Everything To Lose

Chapter 14

"That could have gone worse" Raven said with a chuckle as she and Clarke had started laying out the table.

"ARE YOU KIDDLING ME RIGHT NOW RAVEN! Lexa thinks Aden is Bellamy's son. Lexa thinks I conceived from the night I cheated on her. Lexa thinks I carried someone else's baby for 9 months and I've been raising him for the past 4 years! It couldn't have gone worse than that."

"Well, isn't part of that true?" Raven said while deep in thought. Clarke looked at her in complete irritation.

"Okay okay. Jokes aside, you have 30 days ahead of you to clear every misunderstanding between you two" said Raven.

"You saw what I've done to her Raven. She won't let me talk. She's not going to listen to me" said Clarke, sighing in defeat.

Raven put down the glasses in her hand and went up to Clarke. "Talk to her tonight after dinner. We'll make ourselves sparse. Anya and I could entertain the kids in their room until they tire themselves out and we can tuck them in for the night."

"I'll try. I doubt she wants to even look at me after what just happened"

"Speaking of what just happened. The locket!"

Clarke's eyes widened as she recalled. "I KNOW"

"Aden had it with him this whole week!" Raven said

"But neither of them seem to know what's inside it!" Clarke exclaimed.

"What's inside what?" came a small voice from near the staircase.

"Madi" the women were startled by her sudden appearance and hoped she hadn't heard too much of their conversation.

"Oh nothing. We were just talking about the dessert that's inside the fridge" Raven said, saving them.

"Ooo what is it?" Madi asked excitedly

Now that she hadn't thought through.

Honestly, they didn't know what to say. Because they had planned on ordering dessert from a nearby restaurant.

"uhh...ice cream" Raven said but at the same time Clarke nervously mumbled "Pie"

Madi looked at them, confused.

"Ice cream pie. It's a new type of dessert" Raven said.

"Wow. Did you make it, Clarke?" Madi asked.

"Yes, yes she did" Raven said to Madi.

"Awesome, can't wait to try some!"

"Did you want something dear?" Raven asked her.

"Not really, I just wanted to know some stories about mommy when she was younger."

Raven laughed and Clarke seemed too amused.

"Well, you're a curious little one aren't you?" Raven said as she leaned down and gave Madi a sweet kiss on her cheek.

"Madi!" came Lexa's voice from upstairs.

"Coming, mommy" she replied loudly.

"Okay got to go, the boss has summoned." the little one said and hurried upstairs.

Raven looked at Clarke and raised her eyebrows. "I think this is going to be a fun month!"

Aden sat at the head of the table, Clarke on his right, Madi on his left, Lexa beside her, Raven beside Lexa. Anya beside Clarke.

Once food was served and Clarke and Raven were in their seats and everyone had started serving themselves, Raven felt the need to mention out loud

"Lexa, you're going to love this, Clarke spent all day with this one. Madi, has your mom ever told you how much she loves pot roast?"

"It's nothing, really..." Clarke began to say when Lexa interrupted while serving herself some salad.

"I don't like pot roast anymore."

A tense silence followed. Where Clarke sat frozen starting at Lexa. There was no way in hell that was true and Clark so badly wanted to call her out on it.

Anya was about to say something to fill the silence when

"Mom, can I have some?" came Aden's soft voice, it distracted Clarke and it was enough for now. She served him some and he began to eat happily

"I'd like to try some" said Madi. And it brought a smile to Clarke's face. "Sure, honey" Clarke said to her as she served her some on her plate too. Aden was a lot messier while eating and Clarke would often reach out to wipe his cheeks with a napkin and feed him now and then.

Madi however, seemed to have no trouble eating on her own. It allowed Lexa to catch a few moments where she could watch Clarke's interactions with Aden. She caught herself staring so many times and she was sure if Clarke wasn't so busy with Aden she would have noticed the way Lexa was staring. It was different to see this Clarke. Very... domestic.

4 years ago she was used to the idea of Clarke coming home in the evenings after a day at the gallery and cooking up a nice dinner. But this, this was something else, watching Clarke look after a son. It warmed Lexa's heart though she would hate to admit that. She wondered what it must have been like for Clarke, 9 months of pregnancy, nursing a new born, raising him to be this sweet little human being, Lexa suddenly felt like she'd missed out on so much.

But then she looked over at her little one. Madi was her stronghold. Madi had been her everything in these past 4 years. She'd raised Madi, but Madi helped her grow. Everything she ever did now was centred on Madi. And she wondered if she had space to care for 2 more blue eyed wonders. She quickly shook the thought away when she was reminded of why these 4 years stood between them in the first place. And anger took over her again.

Before she could blurt out something rude and inappropriate again, she tried to get her mind off Clarke and pay attention to what Raven and Anya were talking about now.

"Oh yea, you must come to the gallery. Clarke's extended the space. She's put up so much more work since the last time you may have seen it" Raven was telling Anya.

"Wow, Clarke. Let's do this. When can I come by?" Anya asked Clarke.

"I want to come too" chirped Madi with excitement.

"We could go tomorrow..."Clarke said with a smile. And then looked towards Lexa "that's if you're mom's fine with it"

"Fine with it? She'll be happy to come with, won't you Lexa?" Anya asked her. Trying hard to make Lexa participate in civil conversation.

Lexa looked around the table, expectant eyes on her.

"Yea yea, sure. It's been a while I've seen some art."

It made Clarke smile. Lexa had always been appreciative of her work. That gallery itself held so many memories of them. How they'd made love in the back room multiple times. How Lexa was a subject of so many of Clarke's paintings. How most of those canvases were framed in their bedroom, and were now still kept safe in Clarke's closet. If it were up to her she would have still had them up, but Aden would ask too many questions and she wasn't sure if Lexa would ever meet her son.

"Great. So it's a date" said Raven.

All eyes turned to her. Clarke's were more like daggers.

"...a date of about 6 people" Raven said nervously.

Anya laughed and then the kids followed. Lexa simply smiled and continued eating her salad.