Chapter 79: Lexa

The following day, I get up early for training. I wake Clarke up to tell her that I will have three training sessions today, and then tomorrow is the weigh-ins and fan meet and greet. I inform her the sessions today will be from 6-9 am 12-2, and 5-8. She looks at me through sleepy eyes and says, "whatever, I need sleep. Just wake me for breakfast."

I laugh, kissing her on the forehead, and say, "If you need anything, Bellamy and Echo will be downstairs until I get back."

When I get downstairs, Bellamy and Echo are on the couch watching a news feed. Bellamy looks up and says, "I hear you are having twins. How do you feel about that?"

"Honestly, I about passed out when I first heard the news, but we got this. I'm excited."

He says, "I can't believe the little orphan girl I took under my wing all those years ago has grown up and is going to be a mom. I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks. Without you, none of this would have been possible."

"Dude, you did most of it yourself…."

He stopped midsentence because a news segment came on about the 'drug/arms deal gone bad.'

The reporter says, 'In other news this morning, the American male found dead in the middle of the drug/arms buy down in the warehouse district yesterday has been identified as Finn Collins, son of the mayor of San Francisco, California. The other five men were known drug runners for Hrant Shahinyan. Collins was here on a fake passport from Ireland using the name Finnis O' Collins. There has been no comment by any of Mayor Collins's people at this time. It's our understanding that he was unaware that his son was even out of the country. We will keep you updated as we receive more information. The police have ruled it as a strike against Shahinyan's gang by his rival Abdul Karim Najjar.

Bellamy looks at me and saying sarcastically, "Why do I have a feeling that you had something to do with that?"

I smirk, "I have no idea what you are talking about. I didn't even know he was here. Thanks for staying here while I go train."

"Yeah, sure, no problem. See you in a bit."

As I exit the elevator, my phone rings, the caller ID says it is my attorney, Mr. Cantrell. I answer, "Hello."

"Lexa, this is Glenn Cantrell."

"Hey, Mr. Cantrell. What can I do for you?"

"I'm not sure if you have heard the news about Mr. Collins' or not, but he was apparently killed in a drug deal somewhere in Dubai."

"What? Are you kidding me?"

"No, I'm not. It is all over the news. The reason I was calling is to see what you want to do about the lawsuit he has against you."

"I don't know. What does his death mean?"

"Well, the criminal suit will be dropped because he isn't here to testify, but his parents could still file a civil suit against you."

"Oh! But, I thought we had already settled this matter when I paid them off last month."

"Yes, as I said, that matter will be dropped now with Finn's death, but his parents…."

I interrupt, "Fine! How about you reach out to them and offer them this? Clarke and I will sign an NDA about Finn's rape if they agree to sign an agreement not to sue either of us in civil court, along with signing an NDA also. This way, the Collins name won't be associated with anything else criminally, but if he would like to pursue a civil case, then Clarke and I will go to the press with the signed deal I had with Finn along with the payoff."

"Um…I will come up with an agreement that I think you will be happy with. What about the other thing we spoke about, parental rights? I'm not sure we are going to need it, but it would be good if you could somehow include that in the agreement."

"Yes, ma'am. I will get everything drawn up and email it to you before I send it to his attorney."

"Thank you."

Clarke

I wake up around seven the next morning feeling sick to my stomach. I reach for Lexa, but she isn't there, which makes me start to panic until I vaguely remember her saying something about three training sessions before she kissed me goodbye, but I'm not sure. I can hear the television from downstairs and realize that someone is here. I start thinking, I really wish Lexa were here to bring me a sprite, but I guess I will have to move and get one from downstairs. I know that I told her she needed to focus on the fight, but I really wish she were here right now. Oh well, I guess I can make it downstairs to get a drink on my own. I get up slowly, trying to fight off nausea and dizziness. I sit on the side of the bed for a few minutes trying to get the room to stop spinning, but this just makes me have to vomit even more. I get up and stagger as quickly as possible to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time. God, I really wish Lexa were here! I don't know if I can do this every day. I never thought that I would need someone as much as I feel like I need her right now. I don't like it when she isn't with me. I'm scared to be alone now. I really need to get ahold of myself. On top of that, every time I puke, I need to pee, and sometimes I can't help but do both simultaneously, which makes me cry because what twenty-two-year-old woman pees herself. I'm a complete mess! I don't know if I can do this!

Lexa

Clarke was so cute this morning when I was trying to talk to her. She could barely open her eyes, but she was beautiful, lying there with her hair mussed up around her. I hate having to leave her, but she is the one who insisted that I focus more on the fight. I called Bellamy last night, and he said that he and Echo would stay in our room while I trained. I don't want her to be alone, even though I know that Finn is dead.

When I get downstairs to the makeshift gym, Jose and Lucas are already there. After some stretching and warmups, Jose holds the pads for me, and I run through my combinations. I do this for a while, but then I start to feel like something is wrong. After about ten minutes of not being able to shake the feeling, I look a Jose and say, "I'm sorry, but I've got to go. Something doesn't feel right, and I need to make sure Clarke is alright. Why don't you and Lucas come up to the room in a bit, and I will order us all a big breakfast."

Jose nods, "Sure thing. Go! Make sure she is okay."

I hurry to the elevator taking my gloves off as I go. I look at my phone to see the time and make sure I haven't missed any calls or texts. It is about 7:30, but other than that, nothing. I make it to the door to the room about five minutes later. When I walk in, Bellamy and Echo are curled up on the couch watching TV. "Where is Clarke? Is she alright?" I snap.

Bellamy and Echo sit up and look at me, confused. "Whoa, Lexa. As far as I know, she is still sleeping. She hasn't been downstairs, and no one else is here. What's wrong?"

"I don't know! Something just doesn't feel right." I take the stairs, two at a time. Once in the bedroom, I look around and call for Clarke. She isn't in bed, so I head to the bathroom, where I find her curled up on the floor crying. I instinctively grab a washcloth and wet it before sitting down beside her and pulling her into my lap. "Hey, what's wrong? Why are you curled up on the floor crying?"

She looks up at me with red puffy eyes, "Why are you here? You are supposed to be training."

"I felt that you needed me, and that's more important than training. Now please tell me what's wrong."

"I'm sorry, you need to train. I can do this by myself."

"What are you talking about? You don't need to do anything by yourself. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Please talk to me. You are scaring me. Do you need a doctor? Your mom? Tell me what you need!"

Clarke wraps herself around me and snuggles in, whispering, "You, you are all I ever need."

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. But, please, can you tell me what has you so upset and on the floor?" I ask while I run my fingers through her hair and kissing the top of her head, trying to get her calmed down.

She sniffles, "It's stupid. I'm really sorry."

"It's not stupid if it has you this upset. Please tell me what's wrong. Did you have a bad dream?"

"No, I woke up feeling sick, and when I reached for you, you weren't there. I sort of remember you telling me bye but…I just…I just wanted you to make me feel better, and you weren't there. When I tried to get up to go to the bathroom, the room started spinning, making me need to vomit. I made it to the bathroom in time to puke into the toilet, but…wh-when I puked, I also peed myself. I-I couldn't help it! Then all I could think was, I can't do this. It's just too much…."

"Ya Amar, I'm so sorry that I wasn't here, but I promise I'm not leaving your side again. You and the babies are the most important thing to me, and I am here for you. You can do this. You are one of the strongest people I know, and I will be by your side the whole time. How are you feeling now? Can you sit in a hot bath if I run it for you?"

"I-I think so, but…but you need to focus on the fight and train, not babysit me. I promise I will be fine. It's just my hormones going crazy. I promise! The first couple of months, I'm going to be crazy because of the sudden and dramatic increase of hormones released in my bloodstream, especially estrogen and progesterone."

"Nope, I'm going to get you into a bath to soak, and then I'm going to order a big breakfast for all of us. I don't care how crazy, emotional, or sick you get. I will be here for it all, everything. Do you hear me? I will continue my training downstairs in the living room. We can move the furniture to the side or whatever needs to be done, but I will not leave you again."

"Cielo, you can't stay by my side every minute of the day. It just isn't possible…."

"I will not argue with you about this. Until your sickness and pregnancy are over, I will be by your side as much as humanly possible."

I stand up with her in my arms, sitting her on the counter. I start her bathwater and then help her undress and get into the tub. Once she is settled into the bath, I head downstairs to get her a sprite. Bellamy asks, "Lexa is everything alright?"

"I'm not sure, really. She's sick at her stomach and dizzy. I'm fairly sure it's just morning sickness, but I'll call Abby in a few minutes and talk to her. First, I'm going to take her a drink, then order breakfast if you two want to hang around or if you have something to do, that's fine."

"I think we will head out and let you have some alone time to figure things out. Just let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Blake."

Before I go back up, I call Abby. It rings many times, and I'm about to hang up when I hear a very sleepy sounding, "Hello."

"Hey Abby…um…sorry to wake you but...I have a couple of questions."

"What's wrong?"

"I-I honestly…I'm not completely sure. I know it's normal to have morning sickness, but what about dizziness? And crying? Lots of crying."

I hear her chuckle, "What's going on? Yes, morning sickness and dizziness are normal. As far as the crying, that is pretty normal too. However, Clarke's hormones are going crazy right now, so she will be very emotional until the hormones level out, especially after last night. Do you need me to come over?"

"Oh, alright. No, I've got this. I need to be able to handle this on my own. I just wanted to make sure it was normal. Thanks, Abby."

"No problem. I'll come up after a while and check in on you."

"Thanks, one more thing. What should I order Clarke to eat?"

"Fruit and anything she can keep down, like saltine crackers, ginger ale."

I hang up with Abby and call down to the kitchen and ask them to send up enough food for five people. I specify that I need a large fruit bowl, yogurt, a large bowl of mixed nuts, saltine cracker, avocados, scrambled eggs, steaks, and salsa. I hope that covers everything she may need. Surely out of all of that, she will find something she can eat. If not, I will send out for whatever she needs. But then, I need to get back up to her.

I head back upstairs and find that she is almost asleep in the bath. "Hey, beautiful, let me help you get out of there before you fall asleep."

"How can you call me beautiful when I look like a hot mess? You literally found me sitting in my own piss with puke down the front of my shirt, crying my eyes out with bruises all over my body. How exactly is that beautiful?"

"Babe, you will always be beautiful to me no matter what. So here, let me help you get out, and we can go back to bed until the food gets here."

"I'm not ready to get out yet. Can you get in with me and just refresh the water, please. The hot water makes me feel better, but it would be even better to have you hold me."

"Sure, I can do that. Here is a sprite also. It may help settle your stomach a little."

I spend the next twenty minutes in the bath with Clarke. I make sure to wash her, being incredibly careful of her very tender, slightly swollen breasts and bruises. I also make sure to wash her hair so that there isn't any lingering throw-up in it. I feel so bad for leaving her this morning. I had no idea that my not being here would upset her this much. I told her this morning where I was going, and I was really only training because she told me too. I will not make that mistake again. If for some reason, I can't be with her, I will make sure Abby is. I don't want her feeling like she is alone.

"Sweetie, we need to get out. I'm turning into a prune, and breakfast should be here shortly."

"Hmm…what?"

"I said we need to get out. The water is getting cold, and the food will be here shortly."

It takes some doing, but I eventually get her out and dried off. I grab her underwear, bra, a t-shirt, and a pair of my sweatpants to put on. I quickly throw on some clothes and then go to help her. She has her underwear and sweatpants on by the time I'm dressed but struggles with her bra. Every time she tries to pull her bra up over her boobs, she winces. Finally, I walk over to her and unbuckle it, throwing it on the bed.

She looks at me and says, "What are you doing?"

"If it hurts that much, don't wear it, just put on a shirt. We aren't going anywhere but downstairs. How are you feeling?"

"Still a little dizzy but much better. Thank you."

I wrap her in a hug, "You don't have to thank me, we are in this together. Understand?"

She nods and snuggles into my chest, just as there is a knock at the door. I walk her over to a chair and sit her down. "Please stay here until I come back. I will get the food set up and then help you downstairs, alright."

"Alright."

I run down the stairs and open the door. The guy rolls in two huge carts of food and juice and starts setting it up on the table when there is another knock. I open the door this time to find Jose, Lucas, and Abby. I motion for them to come in as the room service guy is leaving. Abby looks around and says, "Where's Clarke?"

"She's upstairs. I was just about to go get her and help her come down for breakfast. She is still dizzy, and I want to help her with the stairs. So you guys go ahead and start. We will be right down."

"I can go get her," says Abby.

"Nope, I got this. Just have a seat and grab a plate."

"You know you don't have to do this by yourself, right, Lexa? I'm here to help."

"Thanks, but…I want to be the one who is there for her. I want to help her through this."

"I understand that, but everyone needs help sometimes, even you."

"I'll keep that in mind," I say as I head upstairs. When I get back upstairs, Clarke is stagger towards the bathroom. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I have to pee!"

"Alright, let me help you." I help her to the bathroom and then downstairs.

Clarke

Lexa helps me downstairs and sits me at the table where there is a massive spread of food. I'm not sure if I want anything to eat after throwing my guts up, but then when I sit and see the food, my stomach starts to growl. I know I should eat, but I don't want to throw it back up later. My mom, Lucas, and Jose are already seated at the table, filling their plates.

Mom looks at me and says, "How are you feeling this morning, honey?"

"Better now, thanks to Lexa. Babe, how did you know to come?"

Lexa says, "I just knew something was wrong, so I came. What do you want on your plate?"

"I don't know if I want to eat anything after…well, after hugging the toilet this morning. Maybe just some orange juice."

"Ya Amar, I need you to at least try and eat some fruit and yogurt, please. Here start with a banana. I read it is helpful with morning sickness."

Abby says, "Clarke, Lexa is right. You need to eat and drink lots of fluids so that you don't get dehydrated. I promise the morning sickness will eventually go away, but you still need to make an effort to eat in the meantime. After all, you are eating for three now."

Lucas and Jose's heads snap up at this comment, and that's when I realize that we haven't told everyone about the twins. Lexa smiles, and I shrug my shoulders, "Sorry, we haven't told everyone yet. We just found out yesterday. After everything that happened, I wanted to make sure the gummy bear was alright, so Dalia did another ultrasound, and we found another gummy bear hiding out behind the original one."

Lucas says, "Wow, I bet that was a shocker."

I say, "Yes, it was. I thought Lexa was going to pass out."

They chuckle. "In my defense…I was just really worried that something was wrong because everyone seemed to be stunned into silence, and I didn't know how to read the stupid machine like everyone else."

"Sure, babe," Clarke says with a smile.

"Whatever, guys, for the rest of the day, we are going to have the training sessions up here. We can move the furniture around and do what we need here. I don't want to leave Clarke alone."

Jose says, "Okay, but I thought that Bellamy and Echo were staying with her this morning?"

"They were but…well…I just need to be close, or I won't be able to focus. So, we will just train here."

Abby says, "I don't mind staying with her while you go train."

"Thanks, mom. Cielo, you need to go and train. I have already made you miss too much training as it is. I'm really sorry about this morning, but I will be fine with mom here. You don't have to worry. Besides, she's a doctor and a mom, so she knows what to expect. Please."

"Fine, but after a nap. Guys, I will meet you downstairs at noon, and we'll go until three, then take a break for dinner and get back to it from five to eight. Morrigan is going to come in around seven for yoga and meditation. Then if Clarke is feeling up to it, we are going to get a couples massage so that I'm loose for the fight." I look over at Clarke and say, "If you are feeling better this evening, I would really like you to join Morrigan and me for yoga. I read that it is good for pregnant women and it is relaxing. Then if you feel like it, we can get a massage at the spa, but only if you feel up to it."

"Babe, that sounds great, but I will have to play it by ear or, in my case, stomach," I say with a laugh. "Now about that nap…."