Happy Mothers Day! Enjoy the groveling! :)
Chapter 24
Bellamy arrived at the house to find Lincoln sitting out front with Bryce asleep in his arms. His brother-in-law's head rested against the side of the cabin and his eyes were closed.
"You are an idiot", the man said, his eyes popping open to reveal an anger Bellamy had never seen the man possess.
"I know", he replied.
"No, I don't think you do", Lincoln said in an enraged whisper, "What you put your wife and son through is despicable, and if I'd even thought about doing anything like that to Octavia then you would have beaten me to a bloody pulp again."
Bellamy stood quietly staring at his shoes, not knowing what to say.
"She is the closest thing I've had to family in a long time, so consider this your warning. You pull anything like this again and I will beat you to the point that your sister won't recognize you- that is unless she beats me to it.
"I know I messed up, Lincoln. I just thought she would be better of without me- would be better off if she hated me", Bellamy replied, his shoulders slumping.
"For some reason she still loves you and is convinced that she can't live without you. So, you get in there and fix this before I do something I might regret", Lincoln said darkly.
Bellamy entered the house, walking silently to the bedroom. He found Octavia and Raven at Clarke's bedside, both turning to glare at him.
"Look who finally decided to show up", Raven said spitefully.
O just looked at him in disappointment, taking the mechanics hand in her own and dragging her from the room.
"Fix this", she hissed as she walked past.
He drew near to the bed, his heart constricting at how pale his wife was. He sat down on the mattress, lacing his fingers with hers as he stared down at her. His other hand moved of its own accord to brush a tangled curl from her cheek.
Clarke's eyes fluttered open, her gaze settling on his features. She gripped his hand, his dark eyes flying to her face.
"I thought you were gone", she said hoarsely.
"No."
"What have I done to make you hate me, Bellamy", the blonde asked tearfully.
All of the Rebel's carefully constructed walls around his heart crumbled, and his eyes burned with unshed tears.
"I didn't think you could ever love me after all of the things I've done. I know we've both done terrible things, but you've always done what you had to for the good of our people, while I did what I have for the good of myself. I couldn't taint you, Princess, or our baby. I didn't want our child to grow up to become like me, so I thought if I could just make you hate me then…"
"Bellamy", Clarke said cutting off his words, "You are a good man, I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to say this, I love you. I love you, Bellamy Blake- for all that you are, regardless of what you've done. Those terrible things shaped you into this man- the wonderful man that you are. I love you, sweetheart and I couldn't ever hate you."
Bellamy felt hot tears roll down his cheeks, and then Clarke's cool fingers as she wiped them away.
"Please forgive me", he sobbed as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.
Clarke ran her fingers through his curls, and rubbed his back soothingly, "Always."
His tortured gaze soon returned to her face as he pulled away, "Are you ok? Is the baby…"
"We're both fine, Bell. My mom has been sent for and she'll confirm what I already know. We're still going to be parents in about seven and a half months."
Clarke felt, more than heard, his sigh of relief. She tugged on his hand, pulling him into bed with her. She snuggled into his embrace, relishing in the warmth and security she found there.
"I'm so sorry, Princess", he whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Shhh, no more. All is forgiven, and I have you back. That's all that matters", she said sleepily.
Soon they were both asleep. Octavia smiled as she entered the bedroom, her gaze falling on the couple, knowing that they was going to be just fine.
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Mel woke to warmth and a strange weight settled across her middle. Her eyes opened slowly and she stared up at the brightening sky. A hot puff of air ruffled the tendrils at her temple, tickling her face.
She turned to find Tarren wrapped around her, his soft snores the only sound. Her mind wandered to the night before, to the words she'd said. Lying there, wrapped in his embrace, she realized that she didn't deserve him.
Her thoughts turned to the woman he had loved and lost, tormenting her. That woman had deserved this, not her. She deserved her isolation after the terrible things she'd done.
Mel felt tears gather behind her eyes as she gently disentangled herself from Tarren's arms, a chill creeping into her limbs at the loss of his warmth. She stood slowly, winching as the gashes in her side pulled setting her skin ablaze.
She ignored the pain, bending to retrieve her small pack before staggering towards the towering trees and the shadows where she would spend the rest of her days. She was just about to step into the darkness when a voice stopped her.
Tarren woke to find his arms empty, fear coiling around his heart as his gaze searched frantically for the woman he loved. He finally spotted her at the edge of the clearing, her steps slow and dragging.
"You're leaving", he said accusingly
He watched as her shoulders slumped and she turned around. Her face was streaked with tears, and she looked so lost that it caused him physical pain.
"I don't deserve you", she said quietly, "You are a good man, Tarren. You deserve her, and she was taken from you. I can never…"
The Grounder was on his feet and wrapping his arms around her before she could finish her sentence. He buried his face in her hair, his words rumbling in her ear as he spoke.
"What happened to Adrea used to haunt my every waking hour", his gaze meeting hers, " I had lost the woman I loved, and I thought I would never truly live again- until I met you. You are like the sun gracing the earth with its light after the darkest of storms. None of us deserve the good we are given, and we all make mistakes. I have forgiven you, my love, and I will help you to forgive yourself. I love you, Mel, and it is you and you alone that I wish to spend my life with. Adrea is gone, but you are here and I am so thankful for your presence in my life."
Mel searched his gaze for any untruth, but found none. All she saw was the honest, earnestness of a man in love and it warmed her heart. She smiled then, going on tiptoe to capture his lips in a soft gentle kiss.
As their lips moved in unison, their breath mingling, she realized that this is what love felt like. A gentle breeze and a roaring fire, consuming her and soothing away the former hurts she'd known.
When the kiss ended, Tarren rested his forehead against her own, a smile curving his lips.
"I want to take you home with me. I want you to live among my people", he said softly.
"Tarren, I…"
"No, my love, they will accept you. I promise that no harm will come to you at the hands of my clan. You will be safe, and you will be happy", he assured her, placing a playful kiss on her nose.
Mel smiled, closing her eyes and reveling in the love of the wonderful man at her fingertips.
"Where you go, I go. I love you Tarren", she whispered softly before her breath was stolen by another searing kiss.
Thanks for reading! Please review! I love hearing from y'all! :)
Wright: Thanks for the review! I hope you enjoyed this update and the apologies that came with it! Clarke understands Bellamy better than anyone, and she knows him like she knows her own name. His fears are so easy for her to comprehend because they are so much like her own. She had hope, and her belief that he would come back to her paid off :)
