AU. Dedicated to a family of 3 kids I nanny for, whose parents are both in the RAAF (Australian airforce). Their father arrived home after six months in July and their mother flies overseas for six months in September. They're used to it, its the only life they know, but it doesn't mean they don't miss their parents. Read and review, please.
"Come home soon soldier", she whispered against his mouth and he nodded, holding her tight and wishing that he didn't have to let her go.
"I will. Promise".
Beca Swanson hated a lot of things. Spiders, sliced turkey loaf (because that was not turkey, in her opinion), popular boy bands that teenage girls fawned over, movies… but mostly the fact that she was left on her own to raise two children for eight to eleven months of the year.
And yet, she was still classed as a 'dependant' of her husband.
Beca Mitchell had fallen head over heels in love with Jesse Swanson in their freshman year at Barden University, not acting on it until the end of the year. They spent the summer texting, calling and Skyping each other, until they were reunited again.
And they were inseparable.
Jesse had proposed during their senior year and they had married after graduation (after what Beca's maid of honour Chloe Beale called the shortest engagement in history, and 'are you going to be showing at the wedding, Becs?').
But then Jesse had thrown a curve ball into their relationship.
He was joining the United States Marine Corps, and was being deployed immediately. Beca knew it was a dream of her movie nerd (because the nickname she had given him at Barden had stuck), but it didn't mean it stung any less. Tearfully waving goodbye to him at the airport, she found herself throwing herself into her music and counting down the days until she could be in her husband's arms again.
When he came home, eight months later, Beca was ecstatic.
And then she fell pregnant.
Jesse was home for the duration of Beca's pregnancy, but a short three weeks after six pound four ounce Allie Claire screeched herself into the world, he found himself packing his bags again.
"Come home soon soldier", Beca had told him, with tears absolutely streaming down her face. Allie, cradled gently in her mother's arms, sensed her distress, and was not a happy little girl that day.
He came home.
Two days after Allie's first birthday, Jesse came home, wrapping his arms around his girls and refusing to let them go. For the next week, Allie spent the night curled in her parents' bed, in between them, soaking up the attention her father was giving her after almost a full year of Skype calls to the infant (a habit that Beca wanted to break, because she had Allie in a routine on her own).
Nine months later, Jesse and Beca found themselves welcoming in another screaming bundle of joy, seven pounds even Melody Rose. Beca's heart soared every time she saw Jesse holding their girls (because there was no way Allie was letting the new baby get all of her daddy's attention), before it sunk again.
Jesse was leaving for another ten months.
"I'm coming home", he assured her at the airport, holding two month old Melody and almost two year old Allie, still managing to fit Beca into his arms.
"You better", Chloe voiced, the words that Beca couldn't quite get out.
Beca just nodded, accepting Melody in one arm as Chloe took Allie.
"Daddy!" Allie sobbed, and Jesse felt his heart split into two.
"I'm coming home, baby", he assured her. "Daddy promises".
"Come home soon soldier", Beca whispered, before breaking completely.
Ten months turned into eleven, which turned into twelve.
A full year after Jesse left, he was home again.
Beca loved having him home. talking to the man she loved on the phone or over Skype was not the same as being able to hold his hand or fall asleep in his lap while watching one of his beloved movies (she kept up the act she had going while they were in college- movies might not have been her favourite thing in the world, but she liked them a whole lot better than she had).
For Jesse, there was no better feeling than being able to hold his three girls. He had missed so much, and vowed not to miss anymore.
He'd missed Christmases and birthdays and the birth of their niece and nephew (when Chloe had given birth to Maddie and Aubrey and Michael welcomed Nicholas into the world he had been kicking himself, because he wanted to see how their friends- friends that had become family- handled parenthood). He'd missed so many occasions- when Beca emailed him, telling him about Allie's first experience with sparklers and fireworks on the Fourth of July, he had found himself with tears running down his face. He was meant to be there, he was meant to be the daddy that lit the sparklers for her.
But staying home with his girls was not what his job wanted, it turned out.
It had happened twice. He had been deployed twice since Melody's first birthday.
Beca's heart ached, and she just smiled sadly at him, not letting her emotions show. "See you soon soldier".
She hated the fact that she was left alone for eight to eleven months of the year to raise two children, pay the bills, run a household, and was still classed as a dependant of her husband.
She was pretty damn independent, even if she did say so herself.
"You're not happy today, Beca", Chloe observed, as she let herself into the Swanson house later one night. Beca sighed heavily, running her hand through her hair.
"Everything's just catching up to me", she said warily. "Jesse's not calling until tomorrow so Allie's been on my back about that, she refused dinner and the sandwich that I offered her- which is so unlike Allie, she eats more than me- and, to top it off, Melody threw up everything she had eaten over her pyjamas, just as I finished buttoning them up. So she had another bath and it was Allie spent the next hour whining to watch a movie. If they both wake up sick, I'll cry".
(It wasn't often that Beca admitted that she was overwhelmed by it all, but that day was just too much.)
"Oh, Beca". Chloe would have laughed, if it wasn't for the look on her friend's face. "Come here, sweetie".
Beca slumped into Chloe's arms, allowing the redhead to hug her. "I'm independent", she mumbled. "I don't know why they insist on saying I'm dependant. I don't see anyone else cleaning up vomit in this place!"
"You're not dependant".
"According to the Marines I am", she grumbled, sounding downright miserable.
"Well the Marines are wrong. Hey, come over tomorrow. Spent the night. Maddie would love to spend some time with her godmother".
"No, I can't tomorrow".
"You know what? Go out. Go and see a movie, go and have a drink. Tom and I will watch the girls".
"No, because then Stacie and Fat Amy will want to come and I'll be left in the corner or something like last time".
"Just come over", Chloe told her friend, guiding her to the couch and forcing Beca to sit. "You need to get out of the house. Maddie will love having the extra kids to play with".
Beca sighed heavily. "Okay".
The next day, while Allie and Melody ran amuck with their cousins, Beca sat in the kitchen of the McDonald house, venting.
"Did you know that Jesse and I have been together for ten year next year", Beca said suddenly, "And since we've been married we've only been physically together for not even two years?"
"It's more than that", Chloe protested.
"No, it's true. He's been home for twenty two months. He was there for both pregnancies and births and left when the kids were newborn. In the five years we've been married, we've been together twenty two months".
Stacie frowned. "Has it really been that long?"
Aubrey nodded one hand on the swell of her baby bump. "Wow…"
"I'm just over it", she mumbled. "I just wish that Jesse was at home. I get that he wants this, but I hate not seeing him every day".
"He's calling tonight, isn't he?" Tom checked, and Beca nodded.
"And then he's calling again on the weekend for Allie's birthday. He's never been home for Allie's birthday, did you know?"
"I know", Fat Amy said softly. "The poor kid thinks it's normal to speak to her father over Skype for her birthday".
"I'll give him credit; he's always called as she's blowing out her candles". Beca sighed. "But she told me, her wish is always to have Daddy home".
Stacie sighed heavily, reaching out to pat her friend on the shoulder. "Not much longer until he's home".
It was a lifestyle that she was used to, but it didn't mean she liked it.
"Happy birthday Allie!" Aubrey cheered, coming into the house with a pile of presents.
"Thanks Aunt Aubrey!" Allie hugged her quickly. "My daddy's calling soon!"
"Hey, come on in!" Beca grinned at them, motioning them into the house. "In the kitchen, we're ready to party, hey Allie cat?"
"Yep!" Allie nodded enthusiastically, taking Melody's hand once more.
The newly turned four year old bounded ahead of her aunt and uncles and cousins, leading them into the kitchen. Beca had set out plates of crackers and chips, and bowls of candy. While her birthday cake (a chocolate mud cake in the shape of a teddy bear) was impressive, Allie was more excited about the Skype call her father had promised.
"Mummy?"
"Yes, birthday girl?" Beca smiled at her, kissing Chloe's cheek in greeting.
"When's Daddy calling?"
Beca and Jesse had arranged for him to call when she was going to light the candles. It was the way it had worked the year before when Jesse was overseas (because he had never seen either of his girls' birthdays), and it was the absolute highlight of the little girl's day.
Their unorthodox little family sat around, laughing and chatting and eating as Allie tore into her presents (she had been spoilt absolutely rotten), before Beca stuck candles into the cake.
"Alright, Allie cat", she pronounced, bringing it and a lighter to the table. "Ready?"
"No, Daddy hasn't called yet!" she said, sounding distressed.
As if on cue, the laptop buzzed and Beca clicked the 'answer' button, Jesse's face popping up on the screen.
"Daddy!" she screamed in excitement, all but throwing herself across the table.
"Hey birthday girl! Happy birthday Allie cat!"
"Thanks Daddy! I miss you!"
"I miss you too baby. How is everyone? Where's your sister? Where's Mummy? Hey Bec!"
"Daddy!" Melody giggled. "I love you!"
"Melody! I love you to baby girl".
"Say hello to everyone", Beca grinned, turning the laptop to face their family. Suddenly, Jesse's end of the line was full of people, waving and trying to get their faces into view.
"hey guys!" Jesse laughed.
"Hi!"
"We miss you!"
"God I love a man in a uniform".
"Stacie, focus".
"Stacie!"
Jesse just laughed. "Partying hard for Allie cat, hey?"
"Yeah, Uncle Jesse!" little Maddie said cheerfully.
"Daddy, when are you coming home?"
"Soon, baby", he promised. "Bec, I emailed you, have you read it yet?"
"I've been a bit preoccupied with a four year old, weirdo", she reminded him (making Jesse grin at the college nickname). "How important?"
"I think it's pretty high up there", he told her with a grin, and Beca grinned right back. "Ready for cake, Allie cat? Ready to sing?"
Despite the fact that they could all sing and they could all sing well, it was tradition to warble 'happy birthday' off key and out of tune. And they did, louder and worse than ever.
"That's gross", Aubrey laughed, as Fat Amy held the last note, Allie puffing out her candles. "God, that was even worse than Beca's birthday!"
Jesse laughed. "It was great, right Allie?"
"Yeah Daddy", she giggled. "Can we have cake now?"
"It's a nice cake, did Mummy make that?"
"Yeah!"
While Beca handed out plates of cake, Allie and Melody chatted to their daddy, telling him of everything he had missed.
Jesse learned how Melody was doing at swimming lessons, and how their dance concert was coming up soon. Jesse told them stories from when he and Beca were in college (because while Allie and Melody heard stories from their mother, it wasn't the same) and told them exactly how much he missed them.
"You're comin' home soon, right soldier?" Allie checked, picking up on her mother's nickname.
"Soon, Allie", he promised. "Soon".
"Love you Daddy".
"Love you Daddy".
"Love you weirdo". Beca smiled at him and Fat Amy put an arm around her protectively.
Jesse just waved, before Beca clicked the 'end call' button.
"What's the email about, Bec?" Benji questioned, and Beca shrugged.
"Don't know, I'll read it when the girls run off to play".
So after the final bite of cake (Allie encouraging Maddie the whole way- "come on Maddie, eat faster so we can go and play!" "Allie, she's going to choke", Beca objected) was eaten, the four kids ran into the lounge room to play with Allie's new toys. As Fat Amy produced a bottle of Boone's Farm (because it was tradition, after all), Beca pulled out her phone, scrolling through her emails and waiting for the newest message from Jesse to arrive.
It wasn't long.
But it had more meaning than any other message he had sent as of late.
I'm coming home, I'm coming home, tell the world I'm coming home. Love you xoxo
"Oh my God!" Beca's eyes widened, and she almost dropped the phone.
"What, what's wrong?"
"Jesse's coming home", Beca almost whispered.
"What?"
"Jesse's coming home!"
"Daddy?" Melody said, poking her head into the room.
"Allie, Melody!" Beca called, inviting Melody over and hoisting her into her lap. Allie clambered into Cynthia Rose's lap, the woman bouncing her gently on her knee.
"Daddy's coming home", Beca told them, and Allie's face broke into such a smile (so like her father) that Beca thought her face was going to crack.
"Daddy's coming home!" Melody whooped.
"Mummy, where is he?" Allie almost begged. "He's not here yet!"
"He'll be here, baby", Beca assured her, squeezing her hand. "Daddy promised, and Daddy never breaks a promise".
"Yeah", Melody piped up.
"He'll be here soon, bugalugs", Chloe told them with a smile.
(Because, just like all the other times, they were meeting him with a celebration to be remembered. Lily and Donald had a 'welcome home' banner ready to be stretched out, while Stacie and Fat Amy had noisemakers.)
"Daddy!" Allie screamed, taking off.
"Daddy!" Melody followed at a slightly slower pace, running towards her father.
Beca felt the same way she did every time Jesse came home. Frozen, as if she was in a dream. But seeing Jesse lift their girls into his arms, twirling them around and peppering them with kisses made her absolutely positive that it wasn't a dream.
Jesse set Melody and Allie down, advancing towards his wife. It was then that Beca's feet started walking, and she threw herself at him with as much passion as she had done in their freshman year.
"Welcome home soldier", she whispered against his lips.
Jesse held her like he'd never let her go, lifting her off the ground with enthusiasm.
"Daddy!" Allie tugged at his pants leg. "You told me that you had a surprise for us? What is it? Can you tell me? Can you tell us?"
Setting Beca down, he lifted Melody up with his right arm and picked up Allie with his left.
"I'm home", he said, and Melody frowned.
"No Daddy, surprise!"
"Surprise", he said, directing it at Beca. "I'm home".
Her eyes welled up with tears. "For good?"
"I'm home", he confirmed, nodding.
"For good?"
"Yep".
Amidst their friends' screams of excitement, Jesse lifted Beca into his arms, pressing his lips against his once more. Allie and Melody had their arms wrapped around both parents, and tears streamed down Beca's face.
"You're really home for good?"
"I'm home".
"I told you I'd come home".
"Welcome home soldier".
He laughed, twirling around with all three girls in his arms.
Because he was home.