**Day 917**
Clarke sat back and watched Maddi and Roan train. She personally thought the poor kid deserved the chance to be a kid again after surviving praimfaya by herself for two years, but Roan insisted she needed to learn "besides, what else are we doing?" he grinned at her. She supposed he had a point "it wasn't like there were other things they could be doing. Since praimfaya wiped out anyone not stuck in a bunker or in space for the next two and a half years, Clarke didn't have to fight. It was weird in a way, being friends with the guy who once kidnapped her and tried to use her life as a bargaining chip for his own freedom, but it was nice at the same time. It was definitely nicer than being alone as he had been the first year. Having Maddi had made it even more interesting. At times, she acted like a little adult as life had forced her too; but other times Clarke and Roan got clear reminders that she was in fact a five year old child, who still needed someone to parent her. It was odd how two people who had begun as sworn enemies had become defacto parents to a child neither of them had a hand in creating. Also having Maddi made Clarke really miss her mom.
"Your turn" Roan sat down beside her breathlessly. She laughed at him "not a chance" she declared. He grinned at her "chicken?" he arched his eyebrows. She nodded "I see now how she survived" Clarke murmured. "No kidding" he agreed. Maddi came over and inserted herself between them "I'm tired" she sighed. "Well then maybe its nap time" Clarke replied. The little girl could barely keep her eyes open, but she vehemently denied the need for a nap. "Well personally I'm beat" Roan yawned "I could use a nap. Why don't you tell me a story" he asked her. Maddi sighed dramatically "I told you one last night" she replied. "And it was really good, do you have another one?" Clarke shook her head, she couldn't believe Maddi was actually falling for his story; but when the little girl took his hand and hers and starting walking away Clarke just laughed. He was going to be a good dad someday. For all intense purposes, he was just as much a dad, as she was a mom. "Are you coming?" Maddi turned back to her. "In a minute, I have something to do" she said "start without me." While they walked into the ark, she walked toward the tower for her daily call to Bellamy. Her conversations weren't always long or detailed, but it helped her feel close to him. She had no idea if he was actually getting her messages, but she hoped he was.
"It's day 917" she spoke into the mic "and it's been six months since Maddi got here. Somedays, she is such a little adult, others she is definitely a five-year-old; but without her life would be so boring. Having her here is hard sometimes though, "It makes me miss my mom. I wish I could talk to her, tell her I'm sorry for being a brat. Tell her that I love her and miss her." Bellamy smiled as he listened to her talk about the child she and Roan had found, it was clear that she loved her very much. "If you are getting these, and you are in contact with her, would you tell her for me?" Bellamy smiled softly "consider it done princess" he murmured. "I don't know what else to say today, I miss you. God, I miss you!" Bellamy sighed "I miss you too princess" he said. "I have to go Bell, its Maddi's nap time and the only way to get her to actually take a nap is for her to tell us a story, so I have to go. I love you." Bellamy dropped his head "I love you too princess" he said sadly. Clarke put the radio back into its holster and took it in with her. Maddi met her at the door "I'm coming" Clarke smiled taking Maddi's extended hand.
Bellamy laid his head down on the table. He hated how sad she sounded today; hated when she talked about her life with Roan and Maddi. A life he so desperately wantedto be a part of. He pounded the panel with his fist. "Okay, time for a walk" Raven walked in the room. Bellamy sighed and stood up, he knew better than to argue with Raven. "What did she say this time?" Raven asked as they walked. He sighed "It's more like what she didn't say" he said. They found themselves once again at the window overlooking the earth below.
"It's clearing up" she said. "Not fast enough" he spoke so quietly she barely heard him. "Tell me about her latest message" Raven said sitting down against the wall and dragging him with her. "She was talking about Maddi and how much it makes her miss her mom" he sighed, "then she talked about how the only way to get her to take a nap is for her to tell them a story, which means the three of them together. In one bed" he spat out. Raven tried not to smile, but failed "with a five-year-old" she declared "they are not going to be going at it right there with her in the middle."
Bellamy glared at her "They are acting like a family" he glowered at her. "They ARE a family Bellamy, just like the seven of us" she pointed out. "There won't be a place for me in her life when we go back down" he sighed "it will be filled with her, with him." She turned his chin to look in his eyes "so are you ready to admit you're in love with her now?" she asked. He shot her a dirty look "Do I really need to answer that?" he drawled.
"Ok, so that is a no-brainer" she agreed "who are you most jealous of him? Or her?" she asked. "That should be our life" he sighed "but I just couldn't make myself say anything, and when I tried at the end, she stopped me. It's as if she already knew what was going to happen" he said. "If you had stayed with her, you'd have been dead" she reminded him. "You can still have that family with her" Raven told him "you just have to wait until it's safe for both of you." Bellamy dropped his head "and in the meantime, he gets that?" he spat out. "It's not nearly the same thing" she said taking his hand into hers "and you know that" she declared. "Tonight, you sleep in your own bed, in your own room" she told him. "I'll monitor the radio."
He shook his head "I can't sleep" he admitted "I close my eyes and I see her. It hurts to see her" a single tear rolled down his cheek "I miss her" he said. "Oh Bell" she whispered and pulled him into a hug "I know you do, and I know you think two and a half years is a long time to wait" she sighed "Isn't it?" he whispered against her neck. "Not compared to the lifetime you will have afterwards" she pointed out. "Okay, new plan" she pulled back to look at him "we go upstairs and we call the bunker. We'll talk to Abby and Octavia, then we'll go to the Griffin's quarters and watch a movie, just the two of us" she said. He sighed "do I actually get a say in this decision?" he asked her. "No" she replied "but you can choose the movie." He snorted "I guess there's that" he said. She pulled him to his feet "Come on Bell, things will look better after you get some sleep."
"Hey Bell" Octavia answered the radio "and me" Raven spoke up. "What's going on?" she asked. It was earlier than when she usually talked to Bellamy and Raven was there, so she didn't know what exactly was going on, but she knew something was going on. "We have a message for Abby from Clarke" Raven said. "You talked to her?" Octavia asked excitedly. "No, but she talks to us every day. Unfortunately, she built the radio, so it only works one way…" Raven drawled.
"Of course it does" Octavia chortled. "How is she?" she asked. "Are you alone?" Raven asked. "It's just Abby and I" Octavia confirmed. "What I'm about to tell you only Bellamy and I know" she said "are you comfortable with keeping that secret? Because if you aren't…" Raven trailed off. "Even from Indra" Bellamy chimed in. There was silence for a moment "okay" she sighed "this stays between us." Raven looked to Bellamy "she is not alone" he said. There was silence followed by a long pause "what do you mean she is not alone?" Abby chimed in "Who else survived?" Bellamy sighed "two others, both of them nightbloods" he said "they're living in the ark."
There was an impatient sigh "Who Bell?" Octavia demanded. "Roan" he answered "and a nightblood child named Maddi." There was another moment of silence "Roan?" Octavia asked clearly confused "as in King Roan, King of Azgeda? He died Bell, I watched him die!' she exclaimed. "She didn't explain" he said "but she clearly said it was, and that it was a long story and she would explain later" Bellamy said.
"And the child?" Abby asked. "A five year-old who managed to live on her own for two years before Roan and Clarke found her. She said if I ever talked to you to tell you that she loves you and that she is sorry for being a brat. They're practically a family" he sighed. "Practically Bell" Octavia heard the distress in her brother's voice "not really a family, but the three of them are out there alone, when everyone else is in a bunker or in space. They need to function like a family, especially if there is a child involved" she finished.
The bunker in Polis was full of orphaned children who had been adopted into families. "It doesn't mean that she doesn't love you any less or that she is going to all of sudden fall into bed with King Roan of Azgeda" Octavia told him "but they are for all intense purposes a family. The dynamic will be different when you see each other again, but do you think she is going to love you any less?" she asked. Raven laughed "shut up Raven" he muttered "what?" Octavia asked. "Ignore him" Raven grinned at him "you basically said what I said earlier, but it meant something coming from you apparently" she laughed. "You should listen to Raven" Octavia scolded him. He rolled his eyes "yes mom" he drawled.
"Hey I'm going to drag him out of the communication lab for a few hours. By the way abby, thanks for leaving the big screen TV in your quarters" Raven said. Abby laughed "enjoying that are you?" she asked. "Very much" Raven said. "Well you should look in the cupboard above the dresser; there are some old home movies there." Bellamy grinned maliciously at her "Oooh that sounds like fun" he said "now I can't wait to get there." Abby laughed "don't tell Clarke I told you where they were, she'll never forgive me" she said. "She would" Bellamy laughed "Maddi is teaching her a few things about being a mom." Abby sighed "I would love to see that" she chortled. "We will in about three years" he said "If we don't die from the waiting…" Abby heard the catch in his breath "she won't forget you Bellamy" Abby assured him. "Go watch old home movies of Clarke; it will make you feel better. Plus it will give you some good, dirty secrets to use against her." Bellamy laughed "I will do that. I love you O" he said. "Love you too big brother" she returned. "Come on Bell, let's go see what Clarke was like as a child" she said taking him by the hand and leading him away.