DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. All rights to The 100 creators.

Chapter 26
Never Letting Go Again

"Clarke." Octavia ran towards the woman who was sobbing on the hallway floor, just outside the room where Lexa laid.

The sound of her name brought her head up as she rapidly got to her feet and reached for the other woman. "O." She managed to say as she was wrapped in an embrace by the other crying woman.

"What happened?" Octavia managed to ask, still clinging to her sister's wife.

"We didn't hear it happen. The doctor swung by in the morning and ran off to get a few others before they all evaluated the monitors. She was so much better, O. Her body accepted the liver and her stats shot up to near perfection."

"Oh my god." Octavia said with a smile on her face as she continued to cry from her joy.

"The doctors are running some more tests right now but they want to get her moving around as soon as possible."

"The kids begged me to bring them but when you called I wasn't sure what had happened. They're going to be so happy."

"Clarke, you may come back in." Oscar said with joy overflowing him.

"How does everything look?"

"Perfect. She's as healthy as can be and if she keeps improving we can have her out of here before the New Year. Now get in there, she wants to go walk." Clarke went into the room and ran to her wife who was sitting up in bed with her legs hanging over the edge. She brought them into a deep kiss as tears of joy and laughter tried to break them apart.

"O's here." Clarke whispered, pointing behind herself to the awaiting brunette.

"Hey, sis." Lexa offered an open arm and embraced the woman who instantly clung to her like when they were kids.

"I'm so glad you're okay."

"I feel so much better." Lexa admitted, reaching up to stroke some of Clarke's hair behind her ear.

"Do you want to go walk around a bit? The doctor said it'll be good for you and you would benefit from some fresh air."

"I could also benefit from some sun. My poor tan has gone away." The brunette pouted, earning laughs from around her.

"Let's get you into some clothes and we'll head out for a bit." Clarke grabbed a pair of her own sweats and a long shirt that Octavia had packed for her to stay with Lexa, bringing them to her wife who sat with a smile on her face.

Before she made a move to help her change, Clarke stood before the woman and held her face, taking a moment to admire the gorgeous brunette that was her wife and her survivor.

"How could I have almost lost you?" She whispered, stroking her thumbs over the cheekbones of her beloved.

"I told you I wasn't going anywhere."

And that was a promise she planned to uphold forever.

~.~.~

"I'm going for a run." Willow called through the house, knowing someone would have heard her.

"Wait, Will." Linc called back, coming down stairs with two wet kids in each arm as towels were falling off of them slowly. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know."

"Well you can't just leave." The man said, setting Finlay down and then Indie before readjusting their towels to stay on right.

"But I want to run." The girl said with defiance, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Please work with me here, Will. I still have to clean these kids and Rowen needs a new swimsuit before next week-"

"I don't see how that effects me." This caught Lincoln attention as he froze with his work on the little ones and looked up at the girl.

"Okay you need to lose the attitude-"

"Why?" She asked back, still not fazed by her uncle's frustration.

"Because, Willow, I said so. Now stop cutting me off."

"I want to run." Willow repeated.

"No. That's final."

"I want to!"

"No, no way. I'm not dealing with you having a tantrum. Go back upstairs, get changed and find something else to do in the house."

"No!"

"Willow-"

"Shut up, uncle Lincoln! I want to run." As if to put the cherry on the top of her tantrum, Willow stomped her foot on the ground.

"Soph!" Lincoln called up the stairs, holding a stare down with his niece. "Sophie!" He tried again.

"Yeah?" The teenager finally came downstairs, suddenly aware of the bitter tension between the two.

"Help me with the kids, will you? Willow thinks she can get her way by throwing a tantrum."

"I am not throwing a tantrum!"

"Lower your voice." Lincoln warned, his own tone leveled yet surprisingly strong.

"Wait is that why she was screaming so much? You want to go running, Will?"

"Yeah but suddenly I'm not allowed to." Willow replied bitterly, however she looked close to giving in and going to her room to mope.

"How about I take her, uncle Linc?" Lincoln thought about the suggestion for a moment, glancing between Sophie and Willow before noticing the way Willow feared more than she was admitting.

"Okay. Sure. Take your phone and answer if I call." He said, once again lifting the little ones into his arms before returning upstairs.

"Just let me get changed and we can go wherever you want." Sophie said, patting Willow on the back before racing upstairs to quickly dress in her workout gear.

Soon the two sisters were jogging down the block, Willow leading them through various streets until they got to the racetrack she has grown to find peace in within three months of running.

However, past the track Willow continued to run down a hill trail which landed the sisters at a beach area, secluded from the higher ground by walls of rocks.

"How'd you find this one?" Sophie asked as the two plopped themselves on the sand and sighed out from the vigorous run they'd just endure.

"Raven showed me. I was having a bad day a while ago and couldn't run without panicking, so she took us down here and she talked to me instead."

"Was it when mama left?"

"The day after." Willow replied, looking to her sand covered legs. "I didn't mean to yell at uncle Linc."

"I'm sure he knows that."

"I just- it's so- I can't-" and then she was sobbing. Despite the world shaking news that her mama was going to be okay a mere ten hours after she was told she would never see her again, Willow couldn't contain herself.

"Hey, shh." Sophie wrapped an arm over her sister's shoulder and pulled her close.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" Willow asked in despair, holding her head between her hands.

"Because you're scared."

"No, this is always happening! I can't control these feelings and I'm so done with it."

"Okay, just relax for a minute." Sophie coaxed, stroking back her sister's loose hair that had fallen from her ponytail.

"I miss mom and mama, why can't they just come home?"

"I don't know, Will. I miss them too."

~.~.~

Five days later Lexa was discharged from the hospital on New Year's Eve, Clarke carrying their bags of clothing and the paper bag of countless prescriptions that she'd need to take for the next three months.

"Are you excited?" The blonde asked as she shut the trunk and walked her wife to the front seat.

"Of course. My home, and kids, and good food. How could anyone be discouraged?"

"You're forgetting something." Clarke replied, offering a wink as she waited for Lexa to snap her seatbelt in place.

"I could never forget being able to sleep with you in our warm, comfy bed." Lexa pressed a kiss to Clarke's cheek before allowing her to shut the door and head for the driver's side.

They drove home with music playing lightly through the speakers for the twenty-minute drive. However they were delayed slightly due to the heavy LA traffic during rush hour.

"Hey, Clarke?"

"Hmm?" The blonde took a glance at her wife before looking back at the road.

"Should I be worried about the kids? Like Indie and her seizures?"

"Not really. She's being medicated for the epilepsy and shouldn't have another seizure for a long while so long as we keep on top of her doctor appointments and medicating."

"And Soph?"

"What about her?"

"That boy didn't break her heart, did he?" The car got silent a moment before Clarke responded.

"She suggested they split up after you got shot. She was stressed out with everything going on and didn't want him to make the first move. In other words, she broke his heart before he could break her's."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"She didn't want you to worry about anything. Besides, O did a great job at helping her through it."

"We've been terrible at parenting these past few weeks, huh?"

"Absent parenting. We're the best." Clarke replied sarcastically, taking Lexa's hand as they hit a read light. "Hi." She said with a whisper of a smile on her face.

"Hi, gorgeous."

"Well get back to normal. I promise."

"I don't doubt that one bit. Our family is the best at bouncing back." Lexa replied, feeling less distraught about the news she previously heard.

They drove the last five minutes silently, hands still in one another's before they finally pulled into the driveway where the family awaited.

Once parked Lexa exited the car and went to hug everyone while Clarke took the bags and followed them inside.

"Where's Willow?" Lexa had asked just as she closed the door behind Clarke. Indie nuzzled close to her neck as she spoke, but she didn't mind one bit.

"She's reading in her room." Octavia said, placing Finlay on the ground who previously requested to be held to he could hug Lexa better.

"Why on earth-"

"Hey, Clarke it's fine. Let her have her time." Lexa said, reaching for her wife's now empty hand.

"You just came home after months away, and weeks in the hospital. That's not appropriate."

"And she's working that out in herself. If we get mad and drag her down here it'll only lead to a larger argument."

"I'm sorry, we tried to get her down here." Lincoln offered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No way, don't apologize. Neither of you did anything wrong. No come on, I'm hungry and want to hear all your stories." Lexa took her kids with her to the kitchen and allowed Indie onto the floor before pulling Sophie aside.

"Hey, your mom told me about Thomas. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"I wasn't that bad. He was understanding about everything and said that he wishes you the best at getting better. It was a good choice."

"As long as you feel that way I'm glad." Lexa tugged the girl into an embrace, kissing her temple as she squeezed the girl a little tighter.

"I love you, mama."

"I love you too, my princess."

~.~.~

"So, umm, Linc and I've got some news." Octavia said as the family sat around for dinner, which was simple food consisting of chicken and potatoes, both of which Lexa could stomach with her medication.

"Oh, right." Lincoln hopped up and ran out the back door, allowing Zorro in in the process.

"What is it aunt Tavia?" Jude asked as he shoveled more chicken onto his plate. The boy could eat, and with his lack of doing so while his mama was in the hospital he had to catch up.

"Well, Linc and I first have a gift. Come in!" With those words Lincoln entered through the door with a large, fluffy, black and white puppy at hand, a huge smile on his face as both mothers looked on in absolute fear when their children instantly reacted with huge smiles. They knew not to scream because that would scare the small creature.

"It's a late Christmas gift. This little dudet was born about a month after we returned from our rescue and her litter mates were all adopted but we wanted to keep one for you guys." He scratched the ear of the large puppy and continued. "She is a newfoundland and bernese mountain dog mix. She'll be pretty big one day. Sorry Lex and Clarke."

"We trusted you guys not to pull that one again." Lexa began to chaste, thinking about the next few years of messes thanks to the puppy.

"Come on, Lex. Look at this face." Lincoln wiggled the happy puppy towards his sister in law before the woman finally gave in and took the pup into her arms.

"I hate how you do this to me." Lexa cooed the creature she held, allowing it to lick her face as Clarke scratched its ears.

"May we keep it, moms?" Rowen asked as she fidgeted in her chair, clearly wanting to play with the puppy.

"She needs a good name. Nothing fluffy." Lexa said, pointing a look at the small blonde who laughed.

"I won't name it cupcake. I'm not six." The eight year old argued, earning a few laughs.

"We should all think of something and then take a vote." Clarke said, knowing her kids would agree to the idea.

There were a multidtude of 'okays' until someone finally begged to see the puppy.

"Go play with her in the living room." Lexa said, smiling brightly at the joy on her kids faces.

"Thank you moms! Thanks uncle Linc and aunt Tavia!" There was a frenzy of hugs and attempts to cuddle the small pup until a comment broke through the sound.

"I'm pregnant!" Octavia blurted out, the whole room freezing together.

SURPRISE!

-Valentina