Chapter 8
“I was going to tell you.” Is the only thing Clarke can seem to say.
“I know,” Bellamy responds. “So I’m right in my assumption? She’s mine?” His voice is tense and Clarke wonders if he’s mad or just regular brooding Bellamy.
“Yeah,” Clarke answers.
“She’s six?”
“Five, but she will be six in a few months.” Clarke explains. Bellamy nods. “How did you find her?” Clarke wonders.
“I didn’t. She found me. Well she found us, specifically Lexa. She said she recognized her from all her mom’s drawings.” Bellamy tells her with a smirk. Clarke lowers her head in embarrassment.
“Lexa’s here? And everyone?” She asks, getting a bit anxious.
“Yeah, we set up camp at the drop ship a few miles away. Raven and Murphy stayed back on the Eligius ship.” Clarke remains quiet. She wasn’t even aware they were ever on the Eligius ship, but she guesses it makes sense. That must have been where Bellamy got the mug, and where the other 250 of their men are. “When Madi came, she scared the prisoners away. She popped out of the woods and only lowered her weapon when she saw Lexa. She ran right up to her and hugged her. She said that you needed help. Heda’s help.” Clarke feels embarrassed again, like she’s called out for her silly little crush. “I didn’t even know you were still alive.” Bellamy tells her. Clarke turns her body to look at him. “When this little kid popped out of the woods, I thought she must have come from the bunker. For a minute I thought she was Octavia’s. Madi looks like her at that age.” This makes Clarke smile. She had thought that Madi looked like Octavia with her dark hair and light eyes. She certainly doesn’t look like her.
“What did Lexa say?” Clarke asks. Part of her doesn’t know, but she knows she needs to.
“She didn’t say much,” Bellamy starts cautiously. “Madi was scared and just kept repeating that her mom needed help. She couldn’t remember your name.” Which makes sense to Clarke because she doesn’t remember ever telling Madi her name. “When she explained that you guys lived in the village alone for her whole life, we put it together. She wanted to come, but I saw that look in her eyes, like she wanted to kill everyone, so I thought I better come. I didn’t want her being emotional to get in the way of getting you peacefully.”
“Emotional? Was she mad?” Clarke asks.
“She wasn’t mad, necessarily. She was very Lexa about it.” Bellamy answers honestly.
“What did she say to you? Madi, I mean,” Clarke asks.
“She didn’t really say much. Does she know?” Bellamy responds, looking back at Madi through the rearview mirror.
“She knows you’re her dad, but maybe she just hasn’t put it together that you are her dad, you know? Or maybe she’s a little overwhelmed, I mean she hasn’t ever seen anyone besides me.” Clarke answers. “Do you want her to know? I mean, I feel like this was just thrown on you. But you do have a choice.”
“Of course I want her to know.” Bellamy tells her, looking at Clarke like she’s crazy. “I want to be her dad. As long as that’s okay with both you and her.” Clarke smiles at him.
“She’s really smart,” Clarke tells him. “And really silly too. She reminds me of you.”
“She’s silly so she reminds you of me?” Bellamy asks with a laugh.
“Okay, maybe not the silliness,” Clarke corrects. “Just her. When she gets grumpy with me, she gets all broody, and that’s totally you.”
“First the silliness and now the brooding? You’re really making me look great here.” Bellamy says, faking offense. Clarke laughs loudly.
“Mama?” A little voice in the backseat says.
“Oh hey, baby, sorry did I wake you up?” Clarke asks, turning around. Madi nods, and climbs up into her mom’s lap. She’s grumpy, eyebrows furrowed. Clarke points to her. “See?” Bellamy looks over and exaggerates an eye roll. It makes Madi giggle. “Hey Madi,” Clarke says. Madi turns around to look at her mom. “Do you know who this is?” She points to Bellamy. Madi shakes her head no. “You don’t know?”
“Murphy?” Madi guesses. Clarke roars with laughter.
“Ouch. That hurts. You think I’m Murphy?” Bellamy asks his daughter. Madi nods, a little less confidently.
“You’re funny.” Madi says with a little shrug. Clarke nods behind her. She makes a good point.
“I’m not Murphy,” Bellamy corrects, sending a pointed look at Clarke, who feigns innocence. “I’m Bellamy.”
“Bellamy?” Madi asks. “I’m sorry. I don’t memember your name.”
“We’re still working on our ‘r’s’” Clarke explains.
“You don’t ‘memember’ me?” Bellamy asks. “That hurts almost as bad as being confused with Murphy. I thought you said you told her about me?”
“I did,” Clarke corrects. “Madi, Bellamy,” she points, “is your daddy. Bellamy is just his other name.”
“You said he was up there!” Madi argues, pointing to the sky.
“He was,” Clarke affirms, “but now he’s down here. He came with Lexa and mommy’s other friends.”
“And Auntie O? And Grandma?” Madi asks.
“No, little one, just our friends from the sky.” Clarke explains. “But you’re daddy is right here.” She reminds her easily distracted child.
“You’re my dad?” Madi asks, turning fully to face Bellamy.
“Yep,” Bellamy answers.
“I’m Madiren!” Madi says, introducing herself, again.
“Madiren?” Bellamy asks Clarke.
“No, it’s just Madi.” Clarke answers. “She’s named after a character from a Grounder children’s book, a warrior named Madiren. I shortened it, but she still insists that her name is Madiren.” Clarke explains with a shrug.
“Madiren.” Madi repeats.
“She really likes the story,” Clarke says.
“Daddy?” Madi asks. Neither he nor Clarke are used to him being called that, and they share a look.
“Yes Madiren,” Bellamy answers. Madi’s face lights up at the name, her missing bottom teeth revealed. Her mom never calls her that, no matter how many times she requests it.
“Why did you come down here?” She asks, her eyes getting big. Just as Clarke is about to cut in and explain, Bellamy answers.
“To be with you.”