Chapter Summary:

Pure, unadulterated domestic fluff.
We'll have some Alex being Alex...

Also, Lincoln and Clarke catch up :)

Chapter Notes:

This chapter is a fluffy domestic chapter. I make no apologies. But, after the last two chapters, I think we could all use a little bit of a breather. Enjoy!

"I want a cat."

Bellamy and I both look up from our lunch with looks on our faces that clearly say what the fuck?

I give her a curious glance, "Um, Alex… Why do you want a cat?"

Alex shrugs, "Well, I want a pet because it will instill in me a sense of responsibility. And they're cute."

Bellamy has a scowl, "Does it have to be a cat?"

Alex's mouth twists to the side, "Well, what other kind of pet could I get?"

Oh, I see what she's just done here… I want to warn Bellamy that he's being set up, but I figure I'll let this play out.

Bellamy responds, "A dog would be better."

Alex's smug look of satisfaction has me doubling over with laughter.

Bellamy looks at me questioningly, "What?"

Clutching my sides, I tell him I between breaths, "You just got played, Bell!"

He looks confused, "What, she wanted a cat, I suggested a dog."

I shake my head and compose myself before I point at the folder of papers Alex is clutching, "How about you show us what's in that folder, Alex."

She hands it over, glaring at me with narrowed eyes, clearly not pleased that she's been found out. I know how my daughter thinks. Bellamy opens it up and pulls out packets of papers containing information about dogs.

He frowns, trying to hide his amusement, "Fuck... I got played." He looks over at Alex, "Why didn't you just lead with asking for a dog?"

She pauses for a moment, trying to decide exactly how much of her methods she's willing to reveal. After a deep breath she relents, "It's a negotiation tactic – getting you to think it was your idea…"

He scoffs, shaking his head, "God help us all, I hope you only use your powers for good…"

She smiles, "So are you saying a dog counts as 'good?'"

I speak up, "We're saying it's not a cat." Nothing against cats, but we're all just dog people.

We start flipping through the information packets Alex put together – apparently she made three copies of each so that we could each have something to look at while she discussed all of this with us.

"I want a big dog."

Bellamy smirks, "So, not cat-sized?"

Alex rolls her eyes, "No. The opposite. I want a Great Dane."

Bellamy snorts, "So a dog that takes shits the size of cats."

After a moment of laughter, Alex continues in a more serious tone. "The hardest thing about them is that they have shorter life spans than other breeds. But I found a breeder whose dogs have a long life span for the breed. His oldest one is 14 years old now."

I have an alarmed look, "You spoke to this person, Alex? You can't just talk to strangers."

She shakes her head, "No, I contacted him through email on his website. And I didn't use my email address, I set up a separate one specifically for this, in case it was a creep."

"Okay, I'm curious, what email address did you make up?"

"Alex_Wants_A_Great_Dane "

I nod with a laugh, "Okay. So what did they say?"

"Flip to page seven – that's where the emails start."

Sure enough, they've exchanged some rather informative emails, and thankfully, Alex did a good job not giving personal information. Still, we're going to have to have another talk to reinforce internet safety habits.

Bellamy looks amazed, "He probably thinks he was talking to an adult, not a second-grader."

Alex shrugs, "I can't help that I come across older on paper. Anyway, there is a puppy named Zoe. Well, she's five months old, so she's already very big."

I look at the pictures she printed out, which are very clearly showing a very young puppy.

"This puppy doesn't look five months old."

"No, not that one. The one in the background – she's the one I want." She flips to a photo that is recent (based on the timestamp) where Zoe can actually be seen. She's a sweet-looking black Dane with dark eyes and big floppy ears. Alex points out that natural ears are the European standard, and she has no desire to crop her puppy's ears.

I shrug my shoulders, "Well, she is very pretty. But is she available?"

"Well, that's the thing. They're planning on keeping her."

Bellamy nods, "Then, it doesn't sound like she's available."

Alex frowns, "I think I can convince them that we would be a good home."

I ask, skeptical of the breeder's motivations, "Why were they going to keep her in the first place?"

Alex smiles fondly, "They fell in love with her, and she's very sensitive, so they didn't want to sell her to someone across the country. Apparently, vetting every prospective home was becoming too difficult. So they decided to keep her instead."

I sigh, "So what makes you think they would change their minds for us?"

"Well, because for one thing, they are located in Colorado. They're only like 2 hours away, so we could meet them and help them make their decision."

Bellamy laughs, "You know that as soon as they meet Alex, it's a done deal. They'll give her the dog."

Alex looks a little too proud of that. He's right, though.

"How much does she cost?"

Alex writes a number on a piece of paper and slides it across the table to me with an obnoxious degree of drama. I open it up and my jaw practically unhinges, "Holy fucking shit, Alex! Eleven hundred dollars?!"

She looks very composed when she tells me, "His dogs are well-known to have fantastic temperaments and long life spans with none of the typical health problems that plague the breed." She nods to herself, seemingly proud of the clearly well-practiced statement. "I would consider it making an informed investment."

Bellamy looks at the paperwork. "What's this puppy contract? What does that mean?"

Alex explains, "It means that if the puppy has issues, like health issues, within the first two years, they'll replace her. It's like a warranty, I guess." She looks upset by this, "But I don't know who could just 'replace' a dog. That's cold."

I nod in agreement. "I guess it's a good-faith effort to show their confidence in their puppies. But yeah, I don't understand how you could just 'replace' a dog."

"So you'll think about it?"

I nod, "Bellamy and I have to talk about it. And we'll need to talk to your dad, too."

She nods excitedly, "I'll leave you two to talk." Shooting us both a hopeful smile, she absconds to her bedroom.

After she's out of hearing range, Bellamy blows out a huge breath. "So a dog…"

I smile, "I honestly don't think it's a bad idea."

He grins, "Now I really want a dog." He flips through the papers, reading about Zoe. "I want this dog."

I nod my head, "Hell, so do I."

He stills himself and looks me in the eye, "It is frightening to know that Alex planned every bit of this."

I nod with furrowed brows, "Yeah, I feel like my reaction is totally crafted right now. Like, I definitely just walked straight into whatever she wanted."

Bellamy laughs, "I wasn't kidding – I hope she only uses her powers for good. Because she's seven years old and is already fully aware of her capabilities."

I feel a sense of anxiety when I think more about this. "Shit, Bell. What if she becomes a psychopath? Or ends up with a personality disorder?"

He shakes his head and puts his hand on my forearms, "I don't think she'll be any of those things. She's your child." After a few moments of silence, he adds with a small laugh, "But, in case we're still worried, having a dog to care for can help instill a sense of empathy as well as responsibility."

I nod, "So, it's a yes, then?"

Bellamy smiles, "I'm game if you are."

I smile back, "Let's do it. I'm just going to run it by Nate so he knows what's going on. Then we'll see about how we can get Zoe."

Bellamy adds, "You know who would be good to talk to about this?"

"Who?"

"Lincoln. He had Great Danes growing up."

"That's a great idea. I'll talk to him. Maybe we can get him to meet the dog with us."

Bellamy nods, "Yeah. He and O are coming over for dinner tomorrow night. Perfect timing."

O and Lincoln come over for dinner as planned. It doesn't take long for me to bring up the dog.

"Linc, correct me if I'm wrong, but you grew up with large dogs, right?"

He smiles fondly, "I did. We had three Great Danes."

"What was your experience with them? Like, would you recommend them for a family with a kid?"

He nods, "Is this about the dog Alex wants?"

My mouth drops open, "YOU know about this? How did you know about it before us?!"

He shrugs, "She called me a few weeks ago to ask about Great Danes. Said you guys were considering getting one."

Bellamy and I both shake our heads, "Jesus Christ, this kid…."

I continue, "Well, she only mentioned it to us yesterday. But clearly she's had this in the works for a while."

Lincoln looks concerned, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize-"

I shake my head, holding my hands up in a placating manner, "No, no, you don't need to be sorry. Thank you for answering her questions."

Bellamy adds, "She'd actually printed out an entire packet of information she had collected on the breed, including a dossier of a specific dog she wants."

Octavia gapes, "Seriously? She did all of that?"

I shrug, "Yeah, she seems pretty serious about it."

Lincoln asks, "So are you guys considering it?"

Bellamy and I both nod, "Yeah, we think so. It would be nice to get a dog for the house, now that we're settling down, you know?"

Lincoln nods, "I loved growing up with mine. Danes are gentle giants."

"So they'd be good with the kids?"

Octavia raises an eyebrow, "Kids? Is there something you're not telling us?"

I snort a laugh, "No, no, no… Not yet. I just don't want to get attached to a dog only to have to get rid of it because it won't handle babies well, you know?" Octavia is still studying me, so I reaffirm with a light laugh, "My womb is empty, O. There are no babies inside of me. Future. We're talking about the future."

Octavia relents after a few moments, "Okay. I believe you."

I catch Bellamy shooting her a brotherly warning glare, so I rest my hand on his forearm to calm him down.

Lincoln interrupts, "Well, my experience with Danes was that they were wonderful with my younger brothers and I. They can be very protective of the family, so they might not be overly friendly with adult newcomers. Their reactions will feed off of your reactions. So, if you're warm and friendly with someone, they're usually the same. But if you're uncomfortable with someone, the dog might subtly keep themselves between you and the other person."

"Do you think it would get along with other dogs okay? Like, down the road?"

Lincoln nods, "Yeah, I mean, ours got along with every dog they met. So long as they're socialized well in their youth, they should be good."

I nod, "What was your favorite thing about them?"

He has a deep smile on his face, usually reserved for Octavia, "That's a hard one – there are many great things about them."

"Okay, no need to choose just one – what were your favorite things?"

Lincoln is still smiling, "Well, their size is intimidating, but they are so gentle and loving. And they can be really unexpectedly silly. Actually, once you get to know the breed, the silly thing is expected. But they do some really hilarious things simply because they don't often know how huge they are…" He pauses a few moments, "I liked napping with them when I was a kid. My parents had photos of me curled up with our dogs, sleeping with my head on the chest of one of them, our limbs all tangled together."

I smile, "Awwwww." I'm picturing Lincoln as a little kid curled up with a dog. Somehow, in my mind, even kid-Lincoln is muscled-out and tattooed.

Lincoln nods thoughtfully, "I think you would really like having a Great Dane, Clarke."

Bellamy scoffs playfully, "Just Clarke?"

Lincoln rolls his eyes, "You too, of course. But I think you'd get along with just about any dog. Clarke is more particular."

I nod, "That is true, Bell. I don't think I've seen you come across a dog who didn't like you, or vice versa. I, on the other hand, have plenty of dogs I don't like."

Bellamy throws his hands up in amusement, "Is it really my fault that every, and I quote, 'yappy little dog' tends to take its frustrations out by barking at you every time it sees you?"

I shake my head with an eye roll, "No, it just speaks to the fact that small dogs hate me." I turn to Octavia, "There was a dog in my old apartment complex, this shrill little Chihuahua, and it would just shriek at me every time I saw it – getting the mail, out on a walk, whatever. It saw me and it would be yip-yip-yipping at me constantly. But Bellamy? That dog loved Bellamy. It was ridiculous."

Bellamy shrugs his shoulders, "What can I say, I'm a likeable guy."

I redirect the conversation back to the topic at hand, "Lincoln is right – I think I have more particular personality traits in terms of dogs I would get along with. He knows me pretty well." I look back at Lincoln, "Do you think you could go with us to meet this breeder down in Colorado Springs?"

He nods, "I'd be happy to."

Octavia grins at me, "Road trip!"

Bellamy rolls his eyes, "We're talking about a two-hour drive, O."

She shoots him a glare, "I'm still calling it a road trip."

I clap my hands together, "Road trip, it is!"

Two weeks after that dinner, Lincoln and I are driving down to Colorado Springs in my SUV, followed by Bellamy, Alex, and Octavia in O's sensible Honda. We have been in contact with the breeder Alex contacted, and if all goes well, we will bring Zoe home today. Lincoln and Octavia got in touch with the breeder as well, and they are planning on bringing home two puppies themselves. I was surprised that they were getting puppies, given that Octavia's pregnant, but they said that they want the babies and the puppies to grow up together, and Lincoln feels confident about handling them all. Octavia isn't due for several more months, so they have time to get the dogs settled in before the babies arrive.

When we left, Alex rode in the SUV with Lincoln and me so that Bellamy and Octavia could have some sibling bonding time. But, at a restroom break requested by Octavia a mere hour into the drive ("I have children sitting on my bladder! Sue me!"), Alex informed me that "You guys are so boring. I'm riding with Auntie O and Bellamy."

It gave Lincoln and I a chance to catch up, which was nice (and way overdue).

"How have you been holding up?"

He shrugs, "Overall, things are good."

I smile, "I'm glad. You excited about the babies?"

A warm smile stretches across his face, "Absolutely. Nervous, too. I mean, it's scary – the pregnancy complications."

I nod, "Yeah I can only imagine. But she's in great hands."

He nods, "I know that. I can't thank you enough, Clarke, for being there when O had to get that news. She told me how you kept her together until I got back."

I give him a smile, "I'm really glad I was able to be there, too. Obviously you would have been the better choice – you're her husband and partner through all of this – but I was glad to fill in for you. I think I'm an okay consolation prize."

He laughs, "Clarke, you're good people."

"So are you, Lincoln. You're my people."

He has a thoughtful smile, "That's good. I just want to make sure you know, my loyalties are not with Lexa."

I frown, "I know that now. I was scared those years ago when I left. I feel like I may have become extra cold toward you because you grew up with Lexa, so I figured that must have meant she had some sort hold over you. It wasn't fair to assume that, though." I feel a stab of guilt when I think about how I went from considering Lincoln a close friend to giving him an icy shoulder as soon as things with Lexa took a turn. "I'm so sorry, Linc. Really."

He nods, "Bygones…"

After a few moments of companionable silence I continue, "I'm glad we're back in each other's lives now. Especially now, with O."

He blows out a deep breath, "I'll be honest. I'd be terrified if we didn't have you. Truthfully, I'm still terrified."

I put a hand on his shoulder and give it a reassuring squeeze, "As a doctor, I can't sit here and promise you everything will be fine. But I can tell you that her best chance is with me and my colleagues. And I'll do everything in my power to make sure she and the babies are okay."

He nods "I know that. Thank you, Clarke."

"Of course…" Changing the subject just slightly, "So, I heard Octavia's version of the big reveal, tell me your side."

He laughs, "Well, she said it was your idea, actually."

I nod, "Yup. So did you like the dress?"

He smiles fondly at the memory, "She was breathtaking." Then he laughs, "It was funny, though. I saw the bump almost as soon as she came downstairs, but I kept my mouth shut because I value my limbs and if she wasn't pregnant she would've ripped them off and beat me to death with them for pointing out her weight gain."

I crack up, "Yeah, she's a force to be reckoned with. I would hate to be on the receiving end of her wrath."

He continues his story, "When she was physically bumping me with her stomach, clearly annoyed I hadn't said anything about it, I finally got the hint. Or really, confirmation that she was pregnant."

I smile, "Is that when you got all sweet about it?"

He smirks, "If by "sweet" you mean broke down crying, then yes."

"When she told me you spun her around and rested your forehead on her belly before saying a single word, I had like, tears in my eyes. It was so fucking sweet, Linc."

He grins, "We're happy."

"I'm so happy for you guys."

He nods, "Thanks, Clarke."

"Besides the pregnancy part, how are you feeling about fatherhood?"

He shakes his head with a dry laugh, "Completely unprepared. And the fact that there are two of them is not reassuring. We can't even screw up the first kid and hope for a better second kid, because numbers one and two are coming side by side."

I bark out a laugh, "You know you have nothing to worry about on that front, right? I mean, I've always told Bellamy that I thought you and Octavia will make awesome parents – your kids are gonna rock, Lincoln."

He nods, "Octavia has this covered, for sure. She's going to be awesome."

"No shit. She's a damn warrior. Are you going to find out if it's boys or girls?"

He shrugs, "I think that's still up in the air. We're still deciding if we want the genders to be a surprise."

I nod, "Well, what do you want?"

He laughs, "I think I'd like to find out. Find out how totally screwed I am. Because if it's two girls, I'm totally fucked."

I bark out my own laugh, "Can you imagine? Three Octavias?"

He nods, "I can. And I'd be so screwed."

"Yeah, you would. Do you have a preference?"

"Well, I feel more confident with boys, having grown up with younger brothers. But, I think O wants girls. Really, I don't think I have an actual preference."

I smile, "Yeah. I thought I wanted Alex to be a boy, because girls are the worst. I remember being at the sonogram appointment and I'm like 'I hope it's a boy.' Then they said 'it's a girl!' and I was like 'Yay! It's a girl!' I realized it didn't matter at all whether it was a boy or a girl."

He smiles, but somehow still manages to look serious. "That's good. So, about the dog – how are you feeling about it?"

I laugh, "Well, I'm actually looking forward to it. I can't believe I didn't think about it before."

"Maybe think about it as a practice run for parenthood with Bellamy."

"I think we're a little beyond a practice-run. We've already had a lot of conversations about parenting."

"You guys will be good parents, too."

I nod, "I think so. Before Alex, I would have doubted my own parenting skills. But I know I'm a kick-ass mom. And I have no doubt about Bellamy being a good father."

He shakes his head, "I wouldn't have doubts about either of you. Do you guys think you'll be trying for it any time soon?"

I shrug, "I don't know. This is probably TMI, but my IUD doesn't expire for a little over two years. But I'd be 35 by then. I don't know that I want to wait that long. That's when my eggs officially start to get old."

"Can you get pregnant before then? Like, that can be removed, right?"

I nod, "Of course. It's totally reversible birth control. It's just a lot to think about."

He nods, "It's probably something to talk to Bellamy about."

"Yeah, we've talked about it. Still, you're a nice sounding board."

"Well, then I'm glad to help."

We sit in companionable silence for a while as we get closer to our destination. I start getting regular updates from Octavia.

Octavia:
You aren't going to believe what Alex is saying right now

Clarke:
Somehow, I don't think much can surprise me

Octavia:
Good point. But this shit is priceless.
I haven't seen Bell squirm this much in his seat, like ever

Clarke:
What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall right now

I take a moment to send a preemptive apology text to Bellamy.

I'm sorry in advance for whatever Alex is putting you through
Octavia said she's making you squirm
I'm feeling a mixture of concern, amusement, and curiosity.

I don't hear back from him, but I assume that's because he's driving.

We pull up to the address and I can see Alex in the other car, barely containing herself. On the outside, the child is composed and calm, but I can see the anticipation in her eyes. A friendly-looking middle-aged couple comes out to greet us as we get out of the vehicles, and Alex immediately approaches them to introduce herself.

"I'm Alex Griffin-Findlay, and you must be Louis and Penny."

They look impressed with her, introducing themselves in return. "And you're the one who first emailed us?"

Alex nods with a big smile and introduces the rest of us, starting with me. "This is my mom, Clarke." As I shake their hands, Alex continues, "This is Bellamy, my mom's partner, who lives with us and will be my step-dad at some point if he and mom get their act together." While my jaw drops through the floor at her bluntness, Alex continues with the introductions without missing a beat, as if she didn't just call Bellamy and I out on marriage plans (or lack thereof). "This pregnant lady is my Auntie Octavia, and the big guy there is her husband, Lincoln. I call him Uncle Linc, and he grew up with Great Danes. But I understand you guys have spoken already." I notice Octavia is beaming at Alex after her little quip about Bellamy and I getting our act together.

We make some small talk with Penny and Louis, and they direct us inside to meet Zoe. As Alex and Lincoln converse with Penny and Louis, I whisper to Bellamy with a laugh, "What the hell did you guys talk about in the car?"

He shakes his head, "Oh god… too much. Do you realize that she's expecting siblings, like plural? And soon?"

I laugh, dropping my head to his shoulder, "Christ… I thought a dog would quell those kinds of needs for her for a while. That's what people do before they have kids, right? Get a dog? Fuck…"

He nods his head, "Yeah, she spent the last hour of the trip trying to sell me on the idea of impregnating you immediately."

My eyes are probably as wide as saucers at this point, "Did she actually use the word impregnate?"

He nods with a laugh, "Yeah, in various forms. She was curious as to why you're not already pregnant, given that, and I quote, 'you guys have sex a lot, I assume.' She proceeded to suggest that, since you aren't pregnant yet, my sperm count might be low, and perhaps I should see a doctor about it."

I close my eyes and feel the heat on my face as it takes on a furious shade of red, "Oh. My. God. Bellamy, I'm so sorry."

He cracks up, "Amazingly, it's not even the most uncomfortable conversation I've had with her."

I raise my eyebrows, "Please, elaborate."

He shakes his head, "Mid-summer, she asked when we were getting married. It was before you and I even talked about it."

I nod and twist my mouth to the side, "Technically, we still haven't talked about marriage. We talk about kids and the future and growing old. But we haven't actually discussed marriage."

He brings his hand to scratch the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish. "Yeah… We probably should talk about that."

I shrug, "We do tend to do things in kind of an ass-backward manner…" I squeeze his hand, which has found its way to mine, "Let's put a pin in it and return to the topic at hand, which is the dog."

Speaking of the dog… We make our way into the living room and Zoe is sitting in the middle of the floor, chewing on an empty water bottle. Apparently empty water bottles are her favorite toys (yay for inexpensive simplicity). As soon as Alex lays eyes on Zoe, it's love at first sight and I know that there's no way we're leaving here without this dog. After getting the "okay" to approach Zoe, Alex gets to her knees in front of her. Zoe looks a little confused as to why there are new people in the living room. She isn't defensive, nor does she seem to be upset. She's just curious, and particularly interested in the small human kneeling in front of her. Alex puts her hands out and Zoe tentatively sniffs them, then licks Alex's fingers. Alex giggles and Zoe does something that looks like a "head nod" for dogs, then uses her nose to flick her water bottle toy to Alex. Zoe rises up on all fours, and I gasp at how incredibly tall this puppy already is. She nudges Alex playfully, and Alex picks up the water bottle for Zoe, beginning a compact game of 'fetch' in the living room.

Bellamy's arms are around me and he squeezes them, "You doing alright?"

I frown, "Of course, why?" He brings his thumb up to wipe away a tear that I didn't realize had fallen. "Oh. It's just so sweet."

He nods with a smile, "I think we are witnessing the beginning of a beautiful bond."

I nod, leaning into him while we let Alex and Zoe continue to play. Alex leads Zoe over to me and I crouch down to meet her. I'm greeted immediately with slobbery kisses to the face, which earns laughs from around the room. Unsurprisingly, she loves Bellamy instantaneously, and a series of "awwww's" breaks out when she tries to sit in his lap. This dog already has an awesome personality, and I'm pretty sure we're all already in love.

Louis remarks with a smile, "I've never seen Miss Zoe take to new folks like this before."

Penny looks like her heart is squeezing just a bit and she wipes a tear from her eye, "I didn't think we'd actually be okay to let Zoe go… But look how much she already loves you guys!"

This of course gets me crying a little bit, and Octavia starts to shed tears. She laughs while wiping her own tears, "Don't mind me. Blame the babies, hormones, all that shit."

Louis pipes up, "Lincoln and Octavia, would you like to meet your girls?"

Octavia's face is glowing, "Yes! Please!"

Louis and Penny's two kids come in, each carrying a squirmy puppy – one is a harlequin (white and black) and the other is a brindle, and they are both fucking adorable. I thought Alex would be more interested in the puppies, but she has eyes only for Zoe. She gave the puppies a quick hug each, but quickly went back to "her baby."

We end up staying there for several hours while contracts were drawn up and the families all got to know each other better, and I'm really glad Alex found these guys. I am genuinely excited about bringing home the newest member of our family.

When we brought Zoe into her new house, she was understandably nervous. On the trip home, she was cuddled up with the puppies in the back of the SUV while Alex kept a watchful eye over all of them. When we got home, Lincoln and Octavia took their puppies with them when they departed, letting Zoe say goodbye to them (reassuring her, as best as we could, that she'd see them again soon). Alex led her into the house, and hilarity ensued.

The first and most startling difference for Zoe was that our downstairs was made up entirely of hardwood flooring. Her too-long limbs did not mix gracefully with a floor that was much more smooth and slippery than she was used to. I unsuccessfully attempted to stifle my laughter when the poor dog's feet gave way and she ended up in a flattened pile of limbs as she attempted to walk nervously across the kitchen. Zoe looked so embarrassed, and Alex shot me the nastiest glare for laughing at her. I got down on the floor and apologized to Zoe, giving her kisses and hugs. It took a little while for her to get used to it, but by the end of the evening, she was more sure-footed when walking on our floors.

The next obstacle was encountered when we introduced Zoe to the stairs. She was terrified of them. Originally, the plan was for Zoe's crate to be in Alex's room so she could sleep there at night. Unfortunately, there was no way we were going to get Zoe to willingly traverse the stairs tonight. So, Alex declared that she would sleep in the guest room downstairs until we resolved Zoe's stair-phobia.

Watching Alex get ready for bed tonight was ridiculously adorable – she spoke to Zoe the whole time, explaining that "this is how we get ready for bed every night," and "Once you understand that stairs aren't scary, you'll get to see my room, which is the best room in the whole house…" At bedtime, Alex sat in Zoe's crate with her and read her stories from the Mythology anthology Bellamy gave her all those years ago. When I went back in to check on them half an hour later, Alex was asleep in the crate with Zoe, curled up around her puppy, both of their heads resting peacefully on a pillow that Alex must have moved inside of the crate. I quietly fetched Bellamy so he could witness the adorable moment. After snapping a few photos, we moved Alex up to the bed and tucked her in. My heart clenched a bit as Zoe followed every movement with as much concern as a dog's face could express, making sure that nobody was upsetting her little human.

She's the perfect little addition to our family.

End Chapter Notes:

I'm working on the next chapter right now, and I'll warn you that it's going to a darker place than we've seen so far. I was working on it before this one, but it was a little too heavy to go from the last chapter (Ch. 35) to what is now Chapter 37. I needed to write some fluffy filler to take a break from the emotional turmoil. God, I'm making it sound horrible and more traumatizing than it probably is. It's not appalling… It's just… dark.

As always, REVIEWS feed my muse! I have a loyal following at AO3, so I get a lot of feedback from them. But, I'dreally love to hear more from the fanfiction readers – so if you have a few moments, leave a comment and let me know what you think so far!

FOLLOWS/FAVORITES make me smile like an idiot :)