A/N: Hello faithful readers! Chapter 22 is here, and with it, a new addition to Wonkru! Enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I do not own The 100, CW Network or any content related to the book or TV series.
Bellamy mellowed out, to a degree. He was still Bellamy after all. And the months passed too quickly. Bellamy would talk to my belly every night, marvelling at how it grew, at how the baby moved. My Mom wanted to tell us the gender as we got closer to the big day, but Bellamy and I wanted to be surprised. We had started a trend, because with the new crop, came more pregnant Wonkru women. Just like the forest after Praimfiya, new growth took time, but it was plentiful.
Raven was the next to know, and then several of the bunker women. Mom was run ragged from check ups, to wounds received in training, to blisters from farm work. Octavia was warming up to Zeke, especially after he brought her a lily. Bellamy explained why Zeke had wanted extra seeds, this time flora, because some of the flowers around here were caustic to us after Praimfiya.
Bellamy was sneaking off more and more these days, always coming back like he just worked out, and covered in wood shavings. I asked him about it, and he said that it was a surprise. I was tempted to get Echo to spy on him, but he read my mind and said that she was sworn to secrecy. She had already followed him a few weeks early, wondering the same thing as me.
I was waddling through the mess hall with Nathan and Indra at my back, when I felt a sharp pain. I stopped, holding my stomach and wondering if that was my sign. Jelah smiled as I approached the counter to get my portion of dinner, when I had to stop again.
"Heda?" Indra asked, concerned.
"I need to see my Mom," I said, giving Indra a reassuring smile, "I forgot something."
Nathan knew that I was putting on a voice, so he made a path for Indra to escort me out of the Mess Hall. I was just through the door of the Dropship when I felt my water break.
"Get my Mom, it's time," I said, as Nathan helped me onto the bed, and Indra ran for my Mom.
"Once Indra comes back with Abby, I'm going to switch to find Echo and Caris."
"And Bellamy!" I panted.
"The more of us, the faster we track him down," Nathan smirked.
"And the girls, find them and make sure they are with Kane or Octavia."
I just breathed, lying back as Athena came up to sniff my belly. Her presence was calming as I waited. My Mom came in with Harper, ready to assist me. Nathan ducked out as my Mom helped me get out of my wet clothes and then sterilized her hands. Harper pulled out a fresh shirt for me, but everything else would be hidden under a sheet.
"Clarke, when did you start feeling contractions?" My Mom asked, after a moment of checking.
"About five minutes ago, why?"
"Because I'm surprised your water only just broke. You are about 5 cm dilated."
"Holy shit," I said, confused, "I thought those were just Braxton Hicks."
"How long were you having those?" Harper said, putting the transducer on my stomach.
"About three hours," I said, before realizing, "I'm an idiot."
"Not an idiot. It's normal to be confused about whether or not you are having real contractions," My Mom said, sterilizing her hands again, while I was hit with another contraction.
"Just breathe honey," She said softly, while I tried to block the pain out. I waited for Bellamy in between two more contractions, before I asked Indra if she saw Nathan from where she stood.
"No, Heda. He took off with Echo, to find Bellamy," She replied, before whispering something to my Mom.
"She's strong, and she's already done this once," She nodded to Indra, while I gritted my teeth and breathed through another contraction.
"What are you two whispering about?" I panted.
"She wanted to know if there was a chance you might not make it and if she should have Gaia nearby."
"I don't plan on dying today. I had a fucking baptism of fire seven years ago by radiation. This is nothing," I said, as I felt another coming.
"You can't blame the people for wondering if their Commander may die. They care about you Clarke. They don't want to see you suffer. Childbirth, without intervention can lead to mother and child dying. The Grounders haven't used medical equipment like we do since before the bombs. Many of their mothers die in childbirth."
"I never thought of that," I said, laying a hand on my belly and looking to Harper, "Water please?"
"Clarke!" I heard loudly from outside.
"Someone go calm him down," I said, before I heard Indra grab him and saying something lowly. A few footsteps approached the door and I looked up to see Bellamy.
"So, we are having a baby," I teased, before another contraction snuck up on me. Bellamy was by my side in an instant, taking my hand and laying a comforting one on my back.
"So, Nathan and Echo will be here in a few minutes. I've been making something," He smiled at me as I fell back on the pillows.
"What?" I asked, giving him a weary smile.
"A crib. It's taken months, because parts needed to be hand carved and enough leather to protect little hands from possible slivers, but I think I got it perfect," He said, eyes bright with unshed tears.
"We've got mere hours to go," I said, bracing for another.
"I know. And we haven't really discussed names yet," He said, as my mom and Harper gave us a bit of privacy by walking towards the door.
"Well be back in a few minutes to check up on you Clarke," Mom smiled.
"Thanks Mom."
"Well, I don't fancy a Bellamy Jr, so that's out," He joked, making me smile as the last of the contraction subsided. I sighed, "Well I chose the last one."
"Not funny, but yeah. You chose something for me," He said, holding my hand gently as he brought it to his lips in a kiss, "Now we choose something for you."
"How about we throw ideas out there and hopefully we agree on one?" I suggested, as I tried to wipe my forehead off. He grabbed a cloth and a basin of water Harper had poured, and blotted my forehead.
"Okay, well I had a couple names I liked. Some I've been dreaming about on the Ark. I only thought I was going to have one kid, but now that I have a few times to use the names…"
"Okay, lay it on me," I said, looking up at him expectedly.
"Well, Augustus was one of them. But we need names closer to Grounder names now. The old world has been dead for some time, and Wonkru needs to know we are part of them."
"Well, I'm not a huge fan of Augustus," I smiled, "A bit of a mouthful."
"How about…Atticus?" He suggested.
"It's nice, but its still a little old world."
"How about Bane?" He asked softly.
"Bane? It's a little more Grounder, so possible," I said.
"Still not feeling it. Wyatt?" He countered after a headshake.
"I like that," I said after a moment of pondering the name.
"Wyatt Jacob it is then," He said, making me stop.
"Jacob?"
"For the man who gave his life to save our people, for his grandfather," Bellamy said, wiping a tear from my eye. He had told me he found my drawings in Becca's lab, wishing he had been given the chance to meet the man that raised me. Like I wished I could have met Aurora.
"That's perfect. Now, what about girl names?" I smiled, showing him I was okay with the name he chose.
"Jules," He suggested.
"As in Julius?" I teased, before I winced at another contraction.
"Okay, what about…"
"Adela?" I said, as the contraction ended.
"Adela?" He asked confused.
"I don't know, just something I thought of when I was pregnant with Callie."
"Adela it is then. What about a middle name?"
"Adela… Vivian?"
"Eh… How about Abigail? After your mom."
"It's nice but A and A together? How about, Eve?"
"As in the Garden of Eden's Eve?" He teased. I rolled my eyes and said, "Yes."
"I like it. Adela Eve," He said, kissing me softly. I smiled before groaning.
"Another one? Those are close together Clarke. Should I get your Mom?" He asked concerned.
"She should be back soon. Oh god," I said, "This is not like the last time."
"I for one think that's good. We are together for it and your Mom is here in case something goes wrong," He said, before I yelled out in pain.
"Clarke!" Bellamy said, before I heard my Mom shout my name as well. Once the contraction subsided and I panted for air, she did a quick exam on me.
"Okay, 8cm now Clarke. Almost there," She said encouragingly.
"Seriously? I jumped 3cm? That was only like…. Gah!"
"This is fast, I know. But your baby wants to meet you guys, so a little bit of pain will be worth it."
It wasn't a little bit of pain, it was a lot. For what felt like hours, I was trying hard not to scream, as Bellamy allowed me to crush his hand. Echo and Nathan came back to drop off the crib, with a quick thank you from Bellamy before bolting outside to wait. I could hear a number of our people outside, murmuring to themselves if it was time or not. I vaguely heard someone call for Gaia, and I thought, "Am I dying?"
After being on the brink of death so many times, I could honestly say that it wasn't a feeling that I can remember vividly.
Mom said it was time to push and I whimpered, suddenly remembering that particular pain.
"On the next one, push. You know how, Clarke," My Mom said, and I nodded. Moaning lowly, I still didn't scream, knowing I had to be strong for our people. I had done this once before, after all.
Bellamy would pat down my sweaty face between pushes and I heard a strong voice outside, above the murmurs.
"Oso call raun keryon kom commanders. Huk op em yuj gon birth nes generation. Huk op em chilnes dei de Disha fyucha na na yuj, a gona gon defend Oso kru. Oso call ona Yu gon deliver Oso natblida goufa," Gaia proclaimed. I wanted to roll my eyes but my Mom said, "The head is almost out. Keep going!"
Bearing down once more, I gave it all I had, sobbing in relief when the contraction was over.
"One more for the shoulders," Mom said, and I nodded once, looking at Bellamy for strength.
"One more, and then we meet our baby," He said. I gave him a weary smile and said, "One more."
I didn't have to give as much on the last push, but I definitely felt the after burn once the baby had been pulled from me. I sank back into the mattress, exhausted from pushing. This was exactly how I remembered feeling after Callie. I could only stay awake long enough to deliver the afterbirth, clean her and myself.
A small cry made me look up, to see that my Mom and Harper were wiping the baby down and coo softly to it. As they wrapped him I saw Harper's teary smile.
"You are amazing," Bellamy said, kissing my forehead, and giving me a bright smile.
"It's a boy," My Mom said softly as she turned.
"A boy," Bellamy said, wide eyed in wonder, as my Mom laid my baby boy in my arms.
"Wyatt Jacob Blake," I whispered to him softly, hushing him with a cuddle. He was perfect. Two ears, two eyes, one nose, ten fingers, ten toes. He made a soft gurgle, trying to free his arm from the blanket but I cuddled him closer, humming to him softly as Bellamy watched, entranced with our son.
I looked up at him and motioned for him to hold out his arms. I gently laid Wyatt in his arms and rubbing his small head as Bellamy pulled back to stand up. He brought him over to the dying light, filtered in from outside. I heard a small intake of breath and knew he was crying silently.
"You have a son," I smiled.
"We have a son," He said, turning to smile at me proudly,
"Clarke, you need to deliver the afterbirth," Mom said, and I nodded to Bellamy, "Go show him off."
As Mom motioned for me to push, I heard Bellamy leave the Dropship, and a roar of cheering outside.
Once I had been allowed to relax, I was warned by my mother to try and hand pump some milk for Wyatt. Once the party started outside, I asked Indra to bring the girls to me. Bellamy came back in with Wyatt and I used a syringe to feed him his first milk, as Callie and Madi tip toed inside our home.
"Come meet your brother girls," I smiled to them. Madi beamed with pride as she took in the bundle against my chest, and Callie was wide eyed in wonder.
"He's so small," She whispered.
"He is. But he will grow and be as big as you one day," Bellamy said softly, bringing Callie to sit on his lap to get a better view of their brother. Madi looked up at me and said, "What is his name?"
"Wyatt Jacob Blake."
"Wyatt," She said softly to herself, before leaning down to kiss the crown of his head.
"Gaia wanted to know if you would be okay with a blessing tomorrow," Mom asked as she packed up her stuff.
"It's Grounder tradition, that each child is blessed into their clan. Babies symbolize prosperity," Madi said softly at Bellamy's confusion.
"I am all for it. What about you Daddy?" I teased him.
"She's already prophesied he is a warrior for our people, so what's the harm," He smiled.
Wyatt gave a soft coo, and Callie giggled, "He makes funny noises."
"You made those noises when you were little. Your Mom would let me listen to them over the radio, and they melted my heart every time," Bellamy said, gently cupping the back of Wyatt's head, and rubbing a thumb over the tiny tuft of hair.
"Would you guys like to hold him?" I asked the girls. Madi nodded, "Yes please."
I got Madi to sit down beside me and Bellamy showed her how to hold her arms to cradle his head and bum, so he would be safe. She held her breath slightly as I placed him in her arms, and gazed in wonder at her baby brother.
"That's it," Bellamy smiled proudly at her. She beamed up at us, before looking down to study him once more. While she held Wyatt, I looked over at the crib Bellamy made. I hadn't been able to study it very well, but I held back my tears as I took in the design. It would rock slightly, from the rounded bars on the bottom, and it was tall enough that I didn't need to bend over too much.
The sides were solid wood, smoothed and polished, with small bits of missing at the corners and lashed together with leather strips. Inside was lined with soft furs and an intricate design above where his head would lay.
"I was making a mobile, but it's not ready yet," Bellamy said, noticing where my gaze was.
"Its perfect. More than I had before," I said, and his smile faltered. It was still a sore subject, the knowledge that Callie slept in a cabinet drawer for her first few months of life. That I had nothing else but what I had when I was trapped in the lab with. I would have left the lab to find something else, if I had known the sensors were off in the lab. I would have withstood the radiation that was still outside, because Madi did.
"Callie, do you want to hold Wyatt?" Madi asked, making Callie nodded vigorously. She sat down, waiting patiently as Daddy taught her how to hold him. Bellamy did the transfer, as Madi wasn't feeling confident quite yet.
Callie held hims softly, smiling up at me in excitement.
"When can we play with him?" She asked softly.
"Not for a while yet. When he is crawling, we have to make sure there is nothing sharp that he can hurt himself on, and when he is walking, we need to make sure he can't fall anywhere hard. Babies are really delicate for the first year," Bellamy said.
"Was Auntie O like that Dad?" Madi asked.
"Yes. But we had to be very careful that she didn't cry. If she made a noise…"
"That's a story for when you are older Callie. I'm sure your Dad will tell you all about it, your next father-daughter hunting trip Madi," I said, catching Bellamy's eye. He looked thankful, realizing he couldn't tell Callie such a dark story.
"But Wyatt is going to cry, and you mustn't get frustrated with him. He doesn't know how else to communicate with us, until he is maybe a year, he is going to cry to let us know something is wrong," I said, as Wyatt started fussing a bit. Callie nodded, handing him off to Bellamy, who handed him to me.
"Your Mom and your brother need to sleep now. You girls should get ready for bed," Bellamy said, "We can all visit again tomorrow."
"Bellamy, call Ares in. He isn't back from gallivanting off at lunch," I said, as Athena whimpered from the foot of the bed.
He shooed the girls up the ladder to their level, and then went outside to howl loudly over the noise of the partying.
I couldn't hear Ares' responding howl, but Bellamy came back in and said, "He should be here soon."
Athena sniffed at Wyatt's head and gave him a small lick before sitting down next to my side. Ares was back in a few minutes later, carrying a bone with meat still attached.
"Did Ona let you into the bones again?" I teased him. He dropped it in front of his sister and gave a tilt of his head to Wyatt, asleep in my arms.
"Fyucha nou dina," I said, and he sniffed Wyatt once, before huffing and licking him like Athena had done.
"Well, there goes that problem," Bellamy joked, and then calling up the ladder, "Girls, you better be getting ready."
"We are!"
"Alright Heda, you get some rest. I will wake you when he needs feeding," He said softly, taking Wyatt from my arms and kissing my lips.
"First sign," I smiled softly, shifting down, and laying my head back on my pillow.
"Of course. Just rest."
Translations:
Oso call raun keryon kom commanders. Huk op em yuj gon birth nes generation. Huk op em chilnes dei de Disha fyucha na na yuj, a gona gon defend Oso kru. Oso call ona Yu gon deliver Oso natblida goufa - We call on the spirits of the Commanders. Give her strength to deliver the next generation. Give her peace that this baby will be strong, and a warrior to defend our people. We call on you to deliver our nightblood child.
Fyucha nou dina - Baby not food
