she asked as she placed the palm of her hand on my cheek, I leaned into it slightly before kissing her cheek.
"Mamma's okay baby" I cooed into her brown curls and the door opened once again. Octavia walked into the office quietly, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tightly as she stood beside me.
"We need to talk" she said through clenched teeth as she stared Bellamy down, and I saw something in his eyes I hadn't seen in over four years, hope.
Bellamy's POV
Clarke was stunning; she still had the same golden blond waves and icy blue eyes. Octavia had gone from bratty eleven year old to completely gorgeous fifteen year old, she was taller than I remembered and had let her hair grow out.
And the little girl in Clarke's arms, I regretted not being there for her more than anything. She looked identical to Octavia at that age, except she had her mother's eyes.
"Are you sure you want to do this love?" Clarke asked looking down at Octavia who had a death grip on her hand and she nodded.
"But can you and Aurora stay, please?" she pleaded and my heart broke when I heard the name of the little girl, Aurora, after my mother.
"Yeah, we can" Clarke half whispered, confusion and worry spread across her face, I knew this had to be tough for her. The three of them sat down at the table across from me, Octavia was still holding one of Clarke's hands and Aurora had placed one of her hands on top of them.
"I'm not going to lie and say I don't hate you" Octavia said as she locked eyes on me, and at that moment I felt my heart break into a million pieces.
"Tavy that's not nice!" Aurora said before bursting into a fit of giggles, lightening the mood.
"Octavia look-" I started but she cut me off.
"No, you're going to listen to me Bell. You broke my heart, you took off with absolutely no warning, we're family, doesn't that mean anything to you?" she asked, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
"You left and they wanted to take me away from Clarke, without you I was considered a damn orphan, so Clarke cleaned up your mess and adopted me, she fucking adopted me Bell!" she half yelled and it felt like someone had plunged a knife into my heart.
"Mamma, Tavy has to pay the swear jar!" Aurora said as she stirred on Clarke's lap.
"Yes baby, I know" Clarke cooed and the toddler just smiled.
"Clarke was my saving grace, she kept the promises she made me, she gave me the greatest niece in the world, she helped me become the woman I am today, and you broke her. You broke her damn heart more than you had broken mine, and I can't forgive you for that, I can't forgive you because for three months we spent every night curled up in your bed crying. I can't forgive you because you made me feel unwanted, unloved even…. I just can't forgive you" she said and she broke out into a fit of sobs. Unsure of what to say, I just sat there, staring at the trio. Aurora frowned when she noticed Octavia crying and made her way out of Clarke's lap and on to Octavia's.
"Tavy, maybe mamma can get us ice ceam, ice ceam helps right?" the little girl said as she grabbed Octavia's face with her tiny hands.
"Yes, yes it does" Octavia replied before forcing herself to smile and picking the girl up, exiting the room without saying another word. I wanted to call out to her, beg for forgiveness, but I knew my efforts would be useless at this point. I looked up at Clarke who was looking at her hands and tried to speak, but nothing wanted to come out.
"I need to go" she murmured.
"Those girls are my world and I need to make sure they continue to stay taken care of" she said, a little louder this time before standing up and looking at me one last time.
"You look good Bell, good for you" she said and before I could say anything she slipped out of the room, and the only family I had was gone, just like that.
