Time hop...again. Hopping to Christmas now. Some Linctavia and Ravick going on in this chapter. Also talk about Echo a little. Some more drama in this chapter very happy chapter for the most part. Really excited about this chapter. Please review!
The only reason Lexa survived Thanksgiving break is because she spent most of her time either playing basketball or with Clarke. So she is ecstatic when she finds out that Octavia is taking the whole team up to her parents' cabin in Gatlinburg for most of Christmas break. Even better: everyone invited gets to bring someone. Almost everyone going is bringing their significant other. Of course Lexa is bringing Clarke. Octavia is bringing Lincoln, Raven is bringing Wick, Echo is bringing her girlfriend Rebecca, and Harper is bringing a guy that no one knows anything about other than the fact that he is college. The rest of the team were going out of town for Christmas.
All the girls are so excited to be spending their Christmas with the people they care about, cuddling up together, drinking hot chocolate, and watching the Polar Express over and over and over again. However they do have to draw straws for which couples get to have sex in the hot tub on which nights. The girls, in an attempt to get Harper to say who she is bringing, threaten to give her the short straw. But Harper isn't budging. Clarke doesn't understand why she even bothers, they will find out when whoever he is when they meet him at the cabin. Raven gives Harper the short straw anyway.
They all drive separately but drive in one big line of cars the whole way there. Octavia keeps calling it "The Christmas Caravan."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Clarke asks, turning in her seat to face Lexa who was driving.
"Talk about what?" Lexa says, slightly furrowing her brow in confusion.
"Why you came on this trip….and I want the truth don't give me bullshit." Clarke says fiercely eyeing her driver.
"I came because I want to spend time with my favorite people in the world.."
"Not because you don't want to even be in the general vicinity of your parents." Clarke says raising her eyebrows, she knew the truth.
"Okay, yeah, that too." Lexa sighs and admits defeat.
"It's just us in here. You can talk about it. It's okay."
"I don't know. They've been acting weird lately. My mom sleeps during the day and leaves in the middle of the night. My dad has been working non-stop, he even stays at the office all night sometimes. I'm not sure what to make of it." Lexa says.
"Yeah, you're right that is weird." Clarke says. She contemplates all the reasons that these things could be happening. Then she has an idea. "Do you mind if I offer up a theory? It could be a little far-fetched and you might not like the idea."
"Just tell me, don't sugar coat it."
"What if one of them is having an affair?" Clarke says.
Lexa smiles a little."It wouldn't be the first time one of them has cheated." She says letting out a small chuckle.
"What?! This has happened before?!" Clarke raises her voice.
"Yeah. Both of them cheat on a pretty regular basis. They pretend it isn't happening and I pretend not to notice. Things haven't really been the same since Serenity passed. But this isn't like all the other times. This is different." She says.
"What if it's more than just a hook-up this time? What if they are in like a real relationship, where they've actually fallen in love or something?" Clarke says inquisitively.
"I guess you could be right. They just have to stay together just five more months. As soon as I graduate, I'm leaving that house." She says, sighing when she finishes.
"Why would you do that?"
"So I don't have to look at them anymore. And they can just get divorced already."
"I don't think I've ever heard someone say that they want their parents to get divorced."
"It's what is best for all involved. If they are in love with someone else, I'm happy for them. They both deserve to be in a relationship that they actually want to be in." Lexa says. "Looks like we're pulling into this rest area."
"Echo probably has to pee again. She needs to stop drinking all that caffeine." Clarke laughs as she gets out of the car. When she stretches the hem of her shirt lifts up just enough to reveal the beginnings of the rock-hard abs she has been working tirelessly to get.
"Mhmm." Lexa says, looking her up and down with approval.
Clarke lightly shoves her away and giggles "Shut up, Alexandra".
Everyone eventually returns to their respective vehicles after about 15 minutes of roaming around. The rest of the drive is uneventful. Lexa and Clarke don't talk much, mostly Clarke asking Lexa random trivia questions. Of course she knew all the answers.
They pull up at the cabin (it could easily pass off as a small condo). Everyone exits their cars and begins to unload their luggage. They spend about an hour trying to assign rooms. Harper and her mystery man (yet to arrive) end up with the short straw again. They get the room with the smallest bed.
"I don't mind. It's not like we'll be sleeping in it anyway." Harper says with a smirk before skipping off to her room. If she had turned around to see her friends' reactions she would have found half of them gagging and the other half congratulating her on getting laid.
Lexa and Clarke got a room with one queen sized bed and its own bathroom. They divided up the drawer and closet space evenly. Just when they finished they heard a car pull up in front of the house. They assume it is Harper's mystery guy. They look out the window together and Lexa immediately recognizes the car. It's a red and black camaro with a tag that says "2COOL4U".
"Of course. None other than Bellamy Blake." Echo announces as all the occupants of the house come to the front porch to meet Harper's boyfriend. Harper runs ahead of all of them to be swept up in hug and consumed with kisses from Bellamy.
Octavia gags " Ewwww. Whyyyy? Why'd it have to be my brother? Ewwww. I need to go disinfect my eyes." Octavia screams and runs back into the house.
Harper looks up at Bellamy. "I missed you." Bellamy responds by kissing her cheek and smiling brightly. "Do you think she's mad?" She asks looking back up at the house watching her friends tease Octavia.
"Nah. O will get over it." Bellamy says dragging his girlfriend and luggage up the steps to see his sister's friends.
"Look what the cat dragged in." Raven announces, poking his cheek.
"Good to see you're doing well, Reyes." He says tapping her nose before moving to shake Wick's hand.
Bellamy turns to see Lexa standing there waiting for her turn. He scoops her up and spins her around like a fool, causing her to laugh uncontrollably. "It's been so long."
"It's been literally a month, Bell." Lexa exclaims once Bellamy puts her down. "Bellamy, I want you to meet Clarke." The words my girlfriend are understood.
"Hey, I'm Bellamy, Octavia's brother and Harper's boyfriend in case you didn't really pick up on that. Pleasure to meet you."
"Clarke. Nice to meet you too." Clarke says as she moves from behind Lexa to shake Bellamy's hand.
"You must be really brave to put up with this one." Bellamy says gesturing to Lexa. That earns him a nice punch in the shoulder.
"Something like that, yeah." Clarke smiles looking to her girlfriend.
That night everyone sleeps soundly because they are all worn out from the long trip. Octavia is especially tired from yelling at Bellamy and Harper and then yelling at Raven and Wick for having unreasonably loud sex. The group later found out they were just being extra loud to get a reaction out of Octavia.
A few days later it is Christmas morning and everyone is up at the crack of dawn, especially Clarke. Lexa would learn that Christmas is the blonde's favorite holiday.
"Come on, babe. It's Christmas, get up. I wanna open presents." Clarke finally screams when she realizes Lexa isn't budging. "Babe! Get The Fuck Up!"
"Coffee…" Lexa whines.
"How bout hot chocolate?"
"Fine."
Clarke (literally) runs down the stairs to begin making the hot chocolate. When she enters the kitchen she sees Echo and Rebecca starting breakfast. Thankfully they have already make hot chocolate.
"Good Morning. Merry Christmas." Clarke nearly shouts. Both girls mumble some kind of response, but clearly it is too early even for them.
Clarke returns to her girlfriend with a mug of hot chocolate but finds she isn't in their bed. She checks the bathroom but she isn't there. She hears someone drop something in the hallway followed by a muffled curse. She knows that had to be her Lexa. Lexa comes in moments later with a cardboard box that looks kind of heavy.
"What's in the box?" Clarke asks as she gives Lexa her hot chocolate.
Lexa gratefully takes it and then places on the bedside table after taking a big gulp of it. "This is your present." She says with a smile.
"When can I open it?"
"Later."
"Why not now?" Clarke whines.
"Because I said so." Lexa states then puts the box on top of the dresser knowing Clarke can't reach it.
"Asshole." Clarke says as she looks up at the box.
Lexa kisses Clarke in the cheek quickly before going downstairs to help with breakfast. Clarke takes it upon herself to wake everyone in the house up. She does so by running up and down every hallway, knocking every door, and screaming "It's Christmas bitches!" When she comes to Raven and Wick's room she immediately hears sexually explicit moaning and other phrases that should never be repeated. She quickly opens the door and yells "You can have Christmas sex later. It's Christmas bitches!" She runs away as fast she can continuing on her rounds through the house.
About ten minutes later all of the house's occupants are in the kitchen drinking hot chocolate, all except for Raven and Wick. They take another fifteen minutes to gather themselves and work up enough courage to show their faces. As soon as they walk into the kitchen all the girls erupt in a fit of laughter and clapping (because their teammate just got laid in a house full of people) while the guys started patting Wick on the back.
"Present Time!" Octavia announces as she walks into the living room with several wrapped boxes and bags. Everyone else went to retrieve the presents. Clarke and Lexa go up to their room to get the presents they bought for their friends.
"Are you going to bring down the box?" Clarke asks like a child asking their mother for a cookie.
"Later."
"When exactly is later?" Clarke asks.
"In the future."
"You're killing me here, babe." Clarke says as they descend the staircase.
Everyone returns to the living room and they all begin to open their respective presents. Clarke gives Octavia the the tenth season of Supernatural on DVD and a phone case with a picture of Michael Jordan on it. To Raven she gives a new set of wrenches to which Raven says "Ohmygod I needed these. You know me so well, Griff." To Harper she gives a book about how Casablanca was filmed (Harper wants to major in film at NYU). Echo and Rebecca's gift is a little more special.
One day about two months ago Echo went to Clarke with an extremely specific gift in mind for Christmas. Echo commissioned Clarke to paint something that Clarke would gift to her and Rebecca on Christmas morning. But Echo was not allowed to see it before then and Clarke could not tell anyone, even Lexa.
Clarke pulls the tall, thin cardboard box from behind the couch and gently hands it to Echo. All conversations going on in the living room stop as Echo and Rebecca tear into the gift. Echo carefully removes the painting from the box and holds it up for everyone (including Rebecca) to see. It is a painting of Echo down on one knee with a ring in her hand holding it out to Rebecca. In the painting Rebecca has tears streaming down her face and she has her hands covering her mouth in surprise.
Everyone gasps as Echo stands and makes Rebecca rise from the couch. Once she is up Echo gets down on one knee and pulls out the exact same ring depicted painting. "Rebecca Boyd, will you do me the incredible honor of marrying me?" Tears begin to escape both girls' eyes as Rebecca enthusiastically says "Yes, of course I will! Ohmygod, yes!"
The room erupts in cheers, laughter, and more cheers.
It takes good thirty minutes for everyone to come down off their high. When they do come down they go through another round of presents. Clarke receives a book about medical school, a gift card to Barnes and Noble, a book about Greco-Roman medicines, a new set of oil pastels, and and iTunes gift card. Lexa receives a book about Larry Bird, a gift card to Sport's Authority, and Batman basketball socks. Clarke gives Lexa a new pair of customized basketball shoes.
When it is time for Octavia to give Raven her present she makes eye-contact with Lexa. They both get up and walk into the hallway. Everyone is a little confused at first but then the two girls return pushing a large box wrapped in green and red wrapping paper.
"This one is from both of us." Octavia says gesturing to the large box between her and Lexa. "This is for both you and Wick. We hope you put it to good use."
"Is it a sex swing? Because I'm pretty sure we shouldn't be encouraging them to have more sex." Lincoln says with a cheeky smile on his face.
"No, it isn't. But that probably would have been a good idea" Octavia joked.
Raven and Wick both smile at their friends' antics as they rip the wrapping paper off the box. When all the paper has been removed everyone finds an industrial sized box of baby diapers.
"What?" Bellamy is the first to speak, confusion riddling his voice. He says only what everyone else is thinking.
Raven sits with her back against the box, facing the group. Wick is right by her side. "Um. I guess now would be as good a time as any to tell you guys...um" She looks to Wick then back to her friends "We're pregnant," she says, her uncertainty showing through. It isn't long and Lexa and Octavia are both by her side, holding her.
"We were there when she first found out." Octavia explains to the group knowing that Raven doesn't currently have the strength to do so.
The whole room is silent until Clarke speaks up "This is great, Rae. You guys are going to amazing parents," she says as she moves over to console Raven as well.
"I'm so scared." Raven says through the tears.
When she says those words everyone gets up from their seats around the room to comfort her and tell Raven things like "everything is going to be okay", "you are going to be the best mom", and "we are all going to be here for you".
Everyone stops talking when Lexa speaks up and says to Raven "Not only are we teammates and friends, we are family. We are in this together, all of us. We are going to be right your side the whole time. You are not in this by yourself. You will never be alone." Everyone immediately agrees.
After they finish exchanging presents they all decide to start watching all their favorite Christmas movies, starting with Home Alone. Clarke, Lexa, Rebecca, and Lincoln all decide they have seen the movie about 14 times too many and choose to retire to their respective rooms until the movie is over.
Clarke had completely forgotten about Lexa's gift until she sees it on top of the dresser when they return to their room. But she doesn't want to pester her girlfriend about it so she talks about something else.
"It was really nice, what you did for Raven. You're a really good friend to her." Clarke says, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
"She and Wick deserve it. They are good people. They are going to raise a badass little kid." She smiles sitting on the floor in front of Clarke.
"So what does a mechanic plus an engineer equal?"
"Either Wick is going to raise him or her to be a race car driver or Raven is going to raise a little basketball player." She chuckles "I'm kind of hoping to be the godmother of a professional basketball player, so I'm counting on the latter."
Clarke laughs. She quickly decides it is now or never. She is dying to know what Lexa got her. But just as she opens her mouth to ask, Lexa gets up and moves toward the dresser.
"Ready?" Lexa says placing the box on the floor in front of the blonde.
Clarke excitedly nods and rips the box open.
Lexa watches her girlfriend carefully as Clarke examines the contents of the box. There is a small stack of old medical textbooks, about four sketch pads of different sizes, two smaller boxes (both full of colored pencils, oil paints, water colors, and brushes), there is a book about sculpting. In a plastic box are all the notes that Clarke and Lexa have passed during class (and the one time they had detention together), there are copies of all the little doodles Clarke has drawn for Lexa, even pictures of the doodles that she draws on the tables in Mrs. Hunt's class.
On top of all the contents of the box sits a card in a red envelope with Clarke written on the front of it in Lexa's handwriting. Clarke reaches down, tears already welling up in her eyes, to open and read it.
Clarke,
We have been together for five months now, but it feels like I've known you my whole life. You are unlike any other girl I have ever met. You, Clarke Griffin, are something else. You walked into class that day: hair still wet, dark circles under your eyes, and no makeup. But you still took my breath away. You continue to do so on a consistent basis. I wake up every morning and I remind myself how lucky I am that I get the sensational honor to call you mine. But just as you are mine, I am yours. I am proud to be yours. Merry Christmas.
I love you,
Your Favorite Basketball Player
Clarke has already burst into tears and Lexa is right by her side running her hand up and down Clarke's back. "I love you, Clarke." Lexa whispers softly in Clarke's ear.
"I love you too." Clarke whispers back.
Lexa brings Clarke over to their shared bed and pulls the comforter back so the blonde can climb into bed. Lexa joins her moments later. The bruneete wraps her girlfriend up in her arms, holding her close to her body.
"Is this the part where we have Christmas sex?" Lexa jokes.
"Yeah. I think so." Clarke laughs and leans up to kiss the woman she loves.
So this was a really long chapter. The girls are going to make their college choices in the next chapter and we will see what that means for Clexa. I've got a break starting here in the next couple days so I will hopefully get more chapters done. If you guys have any suggestions for the story please comment or PM me. I really appreciate your feedback. Thank you so much! Please review!
-a.s.