"Raven, slow down," Abby demanded again as she held tightly to the door.

"I'm only doing 40," Raven scoffed and swerved to avoid a hole. "We need to get whatever it is Clarke needs and get back there."

"We have plenty of time, and we can't help Clarke if you kill us."

Raven ignored her and put more pressure on the accelerator.

"Raven," Abby threatened.

"You've ridden with me before. Did anything bad happen?"

"There's always a first time."

"If I creep along at 35, will you stop screeching?"

"About the speed, yes. About you saying I screech, maybe."

Raven slowed to the promised speed. "Better?" she asked sarcastically.

"Much. Thank you."

"What's Clarke need anyway?"

"A breast pump, bottles, and nipple. I know we have immersion heaters. Do we have immersion coolers?"

"No, but there's enough power at the hospital to run a small ice maker occasionally."

"Do we have a small ice maker?"

"In one of the storage rooms, I think. The Council used to use it at meetings."

"I don't remember that."

"That happens when you get old," Raven teased.

"Cold stethoscopes for you," Abby answered.

Raven laughed and put a little more pressure on the accelerator.

100 – 100 – 100

Octavia met them as they walked toward the Ark. "How's Clarke?"

"She's fine. They're all fine."

"Then why are you here? I thought you were taking a couple days off, Raven."

"I am. We went to Polis."

"Have you seen them?"

"No. I woke the babies up when I knocked on the door and the Commander was not happy."

"They're beautiful, Octavia. One of them has Lexa's hair and the other has Clarke's. They're a little on the small side, and Clarke left the hospital too early, but everyone is fine."

"So why are you here in such a hurry?"

"Clarke asked for a few things."

"What?"

"A breast pump and bottles."

"We have those?"

"Yes," Abby answered.

They entered the Ark. Abby went right, toward the Medbay. Raven went left. Octavia thought for a second and followed Octavia. "You're going back, right?"

"Yeah, as soon as I find what I need." She opened the first storage room and walked through it quickly, examining the shelves.

Octavia followed her to the second and third rooms while Raven told her about Wick asking her before she could ask him. When she had the ice maker under her arm, she showed Octavia the ring. "We'll use the others at the ceremony."

"Nice. When's that going to be?"

"Don't know yet. We'll talk to Bellamy and Indra when we get back. And before you ask, yes, I want you to stand up with me."

"I'm honored. And slow down."

Raven glanced at Octavia and slowed her steps as they walked to the Medbay. They were nearly there when when they met Abby carrying a box.

"Got everything?" Raven asked.

"Yes."

"Let's go."

100 – 100 – 100

When they returned to Polis, Raven went immediately to the hospital to set up the ice maker. Abby went to Lexa and Clarke's home. Before letting her in, Lang checked with Lexa. He took the box from Abby and held the doors open for her. He put the box on the table and left.

Lexa put the reports aside and stood. "They are sleeping."

"When Clarke's ready for me to show her how this works, send somebody for me. I'll be at the hospital."

"Mochof, Abi."

"You're welcome, Lexa," Abby answered and left without a fight.

Lexa went right back to reading reports. Clarke was trying to keep up with them, but the babies demanded so much attention, and since Clarke was their food source, her hands were regularly full, keeping her from doing anything else.

Lexa had moved the mirror to their room and brought a new sketch pad and every drawing tool she could find downstairs. Clarke tried to find a few seconds to work on the sketches she was doing. One was a surprise for Lexa, of all four of them, showing the times that Lexa sat behind Clarke and watched over her shoulder.

The other was of Clarke nursing the babies. She was taking her time with it, wanting to get every detail right. She had a surprise for Abby, too, a drawing of the girls sleeping in their cradle. She planned to have it framed to give her at midwinter.

100 – 100 – 100

For two weeks, their guards kept everyone at bay. Abby was allowed in only when they sent for her. Raven hung around for a couple days before realizing she wasn't going to see Clarke or the babies. On the drive back to Arkadia, she came up with a brilliant idea. She locked herself in her workshop. Wick brought meals to her, and dragged her out, over vociferous protests, late each night. She refused to tell him what she was working on and kept him busy with other tasks.

Fortunately, the village ran itself for the most part. Anything that had to be dealt with was brought to Raven during breakfast, which Baden ate with her. They had no idea when Indra and Bellamy would return. Radio reports were spotty, but they hadn't asked for any help, so Raven figured everything was going as expected.

After a week of frustration, Raven put her project aside and got back to work. Something always needed to be fixed and there was the ongoing list of improvements. People started coming to her workshop to find her, and Raven wondered how Bellamy ever got anything done. She made a note to ask when he got back.

In her free time, she visited Octavia and her family, now larger by one. In another year or so, there would be lots of kids underfoot as they began to walk and run. They needed to work out some kind of educational program.

When Wick thought Raven was getting too stressed out, he did what he could to give her a break, even if it was just to close the workshop door for an hour. Raven began to vent in the smith's shed, too. Shaping metal in fire wasn't that different than shaping it in her shop, and the hammering felt good. She melted down and reformed the same blade a dozen times before she was satisfied with it, and moved quickly from that simple job to more complicated ones making things they always had to stop to have made. She made brackets, braces, and hangers in sizes that they used most often, and one afternoon a week of Raven beating hot metal on the anvil gave Monty, Miller, and Wick enough to carry in their tool boxes.

100 – 100 – 100

Bandits, Indra and Bellamy agreed, were a royal pain in the ass. They were too lazy to work, and took from people who were badly hurt by the loss of the items taken. The biggest problem with finding them was that they weren't organized. The warriors searching for them were, though. Bellamy and Indra had maps covered with grids that they checked off as they searched those areas.

He became adept at spotting someone out of place, or a home with more than its neighbors had. He learned to set a trap and when to spring it. He didn't want to kill anyone. He felt like there was more than enough blood on his hands, and struggled each time they caught someone.

It took two months to clear out all of the bandits, and by the time they finished, Bellamy had enough. He decided that when he got back to TonDC, he would let Clarke know that he would fight to defend his family and home, but otherwise, was done.

100 – 100 – 100

Polis' citizens soon got used to seeing Clarke and Lexa walking through town carrying the babies. At first, it was a novelty to see Lexa carrying one or both girls while she and Clarke walked through the market. People soon got used to seeing them and because Clarke and Lexa let everyone see them, things soon returned to normal.

Both women appreciated all the help they got. Their guards and Aden all learned to change diapers, and all of them gladly held the girls. Aden spent as much time with them as he could, and took his lessons from Bowie, Braddock, Lang, and Roosevelt seriously. The first time Lexa returned to the Natblida after her daughters were born, they had so many questions that Lexa gave in. They followed her home, and practiced their stealth moves as they moved around the cradle where the girls slept. After that, she and Clarke took the babies to their meetings with the Natblida, too.

Lexa loved mornings at home. She usually woke before the babies began whimpering, and brought them to bed. She watched Clarke feed them, and cleaned them up while Clarke napped. She brought them back to bed and held them until Clarke woke. Watching all of them sleep gave Lexa a sense of peace she had never known. She quickly became used to rocking the cradle whenever she was at the table.

Planning for midwinter was easier this year. The only thing that worried Clarke was that she would have to slip in and out of meetings to tend to the babies. They tried to plan around it and gave up. "They will stay with us and the others will get over it," Lexa pronounced.

Clarke looked at her and bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh. She was fairly certain that attitude would last until it was time to feed the twins.

100 – 100 – 100

Clarke and Lexa invited Bellamy and Indra to the midwinter feast to recognize their successful campaign against bandits in the south. Bellamy brought Shanna and delivered Raven's fireworks to the Natblida. Indra didn't bring a guest, but she packed the dress she wore for Lexa and Clarke's wedding.

When each clan arrived for the meeting, the leader went first to meet with Lexa and Clarke. News of the births spread quickly throughout the coalition, and everyone had special gifts for them. Several of them were parents, as well, and were pleased to hold one or both babies while they talked to Clarke and Lexa.

After the third time, Clarke realized that no one would care that the babies were with them through meetings or the feast. She decided to feed both of them right before she and Lexa had to prepare to greet their guests.

The first ones to enter the feast hall found Clarke and Lexa waiting, each holding one of their daughters. The feast went as expected. Clarke slipped away to feed the girls and put them to bed. Aden stayed at the house to watch over them so Clarke could return to the party.

She saw Lexa deep in discussion with one of the new ambassadors when she arrived, and went to her. She interrupted the conversation, telling Lexa, "Heda, you promised to dance."

"I did," she answered Clarke, smiling, and nodded to the ambassador.

"What did he want?" Clarke asked while Lexa moved them around the dance floor.

"Nothing important. The girls are sleeping?"

"Aden's watching them."

"So you're mine for a few hours."

"I'm always yours," Clarke replied, smiling.

"As I am yours." Lexa spun Clarke and pulled her close to give her a quick kiss.

100 – 100 – 100

Lexa planned for the meeting of the clans. She had their guards carry a cradle and a large rug to the meeting room with everything they might need for the babies. Aden would stay with them to keep the girls occupied while Lexa and Clarke tended to business.

This morning, Lexa stayed in bed with Clarke while she nursed the girls. She never tired of watching the three of them. The framed drawing Clarke gave her of all of them in bed together was already hanging on the wall, but as good as it was, it wasn't close to the real thing. She loved the quiet sounds and the love that showed plainly on Clarke's face. She loved sitting behind Clarke and stroking the fine soft hair on her daughters' heads. There was nowhere she'd rather be.

The meeting began at mid morning to give everyone time to recover from the party the night before. As always, Lexa and Clarke were the first ones there. They squatted near the girls, watching them work on the mechanics of crawling, and it was an effort for both of them to turn to the matters at hand.

This meeting was one of the easiest they had so far. Everyone was relatively happy. There was peace, and trade, and the meeting of healers earlier in the year had spread enough information that there was a noticeable difference in mortality rates across the board. The radios were still immensely popular, and the census was finally close to finished. The longest discussion was about what to do with the southern lands, and after several hours of talk, the decision was put off for another year. Depending on what happened in that time, they could choose what to do.

When the work was done, food was brought in. While the others talked and ate, Clarke sat with her back to them nursing the girls. She was surprised when Lexa joined her. She took Sora when she finished, burped her, and cleaned her up with Clarke did the same with Swima. After that, they returned to the table, leaving the girls under Aden's watch.

100 – 100 – 100

That evening, they invited Indra, Bellamy, and Shanna to come over so they could catch up. They got the business portion of the discussion out of the way first. While the four of them leaned over a map on the table, Shanna sat near Aden and the babies. Clarke kept watch out of the corner of her eye while Shanna talked with Aden and played with the twins.

When the meeting broke up, Bellamy asked Clarke for a minute alone. They went to sit in the window seat. "What's up?" Clarke asked.

"Well, first, it's good to see you."

"Good to see you, too," Clarke said with a smile. "Whatever it is, just spit it out."

"I'm done fighting."

"OK."

"OK?"

"Yeah. I mean, you're not going to let raiders come near TonDC, right?"

"Right. But I'm done leaving home to chase them."

"OK," Clarke repeated. "You ready to settle down?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Go home, make some more little Blakes."

"I thought you'd put up a fight."

"Why? You've done everything I've asked of you. You did things I never would have asked you to do. I can't find fault with you for not wanting to kill anyone."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Go get your girl before she decides to kidnap one of my babies."

"She's really nice."

"Bell, as long as you're happy, I'm happy."

He stood up and pulled Clarke along. They shared a long hug and she reached up to tousle his carefully combed hair when they separated.

At the table, Lexa's gaze went from her daughters to her wife to her general. "Do you know what they're talking about?" she asked Indra.

"Bellamy wants to retire from fighting."

"Altogether?"

"No. He said he will fight to protect his home, but he does not want to go on another campaign."

"Clarke will permit it," Lexa said with a sigh.

"Sha. He may change his mind."

"Let us hope. How is everything in TonDC?"

Indra smiled. "Things are well enough that Bellamy and I are here."

Lexa smiled back. "That speaks well of both of you. I appreciate all that you have done to make it a good place for Skaikru and Trikru."

"Skaiprisa makes you soft, Heda," Indra said.

"In some things, perhaps." Lexa's smile grew as she looked again from Clarke to the twins. "I wish for them to grow up without ever going to battle."

"An admirable goal."

"Sha." She watched Clarke ruffle Bellamy's hair before going with him to kneel on the floor. He put his arm around Shanna while Clarke kissed both girls all over, making them laugh.