Listen to What I Have to Say
“I don’t know about this, Clarke” Lexa said, adjusting Arryn’s hat on her head. “Look at them, Clarke. They don’t deserve this” The nurse at the front desk chuckled at Clarke’s exacerbated expression. “They’re too young” Clarke ignored her, signing the twins in. The nurse gave her the forms as Lexa continued her rant. “It can wait until they’re older. What are they chances of them getting any of these diseases? They can’t even walk” Clarke tugged her into the waiting room, shaking her head at her fiancée. Clarke sat their stuff down on the seat and pulled Leif out of his car seat. Arryn lifted her head off Lexa’s shoulder, giggling as Lexa tickled her side. “Do we have to Clarke?”
“We put this off for a month. They need their shots. If we hadn’t waited, they would only need two instead of three and they still have to come back next month” Clarke explained, filling out the forms in front of her. “Did you pack the Tylenol?”
“Yeah” Lexa sighed, rubbing Arryn’s back. “How are you so calm about this? If I had ovaries, they’d be aching right now”
“I hate this as much as you do, but I don’t want them getting sick if I can prevent it” Clarke finished the forms then handed off for Lexa to sign. “Can you turn those in when you’re done?” Lexa nodded, signing the papers quickly before walking back up to the front desk.
“What are the chances we picked the same doctor for our kids?” Lexa spun around at Costia’s voice. Costia steps away from the man and infant boy beside her to stand beside Lexa, catching sight of Arryn on her shoulder. “Who is this pretty little thing?” She reached up to touch Arryn’s cheek, causing the infant to burrow further into Lexa’s neck. “My bad” Costia raised her hand up in surrender.
“Sorry, she doesn’t let a lot of people touch her” The man who was with Costia signed in and walked into the waiting room, leaving them alone. “Your boyfriend?”
“Yeah, his name is Ryder. Where’s your girlfriend?”
“Clarke’s in the waiting room” Lexa pointed back towards the room. “How old is your son?”
“Ten months. Yours?” The two walked side by side into the room.
“They just turned three months”
“They?” Lexa nodded, pointing at Leif, who was giggling in Clarke’s lap. “Twins! I don’t envy you but congratulations anyways” Lexa sat next to Clarke.
“Look who I ran into” Clarke looked away from Leif and smiled at Costia.
“Hey, what are the chances?” Clarke said.
“I know, right? Three month check up?”
“Shots” Costia grimaced.
“I remember when Dylan got his, I think it was more painful for me than him” Lexa frowned at Costia’s response, producing a laugh from the girl. “They’re going to be fine. It’ll be over before you know it”
“Alexander and Arryn Woods!” Lexa sighed deeply at the nurse’s call. Clarke grabbed Leif’s bag, slinging it over her shoulder, and motioned for Lexa to follow. Lexa pouted, kissing the side of Arryn’s head before grabbing her stuff to follow.
“Everything is fine unless you have any questions” Dr. Cartwig said, finishing up her report on her laptop. “If that’s all, I’ll send the nurse in and she’ll give them their vaccinations then you’ll be on your way” She turned around to face them and saw the upset look on Lexa’s face. “It will only hurt them for a second. You can use Tylenol will help with swelling and if you hold them still it won’t hurt as much. They might be a little cranky afterwards but breastfeeding will soothe them. They’ll sleep for pretty much the rest of the day, maybe even through the night. If they’re hungry, they’ll wake up and let you know” With that the doctor left. The nurse returned two minutes later with a tray of shots in her hands.
“Who’s first?” Clarke turned Leif to face the nurse, pulling him close to her chest. The nurse rubbed the alcohol wipe on his thigh, quickly sliding the needle in. Clarke rocked and shushed him as the nurse put on his band aid. By the time he calmed down, the nurse was wiping another part of his thigh for the next needle. Clarke and Lexa winced every time she put the needle in, then soothed the infant as best as she could. Lexa watched from her spot, dreading that her little girl had to go through the same thing. Leif clung to Clarke, crying into her chest. Lexa had switched places with her fiancée. Clarke adjusted her shirt to feed her son when swaddling didn’t work. Clarke rocked Leif as the nurse cleaned up from his shots, disposing the needles. Leif settled down, laying his ear flat on Clarke’s chest to hear her heartbeat. Clarke gave him his pacifier and waited for the nurse to return. Lexa handed Clarke his blanket, rubbing his back on the way back to her seat. Lexa moved Arryn to the same position Clarke had Leif in as the nurse walked back in the room. Clarke sat Arryn’s bottle next to the brunette, careful not to disturb her baby boy. “Ready?”
“No” Lexa replied, pulling her daughter closer and kissing her on the head. The nurse gave her a sympathetic smile before kneeling in front of Arryn. She rubbed the alcohol on Arryn’s thigh and picked up the needle. She had almost put the needle in when Lexa’s voice stopped her. “Wait! I need a minute” The nurse stopped, waiting for Lexa.
“Ignore her. You’ll never get it done with her here when it comes to Arryn” Clarke told her, caressing the tiny hairs on Leif’s head. Lexa closed her eyes after the nurse wiped Arryn’s thigh again. They snapped open when she heard Arryn’s cries fill the room. Lexa barely had time to comfort her before the nurse stuck the next needle in. Arryn flailed her legs in an attempt to get away from the nurse as she sobbed into Lexa’s shirt. Lexa gently held her leg so the nurse could give her the last shot. Once the bandage was on, Lexa held Arryn close to her chest as her weeps got louder. Arryn hide her face in Lexa’s neck, taking comfort in the light pats Lexa gave her. Lexa kissed the side of her head before grabbing her bottle. She tried giving it to her but Arryn pushed it away so she gave her her pacifier instead.
“You ready to go. You can schedule their next appointments at the front” The nurse whispered before leaving. Clarke grabbed Leif’s car seat at sat it on the table. He stirred in his sleep as Clarke laid him down and strapped him in, kissing his forehead. Lexa tried to lay Arryn in her seat but the little girl gripped Lexa’s shirt tighter. Lexa looked at Clarke for help. Clarke sighed, rubbing her daughter's back, knowing she wouldn’t stop screaming if she took her from Lexa right now.
“I’ll drive us home. She should be completely asleep by the time we get in the car. You can sit in the back with them in case she wakes up” Lexa handed her the keys as they walked to the front. Clarke went straight out the door to warm the car and Lexa set their next appointment. By the time she finished, Clarke had strapped Leif in and the car was mostly warm. Lexa strapped in Arryn then crawled over her seat to sit in the middle. “Ready?”
“Yep”
“How are they feeling?” Wells asked as the walked through the door.
“They’re fine now that they’re asleep but they were miserable when they got them. We haven’t given them anything yet, so when they wake up they’ll be in pain” Clarke said, sitting Leif’s car seat on the counter.
“Donut?”
“Of course” Clarke smiled, fixing Leif’s blanket as he slept peacefully. Gavriel prepared Clarke a donut and Lexa her typical black coffee. Lexa cautiously maneuvered Arryn through the door as Gavriel handed Clarke their food. “Thank you” Clarke handed Lexa her coffee and followed her up the stairs.
“Wait! I forgot to tell you” The couple stopped and waited for Wells to continue. “I have news for both of you. A guy named Roan called for you earlier, he left a message on your machine and called here, saying it was important. I left his number on your desk upstairs” Lexa frowned, which didn’t go unseen by her fiancée. “Someone put in an offer for your painting, Clarke. They bid twenty-five hundred dollars and asked if you would be open to commission. I told them I’d ask and they said they’d come back tomorrow. Oh, your parents are upstairs too” Clarke groaned, rubbing her free hand down her face.
“They want the twins to have a trust fund”
“Why?” Lexa asked before calling a ‘thank you’ over her shoulder towards Wells.
“They want them to have a safety net. They’re going to turn our children into those spoiled preppy kids everyone hates in high school”
“We can suggest a college fund. I think I’d like that better” Lexa unlocked the door, walking into their loft. “What do you think?”
“I wouldn’t mind that” Clarke replied, hanging up her coat. “Are their pillows in the living room?”
“Their beanbags are” Clarke nodded, unstrapping Leif. The infant flinched in his sleep when Clarke lifted him out of his seat. She grabbed the Tylenol and his pacifier then carried him into the living room. Lexa shed her coat and unfastened Arryn from her seat. Arryn curled herself into Lexa’s chest, clutching the neckline of her shirt. She walked into the twins’ room and pulled off Arryn’s pants, grabbing Blitz for her when she wakes up.
“Mom, they don’t need a trust fund. I get that you want them to be safe in case something unexpected happens but Lexa and I would rather you guys set up a college fund” Lexa heard Clarke say as she walked into the room. “We appreciate the thought but they don’t need a trust”
“Fine” Jake huffed “Penalize us for loving our grandchildren” Lexa kissed Indra’s cheek before sitting next to Clarke, not bothering to lay Arryn down next to Leif. Clarke brushed Arryn’s wild brown locks down. “My grandson needs his hair cut” Clarke shot Lexa a knowing look, receiving a small eye roll in return.
“Their hair looks fine the way it is” Lexa sulked, running her hand through Arryn's curls.
“Leif’s hair is growing in uneven. He needs at least a trim” Clarke responded, reaching out to touch his hair to prove her point. “
“His hair makes him look even more handsome, like Russell Wilson in 2012”
“Now he really needs a haircut” Jake mumbled.
“Leave his hair alone! It suits him and he likes it”
“How do you know that? He can't talk” Clarke counters.
“Mother's intuition”
“Are they still sleep?” Lexa asked as Clarke sat in her lap.
“Yep” Clarke glanced at the blinking light on Lexa's machine. “You want to tell me why you haven't listened to that message yet?” Lexa glimpsed at the flashing light and shook her head. “Well, let's hear it right now” Lexa groaned when Clarke pressed play.
“ Hey, Lexa, it's Roan. I found out something about Mount Weather that I think you'd be interested in. I know this seems out of the blue but I don't trust my mother with this. Before you delete this, just listen to what I have to say. It'll be good for the both of us. Dante Wallace retired two years ago, leaving the company to his son, Cage. I ran into this guy who used to work for the company, Lovejoy. Lovejoy told me he quit because he found some insufficient funds that would fall back on him if anyone found out. The company's stock has been fallen ever since Cage took over and the board had been looking for a reason to get rid of him. My mom's a trustee and I got a list of everyone they'd be open to replace him with. Gustus is on the top on the list because they're hoping for a merger to boost stock. I'm on the list too but I don't have the experience they want from Azgeda. If Gustus gives you his support, they'd be open for you to take over. A fresh face over a multimillion dollar company will give them the press they need for a merger. I want to help you get in there and all I want is a spot on the board. Getting Cage out would take a unanimous vote and they won't happen with Carl Emerson there. Replace Carl with me and you'll be the youngest CEO in the world. Call me back if you're interested”
“Call him”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I would have to be away from you and the twins with the trips and work hours. Not to mention, it might not work. I wouldn’t want to get my hopes up. Plus, you still have to finish school. You wanted to go back when the twins turned one”
“Is this something you want to do?”Clarke asked, moving her hands to the back off Lexa’s neck.
“You and the twins are all I need”
“That’s not what I asked”
“It would be an amazing opportunity and someday I would love to do it but not now. I want to be there for all the important things we have to look forward to with the twins. I can’t do that at an office twenty-four/ seven” Arryn small grunts in her sleep could be heard through the baby monitor, signaling that she was about to get up. “I’ll get her” Lexa slid out from under Clarke. “Sssssh. I know it hurts, ladybug”Clarke waited until she could hear Lexa in the room with Arryn before dialing Roan’s number.
“Roan? This is Clarke Griffin. Lexa is my fiancée. Can you meet us here tomorrow at about eight? Okay. See you tomorrow”
“Clarke!” Lexa woke up alone in bed a little after eight.
“In here!” Lexa followed Clarke’s voice into their living room. Leif was sprawled across Indra’s lap with his thumb in his mouth. Clarke was sitting across from Jake and Gustus, next to Roan. Abby walked into the room with two cups of coffee in her hands, giving one to Jake. Raven followed her, eating a box full of donuts. Lincoln and Anya were sitting on the floor playing with Arryn and Morgan. “Morning”
“What the hell is this?”
“Language” Indra scolded.
“Sorry. Why is Roan here, Clarke?”
“You said that you would love to have the opportunity to do this so I’m giving it to you if you want it,” Clarke explained. “If this works and you become the CEO of Mount Weather, you can work out of a home office. Gustus does it and so can you”
“But I’d still have to travel from time to time. The reason why my dad doesn’t is because he has people he can trust to do it for him. People he has known for years. I don’t know anyone at Mount Weather, let alone trust them”
“But you do have me” Lincoln retorted.
“And me” Anya added. “The board will accept that we come with you. They wouldn’t have a choice with the way their stock is falling. Plus, I’ve always wanted to travel a little bit”
“Okay. I don’t know anything about their technology”
“How many CEOs know a lot about the product other than how much they spend on it? And Raven has graciously offered her assistance”
“The twins”
“Won’t always be this little, I know. But eventually they have to go to school and meet other babies to play with. And our parents are itching to get them for themselves every once and awhile” Clarke interrupted, walking towards Lexa. Clarke circled her arms around Lexa’s waist, staring her straight into the eye.
“But you want to finish school” Lexa whispered, resting her hands on the blonde’s waist.
“I can go to school anytime I want but this doesn’t happen often”
“It might not work”
“You won’t know unless you try” Lexa sighed, looking around the room at her family and friends as they waited for her response.
“What’s the plan?” Clarke grinned, kissing Lexa right beside her mouth. “I can’t get a real kiss”
“Nope, you got work to do” Clarke laughed, slipping out of Lexa’s arms.
“I feel like I’m being cockblocked by a job I don’t even have yet” Lexa groaned.
“Language” Indra and Abby chastised.
“So you don’t even know if he’s really stealing” Lexa said, slamming her computer closed. “We’ve been working on this for hours and you didn’t think was valuable information for me to know”
“He is stealing. Lovejoy just didn’t tell me how” Roan corrected. “He said it was in charities”
“There are thirty- four charities on this branch alone. How are we supposed to find which one he’s using to embezzle?”
“This is one of the reasons why I needed your help. We need this done by next week”
“Why?”
“Lovejoy is going to be applying for jobs. They’re going to ask why he left his last job. We have a headstart on this” Clarke walked into the office, sitting on the corner of Lexa’s desk. “That’s not helping either”
“Fuck off”
“I’m guessing that means you haven’t found anything yet” Clarke deduced. Lexa shook her head. “What exactly are you looking for?”
“One of these charities is a cover for embezzlement” Clarke turned Lexa computer towards her, scrolling through the list.
“The Dante Wallace wing of the Everson Museum of Art. That building hasn’t had any modifications since it was built” Lexa spun the screen back towards her.
“Are you sure?” Roan asked, scrutinizing the records.
“I haven’t been there in a while but I’m pretty sure. They don’t have the land and they wouldn’t added a story; it’d ruin the design”
“Let’s check it out tomorrow to be sure” Lexa said.
“If she’s right”
“I am”
“Then we can finish this tomorrow and start on our proposal with Gustus. We have to figure out how to get rid of Emerson and pick a date for your wedding” Roan continued, packing up his things.
“Why are you helping us pick out the date for our wedding?” Clarke questioned, spinning to face the man.
“The board doesn’t want a CEO with personal problems getting in the way of business. Happy wife, happy life. No scandals. The less distraction Lexa has in her personal life is better for the company”
“My family is not a distraction” Lexa replied.
“I never said they were. The board is all about money and if their CEO is focusing on a wedding instead of work, it’s a problem. They’ll want you married before you are the face of the company”
“And how long do you think we have then?” Clarke asked.
“Five maybe six months”
“You’re joking”
“Fraid not. I’ll leave you to it” Lexa pulled Clarke into her lap, resting her head on the blonde’s shoulder.
“Five months, Lexa. We have to married in five months and we have nothing planned”
“We’ll figure it out, love”
“You should see something” Clarke got off her lap and pulled her into the twin’s room. Arryn and Leif were cuddled into each other on Arryn’s favorite blanket. “She didn’t even cry when I laid him on her blanket. She even let Morgan play with Blitz earlier. Leif was upset when I picked her up otherwise they got along pretty well”
“So they found a new best friend?”
“Maybe Arryn did. Leif was not pleased when she took his bottle. He was practically back flipping in my arms, trying to get it back when she snatched it”
“At least they feel better after the shots”
“You mean, at least you don’t feel guilty anymore”
“It’s a traumatic experience for me. That was practically torture”