Chapter Text
The Plan
Clarke sat up in the small bed, ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and looked down at the little bundle still curled in the blankets next to her. She knew she couldn’t let this continue going on any longer than it already had. She tried to get off the small bed without it squeaking, but failed.
“Mommy?” The bundle of blankets shifted, a curly blonde head popping out from under the blanket. The little girl had long blonde hair with wild loose curls, and deep caramel brown eyes that lit up whenever her gaze landed on Clarke. Smiling brightly, the little girl climbed out of bed and started saying good morning to every piece of furniture they had in the small space that Clarke had come to know as hell, or as Lily called it, Box.
Shaking her head slowly at her daughter, she moved to the other side of the room where her limited kitchen appliances were and took out the stuff to make eggs and toast. The little girl finished her morning round by hugging her mother saying happily, "Good morning Mommy."
"Good morning Lily." Clarke knew that she had to start trying to get out again. She couldn't let Lily grow up in this box. She deserved better.
Clarke had cracked a few weeks ago after Finn had been especially rough, he had really done a number on her. The morning after, she had snapped after something broke, and she had yelled at Lily, who was just barely five. And-she hadn't meant to yell at her or scare her. But they couldn't keep living like this. Once she had started yelling, she couldn’t stop herself. When she’d calmed enough, she told Lily the truth. Everything. That there was more just beyond the four walls that surrounded them. Clarke pulled Lily onto her lap, holding her close, apologizing for yelling, but gently explained that they hopefully weren't going to live in the box forever, and that there was so much more for them to see.
Since then Clarke had a few vague ideas on how to get her daughter out, she could deal with it if she had to stay. As long as Lily was out, and safe, that's all that mattered to her. She could spend the rest of her days here as long as her daughter was free and safe.
They spent the day as they normally did, they cleaned, making sure everything was in its place, Lily read out loud while Clarke made them lunch, they did basic stretches and Clarke got Lily her exercise by having her run from one side of their small space to the other which the little girl always loved. They played a few games before dinner, and then they have bath time after they've cleaned up from their meal. Sometimes they'd take their baths together, and sometimes Clarke would bathe while Lily watched one of the few movies Finn had allowed them to have. She missed showers, but baths were better than nothing.
Once she had gotten Lily in her pajamas for the night, she tucked the little girl into her bed in the wardrobe. "Time to sleep now, Lily." Clarke always had her daughter start the night in the wardrobe so she wouldn't be around, in the wardrobe was a far away from him as Clarke could manage, when Finn came in. Standing up Clarke started closing the doors.
"Mama?" She stopped and crouched down again. "How big is the world?" Clarke couldn't help but smile. The day she told Lily the truth, Lily didn’t believe her. The little girl thought she was lying. Tomorrow, she would try and get Lily out. Her little girl deserved to see the world.
"It's very, very big. A lot more than here in Box." Nodding sleepily, Lily closed her eyes. Standing up once again, Clarke closed the doors to the wardrobe.
Finn had shown up less than an hour later. He had brought food with him this time, it'd been almost two weeks since he had brought them food and they were out of almost everything. They didn't talk much that night but he reminded her, every time he came, that she was his, that Lily was his. She wanted to object, but knew she had to stay silent.
When he finally left, Clarke threw her legs over the side of the bed and sighed. Wearily standing up, she pulled a shirt on as she went over to the wardrobe and carefully picked up Lily, bringing her over to the bed. Lily instinctively curled up against her mother as Clarke finally fell asleep.
Lily was up first the next morning. Climbing out of bed, she started walking around and saying good morning to everything in the room. Tripping over the edge of the rug on her way to say good morning to the bath tub, Lily fell, waking up her mother. "Lily?" Worry laced Clarkes voice.
"The rug made me fall." Lily got to her feet and pointed to where the rug had bubbled up a bit at the edge. "Bad rug." She stuck her tongue out at it.
Forcing a smile Clarke got up to start some breakfast. She wanted this to be their, or at least Lily's, last breakfast here.
At lunch Clarke told Lily her plan, and when they had finished eating and cleaning up, they went over it.
~~~~
Lily was laying on her back, on the bed. "You need to be loose, like jello, okay Lily?" The girl nodded, staying super loose when Clarke moved each of her limbs and picked her up.
"Good girl," Clarke praised as she laid her daughter back on the bed, fondly brushing her blonde curls out of her face.
"What do you do when you get to the hospital?" Clarke was kneeling next to the bed, watching her daughter get ready for the performance of her little life.
Lily pulled the barely started note out of her pocket, holding it up for her mom to see. "I give this to the doctor, but don't let Finn see." Clarke smiled at her daughter.
"Good, and if there's people around when he's carrying you to his truck?" Lily thought for a moment before answering.
"I yell for help, and tell them the bad man has me and, and…” Lily frowned, she couldn't remember what else she was supposed to say.
"My mom is Clarke Griffin." Clarke reminded her. "Tell me again what you say if you see someone on your way to the truck."
"I yell for help and tell them the bad man has me and my mom is Clarke Griffin." Clarke ran her fingers through her little girls hair, proud of her for remembering all this.
"Okay, now we need to make you sick," Clarke got up off the floor, moving to the sink and turned on the hot water before looking for a towel.
"I'm scared, Mommy."
Clarke paused and sighed, looking at the floor with her hands braced on the edge of the sink. "I know, but you need to be brave.” Clarke needed her daughter to be as brave as possible.
"You're going to make me sick?" Clarke looked back to the bed where Lily was sitting up, watching Clarke carefully.
"No," Clarke took the wet towel and turned off the water before going back to the bed. “I’m going to make you look sick, so you’re going to have to be all jello-y, okay?” Lily nodded slowly as her mom pressed the hot towel to her cheeks and forehead.
“Ouch, Mama, that hurts.” Clarke frowned, hating that she was hurting her baby, hated that she was trying to send her off alone with Finn.
It had to be done though.
“I know, but you need to be hot. If it seems like you have a fever Finn will have to take you to the hospital.” Lily whimpered in pain only moments before the metallic beeps sounded and the door opened.
Clarke jerked to her feet in surprise, shoving the towel in her back pocket. “Finn!” He was there earlier than usual, but that was going to work in their favor for once. “Finn, Lily’s sick. She’s had a fever all day.” Her cheeks and forehead were pink.
“Let me see her,” Lily whimpered when Finn put the back of his hand on her forehead. Trying to make herself smaller.
“Damn, the kid’s on fire.” He stated, pulling his hand back.
“She hasn’t had anything to eat or drink all day either. I’m worried she’s dehydrated.”
Finn frowned and ran a frustrated hand through his shaggy brown hair. “I guess I’m going to have to take her to the hospital.”
“Please, I don’t want to lose her, I don’t want her to die.” Clarke fell to her knees as dramatically as she could, needing to seem like she was begging him.
“Please Finn!”
Finn groaned, annoyed about the task ahead of him. “Fine, I’ll take the little bitch to the hospital. I wouldn’t be playing nice with you if she didn’t have my blood in her.” And with that he bent down and scooped up the little girl. Lily whimpered in protest, looking at her mom.
“I’ll be back with her later tonight.” When the door closed behind him, Clarke sighed in relief. The hard part was done. Lily was outside. He can’t hurt her in public. Lily had a chance. Clarke believed in her daughter, her brave daughter.
Now, all she could do, was wait. Wait and hope.