Beca pulled her Jeep into the reserved parking space outside her office building. It was a Saturday so there weren't many other cars in the lot nor were there any paps waiting outside to try and grab a few photos of whoever might be heading into the studio to record. Beca was grateful for that fact as she jumped out of the car and moved to the backseat to help her almost 1 year old out of the child seat in the back.
"You ready to go to work with Mama, Jellybean?" She asked as she settled Charlie on her hip and grabbed her changing bag. The little girl smiled widely at her mother showing off all 5 of her teeth and made some excited babbling sounds. "Yeah, Mama's pretty excited too!"
They made their way inside the unusually quiet office building, the young girl at the reception desk, Lexie, greeted them brightly.
"Hey Beca, hi Charlie! It's so nice to see you again" She beamed, holding out her finger for the toddler to grab. "Man that is one cute kid you've got there!"
"I know! That's all Chloe," Beca laughed, smiling at her daughter. The little girl had a head of thick red-blonde hair that was starting to curl at the ends as it got longer and the sane bright blue eyes as her mother. Beca wasn't looking forward to the day Charlie learned how to use those eyes with the same puppy dog expression that Chloe did when she wanted something because she knew she'd be rendered powerless against the whims of her girls.
"Emily is here already," Lexie informed Beca. "She's waiting in your office."
"Thanks Lex," Beca smiled and waved Charlie's hand at the girl before heading to her office.
"Beca! Oh my god thank you so much for doing this! I'm so sorry but the release date is so close and it finally hit me what was missing and I wanted to get it done before I lost it," Emily launched into her speech as soon as Beca had opened the door.
"It's fine Legacy, breathe!" Beca instructed the excitable young girl as she dropped the changing bag beside her office chair.
"Charlie!" Emily squealed, only just realising her aca-niece was in Beca's arms. She had been too frantic to notice when they had walked in. She immediately held her hands out for Beca to pass over the baby. "How are you babygirl?"
"She's excited to be spending the day watching her Mama and Aunt Emily make awesome music, aren't you Charlie-pants?" Beca smiled, laying the play mat out in the middle of the floor and tossing some toys onto it. "You don't mind her being here do you? Chloe had already left to go shopping with Aubrey when you called."
"Of course I don't mind! I love my aca-niece!" Emily grinned widely, placing kisses against the back of Charlie's hand where she clutched Emily's finger.
"Great!"
"I'm really am sorry I pulled you all the way down here on a Saturday," Emily frowned.
"Hey, it's fine Ems! Don't worry about it," Beca reassured the younger girl. If anyone else had called her looking her to come in on a Saturday when she was looking after her baby she would have told them where to go, but Emily was different, she was aca-family.
"Charlie is going to play with her toys over here while we do some work!" Beca took the toddler from Emily's arms and kissed her a few times before setting her down amongst her toys. "So talk me through what exactly it is you want to do."
The two girls got down to business, Emily explaining that she had just realised what she wanted added to her upcoming single and Beca got straight to work. Emily watched with wonder from the sound booth as Beca effortlessly pressed buttons and tweaked levels and gave her pointers all the while keeping one eye trained on the baby playing on the floor. None of the Bellas had expected the brunette to take to the role so naturally but she had.
"Ok I think we got it for the vocals," Beca nodded prompting Emily to step out of the booth. The younger girl folded her legs up under herself and played on the floor with Charlie while Beca worked on the track.
"She wants up on her feet," Beca, who had her back turned to the other girls, casually translated the frustrated babble that spilled from her daughter.
"Oh," Emily stood up and held her hand out to Charlie who grabbed it and pulled herself into a standing position on the mat. "How did you-"
"I don't know, you just kind of figure it out," Beca chuckled, turning her chair to face them. She watched as Charlie held Emily's hand and led her around the room with her wobbly baby legs, stomping with every step and looking incredibly pleased with herself. "She's trying desperately to walk these days, we don't think it'll be long before she does it!"
"She's such a clever girl! Aren't you cutie pie?" Emily cooed and earned herself a toothy grin from the baby.
Beca returned her attention to the track on her screen, it was almost done and the sooner she finished the sooner they could all go out to lunch. Emily was perfectly happy to spend sometime with her favourite mini-ginger. She was allowing Charlie to lead her round the room when the little girl's hand dropped from hers and she took 3 solo wobbly steps towards the former Bella.
"Beca!" Emily hissed urgently, her eyes wide from what she just seen.
"What?" Beca whipped round quickly in her seat.
"She just...watch!" Emily took two steps back and Charlie gleefully waddled towards her.
Beca's heart might have stopped, or it might have fallen into her stomach, maybe it was both. Her jaw fell open and she felt the familiar prickle of tears in her eyes; just like she had when Charlie cut her first tooth, or crawled for the first time or the first time she managed to say 'Mama'.
"Did...did my baby just walk?" She gasped.
"I think so," Emily nodded enthusiastically, a beaming grin on her face.
"Oh my God!" Beca shrieked. "She totally just walked. I can't believe this."
"Want to walk again for Mama?" Emily encouraged the little girl. She took both her hands and helped her catch her balance before letting go. Beca called her name excitedly and held her hands out for Charlie to come to her. The toddler managed 4 fast clumsy steps falling to her butt just shy of Beca's seat.
"Oh my God!" Beca said breathily. She picked up her daughter and kissed all over her face mumbling how proud she was. "Your Mommy is going to be so proud of you! And so mad she missed it."
"We should try to film it for her," Emily suggested.
"We can try but usually when we point a camera at her her inner diva comes out and she refuses to perform," Beca laughed but pulled out her phone to try anyway.
Emily led Charlie to the opposite side of the room, holding her steady then letting go of her hands. Charlie wobbled on her little legs then fell to the floor. Emily helped her to her feet again and Beca called her. This time she took 3 steps forward then tilted forward. Emily helped her up again and encourage her to walk again. This time she managed almost 5 whole steps before falling once again at Beca's feet. Beca scooped her up and kissed her head both the producer and the younger Bella pouring praises down on her. Beca quickly sent the video to Chloe and set her phone down in the desk.
"Watch this," she chuckled at Emily. "And 5...4...3...2...1..."
As Beca finished her countdown an incoming FaceTime call from Chloe was lighting up her screen. She smirked at Emily as she accepted the call.
"Our baby can walk!" Chloe screeched before the screen had time to catch up. When the redhead came into focus she was staring intently at the screen, trying to peer around Beca as if their baby might be pacing the floor behind her.
"Kind of!" Beca grinned. "It's kind of more hurried stomping but she's getting places."
"I don't believe this," Chloe sighed in irritation. "I go out shopping with Bree for a few hours and she walks!"
"Relax Chlo! At least we got it on film," Beca reassured her wife. She knew how she felt though, Beca had been at work the first time Charlie rolled over for the first time and she'd been a little bitter about it.
"Hey, why don't we see if she will do it for you live?" Emily suggested, thinking it might make Chloe feel better. She took Charlie across the room and set her on her feet. She just sat down the first time but the second she stayed standing. Beca held her phone out so Chloe could watch and Charlie could see her Mommy.
"Come here, little one! Let Mommy see you walking like a big girl!" Chloe coaxed the toddler. Behind her on the screen Aubrey was watching keenly too. Charlie took 3 steps forward before she wobbled, Emily steadied her before she fell and she launched into 4 more steps, holding her hand out to Chloe on the screen.
"Mamm," she cooed at the image of her mother on the screen. Chloe squealed excitedly in the highest pitch she could reach.
"Wow look at you go ladybug!" Chloe cheered, tears falling from her eyes as she wished she could hug her daughter through the phone. Beca picked Charlie up onto her knee and settled her so Chloe could see them both.
"Wait are you at the office?" Chloe asked once the excitement of their daughter's newest milestone had abated slightly.
"Oh yeah, Legacy had to get some improvements out of her head before she lost them," Beca explained, turning the camera to show Emily who was waving sheepishly!
"Hey Ems!" Chloe smiled at the young girl.
"Anyway, I should probably get back to the track, we were almost done when Charlie found her legs," Beca chuckled; she had actually completely forgotten about what she was doing before. "I want to wrap it up soon because it's almost feeding time for the Beale-Mitchell's."
"I'll let you get back to it then," Chloe said, knowing both her girls would get cranky if they had to wait for food. "Can't wait to hear the song Em!"
"Thanks Chlo!" Emily smiled gratefully.
"I'll see you when I get home, I won't be late. I can't wait to see her walk for real," Chloe gushed excitedly, her baby had just reached another big life stage. It was both exciting and terrifying. "I love you both!"
"Love you too," Beca smiled lovingly at her wife. "Say bye bye to Mommy Charlie."
The baby waved and smiled her toothy grin at her mother on the screen before Beca disconnected the call. When she looked up Emily was staring at her with a goofy grin on her face.
"What?"
"Nothing," she waved it off. "It's just you two are so freaking cute! You're such great parents!"
"Thanks Ems," Beca smiled bashfully; being complimented on her parenting really meant something to her. "So do you want to give this a listen then grab lunch with me and your aca-niece?"
"I'd love to!"
Emily couldn't have been happier with the way Beca had taken her idea from this morning and turned it into the song she wanted it to be. She was thrilled with how it sounded now and satisfied that it was release ready. Beca saved it and burned Emily her own copy. They headed out to Beca's car together. Beca strapped Charlie into the back and climbed into the driver seat to find Emily eyeing her cautiously.
"I'm sorry I made your baby walk when Chloe wasn't there to see it," she mumbled. Beca almost felt bad for laughing given how contrite the other girl looked.
"Please Ems, don't worry about it!" She reached out to reassure her friend. "Charlie was going to walk when she wanted to. You just happened to be playing with her when she did."
"Don't get me wrong I feel really lucky to have been able to see her first steps, I just feel kind of bad for Chloe!" she shrugged.
"Well stop! Honestly it's fine." Beca insisted, pulling on her seatbelt and starting the car.
"Hey Beca."
"Yes Legacy?"
"Could you send me that video you took? And would it be ok if I posted it on my private Instagram?" she asked tentatively. "I'm just so proud of my aca-niece!"
"Sure," Beca nodded, smiling over how much her former Bellas all loved and doted on their daughter. Charlie was one lucky girl to have such a great aca-family around her, even if they were wonderfully dysfunctional they all loved her endlessly.
A/N: Ok so this actually happened to me the other day when my best friend brught his daughter for a visit. My little pseudo niece toddled her first steps towards me and I thought it was incredibly sweet and then I thought hey this could be a cute Bechloe fic. It's probably not but I wrote it anyway lol
Anyway this will probably be a series of one shots so any prompts fire them my way!