They're Having A Baby (Octaven, Clexa)
"Clarke and Lexa are having a baby."
Octavia Blake freezes as her eyes widen, "So?"
"Well, you said that we should wait but maybe it's time to consider the idea of looking into donors." Raven Reyes-Blake suggests with a small shrug as she strips the bed. "I'm not saying we should do it tomorrow, but soon."
"Babe, we're young," Octavia reminds the woman as she plops back on the mattress, her arms splay across the bed as she pouts her lower lip. "We've got all the time in the world, Rae. Let's just enjoy being together."
"I don't want to wait forever, O." Raven sighs as she crawls onto the bed and drops herself onto her wife which draws a long groan from the younger woman. "I want to have a family with you, Octavia Blake."
"I want a family with you too." Octavia assures her as she presses a kiss to dark locks and lifts her gaze to the ceiling to send a mouthed curse to Lexa. "How about we talk about it in a few months? Just wait a while?"
Raven nods slowly as her eyes flutter, "Okay."
-
Raven doesn't wait long.
She looks at Clarke with her gentle swell of a belly and her pregnancy glow. She moons over the way Lexa caters to every one of Clarke's needs. She takes in how wonderful it's going to be that her best friends will be a family soon. So, she starts plotting. She waits for Octavia to leave to tend to her clients and types quick searches into Google: 'donors in my area', 'how long does it take for the whole shabang to work' (she doesn't get many answers on that one), and 'how to tell my wife I'm ready to have a baby'.
Octavia comes home four months into Clarke's pregnancy to see Raven lent over a computer with a bright expression on her face. She knows the second that brown eyes meet hers that the waiting game is over. Octavia gives a soft whine as her duffel bag slides from her shoulder and plops at her feet. Raven begins to spout out names and features of men she really doesn't want to hear about and the headache that blooms in her temples grows as she sighs. She wants to tell Raven no, the world settles on the tip of her tongue, but she sees the look in her wife's eyes and she knows she can't.
"Babe," Octavia groans. "You said we'd wait."
"It's been four months, O. I just want to start looking." Raven assures her with a wave of her hand. "I was thinking that I could carry first. Come look at some of these donors, babe. They're pretty hot."
Octavia scowls at her words, "No."
But all it takes is one flash of innocent brown eyes for her to slink over to the couch.
-
Octavia spends a lot of time going through donor options and she texts Lexa to let her know the displeasure to everything but all she receives is amusement from her friend. She grits her teeth and tries to act as if she's a little bit happy by the idea that she's going to be sharing her wife with a tiny human soon. She knows she's being bitter, but she's used to being the center of Raven's world. She isn't so sure she's ready to give that up. She's been in love with Raven since she was in seventh grade and while it took them awhile to really get together, she knew that even during their friendship that she came first in Raven's heart.
But now it's just all about babies.
Donors. Eggs. Appointments. Bottles. Nursery ideas. Names.
It's all too much.
-
"You asked Bellamy to be a donor?"
Raven jumps as her wife storms into the kitchen, "Huh?"
"My brother just texted me and asked if it'd be cool with me if he could knock my wife up with his baby." Octavia growls as she holds her phone up. "Why would you ask Bellamy, Raven? Why didn't you talk to me first?"
"I just...I thought maybe he'd be open to the idea." Raven explains as her brow drops subtly while she steps away from where she was chopping vegetables. "I thought you'd want for our child to be half Blake."
Octavia melts at the sincerity behind her wife's soft words, "Babe."
"It was a stupid idea." Raven mumbles as she turns back to her chopping, the knife moves quickly across the board as she bites her lower lip. "I just thought it was something we could consider, but you're right. It'd be weird."
"Rae, it's not stupid," Octavia sighs as her shoulders loosen and the tension bleeds from her body before she moves forward to curl her arms around Raven's waist. "It's a good idea, babe. I just don't know if I like it."
Raven is silent as she continues to chop, "Do you even want a baby?"
"What?"
"I just don't know if you really want this." Raven mumbles as she sets her knife aside and struggles to turn in Octavia's arms. "I've been pushing this on you for the last month and I don't even know if you really want this."
Octavia sucks in a deep breath and smiles softly, "I do. It just scares me. But I do want a family with you, Raven. It's just happening really fast, y'know? It kind of freaks me out a little. I'm just trying to keep up."
"O, it usually takes a more than one insemination for it to even work." Raven soothes as she smooths a strand of hair from Octavia's face. "So, you have time. We have time. Why don't we pick a donor and just go from there?"
"Okay." Octavia nods as she presses a gentle kiss to Raven's lips. "Anything for you."
-
They find the perfect donor. Someone who resembles Raven because Octavia is insistent that their first child look just like her wife. Raven simply laughs and kisses her softly before the process of everything begins. There's appointments and Raven has to ready herself for everything, but Octavia likes the part where she actually gets to participate in helping her wife with the insemination; she and Lexa spend fifteen minutes bragging to each other about their times over the phone that night.
Octavia smiles to herself and figures she has time. Raven, Lexa, and Clarke have told her that it takes a few times before it really works and she knows her wife is ready to do it as many times as needed. She leans back against the couch with her head in Raven's lap and the mechanic runs her fingers through her hair with a small smile as she hums to herself. Octavia sighs happily as she allows her eyes to close.
She has all the time in the world.
-
Octavia rubs at her temples as she walks into her house, she knows she's beyond exhausted and all she wants is a hot bath and dinner. Her duffel slides from her shoulder and plops on the ground and she toes off her shoes with practiced ease as she yawns. The woman patters through the house and listens for signs of her wife, but when silence is all that surrounds her she settles for making a cup of tea. She readies the kettle and waits patiently for it to boil as she leans against the counter with sleepy eyes.
Her head droops with every second that passes before the scream of the kettle causes her to jump as she darts forward to remove it from the stove and pour it into a waiting mug. She's halfway through adding the sugar when a loud squeal echoes from upstairs. She hisses as the spoon slips from her hand and plops into the boiling water that rains down on her hand. Her heart is in her throat as she hears another loud noise and she glances up a the ceiling as if she can see what's going on.
"Octavia!"
The sound of her name that tears from her wife's mouth causes her heart to tighten as she abandons her cup of tea in order to hurry through the house. She easily dodges around furniture and takes the stairs two at a time to fling herself into her bedroom. She pauses and blinks in surprise at the sight of Raven as she bounces on the bed with wide eyes and a white stick in her hand. Octavia freezes as she blinks and tries to figure out what's happening.
"What's wrong?" Octavia demands in a raspy whisper as she watches Raven spin to face her before she bounces once more on the bed with a beam. "Why are you smiling? You scared the fuck out of me!"
Raven simply shakes her head and leaps off the bed to power towards her wife with a loud laugh as she bounces up and down. Octavia furrows her brow as she runs her gaze over Raven's body, she silently tries to figure out what sent Raven into a tailspin. She huffs in annoyance when she sees no obvious injuries and watches as her wife continues to do high knees as she giggles in excitement; the younger woman finally grows tired of Raven's act and rolls her eyes.
"Raven Blake, I can't...you need to speak words." Octavia orders as she sets her hands on Raven's biceps to steady her as she stares at her. "You're freaking me out, Raven. What is going on?"
"It worked." Raven breathes out.
Octavia flashes the white stick in Raven's hand a glance, "Y-You're pregnant?"
"Yeah." Raven whispers as she draws her lower lip into her mouth.
"I-It worked? The first time?" Octavia squeaks.
Raven nods happily, "We're going to be a family, Octavia."
"We're already a family, babe," Octavia corrects as she shakes herself from her surprise before she settles a gentle hand on Raven's flat stomach. "We're just extending it a little. I can't believe it worked."
"You better start believing it, you've got nine months before they're here." Raven smiles as she presses a gentle kiss to Octavia's lips and rests their foreheads together. "In nine months we're going to be moms."
Octavia swallows hard as her eyes widen, "We're going to be moms."
-
"So, Raven's pregnant." Lexa says with a grunt.
"She is." Octavia nods with a smirk of pride as she spots Lexa's chest presses.
"You're ready for a kid?" Lexa asks as she perks an eyebrow.
"Are you?" Octavia counters.
Lexa chuckles as she finishes her last set and sits up, "I think I'm more prepared then you."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Octavia scoffs as she tosses Lexa her sweat towel and watches Lexa dab at her face. "I'll have you know that I'm prepared for anything. Raven and I both are."
"Octavia, you were positive that Raven getting pregnant would take a year. It only took one try." Lexa reminds her as she tosses the rag over her shoulder. "I can see that you're freaking out. You're more jittery then usual."
Octavia blows out an annoyed breath as she scowls, "Am not."
"You are." Lexa replies with a small shrug as she reaches for her water bottle. "It's fine. I was nervous at first too. It's a lot to take in. Just wait until she starts getting cravings and crying over weird things."
"I don't see her being like that." Octavia snorts.
Lexa looks at her with amusement in her gaze and shakes her head, "Whatever you say."
-
Octavia thinks Raven is the cutest pregnant woman she's ever seen. Not that she's seen many. But there's just something so adorable about the gentle swell that begins to show through Raven's t-shirts and the way a constant glow surrounds her. She finds her hand on the swell of her wife's abdomen quite often, sometimes she does it to remind herself that she's going to be a mother and other times it's just an excuse to touch her sometimes moody wife.
She marvels in it a lot. She's excited, but she's also freaking the fuck out.
-
"Raven, no."
"It's just one car, O."
"I'm not...you're not crawling underneath a fucking car, Raven. You're almost two months pregnant!" Octavia snaps as she angrily thrusts a t-shirt into her duffel bag. "We agreed you wouldn't work on cars while you're pregnant."
"And you know I wouldn't, but Wick fucked up this guy's car last time and he refuses to let anyone else but me touch it." Raven sighs as she leans against the doorway of the bedroom with her hands on her stomach. "Baby, please."
"Tell the guy to go to hell and then give him a number for a new mechanic." Octavia growls as she zips her bag shut and turns to face her wife. "I don't want anything happening to you or our kid, Rae."
Raven softens at the fear in Octavia's eyes, "Nothing is going to happen."
"You don't know that. You've had plenty of accidents at that shop before, remember? Would you like me to list them?" Octavia scoffs as she shoulders her duffel bag. "You were nearly killed last year."
"That was an accident..."
"And it was fucking Wick's fault. What kind of idiot forgets to put the brake on a car?" Octavia grumbles. "Look, I understand that you don't want to stop working yet but we agreed that you'd do desk work."
"And minor things on cars." Raven chirps.
"Minor things, babe. Minor. Rolling underneath a car while pregnant and breathing in all those greasy fumes is not minor." Octavia huffs. "Please just promise me that you'll have Miller do it instead, okay?"
Raven pouts as she nods, "Fine."
-
"How many of those things has she eaten?" Bellamy snorts.
Octavia glances to her wife and smiles adoringly, "I think it's her first craving."
"Fudge Pops. Huh. Interesting choice." Bellamy hums as he watches Raven devour another one before she reaches into the box for a white wrapper. "She's going to get sick if you let her eat the whole box."
"She can do whatever she wants. Whatever my kid wants, my kid gets." Octavia scoffs as she finishes putting away the dishes and glances to her brother. "You'll understand once you finally decide to have kids."
"This coming from the woman who wasn't so sure she even wanted kids." Bellamy reminds her with an arch of his brow. "Wanna tell me when that all changed? You were freaking out when Raven started talking about it."
"I don't know," Octavia sighs as she leans against the counter and watches Raven through the cut out window area in the kitchen. "I guess it took seeing her pregnant and seeing how happy she is to realize that I wanted it too."
Bellamy rolls his eyes, "You're so whipped."
"Oh, totally." Octavia nods.
-
Octavia tries to ignore the way her heart patters heavily in her chest as she sits beside her wife in the cramped doctor's office. She bounces her knee and chews at her nails and reaches for Raven's hand in search of silent comfort. It's their first appointment where they'll be able to hear their child's heartbeat and Octavia is freaking out just a little bit. She glances to Raven and shakes her head at the calmness that shines through brown eyes.
"You're nervous." Raven notes as she keeps her gaze on her phone.
"A little." Octavia nods. "What if it's a weird heartbeat?"
"What do you mean?" Raven laughs as she pulls her attention away from her phone to stare at Octavia. "Why would our child's heartbeat be weird? I think it's going to sound just like any other baby's."
Octavia huffs at the idea of that, "Bullshit. Our kid's heartbeat is going to be better."
"Whatever you say, babe."
The doctor wonders into the room and Octavia has to bite her tongue to keep from snapping at him as he mills around the room and asks them questions he already knows the answers to; she fucking hates these doctor visits. Eventually he pulls out that stupid little machine and Raven's hand tightens in Octavia's when blue gel is squeezed onto her stomach and she can't help but narrow her gaze as she stares at the doctor who keeps his gaze on the screen.
The glare on Octavia's face disappears quickly when an unfamiliar sound fills the room. It's loud. And steady. She swallows back the tears that burn at the corners of her eyes as she looks to see Raven's damp cheeks. She lifts Raven's hand to her mouth and flutters kisses across her knuckles as they stare at the screen and listen to the faraway voice of the doctor as he points out things about the baby, but all Octavia can hear is that heartbeat.
Strong and steady.
Her baby Blake.
-
Clarke gives birth right after Raven goes into her third month and she rolls her eyes as when she walks into the hospital room and Raven fawns over the newborn. She approaches Lexa and gives her a hard punch in the shoulder that is met with one of her own. Octavia hates to admit it, but the kid is kinda beautiful. He's the boy version of Clarke, with just the hint of a chiseled jaw that Octavia knows probably came from the donor along with his beautiful brown eyes.
"He's cute." Octavia notes.
Lexa looks at her with outrage on her face as she scoffs, "He's perfect."
"Not as perfect as my kid is going to be." Octavia shrugs.
"We'll see." Lexa snorts.
-
WicktheDick: Um, wanna come pick up your wife?
Octavia freezes at the text she receives from her wife's co-worker and she feels like her heart is in her throat as she sets her coffee mug aside. She tries to ignore the way her hands shake as she picks up her phone and stares at the message. A million things go through her head as she tries to imagine why Wick is telling her to pick Raven up instead of Raven telling her she needs to be picked up. She clenches her jaw as she taps at the screen and waits for a reply.
Octavia: Why? What's wrong?
WicktheDick: She threw up EVERYWHERE. And now her chest hurts.
Octavia barely finishes reading the text before she hurries to slip on her shoes while she throws her hair in a messy bun and searches for a pair of yoga pants. The car seems a million miles away as she scrambles out the door and towards it. She swallows the bile that tickles at the back of her throat as she presses harder on the gas and the car lurches forward. She hates this, this desperation she feels, the idea of Raven being in any type of pain terrifies her.
She manages to make it to the shop in record time and she winces as the tires squeal when she slams on her break and throws her seatbelt off; she hurries into the shop and ignores the calls of greetings she gets from Raven's employees. Octavia barely spares anyone a glance as she throws the office door open and pauses at the sight of Raven leaning over a trashcan while Miller holds her hair back and Wick awkwardly rubs at her back.
"Oh, baby," Octavia sighs.
"Octavia." Raven moans as she lifts her head slowly. "I'm dying."
Octavia moves forward to squat in front of Raven, "Come on, I'm going to take you home."
"I thought the morning sickness bullshit stopped months ago." Raven whines as she sets her trashcan aside while Wick jumps away from it. "I just wanna go home and sleep. Can I do that, O? Can I just sleep?"
"You can do whatever you want, babe. Just as long as you drink a couple of glasses of water once we get home." Octavia assures her as she stands and watches Miller gently lift Raven from the seat.
Raven folds into Octavia's arms and tucks her nose against her neck and Octavia holds her breath at the smell of vomit that lingers in her wife's mouth. She accepts Raven's purse from Wick and guides her wife out of her shop. Octavia chuckles as she listens to Raven complain about the smell of the shop, she compares it to ball sweat and shit in a litter box and Octavia has to keep a tight grip on Raven to keep from dropping her as she laughs loudly.
She drives more careful than she did getting there and by the time she pulls up the driveway Raven is fast asleep in the passenger seat. Octavia smiles softly at her wife and reaches out to brush a strand of hair from her face. Green eyes flicker over Raven's form and she reaches out to smooth a gentle hand over Raven's ever growing baby bump while her gaze darts back to her sleeping wife as a lazy grin appears on her face once more.
"I really, really love you." Octavia whispers.
A smile curls at Raven's lips as her eyes stay closed, "I love you, too."
-
"So," John Murphy smirks as he approaches his friend. "How's Raven?"
"She's good. Really, really good. Occasional mood swings but she gets over them by yelling at the TV." Octavia shrugs as she scribbles in her next client meeting. "She's a pretty easy pregnant lady, not gonna lie."
Murphy chuckles as he tilts his head, "Her boobs have definitely gotten bigger."
"Excuse me?" Octavia growls as she lifts her head.
"Her boobs. They're like...whoa." Murphy snorts as he makes a show of demonstrating how big Raven's chest had gotten over the last month. "I mean, even Lincoln mentioned something about it the other day."
Octavia sucks in a breath and tries to calm down her anger, "Shut the fuck up."
"Oh come on, like you haven't enjoyed it." Murphy laughs as he leans against the wall and watches the way Octavia's shoulders tense. "Dude, you should feel flattered. Your wife is like a crazy hot pregnant lady. I'd totally d..."
Octavia cuts him off with a punch. A hard punch. Her knuckles explode with pain as Murphy's nose gushes blood and he fumbles back onto his butt. She clenches her jaw and shakes her hand out as she stares down at the man. She doesn't feel an ounce of guilt or embarrassment as people stop to stare while a few help Murphy stand, instead she brushes through the group of people and moves to grab a fist of his shirt and yank him forward.
"Don't you ever disrespect my wife like that again, Murphy," Octavia growls as she tightens her grasp on his bloody work out shirt. "You may be one of my friends, but I'll beat the shit out of you if you talk about her like that again. Understand me?"
Murphy nods as he swallows hard, "Understood."
Octavia releases him with a hard push and walks away to ice her hand.
-
"O?"
Octavia sucks in a breath as she flutters her eyes open, her green eyes bounce frantically towards the clock before she catches sight of the time. All at once she sits up and the sheets fall off her bare body as she looks down at her wife. Raven is spread across the mattress with her brown locks swept over a shoulder and her eyes wide with innocence. Octavia reaches out to pull the sheets down Raven's body as she stares at the woman's growing bump.
"What's wrong?" Octavia demands as her sleepy gaze sweeps over the older woman before she settles a hand on her abdomen. "Oh shit. It's the baby, right? Should I-I get the car? Is it time? Do we need to go?"
"What? O, no. I'm only five months." Raven reminds her with a roll of her eyes as she covers the hand that rests on her stomach. "I promise that we have a few more months before it's time, okay?"
"Oh. Okay." Octavia frowns, her tiredness hits her all at once as she smothers a yawn into her hand before she slowly furrows her brow. "Okay, so you're not having the baby yet you decided to wake me up at two o'clock?"
"I did." Raven nods.
Octavia scowls as she tilts her head, "Are you still horny? Wanna go another round?"
"No!" Raven snaps as she swats Octavia's hand from her stomach.
"Well, what do you expect me to think? Your water didn't break and you're not turned on so why am I awake?" Octavia asks as she pouts her lower lip. "I have insanely early client to attend to in the morning, I just want to sleep."
"You're not going to sleep till I get Oreos."
Octavia gaps as her eyes widen, "You woke me up for that?"
"You're damn right I did." Raven scoffs. "Go get me my cookies."
"Raven, I will buy you a million Oreos tomorrow. At a more reasonable time. Now, can you please just go back to sleep?" Octavia orders as she drops back against the mattress and curls around her pillow.
"Octavia Blake," Raven hisses as she leans closer to her wife. "Get your ass out of bed and go buy me my fucking Oreos. I am carrying your child around so the least you can do is go get me cookies. Your son or daughter wants them."
"You really don't play fair." Octavia whines as she sits up with a scowl before she reaches down to collect her discarded pajamas. "I can't believe you're using our kid against me. You can't do that."
"Too bad." Raven grumbles. "Now, go."
-
Octavia blinks. And blinks. And then blinks one more time.
"A girl?"
The doctor chuckles and nods, "Yes. You're having a girl."
"Like, a little baby girl?" Octavia demands as she squeezes Raven's hand a little tighter and continues to stare at the screen before them. "Like, a girl that I'm going to have to protect from creepy boys?"
"That would be correct, Mrs. Blake." The doctor smiles. "Congrats, you two."
Raven looks up at Octavia with a smile, "It's a girl."
"Shit." Octavia grumbles.
-
"We're not painting her nursery pink." Raven scoffs as she pushes the swatches away from the pile in front of Clarke, Lexa, and Octavia. "She may be a girl, but I don't want her nursery to be pink. That's so cliche."
"Okay, pink is out then." Clarke shrugs.
Lexa scowls, "Why is it cliche? Aden's room is blue."
"Well, that was your choice. I don't want my daughter's nursery being pink." Raven shrugs as she flashes the baby in Lexa's lap a small glance. "I was thinking something more in between. Possibly a lavender?"
Octavia nods happily, "I like that idea."
"I'm still stuck on the fact that you think painting a girl's room pink is cliche." Lexa grumbles as she bounces Aden and frowns at Raven. "Why should it matter? She won't be stimulated by the color for months."
"Why are you hounding her about this?" Clarke demands as she reaches to take Aden from her wife. "It's their baby and their nursery, they can do whatever they want. I think lavender is a good color."
"It's not a cliche though." Lexa shrugs.
"Look, if my girl says it's a cliche then it's a cliche." Octavia snaps as she offers a stack full of purple swatches to Raven while she glares at her best friend. "If you don't like it then you're free to skip out on helping with the nursery."
Lexa blinks and then frowns, "You're right. It's none of my business."
"Have you guys decided on a theme?" Clarke asks in an effort to break the tension.
"Yes and no. We've gone between a couple different things. I like the idea of a jungle theme, I thought it'd be cute," Octavia smiles as she slides a look to Raven. "But Raven was thinking maybe no theme at all."
"How about butterflies?" Lexa offers.
Octavia smiles as she looks to the brunette, "You finally have a good idea."
"I love that." Raven nods with a bright smile. "Butterflies it is."
-
"You're going to squish our daughter if you're not careful." Raven chuckles as she glances down at her wife who rests between her legs with her head placed on the woman's swollen abdomen. "She's going to come out flat."
Octavia simply hums and Raven settles as she lays perfectly still and allows Octavia to continue to caress her stomach. The younger woman hums under her breath as she turns her head to press a gentle kiss to the side of Raven's abdomen. She loves to whisper to her daughter, leave untold secrets against tanned skin and she knows Raven pretends not to hear them. She smiles once more before she presses one last kiss to Raven's stomach and sits back slightly.
"I'm not that heavy, jerk." Octavia protests as she leans forward to shower another set of kisses across Raven's bare swollen abdomen. "So, we haven't really talked about names. Do you have any ideas?"
"Um, how about Skye?" Raven offers with a shrug.
"Did you put in any thought before offering that?" Octavia teases as she nuzzles against Raven's stomach. "To be honest, I was going through a baby name book and I stumbled across the name Anna. It means grace."
"That is so weird. I was looking at the name Annabelle." Raven chuckles as she runs her fingers through Octavia's long locks and scratches softly at her scalp. "It's kind of terrifying how in tune we are with each other."
"That's why we're the best married couple to ever exist." Octavia shrugs as she rests her chin on Raven's belly and bites her lower lip for a moment. "While I like both of those names, I have another one..."
"Which is?" Raven asks with an arch of her eyebrow.
"Nora." Octavia whispers.
"Nora." Raven repeats as she furrows her brow. "I like it."
Octavia opens her mouth to say something only for a soft thump to cut her off. The woman gasps in surprise as she jerks away from Raven's stomach and looks at her wife with wide eyes that are filled with horror. Raven giggles as presses a hand to her stomach and feels the bounces of her daughter's kicks as they continue to flutter. Octavia continues to stare at her and her gaze darts from her stomach to Raven's small smile.
"What the fuck was that?"
"That was your daughter telling you that she likes her name." Raven whispers as tears begin to build in her eyes while she feels the kicks against her stomach. "O, you've gotta come feel this. It's amazing."
Octavia hesitates for a beat before she lowers a shaky hand to Raven's abdomen and her brow furrows as she waits patiently for the thump. A few seconds pass and then she feels a knock against her palm followed by three more. Green eyes rise to lock on Raven's tearfilled brown and Octavia can't help but pull her hand away from Raven's stomach before she arches upward to press a loving kiss to her wife's soft lips as she nuzzles their noses together.
"That's our girl in there." Raven whispers with a watery laugh.
"Damn right it is." Octavia smirks. "Our little Nora."
-
Octavia puffs out her cheeks as she knocks lightly on the door. She shifts and tries to hide her embarrassment as the door slowly opens and she met with amused blue eyes; Clarke takes one look at her and then the duffel in her hand and bursts out laughing. She clenches her jaw to keep from saying anything as Clarke steps aside to let her into the house and she trails behind her friend who throws her head back and continues to laugh in clear amusement.
"Oh yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." Octavia grumbles.
Clarke glances over her shoulder with a smirk, "You got kicked out?"
"I did." Octavia nods.
"What did you do?" Clarke asks as she leads Octavia to the living room.
"I may or may not have told Raven that she looked...fat." Octavia mumbles with a small wince that only flickers over her face again as Clarke sobers and glares at her. "I didn't mean it in a bad way! She asked!"
"That doesn't mean you tell her she looks fat, you dumbass." Clarke snaps as she reaches to punch Octavia in the arm. "She's pregnant and insecure. She feels horrible. Believe me, I know. You're supposed to tell her she's gorgeous."
"She is gorgeous and she always will be, but she asked." Octavia sighs as she drops onto the couch and buries her face in her hands. "She told me that I needed to leave before she threw a bowling ball at my head. I didn't even know we owned a bowling ball."
Lexa walks into the room with Aden in her arms, "What are you doing here?"
"She called Raven fat." Clarke sneers.
"Wow. And you're still breathing?" Lexa scoffs. "You have a nice wife."
"I came here for sympathy..."
"You called my best friend fat and upset her, I'd like to throw a bowling ball at you myself. You can sleep on the couch." Clarke shrugs as she moves towards Lexa to take Aden from her with a scowl. "Call and apologize to her."
"She'll just send me to voicemail." Octavia whines.
"Try until she picks up." Clarke calls over her shoulder as she leaves.
Lexa stands in silence and shakes her head, "You fucked up."
"Yup." Octavia nods.
-
Octavia finds that she fucks up a whole lot more after that, but eventually Raven stops kicking her out and Octavia finds a way to avoid being an asshole. She buys Raven clothes when she fears hers are getting too small and gives her kisses when she says she's ugly. She adores her wife, always has, and she knows she'll do anything to keep her happy. She lays in bed at night and stares at the swell of her wife's abdomen and can't help but will her daughter to hurry up and get out here.
"You're making your mom a bitch." Octavia snaps to the swell one evening.
-
Raven goes into labor when Octavia is with a client.
Of course.
She is pushing the woman to run faster on the treadmill when Lincoln rushes towards her with wide eyes. She spares him a glance and does a double take at the look on his face and she feels like the world has slipped from beneath her. Octavia barely hears him tell her that Clarke is taking Raven to the hospital, all she can hear is her own voice screaming that it's too soon. They still have another four weeks. Their daughter can't be coming already.
But she is.
And Octavia is not ready.
-
Octavia can hear Raven crying from down the hallway and it pushes her to go faster as she speeds her fast walk to a jog before she latches her hand on the edge of the doorway to swing herself into the room. She bites her lip as she watches Clarke pat a white cloth across Raven's sweaty forehead while she holds onto her hand with her other. Brown eyes meet hers and Octavia feels her heart break at the sob of relief Raven gives.
"You're here." Raven whispers.
Octavia moves forward with a small smile, "Of course I am."
"It hurts, Octavia." Raven whimpers. "It really fucking hurts."
"I'm going to go get the doctor." Clarke whispers and Octavia can almost hear the concern that flows from the blonde's voice as she begins to back away. "I'll be right back, okay? Just squeeze O's hand till then. Break her fingers."
Raven chuckles and then winces, "Don't make me laugh."
The doctor comes in minutes after Clarke leaves and Octavia isn't so sure she likes the look on his face as he approaches Raven and begins to check her over. Octavia sweeps Raven's bangs from her face and presses her lips against sweaty skin to settle her thudding heart. Octavia waits and listens to the doctor hum as he nods and fiddles with a few things before he looks at the women with a calming smile. Octavia swallows hard as she sees the way he forces a look of ease.
"Looks like you're going to be having a fast birth, Mrs. Blake." He grins.
Octavia bites her lip softly, "I fucking hope so."
-
"Ow, ouch...fuck...ow!"
"Why the fuck are you saying ow?"
"Um, because you're squeezing the fuck out of my hand and I'm pretty sure you're going to break my pinky." Octavia whines as she feels her knees shake as her wife tightens her grasp on her hand. "Raven, that hurts!"
"You know what really hurts?" Raven growls as she squeezes Octavia's hand once more and clenches her jaw for a beat. "What hurts is the fact that I'm pushing a big ass baby out of my vagina all because you wanted kids."
"You're the one who wanted kids..." Octavia points out with a pout.
"Well, if you want anymore of these heathens then you're pushing them out of your own body." Raven groans as she throws her head back against the pillow. "I need to push. O, I'm going to die. I need to push."
"Shh, baby," Octavia soothes and she releases a sigh of relief as Raven loosens her grasp on her hand. "You'll be able to start pushing soon, I promise. Just a little big longer, okay? Can you wait just a few more minutes?"
Raven shakes her head and bites her lip, "I don't think so."
Octavia looks at her wife's face and sees that the normally strong woman really is in that much pain and it breaks her heart. She sighs heavily as she leans down to press her forehead to Raven's while she flutters kisses along her cheeks. She glances down at the doctor who is sliding on gloves and looks to see the nurses as they ready themselves for the baby. It's been a few hours and Octavia is ready, she's ready to meet her daughter already.
"I'm sorry, babe." Octavia whisper. "It'll be better soon."
"Promise?" Raven sniffles.
"I swear."
-
It's not better.
It's worse.
An hour after she makes that promise to Raven, her beautiful daughter comes out. Her beautiful silent daughter. She knows something is off by the way the doctors and nurse start to rush around and barely spare her a glance. She looks to Raven and her wife is too out of it to notice the activity, but Octavia fights for a glance of her daughter a she peeks over shoulders before she feels hands that lead her back towards Raven.
Octavia barely hears what the nurse says to her, once she hears the words complications that's all she can process. That's all she can hang onto. She moves back to Raven and intertwines their fingers as she presses soft kisses to tan skin. It seems like forever, but really it's one minute and thirteen seconds before a cry fills the air. It's loud and Octavia jumps in surprise when it sounds. She leaps up from the bed but keeps a tight grasp on Raven's hand as a nurse bundles their baby in pink blankets.
"Alright, mommies," The nurse whispers. "Someone had to have a dramatic entrance."
The nurse rests the newborn on Raven's chest and Octavia lights up when she sees the look on Raven's face; it's the same look her wife wore on the day of their wedding when Finn walked her down the aisle to Octavia. She looks down at her daughter and the way her heart warms surprises her; Octavia has spent a lot of time being told she's heartless, that she's too cold, but she knows that the only time she melts is when Raven is near.
And now their baby girl.
"Babe," Raven whispers in a low voice. "She's beautiful."
Octavia nods happily, "She looks just like you."
"I don't know. I think she might have your nose." Raven teases as she lifts her head and flutters her eyes shut as Octavia presses a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Have you decided on her middle name yet?"
"Grace." Octavia grins. "Nora Grace Blake."
Raven releases a soft breath as she stares at the infant, "It's perfect."
-
She's beautiful.
God, she's so beautiful.
Octavia walks through the small hospital room and bounces Nora with a smile on her face while Raven sleeps a few feet away. It only been a few hours and Octavia can't find it in her to put her daughter down. It amazes her that this tiny little infant came out of her wife after months of waiting. It baffles her that this tiny child was once just a little cell in a syringe that Octavia had to push inside of Raven.
"You and your mom are the best things that's ever happened to me," Octavia whispers as she stares down at her sleeping daughter. "I love you two so much. So, so much. I'll protect you guys forever. I promise."
-
"I'm going to punch myself in the face. I need to sleep." Raven whines.
"We both need to sleep." Octavia mumbles in a raspy voice.
The clock blinks with red numbers that flash a one and fifteen and the darkness outside causes them both to whine in horror. Nora is wrapped in Raven's arms as the woman sits cross legged on the bed and feeds her daughter. Octavia lays beside her with heavy eyes as she looks up to watch the way Raven's eyes flutter. She knows she can sleep, she knows Raven won't mind, but she agreed that she would stay up for Nora's feedings since she technically can't do it herself.
"How is it that a three week old could be so hungry?" Raven yawns.
Octavia shrugs, "I like sucking on your boobs too so I don't blame her."
"You're disgusting." Raven chuckles as she shifts Nora. "Why did I agree to this?"
"Because Abby said something about how it's a good way to bond with her and Clarke readily agreed with her so you said you'd give it a shot." Octavia mumbles as she presses a yawn into the crook of her elbow.
"Go to sleep, O. You don't need to be up." Raven whispers.
"No. I told you I'd stay up for the feedings." Octavia reminds her as she rolls onto her side and glances up at Raven. "Plus she'll shit herself like five seconds after she eats so I need to be awake and ready for diaper duty."
Raven snorts as she rolls her eyes, "And then she'll be back for boob two."
"At least she's cute." Octavia offers.
"That is true." Raven nods. "She's very, very cute."
-
"Okay, are you wet?" Octavia asks.
Nope.
"Are you hungry?" Octavia offers.
Definitely not.
"Um, do you want your binky?" Octavia demands frantically.
It takes Octavia two minutes to find the pink pacifier that Nora prefers and she breathes a sigh of relief when she tucks it into the month old baby's mouth and she settles; Octavia falls back on the bed and looks down at her daughter. Raven left thirty minutes before to check up on the shop and Octavia had been left alone with their grumpy daughter. Octavia brushes her hand through silky black locks and leans down to press a soft kiss to baby smooth skin.
"You're so beautiful." Octavia grins. "Just like your mami."
Octavia yawns and flutters her eyes as she crawls back on the bed and rests her daughter on her chest while she runs a hand up and down the baby's back. It only takes fifteen strokes before brown eyes disappear and a binky falls out of parted lips. She smiles to herself as she gently picks up the pacifier and sets it aside before she falls back against her pillow and allows her heavy eyes to close. She presses a protective hand to Nora's back and finally gave into her tiredness.
Raven takes twenty pictures of them when she gets home an hour later.
-
"What is that?"
Octavia glances up from her schedule to glare at Murphy, "It's a baby."
"Not that, you dumbass. The thing your baby is in." Murphy laughs as he gestures to where Nora is held in place on Octavia's front. "Never did I ever think I'd see you willingly owning a kangaroo carrier."
"Um, it's kind of awesome," Octavia scoffs as she smooths a hand over the top of Nora's small head. "I can carry her around and keep an eye on her while also working with my clients. It's a win, win for me."
Murphy snorts in amusement, "You look like an idiot."
"Murphy, do you remember that time I punched you?" Octavia asks in a sing song tone as she spares him a glance and watches as he backs away and then turns to leave. "See, Nora. That's how mama gets shit done."
-
Finn Collins is Raven's best friend. And her ex. He used to drive Octavia up a wall and she sometimes hates that Raven still enjoys his company, but she can see why she loves the man as much as she does and why she chose him to walk her down the aisle. He's on leave from the Army for a few weeks and Raven was much to happy to offer him their guest room for his stay. And he was the perfect house guest, much to Octavia's dismay, and he was perfect with Nora.
Raven is out shopping for a big dinner for Finn's last night with them and Octavia yawns as she leans against the living room archway and watches Finn; she chuckles at the way the man's eyes brighten as he stares at Nora. From the moment the pair met, Octavia could tell they were both taken by each other; Nora is always quiet and content when Finn holds her and Finn lights up with happiness when the infant is in his arms.
"She's beautiful." Finn grins as he cradles the little girl.
Octavia nods slowly, "She really is."
"Octavia, can I ask you something?" Finn mumbles as he keeps his gaze on Nora.
"You just did." Octavia teases before she smirks. "Sure. What's up?"
"You're always going to take care of Raven, right?" Finn whispers and Octavia tenses as she clenches her jaw slightly. "I don't...it's not great out there, Octavia. I never know if I'm going to come back and she's been my best friend since we were kids."
"Finn, if Raven hears you talk like this then she's going to get upset and I'm going to have to kick your ass for upsetting her." Octavia warns as she feels a lump grow in her throat. "You'll be fine, Collins. I'm sure of it."
"But if I'm not," Finn shrugs as he bounces with Nora and smiles softly at Octavia. "If I'm not, take care of her and don't let her mourn me. Don't let her lose herself over my death. Just...just take care of her."
"You have my word, Finn." Octavia nods.
Finn flashes a lopsided grin and glances down at Nora, "May we meet again, little one."
-
"Have you seen Nora's blocks, O?"
"Um, I think I saw them on the side of crib closest to the changing table." Octavia calls as she flickers through the channels and stuffs a Cheeto into her mouth. "If they're not there then check our room."
"Found them. You were right, by the crib." Raven sighs as she walks into the living room with Nora on her hip and blocks in her hand. "So, what are you watching or are you just mindlessly flipping through channels?"
"The latter." Octavia mumbles as she watches Raven sit on the floor.
Octavia sighs in boredom and spares her girls a glance and gasps at the sight of Nora. The pudgy little five month old is propped up against Raven's bent leg and easily leans forward to grab blocks and stack them together. She pops up from the couch in awe and gaps at the way Raven seems so unaffected by the fact that their daughter is sitting up. Broken syllables fall from her mouth as she points to the infant and waits for her wife to look at her.
"What?" Raven frowns.
Octavia scoffs as her brow furrows, "What? Raven, she's sitting up!"
"O, she's been doing that for the last week," Raven laughs as she glances to her daughter who is too wrapped up in her blocks to take notice to Octavia's distress. "Babe, you were there when she first did it."
"I was?" Octavia frowns.
"Well, you were a little drunk because you and Lexa went out with Lincoln and Bellamy but yeah you were here." Raven nods as she hands her daughter another block. "Have you really not noticed?"
Octavia hates the way her eyes start to burn, "I-I didn't notice."
"Babe, it's okay." Raven assures her when she catches the hurt on Octavia's face.
"It's not okay. How could I not notice that she's starting to sit up on her own?" Octavia demands as she slides off the couch to kneel before her daughter. "I'm so sorry, Nora. I promise I'll pay more attention to the little things, okay?"
Nora looks up at her for a moment and then throws a block at her head.
-
"Someone looks exhausted." Bellamy teases as he walks into the Blake household.
"Your niece is teething and she's been keeping us up all night." Octavia groans as she moves to collapse against Bellamy's chest. "Can you take her for the next month or so? Just till her teeth come in?"
"Uh, no. I don't think Echo would like that." Bellamy laughs. "I brought donuts though."
"What?" Octavia gasps as she pulls back to see the box that Bellamy holds and she quickly swipes it from him and flips the lid open. "Oh dear God. They're beautiful. You're my favorite brother ever."
"I'm your only brother." Bellamy scoffs.
"Whatever." Octavia grumbles as she stuffs a bite into her mouth.
"I thought I heard another voice out here." Raven yawns as she walks from Nora's nursery with the baby on her hip. "What are you doing here? Have you come to take your niece away till her teeth come in?"
"My sister already asked and I told her no. My fiancée wouldn't like that." Bellamy smirks.
Octavia pauses with the donut halfway to her mouth, "Your fiancée?"
"You proposed?" Raven laughs.
"I did. Last night." Bellamy nods with a slight blush.
"Oh my God. You finally grew a pair and put a ring on it. It's about time, dude. I can't believe your little sister beat you to the alter and parenthood." Octavia chuckles as she crams the rest of her donut in her mouth.
"There's a reason why I came by and why I brought you donuts," Bellamy smiles as he moves towards Raven and scoops Nora away from her with a chuckle. "I was hoping you'd allow my niece to be in the wedding."
"She's five months old, Bell." Octavia snorts. "What do you want her to do?"
"We won't be getting married for a few months. We were thinking of waiting until she could walk." Bellamy admits as he presses a kiss to soft silky curls. "Echo and I would really like for her to be the flower girl."
Bellamy bounces from side to side as he watches his sister and sister-in-law trade looks as they share a silent conversation at the idea. The man sighs and glances down at his niece who is too busy chewing on her fist to pay attention to him. He heaves another heavy breath as he waits patiently and then he hears a small gag and looks down in time to see that Nora has shoved her fist too far back in her throat and he watches as her hand comes free and vomit follows.
"Oh shit!" Bellamy exclaims in disgust.
Octavia laughs loudly as she drops the donut box and steps forward, "You sure you want her?"
"Um, maybe. I don't know. After that, I'm a little offended." Bellamy grumbles as he glances down at the mess of formula that is soaking into his t-shirt. "Fuck this smells horrible. Oh my God. What do you feed her?"
"Raven's boobie milk." Octavia snickers.
"I think that's my que to leave. You deal with that and text me if you're cool with the idea of her being in the wedding." Bellamy sighs as he pulls his shirt over his head. "This is just fucking disgusting."
"Maybe she can throw vomit on guests instead of rose petals!" Octavia calls as he wonders to the front door and she's simply met with his middle finger. "Good job, baby girl. I didn't know you had it in you."
"Well, she doesn't have it in her anymore which means she needs to eat. Again." Raven sighs as she holds her arms out for her daughter with a frown. "I really don't want to feed her. She's going to bite me again."
Octavia smirks as she reaches for another donut, "Good luck."
-
"Strained peas? Really?" Octavia frowns. "We're starting her with that?"
Raven rolls her eyes at her wife, "Got a better one?"
"I don't know, maybe like mashed bananas or squash?" Octavia suggests with a shrug as she watches Raven pop open a can of baby food. "Fuck. Maybe something that doesn't smell like the shit she poops out."
"Octavia, watch your mouth." Raven scolds as she shoots a glance towards their daughter who eagerly waits in her high chair. "If you want to curse in the bedroom then that's fine, but not around our daughter."
"Let's just get this over with." Octavia sighs.
"You really don't like that she's growing up, do you?" Raven chuckles as she and Octavia sit side by side in front of Nora. "I know it's hard, babe, but it happens. She's only six months old. She's not even talking yet."
"Yeah, but she's scooting on her bottom which means crawling is just around the corner and then comes walking and talking...and then comes marriage!" Octavia whines as she drops her forehead to Raven's shoulder.
"O, you're so dramatic." Raven laughs as she scoops a small bite onto the spoon and moves it towards her daughter's mouth. "Okay, mija. Are you ready for some peas? I promise you they're extra yummy."
"Don't lie to her." Octavia scoffs. "They're gross, princess."
Nora frowns as Raven gently presses the spoon to her lips before her lips part and she slides the green goop into her daughter's mouth. Both women watch closely as Nora's brow furrows and she spits the food back onto her bib. Octavia laughs loudly at the sight while Raven sighs and reaches for another can of baby food nearby. She picks up another spoon and scoops up a bite of strained bananas before she copies her previous movements.
"And let's see how this one goes..." Raven mutters as she watches dark eyebrows furrow again and finally she sees Nora give a hard swallow as she squeals. "And we have a success! Strained bananas it is!"
"Told you." Octavia smirks.
-
"I think it's safe to say Aden is cuter though."
Octavia's head pops up at Lexa's soft words, "Excuse me?"
"Oh God." Raven and Clarke mutter together.
The four were in Raven and Octavia's pool with their kids, both Aden and Nora wore little rings around their waists and were held by Clarke and Raven while their wives lounge off to the side with drinks in their hands. Raven frowns as she sees the way the hackles rise around Octavia at Lexa's small comment; she knows how protective her wife is over their daughter and she really doesn't blame her, but the last thing she wants to do is sit through another Lexa and Octavia argument.
"I mean, he looks just like Clarke and she's absolutely beautiful." Lexa shrugs as she takes a small sip of the lemonade in her hand while she keeps an eye on her son. "Look at him. He's just as beautiful as she is."
"Are you implying that my wife isn't beautiful, Woods?" Octavia growls as she tightens her grasp on her own cup and narrows her eyes. "Have you looked at our daughter? She's the spitting image of the most perfect woman in the world."
Lexa allows her eyes to flicker towards Nora who stuffs her fist in her mouth and gurgles happily as she kicks her feet. The little girl was adorable, her wide innocent brown eyes and chocolate ringlets match her mother's along with her lopsided smiles. Octavia is always happy to point that out to anyone, she's always ready to gush about how perfect her wife and daughter were; Lexa rolls her eyes as she looks at the child again before she turns back to Octavia.
"She is quite adorable, but I still believe Aden is cuter." Lexa hums with a small grin.
"How did this even get started?" Clarke mumbles to Raven.
Raven sighs as she swirls Nora's floatie around, "I think Lexa made a comment about how cute Nora's swimsuit was and then followed it with her personal opinion about your son being cuter than my daughter."
"I think they're both cute." Clarke shrugs as she watches her son flick his hand in the water towards Nora's face much to the little girl's delight. "I think our wives are just always going to be trying to up each other."
Raven nods as she glances towards the pair, "If I kiss her I bet she'll shut up."
"If you kiss her then I'm taking my wife and my son out of here. And my goddaughter. I know where your pool kisses lead." Clarke scoffs as she pushes Aden's blue floatie closer to a giggling Nora's. "I think it's better to just let them argue it out."
As if on cue, Octavia flings her lemonade across the pool and Lexa gasps as it splatters all over her and ice melts into her bikini top. Raven puffs out her cheeks as she watches her wife laugh, her arms wrap around her stomach as she wipes away a tear. It only takes a moment for Lexa to close the distance between them and dunk Octavia under water; Raven sighs and rolls her eyes as the two trade hard splashes and slaps while their kids watch on in delight.
Clarke flashes Raven a look, "On second thought, maybe that kiss would be a good idea..."
-
"Octavia, can you bring Nora in here? I need to change her before we go."
Octavia sighs as she glances up from her phone and looks down to where her daughter is playing, but her heart skips a beat as she looks down and notices that the little play pad is empty and her daughter is no where in sight. She leaps from the couch and begins to frantically move through the living room as she searches for her daughter. Her heart is in her throat as she flies into the kitchen and peeks under the table before she stumbles into the dining room.
"Um, babe," Octavia calls as she gives a hard swallow. "We have a problem."
"What?"
"I can't find Nora." Octavia admits with a blush.
It takes Raven all of two seconds to get to her side as she looks at her wife with a mix of annoyance and horror. Octavia releases a nervous laugh as Raven's nostrils flare before she stomps away to search for Nora. The couple move through the house and peek into room after room and Octavia can see the tears that gather in Raven's eyes as they meet up in the kitchen after their search comes up completely empty.
"She has to be around here somewhere." Raven whispers with a sniffle.
"Oh my God..."
Raven furrows her brow before she follows Octavia's line of sight and whirls to see their daughter as she crawls towards them, her little hands slap hard against the tiles of the kitchen floor as she gurgles at them. With a sigh of relief, Raven darts forward and scoops the baby into her arms and showers her faces with kisses as Nora squirms and squeals while Octavia blows out a breath and sinks against the counter.
"She's crawling." Octavia scoffs. "Really, really fast."
"That's because she's mami's mini me. She's a genius." Raven coos.
Octavia shakes her head because her wife couldn't be more right.
-
The first time Nora stands, it's to grab something out of Raven's hand.
Octavia laughs at her wife's expression as their daughter plops on her butt and works her teeth along the popsicle Raven had in her hand two seconds ago. Nora isn't phased by either of her parents, she just continues to enjoy her treat as if she earned it. Raven blinks and tries to process what has happened while Octavia wipes away a stray tear from the laughter she releases. Both women look at each other and Octavia smirks as Raven slowly narrows her eyes at her.
"Well," Raven sighs. "She really is your kid."
Octavia snorts as she presses a kiss to Raven's head, "As if we ever had any doubts."
-
"Come on, Nora," Octavia calls as she claps her hands together and extends her arms to the ten month old who stares back at her from her place on her little toy mat. "You can do it, baby girl. Just come to mama."
Nora giggles as she tucks her fist into her mouth before she gurgles and falls forward onto her hands and scrambles towards Octavia. The woman releases a small sigh of defeat that melts into a look of adoration as she presses a kiss to dark curls. Octavia rocks back and forth with her daughter and coos to her for a moment before she sets the little girl on the floor and looks at her with excited eyes. The ten month old flashes her a smile that warms her heart and Octavia reaches out to smooth the hair from her face.
"You can't keep forcing her to do something she doesn't want to do." Raven chuckles as she enters the living room with a laundry basket balanced on her hip. "Clarke and Lexa said Aden didn't walk till they stopped encouraging him."
"Yeah, but that's their kid and this is ours. She's pulling up and standing so all that's left is a few tiny steps." Octavia sighs as she looks at her daughter. "Think of how much easier life would be if she was walking."
"What? It would not be easier. We'd constantly be chasing her around and she'd be breaking everything we value." Raven scoffs as she moves towards her girls and drops the laundry basket as she kneels before them.
"Tell mami you want to walk, even if you do destroy the entire house." Octavia teases as she reaches out to play with Nora's small hands. "Maybe we should bribe her. That'll really get her little engine going."
"Bribe her?" Raven repeats as she reaches to pull Nora into her lap and the baby instantly latches onto the locket around her neck. "I think your mama might be a little bit crazy, kiddo. What do you think?"
"I'm not crazy, just excited." Octavia huffs as she stands quickly and rushes to vanish around the corner before she appears once more with one of Nora's favorite cookies in her hand. "I want her to walk."
"O, she just turned ten months." Raven reminds the woman as she places a gentle hand on Nora's stomach before she leans forward to grab the little girl's favorite green stuffed teddy bear. "She'll learn in her own time."
"Ba!" Nora squeaks as she grabs the teddy and stuff his ear in her mouth.
"I think she's ready, it may take a little bit but I think once we get her standing then she'll be ready." Octavia shrugs as she breaks the cookie in half. "She's gotten so good at standing so walking will be a breeze."
Raven chuckles in amusement as she removes Nora from her lap and sets her down against her knees. The baby tilts her head back to offer her mother a smile and Raven leans down to press a kiss to Nora's baby soft skin. Octavia watches the pair for a moment and feels her heart swell with complete adoration before she moves to squat a few feet away from the pair, she hesitates as she looks at the cookie before she sees brown eyes zero in on it.
"Look, baby girl," Octavia grins as she dangles the biscuit a few feet away from her daughter and it causes brown eyes to wide. "It's your favorite, sweet girl. All you have to do is walk to mama and you can have it."
Nora eagerly sucks on the ear of her teddy bear and babbles around it, a thin layer of drool settles on her chin and Raven rolls her eyes as she grabs a nearby bib and leans forward to wipe her daughter's chin clean. The little girl bounces on her butt as she extends her hands and opens and closes her hands with an eager expression. Raven glares at Octavia who stays a few feet away and continues to wave the cookie around.
"That's so mean." Raven scoffs.
Octavia sighs before she pauses as she watches her daughter press a hand to Raven's thigh as she slowly stands. Raven settles her hands on Nora's hips as her eyes widen and she watches the child closely. Both women watch with held breaths as Nora furrows her brows in concentration before she sets one foot in front of herself. The girl wavers and Octavia darts forward slightly, her arms open ready to catch Nora if she falls.
Nora gets two more steps in before her body suddenly tilts forward and Octavia is quick to scoop her up before her knees can even bend. Lips settle against dark locks as she squeezes her daughter to her and whispers words of praise in her ear. Raven watches with wide eyes from behind her phone screen as she tapes the precious moment between her wife and daughter before she quickly saves the video and takes a few pictures to send off.
"Baby, she walked!" Octavia exclaims as she looks to see Raven with her phone up before the woman nods and locks her phone quickly. "I knew she was going to walk today. I could feel it. I knew it."
"Oh my God. She walked." Raven whispers as a tear falls down her cheek before she stands to move towards the pair and Octavia is quick to wipe the tear away. "Our baby is walking, can you believe that? She's growing up so fast."
"Yeah. She is." Octavia whispers with a small frown.
Raven smiles softly as she curls her arms around Octavia, "She's walking."
"And next comes talking." Octavia chuckles.
-
Octavia hates working on Saturdays.
She hates that she can't spend her morning with her daughter and wife, she hates that she misses small things. She breathes a sigh of relief as she walks into her house and hears the familiar giggles of her family. She drops her duffel bag off her shoulder and considers taking a shower until she hears another loud laugh and follows the sound to the living room where Raven and Nora are bent at the knees and shaking their butts.
"What are you doing?" Octavia laughs.
Raven peeks through her legs and smiles at her wife, "We're dancing."
"Not that I'm not enjoying the view, but I don't like my daughter shaking her butt at such a young age." Octavia smirks as she moves to scoop Nora up. "Hi, baby bug. Are you having fun with mami?"
Nora squeals happily and reaches up to squish Octavia's cheeks between her hands and the woman simply struggles out a smile as she leans forward to nuzzle her nose against her eleven month old's Octavia sets Nora on her feet and steadies a hand on her head as she watches the baby wobble before she rights herself and moves to lean on the arm of the couch while Raven stands and moves to press herself against Octavia, her eyes roam down her body.
"You're sweaty." Raven notes.
"Yeah, I didn't want to shower after my client left. I just wanted to come home to my wife and daughter." Octavia mumbles as she presses their lips together. "What have the two of you been up to?"
Raven nuzzles their lips together and lingers, "Nothing exciting."
"Mm!"
Octavia peeks over her shoulder at her daughter who stares at her with brown eyes that match Raven's, "I think Nora disagrees. It must've been pretty damn exciting. Come here, Nora. Walk to mama."
A familiar look of determination spreads across Nora's face as she takes a hesitant step forward before she gives a coo and scurries into Octavia's arms, the woman laughs as she lifts her up and brings her belly down to her lips. The little girl squeaks happily as Octavia lowers her once more and settles her on her hip as she swipes a few stray curls behind a tiny ear and watches as brown eyes light up with happiness as she reaches for her nose.
"You're getting so good at that, Nora." Octavia hums as she presses a kiss to her forehead, the baby babbles her baby words as her eyebrows lift and fall every few seconds. "Oh yeah? That sounds awesome."
"I think she's trying to tell you that she ate squash for breakfast." Raven chuckles as she scoots Nora's little scooter aside. "And then she wanted more so she had some strained peas. Such a wonderful breakfast."
"Yuck." Octavia mumbles.
Nora draws away from Octavia and stares at her for a long moment, "Fuck."
Octavia's eyes widen in horror while Raven releases a gasp of shock as they stare at their daughter who bounces happily on Octavia's hip while she repeats the word over and over in her squeak of a voice. Both women trade glances and they wish they could be surprised. They wish they could be in shock, demand to know where their perfect daughter had heard that word but both knew it had come from the other many, many times before.
Raven and Octavia chuckle as they share a quick look, "Fuck."
-
Bellamy and Echo get married on a Saturday and Raven spends twenty minutes trying to coax Nora into where a lady waits to do her hair. The one-year-old is hesitant as she climbs into the chair and bounces her legs as the woman works carefully on her dark curls. Raven and Octavia smile happily before they split up to meet with their respective wedding parties; Raven is Echo's maid of honor and Bellamy begged Octavia for two weeks to agree to at least be in his wedding party; it took three orgasms from Raven for her to agree.
The venue is beautiful and Octavia gaps as she watches her wife walk down the aisle in her beautiful red dress before both women hold their breaths as Aden fumbles down the aisle with a pillow that holds fake rings. They wait. And wait. And wait. And then suddenly their bouncy haired daughter bursts from behind the doors and takes off down the aisle and Octavia bites her lower lip to mask her laughter at how fast her daughter runs while she throws handfuls of red rose petals.
Octavia smiles softly as Nora hurries to crash into Raven's legs and the people that fill the church laugh loudly at the display before they sober as the wedding march begins and everyone's breath is stolen by the beauty of Echo. Later, after the ceremony is over and the reception dwindles down to families and old people on the dance floor, Bellamy approaches his sister and kisses her on the cheek and thanks her for spawning the world's perfect child.
"Shouldn't you be thanking Raven?" Octavia laughs as she slaps his shoulder.
Bellamy rolls his eyes, "I did. She told me to thank you."
Green eyes light up with adoration as she looks out to the dance floor where Raven twirls with their sleepy eyed daughter whose curls are loose and hang limply in her face; she sighs as she realizes how perfect her life truly is.
-
The years bleed together once Nora's first year passes and Octavia can't help but realize how much she misses having a baby. So when Nora turns four, Octavia asks Raven if she's ready to have another baby. It takes a while for Raven to even really discuss the idea, but eventually she agrees and Octavia is excited up until her wife smiles as she tells her Octavia is carrying.
Suddenly, the excitement turns to absolute terror.
-
It takes two times and Octavia cries when she reads her positive pregnancy test. In between that, they have a four-year-old who is slowly getting bigger and smarter and sometimes she's hard to keep up with. As Octavia settles her hands on stomach while she watches Raven and Nora in the pool she wonders how they're going to do this. She wants this baby, but she wonders if her daughter is going to be able to handle it.
She wonders if they're going to be able to handle it.