Chapter 25

Jane's delivery in space was pretty much the same as on earth. But without Clarke. The only person still here that had been with her when she had Octavia was Harper. And Harper stayed with Jane through the whole thing. It took hours. Raven was also there to help them, and they had locked the door, keeping Bellamy and the others outside. Bellamy stopped counting how many times he had paced the hall in front of the medical bay. How he wished to be in there with Jane. But all he could hear were screams and groans and Harper and Raven telling her to push and that it would be okay. Bellamy tried to kick the door open more than once, and Murphy and Monty tried to calm him down.

But after eight hours, Bellamy finally heard a tiny baby's cry. He froze. This was it. His second child was born. He stared at the door, waiting.

A few minutes later, Raven came out with a huge smile on her face. "You can go in, Bell."

He didn't need to be asked twice. "I got this," he said in his deep voice. He walked inside and saw Jane on the bed, exhausted, and holding a tiny bundle in her arms. Harper was taking away the bloody towels and washing her hands in the basin. She glanced at him and smiled, but he didn't notice. He only had eyes for his wife and newborn child.

Jane looked up to Bellamy and smiled. "You have a son," she whispered.

Bellamy couldn't contain his joy and a sob escaped him. He wiped the tears away from his face and sat on the bed next to her. She was breast feeding her baby and he simply stared at the two most important people in his life, right now. When Jane was done feeding him, she looked at Bellamy.

"You wanna hold him?"

Bellamy nodded and Jane placed their baby son in his arms. "Atticus," he said softly, giving him the name they had agreed upon it if was a boy.

Jane smiled, let her head fall back in exhaustion and closed her eyes. "Atticus," she repeated, trying her son's name on her lips for the first time for real. They both stayed like this, not moving, and not making any noise for some time. Harper was still cleaning up around them.

A soft nock on the door made Atticus jump in his daddy's arms. "Come in," Bellamy called out, and the baby started crying, startled by his father's deep voice. Bellamy stood and walked around the room to calm him down.

One by one, the others came into the room and stood all around Jane's bed.

"Let me introduce you to Atticus Blake," Bellamy said proudly.

All around the Blakes, the other uncles and aunts grinned proudly at this new little bundle of joy. They all asked if Jane and the baby were okay, and were relieved to learn that both were safe and in good health.

By now, everyone knew Monty and Harper were trying to have a baby. But so far, no luck. Harper sometimes complained that the IUD was useless and should never had had it in the first place. What she was barren? She did have a family thing going on. But barren? They hoped not. Although they both loved Jane and Bellamy dearly, it was hard for them to stand here with the others and look at their newborn son. And Harper had gone throught the delivery with Jane.

Murphy looped his arm around Emori's shoulders. "So, when's our turn?" he said, looking with envy at baby Atticus.

Emori burst out with a forced laugh. Then she stopped and looked at John. "You're serious."

"Yeah," he said tentatively, taking his arm off of her. "Sorry I brought it up." He shrugged it off. But Emori was not done with him.

"You want a baby?" she asked again to be sure.

Murphy tucked his fists in his pockets and shrugged. "We'll talk about this later." He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "This isn't the right time, Em."

"You think so? Then you shouldn't have brought it up, John. You know I can't."

"Look, let it go, okay? It was just a joke."

"No, it didn't seem like a joke, John. I know well enough to know when you're not joking."

"Guys," Harper said. "If you're gonna scream at each other, you better do that outside. Atticus is squirming in Bell's arms."

"Yeah, we might just do that," Emori said, grabbing John's arm and pulling him out of the room. "Come on."

The rest of the group was silent – except for Atticus who had started to cry in Bellamy's arms – as Murphy and Emori left the room. Jane was exhausted but she still held out her arms for Bellamy to hand her their baby boy.

"It's okay, Jane. I got this." Jane closed her eyes again and let Bellamy handle Atticus for now. She wanted her son back, but she didn't have the energy to fight anymore. She let her body relax against the pillow and blankets. Sleep was slowly claiming her.

"Jane, are you okay?" Echo said, frantic, thinking that Jane was slowly dying. Too many women in Azgeda had died in childbirth.

"It's okay," Harper said. "She's been in labor for eight hours. She's exhausted. She just needs some sleep." She chuckled. "If it's like when she had Octavia, she'll be up and about before you know it."

Bellamy laughed softly, still walking around the room to soothe his baby boy. "She was just crazy. There's no reason for her to be up and about, up here. There isn't much to do. I'd rather she rested as long as she needed."

"Yeah, I second that," Raven said.

"I third that," came a small sleepy voice.

Bellamy smiled and looked at wife. "We should let her sleep."

"But maybe in a better bed?" Raven said. "She would be better in your room."

"Right." Bellamy handed Baby Atticus to Harper. "I'll carry her there." He pulled her blankets away and carried her in his arms. Monty opened the door for them and Harper followed behind with the Newborn. Raven and Echo stayed behind to take out the dirty sheets from the medical bed. They decided to throw them away. Cleaning off the blood would be a waste of time if they had dozens of other sheets and beds on the Ring.

In the distance, they could still hear Emori and Murphy yelling at each other.

"If these two get out of this fight unscathed, it's a miracle," Raven said.

"It's not the first time," Echo replied.

"Yeah, but I think this was just the final straw, Murphy talking about having a baby and all. Emori can't have children. And I don't think she ever will."

"I'm afraid she's not going to survive space," Echo said.

"Why not? You're surviving it."

Echo chuckled. "I'm – was – a spy. I adapt to people and places. Emori was cast away as an infant. She never fit anywhere." She paused. "The only place she ever fit was with Murphy. And I don't know how that will end up, to be honest."

Raven and Echo were silent for a long moment. When they were finished cleaning up, they heard Monty over the speakers. "Dinner's ready, folks."

They all headed to the dining area. All but Jane and Atticus – who were sleeping – and Emori – steaming off. Murphy was there alone. Monty looked at him expectantly, and Murphy shook his head.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Bellamy asked.

Murphy sighed heavily. "She said we were over."

"Don't worry," Monty said. "She'll come back."

"Not this time," John said. "I'm afraid I crossed a line I can't uncross."

"What? Mentioning having a baby?" Bellamy said.

Murphy nodded. "Yeah. And I knew I shouldn't have said it. People like her, called 'a stain in the bloodline' can't have children. And I knew it. I just forgot."

"Can't or won't?" Raven asked, to be sure.

"Can't. The abnormality was due to the radiation. And people like her can't have children. And I knew it," he said, banging his fist on the table. "I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that."

After that, they were all silent for a moment, eating in silence.

"How's Jane?" Harper asked Bellamy.

"Sleeping. She's exhausted and weak, now."

"But she's strong," Raven said. "Don't worry."

x-x-x

Less than a week later, Jane was up and about with baby Atticus secured on her back with a makeshift baby carrier made out of bed sheets. The others loved the new arrival to Skaikru, and would always fight over who would carry him next.

Emori stayed alone in a room for a few days. She knew she could never have a child, and she thought John loved her for who she was, not what she was. It felt as though he loved her only because she was a woman and could have a child. And that hurt her more than anything. But John didn't think that way. Of course, he had loved her on Earth. But up here in Space? It was different. Emori didn't really fit, here. They had drifted apart as the weeks and months passed. But Murphy's question about their turn to have a baby was the last straw. Emori couldn't handle it anymore. And neither could Murphy.

But now he felt free. He could do whatever the hell he wanted. Whenever the hell he wanted and with whomever the hell he wanted. And that was a great feeling.

x-x-x

One night, Jane and Bellamy were lying down in the darkness of their room, their two-months-old baby boy sleeping in a makeshift crib nearby. He had his arms around Jane and her cheek was pressed on his chest. She tried to breathe at the same time as he did, two hearts beating as one. She gently ran her fingers on his muscled arms and stumbled upon a familiar mark.

"Trikru," she whispered. "Now who's the oxymoron?"

Bellamy heard the smile in her whisper, and tshey both chuckled.

"The mark's useless, now."

"Don't say that, Bell. It's a reminder of what we went through on the Ground." She ran her index finger on the pattern scared on his arm. "And it's a reminder of who you are. You're Trikru."

"I'm Trikru because it was the only way to protect you," he said softly, his lips tickling her hair.

"You wouldn't have done it, otherwise?"

"I don't know. But as a certain someone said once, every stupid decision I took was to protect you and Octavia."

"Having your arm marked wasn't a stupid decision. It was wise. It helped save all our lives."

"Not all," he said, his head falling on the pillow.

"Bell. Listen to me." She waited for him to look at her, even in the darkness. "You did the best you could. I don't know what we would have done without you. Or Clarke, for that matter. Both of you kept us alive. And I know we sometimes take it for granted, but I never properly thanked you for all you did." She paused, and placed a light kiss on his lips. "I love you," she whispered.

He kissed her back, one hand on the back of her neck, and rolled her under him. He kissed her again and again, not stopping until they were both out of breath…