Chapter seven
Clarke wandered around the opening frantically, scanning the remnant of fallen spacecraft and huddled families for Wells. Bellamy followed close behind her, just as vigilant. Clarke's body ached from the search, her limbs burned and muscles aching, the smell of oil clogging her nose. Tear began to form in her eyes as she feared that she wouldn't find them – or worse, find them among the dead.
"Clarke!" Someone yelled in the distance. She immediately grabbed Bellamy's hand suddenly paralyzed, although every fiber in her body instinctually drove her to find her baby, now the thought of seeing her for the first time in three months felt almost too daunting a task to bear.
The voice called her name again and the confusing swell of terror and relief consumed her as she realized the voice did not belong to Wells, but her mother.
"Mom?" Clarke called back.
"Clarke, my god, you're here." Abby embraced her, and she felt her mother's chest heave with shaky breathes.
She didn't want to cut this reunion short, and as happy as Clarke was to see her mother was well, she couldn't allow it to last any longer, there would be time for this later.
"Mom," Clarke grabbed Abby by the shoulders so she would look her right in the eyes, there was no time for miscommunications. "Where is Wells?"
A look of grief passed over Abby's face and Clarke felt the blood leave her body.
"Clarke there is something I have to tell you."
"No," Clarke muttered, feeling herself loose balance, "no, mom no…" tears filled Clarke's eyes as she began to lose control. Bellamy grabbed her around her waist, suddenly supporting her wait in his arms.
Before Clarke could succumb to the hysterics building her body, her mother shook her head,
"Clarke he is okay. So is the baby." As Abby spoke another unfamiliar and confusing cocktail of emotions flooded over Clarke, she had been on an emotional rollercoaster so far tonight and it didn't seem to ease up at all as she began to grasp the fact that her best friend and daughter were alive, but that her mother had met her daughter.
Of course she had, Clarke realized, Wells had her before the dropships left, and there was no way around truth, there. That little girl certainly took after her father the last time Clarke had seen her.
"But, Clarke, before you go, please listen," Abby began before Clarke heard her name again, this time, it was Wells.
Wells approached, and from a distance she saw a look of relief cross his face, but as he neared that look morphed. She saw his eyes dart to Bellamy's arms around her center, still supporting her through it all.
She heard her daughter before she saw her, screaming in Wells arms. She never thought the sound of a baby crying could sound so sweet. Clarke surged forward, out of Bellamy's grasp, toward were Wells stood, just feet from Abby, Bellamy and herself.
She looked into Wells eyes. This was the first time they had all been together in her daughter's life. Clarke gave him a small smile, but in the back of her mind, as much as she wished it wasn't, was the memory of what he had done.
He was the reason her father was dead, but also the reason their daughter was alive. A life for life. She supposed that evened out as she reached for the bundle in his arms.
"Shh, baby girl, mommy's here" she bounced her daughter in her arms letting the tears fall freely from her eyes now. Wells looked softly at her.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to Bellamy who was smiling down at the tiny baby in her arms, slowly being soothed by her mother. She glanced back up to Wells, who had an angry look in his eyes, which, at first, she was sure was no doubt aimed at Bellamy, but she quickly realized was directed at her mother.
After a few hours everyone who had survived the landing was gathered in the small camp the hundred had fashioned for themselves. Clarke stood in the infirmary, having dealt with most of the injuries so far, at least the major ones, as she rocked her daughter, nursing in her arms, humming softly.
Since landing, Clarke never gave up hope that she would see her daughter soon and had painstakingly maintained her milk supply, hand expressing every hour, ensuring that her daughter wouldn't make it all the way to Earth, just to have nothing to eat. The nights of agony now paid off as her daughter's deep brown eyes fluttered shut, appetite sated.
Clarke heard some shuffling; she looked up to find her Bellamy fondly gazing back at her, leaning in the doorway, looking effortlessly handsome.
She shyly smiled back at him.
"That's a good look for you." He mused.
She laughed softly at the absurdity. She hadn't been able to catch her reflection recently but she was certain she was covered in blood, sweat and soot. Her hair had certainly taken a beating and she was sure she looked like a – well, like someone who just sifted through burning wreckage for hours. Not that she had put any thought into her appearance on this particular day.
"No really," he continued as he sauntered over to her, sitting beside her on the exam table, peering down at her daughter, "your glowing." He smirked.
Bellamy reached out to caress Nova's curls softly, "She's even more beautiful than you described."
"Well, she was a little swollen last time I saw her." Clarke smirked back at him, not nearly as toe-curling as him, she could only assume.
"I hear it's your birthday." He continued, not looking up from the sleeping baby. She was suddenly aware of his proximity, and leaned into his shoulder. Utterly exhausted from the day.
"Yeah, I guess it is."
"I would say I wished I had gotten you something, but I'm not sure I could have thought of something to top this," he motioned with his head to Nova.
Clarke laughed. No, he couldn't have. Her daughter safe in her arms is all she could have ever hoped for. It occurred to her again, she has Wells to thank for it.
As if on cue, Bellamy spoke, "Jaha didn't seem too thrilled to see… well you know, us…" his voice shook slightly.
"Bellamy Blake, if I didn't know you better I'd say you sound nervous."
"Well, no" he denied laughing, "Not about him, but maybe about…" he drawled off, Clarke repositioned so she could make eye contact, "About what?"
"About, well, what we are. I mean, I don't want to put this on you now, I know you have so much on your plate, but" Clarke's face split into a big grin, "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"
"Well, I did just see your entire rack just now, and I feel it would be stupid if I didn't."
Clarke scoffed and bumped his shoulder with hers, "But yeah, in all this craziness, if you wouldn't mind… just, going through it by my side?"
"It would be my pleasure."
Bellamy leaned over and gently held her face as he pressed his lips to hers. As right as it felt, she was reminded of the weight in her arms. Her ties to another life.
"Bellamy, I am not saying I don't want this" Clarke pulled away as she spoke, "I'm just saying it's not going to be easy, I have a daughter."
"I know that, and I wouldn't want to step in where I'm not wanted, but if you want this, I promise you I will protect her like she was my own." Clarke felt warmth spread all over her.
In the midst of the tragedy that surrounded them, she found momentary comfort in this little cabin, with the one person she loved most in the world and the man she was growing the find quite likable.
