I'm back! I'm so so sooooo sorry it's taken me so long to update! I really don't like this chapter, but I can always take it out later. I just really wanted to cover Christmas. I'm hoping I'll be able to get inspired to get this story finished, but in the mean time… Enjoy the latest update and Merry Christmas! :D
Chapter 21
The days began to tick by, Clarke began to heal and Bellamy had stopped looking over his shoulder. It was Christmas Eve, the house was decorated beautifully thanks to Clarke's careful instructions.
Raven had flipped when she'd seen the ring, while Octavia and Lincoln had just shared a knowing smile. AJ had declared that, "It was about time," and Wick had just congratulated them both with a hug and a handshake.
Bellamy was just putting the last few gifts he and Clarke had managed to wrap the night before under the tree when AJ burst in the front door, his toboggan askew and his cheeks ruddy from the cold.
"Guess what," the little boy shouted, practically jumping up and down in his excitement.
"What," Bellamy grinned, giving all of his attention to the boy.
"Uncle Wick built me a sled on wheels," AJ cried, spinning around with his little hands in the air.
Bellamy's eyes widened, and he looked to the doorway of the kitchen to find Clarke smirking and shaking her head.
"You can only ride it if Uncle Wick or Bellamy is with you, understood," she said firmly, AJ's excitement ebbing only slightly.
"Yes mam," he yipped before dashing out the door.
Bellamy shook his head, then turned back to arranging presents under the tree. This would be the first Christmas he and his sister would have with actual family. Their others had either consisted of him trying to keep his mother out of the spiked eggnog, or he and Octavia celebrating alone.
This Christmas was like a celebration out of a fairytale. Clarke had out done herself with the decorations, although he had put them up for her. She'd been baking almost nonstop, and the house smelled exactly as it should at this time of year- of gingerbread and cinnamon.
He felt like for the first time he was going to be able to give his sister a real Christmas, and he had Clarke to thank for that. They'd always had plenty of presents, he'd made sure of that, but this year just felt different- it felt more like family and home.
Bellamy felt two arms wrap around him, her fingers locking over his stomach as her head came to rest at the middle of his back.
"You were thinking awfully loud over here," Clarke murmured into his sweater.
Bellamy turned, kissing her on the forehead, "I was just thinking that this will be the best Christmas O and I have ever had."
He watched as sadness crept into Clarke's gaze, her hold on him tightening, "I'm sorry you didn't have a happy childhood."
Bellamy shrugged, "I'm just happy I was able to make things better for O. I wouldn't have wanted any of what I experienced for her."
"You're an amazing father, Bell," Clarke said with a grin, tilting her head, "and I can't wait until we have a little dark haired boy just like you."
He laughed at that, kissing her soundly before resting his forehead against hers, "I don't know. I was hoping we'd try for a little blonde haired girl just like her mother."
Clarke hugged him tight, smiling against his chest. She didn't know how he always knew just what to say. Thinking back on her life with Finn, her ex had always wanted a boy. At the time she had too. She'd wanted to give her husband what he wanted, but in her heart she'd always wanted a little girl. To hear Bellamy voice her thoughts, it just made her feel excited for their future.
"Well, I have to get back to the kitchen. Why don't you come assist me," Clarke grinned, watching as Bellamy's signature Blake smirk tilted his lips.
"Mmmm," he hummed, nuzzling her neck, "I think that's a marvelous idea."
Later, Clarke briefly regretted asking Bellamy to help her in the kitchen- not because he wasn't a help, but because he was a beautiful distraction. Her hands kept finding reasons to reach out and touch him, a bit of flour on his cheek, or a smudge of chocolate on his lip. Her eyes followed his every movement, lips curving in a smile as he concentrated on a recipe.
Raven entered without her knowing, and when she looked up her friend was grinning from ear to ear.
"You're so gross," Raven mouthed with a wink.
"So are you," Clarke mouthed back, wrinkling her nose.
Raven laughed out loud, startling Bellamy.
"How long have you been here," he asked, wiping the flour from his hands with a nearby towel.
"Not long, but long enough," Raven smirked.
"Ooookay," Bellamy said, rolling his eyes and mumbling under his breath.
"Are the kids ready for dinner? I think we're just about done in here," Clarke said, her gaze once again drawn to Bellamy.
"Yeah," Raven said with a shake of her head, "They're ready. Are you two going to stop making goo-goo eyes at each other?"
Clarke blushed, "Just get the kids, Rae."
"Fine, I'm going," Raven huffed.
Soon the kids, along with Abby and Kane, came marching into the house discarding coats and scarves with faces wreathed in smiles. Wick and AJ were in deep discussion about the sled, the engineer's enthusiasm matching that of the little boy's.
"We're starving," Octavia groaned as she entered the kitchen, walking up to Clarke and wrapping her arms around the woman.
Clarke hugged her close, smoothing a few fly away brown curls away from her face.
"Well you're brother and I have dinner almost finished. Why don't you kids set the table?"
"Yes mam," Lincoln called, ushering AJ to the sink to wash their hands.
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Later, after dinner had been finished and put away, Clarke sat curled against Bellamy's side on the couch. Her mother and Kane sat on the love seat, and Wick and Raven had occupied the recliner.
They all listened in rapt attention as AJ read The Night Before Christmas, his voice dipping and swaying with the rhyme. His blue eyes were trained on the pages, one small finger following the path of the sentences the way he'd been taught.
"Very good, little man," Bellamy praised when he'd finished, the boy crawling into his lap.
Clarke kissed her son, "Now it's time for bed."
"Awww, Mom," AJ whined, "I want to stay up with everyone else."
"We're going to be soon," Bellamy promised, tousling his hair.
"Alright," the boy conceded, "Goodnight."
"Give everyone hugs, then off to bed," Clarke said, accepting her hug as he moved on to Abby and Kane.
When he'd made his way back to Clarke and Bellamy, he gave a little bow and a flurried "Goodnight" before racing for the stairs.
"He's such a little rascal," Abby said with a chuckle, "A lot like you at that age."
"Oh do tell," Bellamy smirked, tugging Clarke closer.
"The demure young woman you see before you, was once a little girl who absolutely hated to go to bed. I would try everything I knew to bribe her, entice her, or threaten her to get her up to her room. I could never do anything to budge her, but Jake was the expert. He would promise her a bedtime story, and away she'd go following him up the stairs. I'd stand just outside her door and listen to him as he performed different voices, and waved his hands around like a mad man. She loved it though."
"Sounds like someone else I know," Clarke grinned, "Bellamy is a marvelous story teller. In fact some of the tales AJ was spouting earlier were adaptations of a few of Bellamy's stories."
"Oh yeah," Octavia smiled, "Bell's the best."
"I don't know," Wick said, tapping his chin, "I always thought I was the best."
Raven rolled her eyes, "Kyle, you know I love you, but anything right brain related has never really been your forte…"
"Hey! I can be right brained," Wick argued, "Just the other day I was rebellious and wore two different colored socks!"
Raven stared at him for a moment before deadpanning, "One was black and the other was blue wasn't it?"
Wick was quiet for a moment, and then sighed, "Fine, but it was dark and I couldn't see!"
Everyone burst out laughing, Kyle's face turning an adorable shade of pink.
"Don't feel bad, Wick," Clarke said, "Bellamy wore a t-shirt backwards for three hours the other day."
"I was tired," Bellamy said in his own defense, "And it was dark in my room!"
"But you should have been able to feel it," Clarke argued.
"We can't all be perfect, Princess," he said, arms folded and a childish pout forming at his lips.
"Don't worry, sweetheart, I love you even though you don't know how to dress yourself," Clarke said, her voice sticky sweet as she patted his arm.
"Ugh, women!" Bellamy and Wick said in unison.
"I think we should be heading home," Abby said, turning to Kane after the laughter had died down.
"Thanks for coming," Clarke said as she followed them to the door.
"Thanks for the invite," Abby smiled as she hugged her daughter.
"We'll see you tomorrow," Bellamy called from the living room just before the door shut.
"Time for us to head out too, my love," Raven said as she stood, pulling Wick with her, "I've still got presents to wrap…"
"Shame, shame," Clarke smirked, plopping down next to Bellamy.
"Oh you're one to talk," Raven said with a shake of her head, "I remember years when I was forced to stay up all night with you to wrap the boys' gifts because you hadn't done any of it!"
"It was only like once or twice," Clarke retorted.
"Liar," Raven muttered before bending to kiss Clarke on the cheek, "We'll see you tomorrow morning bright and early."
"Bye Aunt Rae! Bye Uncle Wick," Lincoln called as the couple left.
"Alright, time for bed," Clarke declared after the door was locked for the night, "AJ is going to be up early wanting to open presents."
Both teens said their goodnights before shuffling off to their rooms, leaving the adults alone. Clarke sighed, cuddling into Bellamy's side as she laid her head ear over his heart to listen to the steady thrumming.
"Bed time, Princess," Bellamy whispered.
"Goodnight, Bell," Clarke said, kissing his jaw before making her way to her room.
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True to form, AJ woke up at ten after six running through the house yelling, "It's Christmas! It's Christmas!"
Clarke and Lincoln came from their rooms, Octavia close behind Clarke. They all watched as the little boy raced down the stairs to wake up Bellamy, only to find him in the kitchen with freshly made muffins.
Clarke called Raven, and she and Wick arrived just fifteen minutes later laden down with presents for the kids. Abby and Kane would come by for lunch, so the kids were turned loose on the presents while the adults huddled over strong cups of coffee.
As Clarke watched Bellamy with her sons, she couldn't help but think that she'd never been happier. This was the family she'd wanted her whole life, and a big part of it was due to Bellamy.
She knelt down behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest, and rested her chin on his shoulder. She watched as AJ opened one present after another, expressing excitement, gratitude, and then excitement again.
"I love you, Clarke," Bellamy whispered, his hands coming to rest over hers where they lay against his chest.
"I love you too, Bellamy, so much," she replied, her heart overflowing with love for her family.
Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you thought!
A BIG thank you to all of you who've been reviewing! I'm so sorry I haven't been diligent in getting back to you!