Disclaimer: Universal owns all rights to Pitch Perfect.
Title: Mahalo
Summary: Companion piece to "Solo Act" and "After A Cappella". Beca and Jesse are united in one of the most romantic destinations on earth, will it be Treble in paradise or more Bella aches for these two? This story is dedicated to Jeca shippers and begins where "After A Cappella" leaves off.
"Mahalo" A Hawaiian word meaning thanks, gratitude, admiration, praise, esteem, regards, or respects.
It had been several months since they made love in front of a fireplace at the cabin by the lake that left them expecting their first child. It happened during a time of uncertainty when Jesse was battling alcohol addiction while his father was suffering from cardiovascular disease. As a simple favor to Janet Swanson, Beca made the trip from London to Atlanta to find her son who had disappeared from the face of the earth and presumed to hit rock bottom. With the family patriarch facing open heart surgery, Beca was compelled to leave her immediate family and under the influence of alcohol, would end up in the arms of her college love interest. Many prayers later the procedure was deemed a success. Jim Swanson was on the mend and with the support of the family, Jesse agreed to check into a substance abuse program. To give back for her ultimate sacrifice, Jesse reached out to Theodore Martin and urged Beca to give her marriage another chance but to the Grammy award winner, her nightmare was just beginning…
During a well-known music festival in Berlin, Beca was widowed when her husband sacrificed his life for hers. Since that dreadful day at Lollapalooza she became resigned to the fact that she had become a single parent with a baby on the way. Being the close family the Bellas had always been, they kept their promise to their sister by stepping in to help raise her five-year-old daughter but knew the former a Cappella leader turned Solo Act was far from being okay. At the recommendation of a bereavement therapist, Beca took a break from making music to concentrate on her personal life but exhibited a great emptiness that was obvious to everyone but to herself.
Picking up on her mum's depression, Alli reached out to her mother's first love who had been searching for her since the funeral but at Beca's request, was denied her whereabouts and was left with more questions than answers. But the British offspring of the late Olivia and Theo Martin had other plans that would send Jesse Swanson across the country and across the Pacific to rescue Beca Mitchell from the bottom of her pit. The rest would be history when he boarded the next flight to paradise to go after his future.
"Mahalo!" Beca and Jesse repeated after a long and lustful kiss on one of Hawaii's beautiful white sand beaches.
"I can't believe this is happening." Jesse gushed, embracing Beca in his arms. They had been through so much up until this point but there they were, consenting adults and no longer legally committed to anyone else. "I've dreamed of this moment my entire life, I never thought…"
"Shhh…" Beca shushed him with an index finger to his lips. "Trust me, it's really happening."
"We have your daughter to thank for this." Jesse offered. "She loves you so much and wants you to be happy. We both do."
"Yeah...well, it's been one hell of a rollercoaster ride but I..."
He silenced her with his lips. Pouring as much feeling into the kiss, they dropped to their knees. "I love you so much." Jesse's voice faltered as he held her closer.
"I love you too." she reciprocated his affection while caressing his stubbled skin. "I think it's time to introduce you to someone." Beca knew his feelings for her ran deep as she took his hand and placed it on her belly. With a grin so wide Jesse cupped her baby bump and felt movement for the first time. "This is the most active he's been." she smiled warmly. "I wonder if he knows…"
"Knows what?" Jesse asked without looking up.
"You know…" she smiled to herself. "That you're his daddy."
"That's right...I'm gonna be a daddy." Jesse repeated as it slowly sunk in. With the waves crashing on the coast and cool ocean breeze, it was the most serene moment as they rekindled a passion that was once lost.
"I want this Beca, I want us to be a family." Jesse urged, his forehead pressed against hers. "I'm done drinking and wallowing in self pity. I want to take care of you and the children."
"Dude!" she backed away and smirked. "I'm only having one."
"I'm including Allison." he clarified. "I know she's been through a lot...you know, losing both biological parents. She and I have gotten to know each other better and...well, we have a connection." he stopped to choose his words carefully before continuing. "I know I can never replace her father, but I want to be there for her, too."
"Really?" Beca was moved beyond words. "You would do that?"
"Yeah, in a heartbeat." he answered with confidence.
"You know…" Beca teared up. "I didn't know shit about parenting and often wondered if I was causing her more harm than good." she sniffed. "I even considered shipping Allison off to her aunt Nancy in the UK, but...I couldn't do it. I walked out on her before and nearly destroyed her." wiping a stray tear she continued. "She looks up to me with such innocence and all I can think of is how badly I'm going to disappoint her."
"No way, that's never going to happen." Jesse insisted, hooking a tendril of hair behind her ear. "We all saw you at Benji's wedding, you're a natural mum with good maternal instincts. In fact, watching the three of you interact as a family, was the reason I drank so much."
"What do you mean?"
"Becs, you know I've always wanted a big family."
"Yeah...no shit." she retorted. "You've been spewing that bullshit since our Freshman year." then gave one of her trademark smirks. "Seriously dude, what kind of nineteen-year-old boy talks about having aca-children?"
"Just a weirdo who fell in love with another weirdo at first sight." Jesse chuckled recalling their first hood night at Barden, then became more serious when he remembered his atrocious behavior at their friends' wedding. "Seriously though, I was so jealous of Theo, I wanted to hate him but then saw how happy he made you."
"We were happy." she admitted with sadness. "You know, we got married to keep Alli from being taken away, but you're the one who made me realize I had deeper feelings for him. Remember?"
"Yeah, I remember." Jesse nodded, recalling the civil ceremony in London when he pulled Beca aside and told her to let Theo into her heart.
"You were right, I did love him but what I found out later on was that he was a good man and a wonderful father." Beca was filled with grief for the loss of her late husband. "He didn't deserve to die."
"No, he didn't." Jesse agreed. "As much as I hate to admit it, he was also a good husband to you."
Beca nodded with sadness. "I still can't believe he's gone."
"I've seen the footage, what he did that night was remarkable." Jesse sighed. "If that wasn't true love, I don't know what is."
"Yeah...well, look where that got him?" she lowered her head. It had only been a couple months since the shooting and Beca was still mourning his death.
"Hey…" Jesse raised her head to look him in the eye. "He'll always be here." and pointed to her heart.
"No offense but that's not the same."
"I know." Jesse sighed. "All I'm saying is that your memories will keep him alive and if you're not ready for this," he pointed between them. "We can take it slowly."
"Yeah...um about that." she blinked heavily knowing it was time for the truth to be told. "Before we take this any further, I need to tell you something and then you can decide if you still want...this." Beca took a deep breath to calm her nerves while Jesse prepared himself for the worst. "Okay so...just before Theo died he made me promise to tell you about the baby." she paused to gauge his reaction. "You see Jess, what you don't know is that WE were going to raise him as our own."
"What?" was all Jesse could say. "You weren't going to tell me? Did the Bellas know?"
"No. They didn't even know I was pregnant. But when they found out in the hospital, they figured out the rest."
"Huh…" he was officially dumbfounded. "I sensed you were holding something back when we spoke on the phone that night." he recalled. "Is that the reason you didn't want me there?" he was getting more upset. "Why didn't you say something!?"
"I don't know."
"That's not good enough!"
"I was afraid."
"Afraid of what!?"
"Of losing you too." Beca became more distraught. "I couldn't stand the thought of hurting you again. I'm sorry Jesse. I was wrong, please don't hate me."
The truth was almost too much to bare. Rising to his feet Jesse turned his back to Beca and took deep therapeutic breaths while the tide came in. 'More Lies' he thought to himself and wondered if he should run for the hills or forgive her.
"Jesse...I'm sorry." Beca begged for his forgiveness as she struggled to her feet. "No more lies, I promise." and reached for his shoulder. "Please forgive me."
"I don't know if I can." Jesse's heart was breaking all over again as he realized had Theo still been alive he might never have known about his unborn son. "This is just as bad as that afternoon in Central Park."
Beca was guilt ridden as she regretted her actions. She was a repeat offender and they both knew it. "If we're going to try this again, there can't be any secrets or lies between us. That's why I'm coming clean."
"Beca," he turned to face her. "With everything we've been through, I've never lied to you..."
"I know that..." Beca came to the conclusion that she was broken. She was toxic to him because her insecurities had caused them so much grief. "Um…now that you know the truth, you're under no obligation to help raise this kid." she protectively held her stomach. "In fact, I think you should go."
"What?"
"Who are we kidding? I'm no good for you and will just end up hurting you all over again. You should get as far away from me as possible." and turned to walk away.
Standing on the beach Jesse was numb. Minutes before they were together, contemplating being a family and then she did it again. Dropping the bomb of all bombs he'd become the product of poor judgment and watched the distance grow between them. She was following a pattern she learned early on; instead of fighting for what she believed, she was running away. As Jesse weighed his options he considered what his life would be like without her and now that there were children involved, he needed to think things through. But this time was different. Instead of making excuses, Beca had fully accepted responsibility for her actions. The more he thought about not being together the more upset he became and realized she was worth fighting for.
"Beca!" he sprinted after her. "Stop!"
"Go away!" she yelled back, picking up her pace. "Do yourself a favor and save yourself. Get as far away from me as possible!"
"No!" he grabbed her arm and spun her around. "I don't want to be saved!" he insisted. "Beca, you've never been easy to be with. In fact, you're a major pain in the ass."
Her jaw dropped at his insult. She didn't know where he was coming from but he definitely had her attention.
"Starting with that damn Bella oath of dating a Treble, do you know how many nights after our movie-cation I was left with blue-balls?"
"Sorry dude but that was Aubrey's thing, not mine."
Jesse rolled his eyes in contempt.
"All those fucking months of keeping our relationship a secret from everyone, including our families. What the hell, Beca? You kissed me at Lincoln Center in front of everyone, including your dad!"
"Yeah, that wasn't the brightest thing to do." she scrunched her nose. "Honestly, we were so different, I didn't think we would last."
"Nice…" Jesse emptied the air from his lungs. "Have you always been this cynical?"
"Yup." she admitted with pride. "Since the day I was born."
"Then how do you explain us being together for five years as best friends and/or lo-"
"-Please don't..." she held up her hand, still not tolerating the word. "Your weirdness must've rubbed off on me." she quipped, eliciting a smirk from him.
"Then you made me wait four months to have sex." Jesse held up his fingers to emphasize his point. "FOUR! Did you ever consider while you were wearing skin tight jeans and low cut form fitting tops what that was doing to me?" he sighed with frustration. "Good thing Benji was a deep sleeper."
"I'm sorry but we were inexperienced! I didn't want to just 'do it' in one of our dorm rooms and get walked in on." she took a deep breath. "Besides, I wanted our first time to be special...and it was." she smiled at the distant memory in the cabin by the lake where they lost their V cards to each other.
"I never took you for being a hopeless romantic."
"Hopeful." she corrected him.
Jesse acknowledged her with a nod. "And finally there's your fear of marriage and children. Jesus Christ! I thought you'd never come around. But you did..."
"I didn't say I was afraid, I just didn't want those things for myself, that is until that little shit entered my life." Beca confessed recalling the time Theo introduced her to Allison when she visited London. The girl was feisty and quick witted, just like her. "Anyway, I get it. From day one I've been nothing but trouble. Now, is there a point to this?"
"Yes." Jesse merely answered. "What I'm trying to say is that it would be so much easier to leave here and get you out of my life but who ever said relationships were easy?" he rhetorically asked. "You're the love of my life Beca, and after all the crap we've been through...I still want to be with you."
"Why?"
"Because you're my best friend and...you get me."
"I'm also very fucked up."
"Yeah, and so am I, but together...we're stronger than titanium."
"Nice song reference, nerd." she smirked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "What do you want out of this?"
"Your love." he simply answered.
"You've always had that, I'm just afraid that one of us is going to get hurt."
"Perhaps, but isn't love worth the risk?"
"I guess so but..." she was filled with doubt and something else. "For the first time in my life I'm unsure of myself. I don't know who I'm supposed to be; a singer, a music producer, a parent, widower, a girlfriend..." she raked her fingers through her hair. "I don't know who I am anymore."
"How about you just try being Beca."
"It's not that easy." she sighed, shaking her head. "I've lost myself. The drive to make music is gone, I don't even want to perform anymore."
Jesse observed her very carefully, something wasn't being addressed. "Does this have to do with what happened in Berlin?" he asked already knowing the answer, but by her widened eyes he'd struck a nerve. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
"No." she answered a little too quickly. "I'm fine."
"No you're not." he witnessed her change in demeanor. He didn't need a psychology degree to support his suspicions, she was visibly shaken up. "Don't shut me out, Beca."
"I'm not, I just don't want to talk about it anymore."
"I can help you."
"Dude, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I've already 'shared' this with my shrink. You don't know what it's like to be staring down the barrel of a gun." she was getting worked up. "My life literally flashed before me and all I could think about was Allison."
Jesse was onto something as he realized Beca was suffering from post traumatic stress. "What transpired at the music festival was a fluke thing, the chances of it happening again are-".
"-How do you know that!?" she interrupted, becoming more distraught. "What if I'm gunned down next time? Who's going to tuck my daughter in after I'm buried?" and there it was, the root of her problems. Beca had looked death in the eye and survived. She was still in shock but was told at the time to put her emotions aside and be strong for a frightened child who had just lost her father. "I'm sorry Jesse, but I don't think I can do this."
"Beca." he pulled her closer but she refused to make eye contact with him. "Look at me."
"No."
He raised her chin and for the first time he saw fear in her eyes. "I want you to trust me."
"I can't!"
"Yes you can!" he insisted. "You kept me from destroying myself and now I'm here to return the favor, so all I'm asking is that you trust me."
"I'm sorry, Jess. If that's the reason you're here then you wasted a trip."
Beca was too distressed to listen to reasoning. Seeing her in so much pain made Jesse more determined to help her even more. He needed to get through her stubbornness somehow.
"So that's it. You're just gonna give up? What about your daughter?"
"What about her?"
"You fought so hard to get custody but now you refuse to fight for yourself." Jesse was just getting warmed up. "The badass I met in college was larger than life and wouldn't back down to anyone or anything. What happened to her?"
"I haven't been that girl for a long time." she admitted. "Plus, I have different responsibilities now like a child to raise and another one on the way. I'm just so tired of rehashing this shit...I came here to be alone."
"You've been alone long enough." Jesse replied. "It's time for you to face the music and stop feeling sorry for yourself. You need to start trusting again."
"I trusted Theo and now he's gone. He died because of me. Didn't you hear? The Islamic state claimed responsibility for the attack; we were the intended target because of political bullshit. Had we not been there, Theo would still be alive." she was filled with guilt and broke down. "That little girl will never know what a wonderful father he was."
"Yes she will because you'll keep reminding her." Jesse insisted. "We both will but don't you dare blame yourself for his death, you had nothing to do with it." Jesse grabbed her by the arms. "Theo did exactly what any loving husband in that situation would have done."
Beca gave a slight nod, she was slowly coming around. "I'll never forget being covered in his blood with those eyes staring at me. I watched him take his last breath..."
Beca was traumatized and hadn't really processed her spouse's death, until now. Pulling her into his arms he held her while she fell to pieces. Sobbing uncontrollably she was letting her pain come to the surface and officially started the grieving process. Neither knew how much time had passed but acknowledged it was exactly what she needed.
As the sun began to set Beca pulled away. "Guess I'm more fucked up than I thought."
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself." Jesse caressed her cheek. "Not only have you been through hell and back, you had to set aside your emotions for your daughter. You've been an incredible mother to Allison but now it's time for you to heal."
"I don't know how."
"You take it one day at a time until the pain lessens and when you're ready to move on, we'll all be there to support you." he hooked a tendril of hair behind her ear and locked eyes with her. "You're a big star now, your career isn't going anywhere."
"What career?" she teared up. "I'm terrified to go back on stage." she confessed. "What am I going to do?"
"Well, for starters we'll speak with Adam about selecting venues with excellent security so this never happens again." he held her hand in his. "Take all the time you need and when you're ready to make your worldwide return, I'll be there with you."
"I appreciate that but we've already had this discussion." she sighed. "You're not giving up your career for me."
Jesse smiled warmly. "Who says I'm giving it up?"
"You're not?"
"No way." he beamed. "During my rehab I've been working. You're not the only one who can do their job from anywhere in the world."
"Seriously?" Beca was encouraged. "Sony retained you?"
"Yeah... seriously." he reiterated. "Now, will you give us a chance and trust me?"
After a beat, she was feeling more hopeful and coming around. "Okay, I'll give it a try."
"Good, I'm happy to hear that." Jesse held her at arm's length. "For us to work there can't be any more secrets or lies between us." she nodded, agreeing with his conditions. "So, what do you say Becs, can we put the past behind us and start over?"
"I would love that."
"Me too." and pulled her into his arms for a kiss.
As the kiss deepened a commotion from a passing yacht with paparazzi on board distracted them.
"Shit…" she cursed into his lips.
"Shh..." he quieted her with a kiss. "Ignore them."
"I can't!" she pulled away and turned to the sea. "How the hell did they find me? THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY!"
"Well, you are a celebrity now." Jesse calmly reasoned while she fumed. "Guess it goes with the territory."
"Is that so!" Beca was gearing up to do something she would ultimately regret and raised her blouse to show off her baby bump. "TAKE THAT BASTARDS, I'M KNOCKED UP!"
"JESUS!" Jesse blurted out, spinning them around so he was blocking their view of her. Adam and DJ Khaled thought it was best to keep her pregnancy a secret until she was further along but that would no longer matter now that she revealed herself to the world. "What the hell are you doing!?"
"Sorry!" she shrugged her shoulders. "Must be the fucking hormones."
"Obviously." he chuckled, wondering what else her pesky hormones were doing to her. "C'mon, let's get out of here."
Ignoring the photographers they headed for a modern beige and glass villa with its own private rear deck infinity pool. The vacation accommodations had 6500 square feet of indulgence and its own beach access. It was the ultimate in luxury and owned by none other than millionaire, Fat Amy.
After Jesse hung up with concierge to retrieve his luggage from the beach, Beca jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around him. With his five o'clock shadow tickling her skin and musky scent seducing her senses she couldn't get enough of him as she engaged Jesse in the ultimate liplock. He was the father of her unborn child and her body was fully aware of that.
"I think we better move this into the bedroom." she managed between kisses. "You know...before I spontaneously combust."
Jesse didn't need to be told twice. He heard of how intense pregnancy sex could be and was about to experience it first hand with a woman who already had a healthy libido. Carrying Beca into the master suite he laid her down on the canopied king-sized bed, removed all but his briefs then lowered himself to her. Pressing his lips to Beca's he gravitated to her neck and drowned her in desire. Removing her blouse and skirt he kissed along her newly exposed skin, leaving her in matching white undergarments.
It was the first time he saw how the pregnancy was transforming her body. With a perfectly rounded belly and breasts overflowing the thin material that contained them, Jesse didn't think anything could top the beauty before him and pressed his lips to her baby bump.
"Hi baby, I'm your daddy." Jesse spoke in the sweetest voice. "I'm gonna teach you so many things."
Beca's heart swelled at his actions. "You're going to be the best father..."
"Thanks!" Jesse looked up and smiled. "I can't wait until he's here but first, I want to make love to his mother." he crawled up her body and claimed her lips. "May I?"
Beca nodded. "She would love that."
With her panties pulled down he breathed in her scent then unfastened the front clasp of her bra. It wasn't the same tight body and perky pair he'd gotten to know over the years, instead she was the typical expectant woman of five months.
"You're gorgeous!" he choked out and was falling deeper in love. "Our son is going to be so lucky."
Beca laughed because this was Jesse's subtle way of complimenting her chest which had doubled in size. He never hid the fact that he was a boob man and couldn't wait to mess with them. "Just wait until my milk comes in."
"Hmm...what?"
"You're staring at my tits." she deadpanned.
"I'm sorry." he was enamoured by her fuller breasts. "It's just...they're amazing."
"They're huge!"
"They're pillows of love!"
"They're gross!"
"They're beautiful, just like you."
"Thank you...I think." she smirked, letting him off the hook. "Um...they're yours, that is until the baby arrives, and then you'll have to share."
And that was the invitation he was waiting for...
Removing his briefs Jesse immediately ravaged her body, taking his fill of her chest then explored every inch of her curves. Being in her second trimester Beca was much more receptive to his ministrations and was brought to the edge of glory over and over again but couldn't quite get there.
"Help me up." she flipped them over and climbed on top. Straddling his waist she took him inside and moved her hips until… "Oh fuck! Yep...there it is!"
Riding him like a mechanical bull Jesse was in heaven while she took control of their lovemaking. Surrounded by her warm wetness he was mesmerized by her swaying breasts as they danced to her rhythm. He was quickly approaching the point of no return but was determined not to finish before she did. Feeling her walls contract around him she arched her back and detonated. Seeing her in the throes of passion set him off as he delivered his package deep within her.
It was the most open he'd had ever seen her, it was also the best sex they'd ever had. As she came down from orbit he held her sweaty form in his arms and kissed her passionately.
"Mahalo!" Jesse beamed while embracing the woman of his dreams but when he felt her warm breath on his neck he realized she was no longer conscious. "Sleep my love." he pressed his lips to the top of her head.
Careful not to startle her he reached around for a knitted throw and covered her up. She had been through so much and was finally at peace with herself. To Jesse this was the beginning they needed and had no intention of leaving the tropical paradise without her. "I'll be here when you're awake."
The morning after...
Laying on their sides, they faced each other and enjoyed the comfortable silence until Beca spoke up.
"I'm sorry I fell asleep."
"I'm not." Jesse kissed the top of her head. "I got to hold you all night."
"Um...this might sound really corny especially coming from me but, I really loved waking up in your arms."
Jesse realized at that very moment her body wasn't the only thing changed. In all the years they were together she never liked to cuddle, in fact she made it very clear she needed her space. This version of Beca was much more vulnerable and needed him.
"It's not corny at all." he smiled warmly. "I'm just honored that you let me."
Beca nodded then was fully aware that this time around the dynamic of their relationship was different and wasn't sure what to think of it. She lacked confidence and decided to confide in her partner.
"You were right about me, I'm far from being okay." she confessed while Jesse listened intently. "Since that night in Germany, I've had nightmares. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've relived the shooting and woke up in a pool of sweat. I'm exhausted and have been hiding this from everyone especially Alli; I have to be strong for her."
"Yes, you do...but you don't have to do this alone anymore, I can help-"
"-Shh..." she shushed him with an index finger to his lips. "Let me finish." she smiled warmly at her partner. "Last night was incredible, it was also the first time I've been able to sleep all the way through. You made me feel safe and I just wanted you to know that."
Seeing Beca so raw with her guard down made Jesse love her even more. He'd been her best friend and/or lover but now he was her protector, a new role he welcomed.
"I love you Beca and like I was just saying, you're not alone anymore." he caressed her cheek. "Let me take care of you and help raise Allison and our son."
It was an offer she couldn't resist. Giving him a nod of acceptance she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. As their kiss deepened Jesse rolled Beca onto her back, carefully took position over her body and entered her.
"God you feel good." she squeezed her eyes shut while he made love to her. In a matter of minutes she was on the brink of insanity. "Fuck! I'm not going to last."
"Let it go, Beca." he spoke in a soothing voice. "Let it go."
And she did...
Crying out she stiffened all over while tension left her body. It was not only one of the strongest orgasms she'd experienced, it was the quickest she'd ever finished. Being the gentleman he was Jesse didn't care that he hadn't come, all that mattered was that Beca was taken care of.
"Mahalo!" she breathed, coming down from heaven. The lopsided grin she gave had Jesse cracking up.
"Wow!" was all he could say. He'd never seen her so receptive to him. "Someone should call Guinness," he joked. "That had to have been a new record for you."
"Yeah...well, I've never been pregnant before." she acknowledged then made a mental note that Jesse had also changed since the last time they were together. He'd become more muscular without an ounce of fat. In fact, to her he was drop dead gorgeous and with his stubble covering his handsome features, he exuded a masculinity that she was extremely attracted to. "Have you been working out?" she complimented, rubbing his toned arms.
"Yeah...everyday, there's not much else to do in rehab."
"You look really good."
"Thanks." he spoke softly, unable to look away from the woman he loved. With eyes so bright and cheeks so rosy, Beca displayed a radiance he couldn't explain. He'd always thought she was beautiful but seeing her 'pregnancy glow', she was irresistible to him.
"I guess you've already done all this." her comment brought him back to reality.
"Hmm...?"
"You know...having pregnancy sex."
She was naturally referring to Leila, the woman who trapped Jesse into marriage.
"Um...actually, I wouldn't know." he admitted, locking eyes with her. "We never consummated our marriage, that's why I was able to get an annulment."
"You never told me that."
"No...I didn't." he propped himself up on one arm. "I couldn't have sex with her knowing I was still in love with you."
"Jesse…" she couldn't believe it. Caressing his cheek she guided his lips to hers. Even with his faults including a brief bout with alcoholism, he never gave up on them and loved her unconditionally. From the beginning he was her rock that she always relied on and after rescuing her from the abyss she was trapped in, he helped her mend a broken heart and learn to trust again.
She always loved Jesse but didn't really give their relationship one hundred percent. Instead, she kept her distance with lies and pushed him away when things got too serious. She was damaged but not broken, she was also done running as she realized Jesse was the one for her. They'd come full circle and now they were having a baby together. With his confession of never sleeping with Leila, she fell head over heels in love with him all over again. After everything they went through, it was time for her to step up to the plate and hit a grand slam.
"Jesse…" Beca rose to her knees while he laid on his back. Naked as the day she was born, she didn't care because this was too important to wait. "My love, my best friend and protector." she grinned. "From day one you've always had my back. Together, we shared many firsts and now we're having this baby." she cupped her belly. "I've always loved you and want to spend the rest of my life by your side, if you'll have me..."
He didn't know where this was going but it sounded very serious. Getting to his knees he listened to what Beca had to say.
"I know you've asked me before and I've hurt you. God only knows how much I wish I could take that back but, I'm ready to take the next step with you." fighting back tears she looked to the heavens for strength and took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"
It was something Jesse never expected. Beca Mitchell, former hater of marriage and all things relating to children was proposing to him. She was everything he ever wanted but so much more. As she stood before him waiting for his response, he closed his eyes as images flooded his memory.
From the first day of college where he serenaded her from the backseat of his parents car to working together at Barden's radio station to their first hood night where he word vomited about aca-children. From their first riff-off where she gave most of the Trebles blue-balls with her rendition of Dr. Dre's rap classic to competing against each other in the ICCA's. They were each other's first loves and claimed each other's virginity's. From their first time in L.A. where they struggled with their careers to their separation, they never stopped being best friends and being there for each other. Having gone through their perspective hardships, they had finally come together and were now expecting their first child. It was a no brainer, this was what Jesse had always wanted and finally answered.
"Yes Beca, I'll marry you." he choked out. "I would love to be your husband."
Coming together like a couple of high power magnets, they held each other and kissed passionately.
"Mmm...I don't want to wait." Beca mumbled against his lips. "Let's elope."
"To...today? He...here?" he stammered, breaking off the kiss. "You wanna get married in Hawaii?"
Beca nodded and smiled with such enthusiasm that Jesse couldn't say no.
At six o'clock in the evening during a beautiful sunset on the sandy white beaches of Kauna'oa Bay in Hawaii, a private wedding ceremony took place. Rebeca Ann Mitchell and Jesse James Swanson stood before a non-denominational licensed officiant and exchanged vows promising to love each other forever or until parted by death.