Hey lovelies :)
This is the sequel to my story I'll Take Care of You so if you haven't read that yet then go read that first because a lot of things happened in it which mean this story will make very little sense otherwise.
A lot of this chapter was inspired by a review from gw110 so thank you! and I hope this is enough cade for you. x
Disclaimer: I don't own victorious.
The first week after Elsa's birth was a whirlwind of emotions. Taking care of a newborn was proving to be both physically and emotionally exhausting. It was terrifying to the pair of teenagers how a person could be so dependent on them for survival and it was evident that they had a lot to learn, but Beck and Jade were indescribably happy. Louise stayed with them at the apartment for three days helping to look after the newborn and taking care of Jade whilst she was on bed rest. But once the initial buffering period was over, Louise moved back home allowing the new parents to truly go it alone.
It was 4am and Beck was sat on the couch rocking his fussy newborn. His girlfriend still having huge amounts of post pregnancy hormones coursing through her body had become upset after they hadn't been able to immediately calm the baby and he had sent her back to bed for a lie down. However two hours later, Elsa was still whimpering finding no comfort in anything her Daddy had been able to offer her.
"Hey" Jade stepped sleepily down the stairs, walking over to Beck on the sofa. Beck kissed her temple lovingly as she sat down next to him.
"Hi" Beck sighed as Elsa continued to cry loudly.
"Swap?" Jade said gently, seeing how tired Beck looked. Without much protest, Beck handed the baby to his girlfriend before trekking upstairs to get some much needed shut-eye. Jade offered the baby her breast but after some feeble sucks, it was evident the baby wasn't hungry. She then went on to check the tiny baby's nappy, making sure she didn't need changing but she was dry. With nothing obviously wrong with her, Jade helplessly continued to rock her in the same way Beck had been, but that evidently wasn't working.
Beginning to feel extremely desperate the new mother suddenly had an idea. She remembered a song her Father used to sing to her when she was a child. It had always calmed her down if she was upset or after a bad day. Her Dad would sit at her bedside and sing to her until she fell asleep.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.
When you wake you shall have
All the pretty little horses.
Black and bays, dapples, grays,
All the pretty little horses.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.
Jade sang the lullaby over and over, softer and softer until Elsa's eyes slowly started to close and her tears subsided. The song felt different now, heavy almost, knowing what had become of her relationship with her Father. But the lullaby had obviously worked as her daughters head rested snug against her chest. Silence had never sounded so sweet. Suddenly Jade heard the creek of a door behind her and she turned her head slightly as her little red headed friend tiptoed cautiously into the living room.
"Oh Cat, I'm so, so sorry" Jade apologised, realising Elsa's crying had obviously kept her friend from sleeping too.
"It's okay Jadey, she's just a baby she can't help it" Cat smiled, sitting down next to them. Jade leant her head on Cats shoulder exhausted as they both just watched Elsa snoozing.
"Don't you have school tomorrow?" Jade asked concerned.
"No I have Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday study leave" Cat explained gleefully. Jade chuckled. Only Cat could get excited about study leave. Somehow detecting voices Elsa woke up immediately and Jade grimaced lifting her head off Cat's shoulder as Elsa started to wail unhappily.
"Elsa.. please, please don't cry" Jade tried desperately to soothe the newborn, regretting even opening her mouth in the first place, but the damage was done and Elsa was wide awake and angry about it.
"You're just not happy are you baby?" Jade cuddled her daughter, whose tiny face had turned red with fury.
"Can I hold her?" Cat asked in a quiet voice. Jade looked up surprised. Cat hadn't once asked to hold the newborn in the short amount of time they'd been living under the same roof. She'd kept her distance the entire week, spending a lot of time away from the apartment and visiting Robbie almost every day. Jade was beginning to wonder if she had some sort of resentment towards her or whether she was just genuinely disinterested in the baby.
"Of course you can.. but I don't know if you really want to right now, she's being so fussy' Jade sighed.
"You look like you need a break" Cat smiled sympathetically. Jade looked back at Cat and then down at Elsa who was still squalling in her arms. At a loss of what else to do, Jade sat up straight and removed Elsa from her body.
"Elsa, come cuddle with your Auntie Kitty.. lets see if you'll stop screaming for her" Jade said softly as she passed the bawling baby into the redheads arms. Cat smiled immediately despite Elsa's cries of indignation. She stroked and tickled Elsa's tummy, whispering sweet words to the baby and to Jade's amazement, within only a couple of minutes Cat had won over the 1-week old and instead of screaming, was just staring up at her with wide eyes.
"Hi dolly. What's all that noise?" Cat said in a sweet voice. Elsa just looked up into Cat's warm brown eyes and her tears were no more. Whatever she'd been so distressed about completely forgotten as she cooed softly at her aunt.
"How did you do that?" Jade asked, eyes wide.
"I don't know" Cat beamed. "Maybe she likes me!"
"Definitely" Jade smiled back. "Noone has been able to stop her crying that fast before"
"I thought she would have liked Tori the best" Cat confessed still swaying the baby slightly. Jade sighed slightly and brushed a strand of bright red hair behind Cat's ear, wondering if this could be the reason for Cat's distant behaviour.
"Now why would you think that?" Jade asked sadly.
"No reason" Cat said quickly, scolding herself for making herself obvious. Jade frowned, watching as Cat somehow managed to get Elsa to fall into a peaceful slumber and realised maybe she had underestimated Cat just a little bit.
"Is this because we asked Tori to be Elsa's godmother?" Jade asked quietly. Cat looked away upset confirming her suspisions.
"I think you like Tori more than me" Cat said sadly.
"Woah, woah!" Jade replied shocked "Tori drives me insane! Why would you ever think that?" Cat looked up at the pale girl sarcastically, knowing as much as Jade wanted everyone to believe it, she didn't hate Tori. The pale girl sighed, knowing Cat could see right through the act. Jade knew she owed her an explanation, she just wasn't sure she had one.
"I just feel like you don't trust me anymore" Cat snuggled the tiny baby close to her body for comfort.
"I do trust you." Jade said immediately. Cat didn't look up obviously still not believing her and Jade sighed becoming frustrated.
"Ok look" Jade ran her hands through her hair stressfully "I don't know how to even begin to explain everything I've been feeling these past few months because I don't even understand it myself. Some of the decisions I made were just stupid and irrational and looking back now I wonder if that was actually me half the time"
"You've changed" Cat said quietly.
"I know." Jade nodded "But trust me.. it's for the better."
"It still doesn't explain why you like Tori more than me"
"I don't!" Jade cried as loudly as she could without waking Elsa. "Being pregnant was.. confusing. I felt so vulnerable all the time and I was scared and for some reason Tori was the only person that made me feel safe."
"Not even Beck?" Cat asked curiously. Jade shook her head.
"Not at first." The blue eyed girl looked confused just trying to put it into words. "I can't explain why I felt like that but Tori took me in. She took care of me even when I was throwing up every night, miserable, lonely. She took me to doctors appointments and rubbed body butter on my bump and brushed my hair and a million other embarrassing things."
"I would have done that too." Cat said quietly.
"I know." Jade nodded. "Like I said, the whole thing is illogical. I don't know why but I needed Tori's help."
"Tori was a really good friend huh?" Cat asked. Jade nodded admittedly.
"I owe her a lot and that's really why I made her Elsa's godmother. I'm so sorry if you feel like second best because you aren't at all and I didn't mean to make you feel like that."
"I understand" Cat nodded looking down at the tiny little sleeping baby in her arms. "I think it must have been really hard to have a baby. I don't think I could do it" Cat admitted. Jade smiled.
"It was so hard.. But hey look at you! Do you have any idea how long Beck and I have been trying to get her to fall asleep?" Jade exclaimed. Cat just giggled softly, secretly proud of her achievement. Slowly Cat lowered the baby into the basket and tucked her under the soft white blanket. When she sat back up, she looked up at her oldest friend and she realised that being jealous of Tori was just really, really stupid. She wasn't Elsa's Godmother, but that didn't matter. She still got to be fab Auntie Kitty and now she was officially Elsa's favourite bedtime person.
Without another thought Cat flung herself at the pale brunette wrapping her arms tight around her waist. Jade winced for a second, still very sensitive in the stomach area but once the initial sting of pain had passed, hugged the red head back just as lovingly. Relieved they'd had the chance to talk this out and that their friendship was back on track.
When Beck woke a few hours later he found all three of the girls fast asleep in the living room. Elsa in the moses basket and Cat and Jade cuddling together on the sofa. Placing a blanket over the two older girls. Beck bent down and kissed Jade lightly on the cheek and ruffled Cats hair before turning to the youngest person in the room.
"Good morning Elsie" Beck whispered to his daughter who was wiggling slightly, just beginning to wake. She made a soft cry sound and swiftly Beck lifted her into his arms, determined not to wake the other two.
"Shh, shh." Beck soothed the newborn. He quickly figured out that she needed a change and took her upstairs to their bedroom to clean her up. Elsa gurgled and cooed happily as Beck lay her down on the centre of their bed and changed her diaper and onesie. Beck actually found her surprisingly happy this morning considering how much she'd cried last night and talked back to her, amused by the funny little sounds she could make. By the time he was done she smelled fresh as a daisy and was alert and pouting her lips cutely. Beck rolled her over so she was lying on her front and she wiggled her arms about confused. Somehow she managed to grab hold of a baby wipe and pulled it with her tiny hand towards her mouth. Beck stopped her before she had the chance and threw the wipe in the bin.
"One day you're going to be able to crawl everywhere and you'll be a little minx just like your Mummy, I can tell" Beck laughed, lifting the baby onto his chest supporting her head. Elsa looked up at him blankly, trustingly and her Dad just smiled slipping a wooly hat onto her head to keep her warm.
"I love you" Beck kissed his daughter on the cheek. Before taking her back downstairs to see if she could get a few more hours sleep.
Later that morning, Jade woke up once again to the sound of her daughter crying- Elsa was their very own alarm clock these days. Somehow, Cat wasn't woken by the high pitched wails and Jade carefully wrapped the blanket back over her before crawling onto the floor to attend to the baby. Lifting Elsa out of her moses basket, Jade decided to take her upstairs so she could lie down on the bed whilst feeding her.
"Are you hungry?" Beck asked Jade as she passed the kitchen.
"A little" the brunette replied, her attention more focused on the babies hunger rather than her own. By the time they reached the bedroom Elsa was full blown screaming as Jade denied her milk.
"You're not very patient are you?" Jade lay down on the bed, holding Elsa's body close to her own. When the baby was finally nursing and happy Jade relaxed, lying her head on the pillows just for a second. She knew she couldn't fall asleep but just the comfort of being able to close her eyes for a couple of minutes was a luxury these days. Several minutes later, Beck entered the room carrying a bowl of chocolate coated cereal.
"This looks.. unhealthy" Jade replied unimpressed.
"It's the only cereal we have" Beck confessed. Gradually over the week Jade's extreme cravings for sugar had came to an end and it was almost as though she had had a health epiphany. Tori had been over only a couple of days ago and watched astounded as Jade bit into an oreo cookie only to spit it out seconds later, completely disgusted. Jade was wrathful with her friends but Beck and Tori especially, for letting her eat "total crap" for nine months and scolded them both as she deemed appropriate.
"I want to go shopping" Jade pouted.
"Do you feel well enough?" Beck asked skeptically.
"Yes.. I need to go out" Jade replied feeling antsy. She wasn't fully recovered from the birth but she was definitely ready for some fresh air, having been stuck in the apartment for weeks even before the birth.
"Well.. why don't you call Tori see if she'll go with you? One of us has to stay here with Elsa but I don't want you going by yourself. Not the first time you go out after having her" Beck added protectively. They had decided to keep Elsa indoors for at least another month, apart from doctors appointments. They really didn't want her to catch something and they decided it was better for everyone if she stayed at home for a while.
"Tori's busy" Jade shook her head "Besides I'm only going food shopping, it's hardly a marathon"
"I know, but I don't want you to be on your own" Beck said firmly. He knew Jade would most likely be fine, but the slight chance that she might overdo it or start to feel faint or dizzy - things which had happened this past week, scared him.
"Cat can come with me" Jade replied, easily finding the solution.
"Babe.." Beck said uneasily.
"What? Cat's my best friend she'll look after me" Jade replied surely.
"If you're sure.. I'll go write a list, but don't carry anything heavy. Please." Beck said seriously. Jade rolled her eyes but Beck remained stern.
"Ugh fine. I promise not to carry anything heavy" Jade agreed. Beck accepted that answer for now, knowing he'd have to let Jade get her life back to normal sooner or later. He left Jade with the bowl of cereal insisting she ate it before she left and went downstairs to do a bit of tidying up.
It was almost 12pm by the time Cat and Jade were washed, dressed and ready to leave the apartment. Jade showered Elsa in kisses, this being the first time she would leave her daughter since she gave birth to her, before turning to Beck and kissing his anxious little face firmly on the lips.
"Stop worrying. I'll be fine" Jade reassured him, rubbing up and down both his arms.
"You think I'm worrying too much?" Beck asked nervously.
"Definitely" Jade admitted. Beck exhaled and ran a hand through his hair stepping backwards away from the door.
"Ok see you in a few hours" Beck let them both go. Cat linked Jades arm happily, delighted to have been given the responsibility of accompanying Jade on her first trip out. Beck had lectured her for half an hour whilst Jade was getting ready on every little thing she was supposed to do in case a million different improbable things happened. Cat honestly couldn't remember half of them but she thought she had a good idea what was and what wasn't too much for her best friend.
Cat drove Beck's car, under the instruction not to let Jade behind the wheel under any circumstance and they both sang happily along to the radio all the way to the store, laughing like little kids. It had been ages since they had hung out together just them and it was refreshing. Once they'd parked up, Cat ran to get a trolley and Jade stepped out of the car, enjoying the feeling of the fresh air and sun on her skin before following Cat into the store.
"Ok.. none of this chocolate crap." Jade said firmly, walking straight to the fruit and veg aisle. Jade spent the next ten minutes filling the cart up with a variety of vegetables. She even allowed for the strawberries Cat begged for and picked out a few more pieces of fruit.
Jade held her breath as they passed the aisle which contained the eggs, expecting the same reaction she'd had when she was pregnant but to her surprise and relief, the sight of them didn't make her retch. She reached for a box and placed them in the cart genuinely feeling elated.
Once they'd finished buying an array of healthy food, the two girls spent another fifteen minutes in the health and beauty section, buying lots of things for Elsa's first bath. Jade also picked out a couple of boxes of dark brown hair dye. She was more than ready to colour her hair again, completely bored of the mousy brown shade she'd been forced to grow used to.
After a full hour in the store, they had a full trolley full of shopping and after paying and loading the car they grinned at each other, feeling as though the trip was very, very successful.
"Ready to go home?" Cat asked once they were both back in the car.
"Not really" Jade admitted, really enjoying being out "Wanna go get frozen yogurt?" Cat squealed excitedly.
"Of course!" She grinned, starting the car up and making her way to their favourite fro-yo bar. The yogurt cafe was only a short car journey away and they were there after less than four songs on the radio.
"Sit in or take away?" Cat questioned.
"Take away" Jade said with a small smile. As much as she would love to stay out even longer it would be unfair to leave Beck at home with the baby for another hour especially after he was already so worried about the outing in the first place. And maybe it was stupid but she already missed Elsa. She'd been with her constantly for months and being so far away felt completely unnatural.
"Kk" Cat agreed, unquestioningly. Before turning and ordering a large raspberry yogurt with lots of sprinkles and blueberries on the top. Jade looked through the flavour choices and decided to just order her and Beck the same.
"Two banana and pineapple froyos with those little coconut flake things" Jade ordered politely. The lady working there looked across the counter at Jade and smiled widely.
"When are you due?" She asked interestedly as she prepared the desserts. Jades smile fell as she looked down at her protruding stomach self consciously.
"Uhh.. I'm not" Jade glared, folding her arms across her body.
"Oh my God. I am so sorry!" The woman looked embarrassed as she quickly handed over the yogurts. Jade paid without saying another word and turned to meet Cat back at the entrance.
"Be honest.. Do I look fat to you?" Jade asked the red head worriedly.
"No Jadey, don't be silly!" Cat replied, her mouth half full of yogurt. Jade wasn't sure if she believed her but accepted that answer for now as they both got back inside the car and began the journey back to their apartment.
When they arrived home, Jade walked ahead with the yogurts whilst Cat carried two large bags of shopping close behind her. As soon as they arrived at the third floor they could hear Elsa's unhappy crying and Jade unlocked their front door, her motherly instincts immediately flying into action.
"Elsa my beautiful, loud baby" Jade took the unhappy little girl from her more than relieved looking boyfriend and stood up rocking her from side to side. Beck ran downstairs to help Cat carry in the rest of the shopping whilst Jade calmed down their daughter.
"Mummy got you a present and I think you're going to like it" Jade told the whimpering baby. As soon as Beck and Cat were back inside with the rest of the shopping Jade bent down to look in one of the shopping bags for the item she'd purchased. After sterilising what she'd bought in some very hot water, Jade placed a dummy into the babies mouth and Elsa opened her eyes surprised but sucked contentedly on it. Jade had a feeling that would do the trick, having noticed how much calmer Elsa was when she was feeding or even when she gave her a baby finger to suck on. She just liked to be sucking something.
"How was shopping?" Beck asked interestedly as Jade placed a much happier Elsa down in the moses basket.
"Fine" Jade reassured him, helping put the shopping away. Beck looked over at her anxious for more details and Jade turned placing a hand on her hip. "Stop worrying." she said firmly.
Beck nodded and looked down glumly. The pale girl rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around him not wanting him to be upset. She looked up into his face, his eyes met hers and they started smiling at each other stupidly. Jade smirked, shaking her head at how sappy this was but before she knew it her fluffy haired boyfriend had her lips between his and her mind ran away with her. Jade smiled into the kiss wondering how long Beck would keep up the overprotective boyfriend role for. It was cute but unnecessary. She had never felt better in her life.
Favourite bit? Least favourite bit? Let me know! :D
Ooooh and I hope you understand my brit-isms. I never realised how many baby words are different between American English and British English :S So I tried to sort of use a mixture of both.. If you don't understand anything just let me know- I'll probably edit it if there is a lot of confusion! xx