What He Left Behind

Chapter 17

BELLAMY POV

2 October 2155

I wake to warm rays of sunlight beating down onto my face. Clarke's head is on my shirtless chest, my arm is wrapped around her, just as we were when we fell asleep last night. I kiss her temple lightly, not wanting to wake her up, and then I simply watch her sleep for a while.

The past day has been a whirlwind. I came home to this planet only to find out that not only is Clarke alive, she found a child and gave birth to two more. I'm a father,I think, smiling. I never told her this, our relationship before didn't exactly pave the way for this conversation, but I've always wanted to be a father. Maybe it's because I practically raised Octavia, but I knew pretty early on that I wanted to have a kid one day.

Growing up on the Ark, though, I never imagined having more than one kid. I didn't want to subject any child of mine to growing up under the floor like Octavia had to. If the twins had been born on the Ark, well, they wouldn't have been born on the Ark. They would've forced us to terminate one of the embryos. We would've had Augustus or Aurora, not Augustus andAurora. We certainly wouldn't have Madi. But here, on the ground, the old population laws don't matter.

I have three kids, and none of them have to hide in fear of being discovered. I still can hardly believe it. I glance at the woman I love, silently thanking her again. I'm thankful that the twins were born on the ground so both of them could live. I've only been home for a day, I've only been a father for a day, yet I can no longer imagine my life without any of my three children. Clarke stirs next to me, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Good morning princess," I whisper, kissing her on the forehead. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I have since we got to the ground six years ago. You make a really good pillow, Blake."

"Glad to know you're only using me for my usefulness as a pillow, Griffin," I chuckle, tilting her chin upwards so I can give her a good morningkiss."I love you, you know that princess?"

"You only told me a thousand times last night," she feigns annoyance, but then gets serious again. "I love you too, Bellamy. I love you so much."

"Should we go get the kids and bring them home for breakfast?"

"Actually, I have a better idea," she says suggestively. "They're with the others, they're safe, and there are plenty of berries in that field for breakfast. Who knows, they might not be back for hours."

"What exactly are you suggesting, Miss Griffin?"

"I think you already know, Mr. Blake," she says my name mockingly as she leans in to kiss me.

We spend a long time reacquainting ourselves with each other, both of us trying to relearn what makes the other tick. We take it slow, no longer feeling the ticking clock of the apocalypse racing against us.

"God, I wish I could wake up to this every morning," Clarke sighs happily.

"Who's to say you can't? Clarke, I just spent five and a half years without you in my life. Now that we're together again, nothing can keep me away from you for more than a few minutes, not even sleep."

"I love you so much, Bell."

"I love you too, princess," I tell her. She snuggles closer to me and we lay contentedly for a few more minutes before the kids come running into the cabin.

"Mommy, daddy!" They yell, racing to jump onto the bed.

"Hey, kiddos, how was your sleepover?" I ask.

"It was so fun! Uncle Murphy is so funny!" Augustus says, laughing.

"Aunt Raven and Aunt Emori and Auntie Harper let me braid their hair!" Madi says. "Dad—I mean, Bellamy, can I braid your hair? Your hair is long too."