A/N Okay it's been a crazy couple of months, but I finally got a new chapter in. There are a few key things I had planned for the chapter (conversations anyway) but the rest kind of took a life of it's own so I hope it came out okay. Thanks for sticking with me!

Chapter 37

Clarke was wide awake at dawn on their second full day of their trip. Everyone was still passed out as she snuck out of the trailer. She knew it would be a while before anyone else would be joining her. She took this time to contemplate some of the thoughts that were constantly swirling through her mind.

It had been amazing to have Lexa within touching distance again. Before Lexa she had never imagined how it would feel to have the one you love so far away. Obviously being apart from Avery had invoked similar feelings, but it was still very different. Avery would always be her child, and she was with her parents, so she knew she was safe. But with Lexa, she could do nothing but hope they overcome the distance someday and came back together, stronger than they were before.

She could still remember the morning after they'd spent the night together for the first time. She'd woken up early, no surprise there, and rolled over to find Lexa still there in her bed. There was such innocence in the other woman's face as she slept. Since that morning she has seen her girlfriend be serious, goofy, dramatic, childlike, and more. Every new side she saw of the girl just made her love her even more.

They hadn't even known each other for a year and yet Clarke couldn't imagine a life without Lexa in it. She didn't know how she would have gotten through her father's death without Lexa by her side. Honestly, she could deal with them never get married or even have kids, just as long as they were together. That was everything.

She started flipping through the pictures from the day before on her phone. At least they had a small amount of electricity so she could keep her phone charged. She didn't mind that she didn't have reception, but she was very grateful she could capture some of these memories.

She was pulled out of her reminiscing by the rustle of the tent. Once the zipper was opened, she smiled to see a small brunette head pop out of the door. "Everyone still sleepin?"

"Yep, just you and me!" she answered. "Come sit with me," she motioned the little boy over to her. As he climbed onto her lap, she cocooned him in the blanket that was draped around her chair. He laid his head back on her shoulder and yawned. Apparently, he wasn't as awake as he pretended to be.

She ran a hand through his hair as he got more comfortable in her lap. "Are you having fun camping buddy?" she asked when she realized he likely wasn't going to go back to sleep.

"Uh huh."

"What's been your favorite part?"

"Jumping out of the boat!" he exclaimed. Clarke laughed. The kid really had no fear. He treated the back of the boat like it was a diving board and bounced off so many times she'd lost count. She knew he'd been swimming from a young age though. Trish took him to swim classes long before his first birthday. But it still gave her heart a wrench every time he took a plunge.

"Anything else?

"I liked the gooey marshmallows." That got a chuckle out of her. They were definitely going to have to roast more before the trip ended.

"Aunty Clarke?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Why is everyone still sleeping?"

That really brought a laugh from Clarke. If there was one thing she knew about her nephew, it was that he was an early riser and couldn't understand why no one else was. "They aren't as fun as you and I are," she told him.

"They party poops?"

"Yes, they are," she giggled. "Why don't you go see if you can get your dad and Avery up and I'll work on your mom and Lexa." It was getting late enough now to get the rest of them up. Plus, she wasn't sure how long she could entertain Tommy before he'd get bored.

"Yes," he fist-pumped as he jumped off the chair. Something he no doubt learned at school.

She laughed as she stood up and headed into the trailer. She let the door bang loudly just to make it a little easier. Lexa didn't even move, but Trish popped her head up and gave her a glare. "What was that for?"

"Your son is ready for the day and wants everyone else to wake up," she shrugged. "He said you were all party poops for sleeping in," she teased.

Trish groaned but made herself get up. Lexa on the other and was a whole different story. Clarke peppered kisses on her cheeks and nose and didn't get a response. Trish had left the trailer though, so she got a little bolder and started making her way down Lexa's neck. She slid a hand under the other woman's shirt and groped a breast all while continuing her attention on a smooth neck.

"Mm, Clarke."

"Time to wake up, baby."

"I don't want too."

"Sorry, sweetie. But the kids are up and ready to go."

"Kids? We only have one," she stated with a little bit of confusion in her voice.

Clarke's head snapped up. She knew Lexa still wasn't completely awake just by her confusion, but she was also startled by Lexa basically claiming Avery as her own. This was some definite progress, even if it was unconscious.

"Avery and Tommy," she stressed the little boys name in hopes to remind her girlfriend where they were. It seemed to do the trick though when Lexa finally opened her eyes.

"Good morning," she smiled as she stretched there in bed. Clarke sat back and gave her a grin. "What's the grin for."

"Nothing," Clarke answered. "Just happy to see you." She half lied. She was happy to see Lexa, but she wouldn't mention Lexa's half-asleep statement, just in case the other woman still wasn't ready for that yet. She understood it was a lot to take on, so she wanted to make sure she was had the time she needed.

"Let's get the munchkins fed and decide on a plan for the day."

~CL~

After a little bit of debate, and some groaning from Clarke, the group decided on a hike. The kids weren't as excited about that one either, but when Tommy heard he could take his Spiderman backpack full of treats with him, he was all for it.

There was a popular trail in the area that let you to a pool at the base of a waterfall so they decided that would be the best one for the kids. They could play in the water for awhile before having to head back to camp.

The girls let Luke and Tommy take the lead, Lexa and Avery taking the middle. Trish stayed in the back with a slower Clarke.

"Those two have really bonded, haven't they?" Trish asked quietly with a point at Avery and Lexa.

"Yeah, they are like two peas in a pod when they are together. It's so much fun to watch. Lexa can be a troublemaker when she wants to be too. Avery has become a lot more mischievous since she's been around Lexa."

"I've noticed that, actually. She tried to pull one over on me a few weeks ago, said the idea had come from Lexa. I think it was meant for you, but she chickened out and tried it on me instead."

Clarke groaned and rolled her eyes. She could only imagine what the little troublemaker had tried. "What did she do?"

"Nothing that serious, but nothing I'd have seen from her before. She poked a hole in my water bottle and well I got pretty wet."

Ok, that one got Clarke laughing. It was such a simple thing, but to Avery it was probably pretty funny. "The little turd."

"It's a good thing she's so damn cute."

"Agreed," Clarke nodded. "Both of them," she gestured at Lexa.

"You are so…"

"Don't you say whipped," Clarke warned.

Trish put her hands up. "I wasn't going to. I was going to say 'into her'."

"That's fair," Clarke agreed. She wasn't going to argue with the truth.

A little while later Trish moved to walk with Avery, while Lexa fell back to Clarke's side. "To much of a workout for you," Lexa teased with a bump to Clarke's shoulder.

"You know I don't exercise," Clarke dryly answered but with a hint of a smile. She does go on the occasional walk. She did with Lexa before and now she does with Avery when they have the chance. But walking up a mountain was a very different experience.

"Just think how beautiful that waterfall will be when we get there." Lexa couldn't wait herself. She couldn't ever remember seeing a waterfall in person. Only on TV or maybe online.

The image did put a little more urgency in Clarke's steps.

The hike in was almost two hours and the kids were slowing down immensely when they were only minutes away. Breaking through the trees and seeing the water brought a grin from everyone's face. They didn't pack the kids' life jackets, so they had to stop Tommy from jumping right in.

As soon as his dad was in the pool though he didn't hesitate to take a running jump off a rock to where his dad was waiting for him. Avery followed closely behind.

The three women laid out the towels they had brought and began unpacking their lunch from the insulated backpack Luke had carried. They were sure as soon as the novelty of the pool wore off the kids would be hungry.

The two kids scarfed down their sandwiches and begrudgingly drank their bottles of water before being allowed back into the water. The women joined them this time. The water was cool, but it wasn't overly cold, making it pleasant to just hang out in for a while.

Much like the day before, water fights ensued with the kids constantly switching teams depending on who was 'winning'. Luke challenged Lexa to race across pool and back. Lexa wasn't the most skilled swimmer, but she wasn't going to back down from a challenge. She lost of course, but not by much thankfully.

The dampness of their clothes felt nice when it was finally time to pack up and head back to camp. Luke got the kids singing random songs as they made their way back down the mountain. It didn't entertain them for long though and soon the kids started grumbling. Before they had something to look forward to, but going back to camp wasn't as exciting to them and they were tiring out.

After a small break, Lexa, being the sweetheart that she was, knelt down and had Tommy climb onto her back. Luke soon did the same for Avery and they were back on their way. There was a little bounce in Lexa's step that made Tommy laugh. Not being one to be shown up, Luke did the same.

"What do you think those two are talking about?" Clarke asked a while later. The kids were fairly immobile where they rode piggyback, leaving Lexa and Luke in a quiet conversation.

"I have no idea," Trish admitted. Her husband wasn't a huge conversationalist. He grew up in a house with three brothers, they were more physical then verbal. Even now he'd rather show than tell.

"So, what is it you actually do?" Lexa asked. "Clarke said you had to travel a lot but not much else."

"That doesn't surprise me," Luke laughed. "I'm not even sure my wife knows what I do. I mean she gets the general idea but doesn't really know what it entails."

"Which is?" Lexa encouraged.

"Basically, I'm a fixer for companies. When a company is on the verge of going under, they call me first to see if anything can prevent that from happening. Sometimes I can help them, sometimes I can't."

"I've never heard of such a thing," Lexa admits.

"Honestly, neither had I. I kind of fell into it. A company I was working for was about to go under, but I happened to see some of the issues by chance and talked to my bosses. Well the owner of another business heard about what I did and asked me to take a look for him. My phone started blowing up after that. There are others who do what I do, but I'm not sure how many. Sometimes if the company goes under anyway, I risk not getting paid. However, when I can save the I usually get paid pretty well. I have set rates, but also often times are given bonus or gifts."

"Ah, so a bit of a gamble. You seem to be doing pretty well though," Lexa complimented. He obviously did pretty well at what he did, just from what she'd seen.

He gave a small nod. "Usually, it's just a matter of moving around expenses. I realized long ago that I see numbers differently than most people. So, I see things they don't see."

"I hate when I have to leave, but sometimes I need to be on site to really help them. The further away I have to go though the more money I make, so it's got its pros too."

"I could see that," Lexa admitted. "There's such a gap between me and Clarke it worries me sometimes." She hadn't ever said that out loud, but Luke was easy to talk to she was finding.

"You know Clarke doesn't care about money."

"I know, but technically she would never have to work if she didn't want to. She's pretty set for life thanks to her parents and the estate of her mother's parents."

"The first time I was dragged to the Griffin house, I couldn't believe it's size. But when Trish filled me in on how much they were really worth, I saw how small it was compared to what it could be. The Griffins have always been humble from what I've seen. I know they give a lot to charity too."

Lexa smiled. She knew there was truth to that. She also knew Clarke started giving money to various foster organizations after she'd met Lexa. Clarke had never told her, but she'd seen a bank statement one day that Clarke had accidentally left out. She'd never let her know she'd seen it. She figured Clarke would tell her one day.

"Clarke works because she wants to help people, she's always cared about everyone else more than herself. Trish told me that after I'd met Clarke for the first time, and I could instantly see how true that was. She'd understand why you choose to help people over money."

Apparently mentioning her fear to Luke had been a good choice. She knows felt much better after talking to him. He made some good points. She'd told Clarke why she wanted to be a cop in the first part and she always supported her decision to become a detective.

"Thanks," Lexa told him. She knew he'd know why she was thanking him.

Lexa was never so grateful to see their campground than when she could finally get Tommy off her back. He wasn't overly heavy, but holding onto him for so long had really tired out her arms. She dropped him in his little chair and Luke did the same with Avery. Both kids barely moved, but they weren't asleep so that was a plus.

Once she was freed, Clarke pulled the girl into her own arms. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, my arms will probably be sore tomorrow though."

Clarke smirked. "We could have worn them out in a much more fun way."

Lexa only rolled her eyes. Normally she'd be up for that kind of innuendo but not today. She did smile though when Clarke gave her a quick kiss. "Love you."

"Love you, too. You'll be okay while I help get dinner started?"

Lexa only nodded and fell into her own chair. Maybe she'd get in a quick nap before dinner.