Well here's to finishing yet another story! I'd like to say a special thank you to my amazing beta Redhead17x! This wouldn't have been possible without you girlie! Thanks for all of the reading and brainstorming! You're the best chickadee! :)
Epilogue
7 Months Later…
Bellamy stumbled into the bedroom, discarding his clothing and pulling on his ragged pair of athletic shorts before slipping beneath the sheets. He'd been with the hunting party, but they'd been delayed by the blizzard howling outside.
He relaxed slowly, reaching out to pull Clarke close. At nearly nine months pregnant, her body was like a furnace and he was freezing. He'd just closed his eyes, drifting into dreamless oblivion, when something began to tap him on the shoulder.
"Princess, if this is another berry craving please go get your mother", he mumbled groggily.
"Bellamy this…", Clarke said with a wince, her breath coming in quick little pants, "This is not about berries."
Hearing the pain in his wife's voice made Bellamy instantly alert. He sprang up out of bed, running around to her side and staring down at her.
"Clarke, are you alright? What is it, sweetheart?"
The blonde felt terrible for him. She knew he was delirious with lack of sleep, and if the fear in his voice was any indication she was about to have a full blown nervous wreck on her hands.
"I'm fine, Bell, but I swear this kid is as impatient as you are. Its decided it can't wait another week to make its appearance."
Before Clarke could stop him, Bellamy was yelling for Abby at the top of his lungs. He'd insisted she come to stay with them until the baby was born, reasoning that Jackson could care for the Arkers.
The elder Griffin had been staying in the newly added room just off the main living area so she made it to the bedroom in record time. Abby came to a stop just inside the doorway to find her son-in-law pacing back and forth, one hand running through his hair and down his face.
He spun around at Clarke's gasp of pain, kneeling by the bed and taking her hand in his own. Then his tortured gaze found Abby, and a sigh of relief ruffled the curls that fell across his forehead.
"Baby, why don't you take Bryce to Raven and Wick? You can fetch Octavia and Lincoln on your way back", Clarke suggested.
She watched as her husband hesitated for a minute, "You promise not to do anything without me?"
Clarke stared at the man wondering if he'd taken leave of his senses. She then glared at her mother when Abby snorted in a botched attempt at hiding her mirth.
"I can't promise that, Bellamy, but I highly doubt this baby will be born in the thirty seconds you'll be gone", the blonde said in exasperation.
Bellamy nodded before running to grab Bryce, the front door slamming behind them seconds later.
Clarke laid back against the pillows, her mother sitting down beside her and taking her hand.
"Bless his heart, he doesn't know which way's up", Abby chuckled.
"He's tired, Mom. He's been working non-stop to make sure the house is ready. He's cleaned it from top to bottom twice in the last week, not to mention finishing the extra room, and shouldering the majority of camp responsibilities", Clarke defended, her hands fisting as another contraction seized her.
"I know, sweetie. He's a good man."
"Yes he is, and whoever says differently will answer to me and I'm not in the mood for mercy", the blonde growled.
"Ok…" Abby said, raising her hands in surrender.
Just then Bellamy raced back into the house, Lincoln and Octavia close on his tail. He came to a stop beside the bed, taking the spot Abby quickly vacated. She glanced over at the other young couple with a grin.
"He's a bundle of nerves", Octavia whispered conspiratorially to Abby, "He just ran to the house, stared at us for a minute, and then took off. I really don't think he's capable of rational thought."
Abby chuckled, "Just don't tell Clarke that. Undoubtedly, Bellamy can do no wrong at the moment and it's death to whoever says otherwise."
"Good to know", Lincoln mumbled sleepily.
Both women laughed as the Grounder shook his head, he and baby Aurora moving out to the rocking chair in the main room.
Three hours later, Clarke leaned back against Bellamy's chest, her hands gripping his tightly as her contractions began to come mere seconds apart. Sweat caused the t-shirt she was wearing to cling to her like a second skin, and she couldn't remember a time in her life when she'd been so tired.
"You're almost there, sweetie! You're doing great", Abby praised.
Clarke could feel Bellamy shaking behind her. The whole ordeal had him scared half out of his mind, and he'd barely uttered ten words. However, his support and touch were all that she needed and she suspected he knew that.
"Alright, Clarke", her mother prompted.
The blonde felt another contraction and pushed, searing pain racking her body. She labored for another fifteen minutes, which felt like an eternity, and then felt the sweetest relief as her baby came into the world.
"It's a girl", Octavia cried, tears coursing down her cheeks, "And she's beautiful!"
The room was a flurry of activity as Octavia cleaned the baby, and Abby finished up with Clarke. Soon, both mother and daughter were clean and settled together with Bellamy hovering over them.
Clarke stared up at her husband, a grin curving her lips at the look of awe that painted his features. His dark eyes hadn't left their daughter, and from the moment she'd been born he hadn't strayed three feet from her.
He'd followed Octavia as she cleaned her, never allowing the baby out of his sight. He seemed more at ease now that she and Clarke were in the same place and he could keep an eye on both of them.
"Well, Dad, you wanna hold her", Clarke asked with a smirk.
She watched as he reached out and took their little girl, their dark gazes meeting for the first time. She could tell that their daughter would have her blonde waves, but her eyes were all Bellamy.
Watching the new father/daughter duo, Clarke couldn't help but tear up. He held her with such tenderness, a soft smile curving his lips. Then his eyes hardened for a split second, and he looked up at Clarke.
"No dating until I'm dead", he growled.
Clarke couldn't help it; she laughed, or cackled might be a better word for the sound of amusement that slipped out at her husband's very serious declaration.
"Babe, I don't think that'll work", she snorted.
"It'd better! I'm not going to lose her to some 'wet behind the ears' little jerk without an ounce of good sense."
Clarke reached out, smoothing a lock of dark hair away from his eyes.
"You're never going to lose her", she whispered, "I've already resigned myself to the fact that you'll be her favorite person. You'll be the one she smiles for, giggles at, and Daddy will probably be her first word. But you know what, I'm ok with that because I wouldn't have it any other way."
Their little moment was interrupted when Raven and Wick walked in with Bryce in tow. The little boy moved to the bed, cautiously watching the little pink bundle in his father's arms.
"Do you want to hold your little sister", Bellamy asked.
When Bryce nodded, his father saw him settled against the headboard next to Clarke with a pillow under his little arms. He laid the baby down, and stood back with a smile.
"You're a natural, son", Bellamy praised earning a gapped smile from the boy.
Bryce had just lost another tooth the day before, so now there was a large space where his front top teeth should have been.
"Well what do you think buddy", Wick asked with a grin.
"I think she's beautiful", Bryce lisped.
The adults all chuckled as they watched the two children, the little boy staring down at the baby girl with a look of wonder.
"How do you feel Clarke", Raven asked, her hand moving to her small baby bump.
"Tired, but happier than I've ever been in my life."
"What about you, Bell, did you survive", the mechanic asked as she turned to the dark haired man.
She smiled as she watched him tear his gaze from his daughter, "Huh, oh yeah we made it just fine."
Raven looked at Clarke, the blonde staring up at her husband like he was the center of her universe. She turned to find Octavia watching the touching scene as well, a smile curving her lips as she stepped into Lincoln's embrace.
"Well we'd all better be going and let the three of you get some rest", Abby said with a smile.
"Come on Bryce, you can help Aunt O and I with Aurora", Lincoln called.
Bellamy took the baby back, watching as Clarke pecked their son on the cheek before sending him off with his aunts and uncles.
When the house was finally quiet, the new parents lay side-by-side smiling down at their baby girl.
"What are we going to call our little princess", Bellamy asked as he placed a feather light kiss on the baby's cheek.
"I was thinking Charlotte", Clarke whispered, her finger tracing each of her daughter's tiny fingers.
"I like it", Bellamy smiled.
"Me too."
"Princess Charlie", the Rebel grinned, "It has a nice ring to it."
"Does she have to be a princess too? Really Bellamy you're going to give us both a complex", Clarke teased.
"Yes, Princess, because I want her to be just like you", he said kissing her on the nose.
"Well that might be a problem because she's already a lot like you", the blonde grinned.
"We're in for it now", Bellamy said with a dramatic sigh.
"That we are, and what a fun adventure it will be", Clarke chuckled.
She watched as Bellamy's eyes darkened, and then one of his large hands tangled in her hair pulling her closer.
"Thank you", he whispered just before his lips captured hers in a searing kiss, "For giving me a home and a family to love."
"You're welcome sweetheart", Clarke said breathlessly.
She knew that the road might not always be smooth, and storm clouds might often blot out the sun, but as long as she had the man before her she would always be content.
"I love both my girls", Bellamy said softly, placing a soft kiss on the little hand that gripped his finger.
"We love you too, babe", Clarke said, thankful for every dark day because it'd led her to this moment with the man she loved more than life itself.
Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me your thoughts! I love hearing from you guys! :)
Wright: Thanks so much for the review! Haha! Mel definitely has her own life now, and her own man! I'm glad you liked Bellamy's conversation with Bryce! Yep, Bryce is gonna learn big brother skills from the very best! :)
