Let Me Down | John Murphy

Reunited

Chapter 7

At first I thought I was hallucinating. There was no way it was real. That she was real. But the closer I got, the more my imagination couldn't extend. I had to believe what was there. I had to believe she was really there.

John had helped me back to camp, resting my body weight on him.

I know it seems odd, but the exhaustion I felt over the recent events, made anything possible. I could have a threesome with Clarke and Octavia. That was how crazy the world seemed from my eyes.

I kept going, being nagged by Clarke that I needed to see her mom so she couldn't bind my wound, but something drew me towards the building, and it wasn't Bellamy's constant mention of a 'surprise', waiting for me back here. The best way I could describe it, there was a magnetic force pulling me towards a metal object. And when I saw her, I understood why.

Standing barely five feet away, I saw two familiars. One being my annoyingly fun brother, who I haven't faced since the battle, and the other being... my daughter.

My eyes widen and I can't breathe as Kai steps closer with her in his arms. Her beautiful features are everything and I still remember her smell. My heart aches to have her so close after so long, but my desperation to hold her forces me to let go of John and make my way to my child.

"Can I..." I'm a bit uncertain about holding her again, due to the lack of contact over the last week. What if she cries?

"Yeah," Kai nods, placing her arms and an overwhelming feeling takes over every nerve in my body.

I softly weep as my mothering instincts kick in and I become whole again.

I've missed her more than words will ever be able to explain. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me. There is nothing I wouldn't give to feel this happy forever.

"Dawn," I smile hard, never wanting that name to become a memory. "I found you, baby girl," I tell her. "And no matter what happens, I will never be apart from you ever again."

Looking up to my brother, I pull him towards me. "Thank you," I whisper, knowing if it weren't for him, I would still feel empty and lost without my child.

"I would anything for the two of you," he says, pulling away to face me. "I'm so sorry, Quinn. For all the lying, and keeping your family a secret from you. I should've just told you the truth."

I shush him before he can speak anymore. "I forgive you."

"You... you do?"

"Yeah, I do," I nod. "You were just doing what you thought was right, I can't blame you for that. My mother and Kane are the real liars. They kept a lot more than my paternity a secret from me."

"Like what?"

I'm about to answer when the pain in my arm returns and my hold on Dawn weakens.

"I need to go get my arm looked at," I tell my brother.

"Do you want me to take Dawn?"

"I-"

"I'll take her if you want," I hear Bellamy offer as he approaches us. "I still need some time with LB, and besides, Kai you've probably worn yourself out with babysitting duties, am I right?"

The bags under his eyes tell a story of his exhaustion that no excuse can hide away.

"A little, but I'm okay. I can-"

"Kai, get some rest," I tell him. "That's an order, big brother."

Sighing in defeat, he nods and heads inside.

Handing LB to Bellamy, I make my way over to the medical tent with John following a little further behind.

"Quinn, right?" I'm asked by the woman I presume is Clarke's mom. She's a lot more different than I expected. Her darker hair and her darker eyes indicate that Clarke must get her hair and eye colour from her father.

"That's right," I say, sitting up on the bed. "You must be Clarke's mom, right?"

"Call me, Abby," she smiles kindly before tearing my shirt to see my wound. "Now, Clarke told me you were shot."

I nod. "Yeah, I jumped in the way. Not my finest moment, but I had to do something," I shrug.

"That's understandable that you wanted to help. Just remember, though, your life matters, too. Especially for that little girl of yours."

Never thought of it like that.

"How have you been since you gave birth?" Abby's question reminds me of how fragile my body still is after only being a week since I gave birth.

"A little tired, still a bit sore down there, overall okay, though."

"Good, good," she says before starting to disinfect my wound. "Now, this may sting a little."

"I can handle it," I reassure her.

After being stabbed, shot, burnt, childbirth, and endless amounts of torture, a little sting is nothing.

"You're a brave girl."

I feel like I'm being treated like a child.

Sorry, Abby. I have a child, I'm not one myself.

"You kind of have to be when you get sent down to die."

No digs there, Abby.

"You know, we did what we thought was best for you kids."

"Trying to justify your actions, won't make you any less guilty. If it did, I would be innocent."

She doesn't say anything after that, and I get why. She knows she'll lose this fight because she's in the wrong. Several dead kids prove that.

So like a good girl, I wait patiently for her to finish before I'm off the bed and out of the room.