All That You Can't Leave Behind
Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan-fiction. I claim no ownership over the characters therein. No copyright infringement intended.
Prompt
imagineyourotp: Imagine your otp taking care of a baby together after their friends and parents of the child died in an accident.
A/N: If you're reading this, thank you. I always appreciate it when people take the time to check out my work. This is the second story I'm writing with a major character death, and its always emotional and hard to write something like this. Its especially hard when you love the characters so much, but you want to explore different subject manner. Your feedback is welcome and always appreciated, whether it be good or bad. It only helps me to develop as a writer to hear what I'm doing well, and what I can improve upon. So hello, and thank you. Hopefully you'll enjoy where this story goes.
Beca flicked the hair out of her eyes and ran a brush through it quickly. They were going to be late for dinner if she didn't get dressed in the next ten, make that nine minutes. It was supposed to be a weekly dinner, but with the craziness of life getting in the way it had turned into more of a whenever we have time dinner. On this particular night Aubrey and her husband Todd had the time, and more importantly a babysitter for their 9 month old daughter Bridget. Chloe looked forward to these double dates, generally at fancy restaurants when Bridget wasn't accompanying them. Beca just looked forward to seeing Chloe happy, and spending time with her best friend made her happy. She threw on a blouse and a skirt and made her way downstairs. As always, Chloe was already waiting, keys in hand, kiss at the ready.
As usual, Chloe drove, it was one of the many things that Chloe always said made her feel obscenely powerful. Beca was happy to oblige, she didn't care much for driving and preferred instead to allow herself to get lost in thought. They passed row upon row of similar looking houses; Beca wasn't sure how she got talked in to moving to the suburbs. It's close to good schools and parks, she remembered the red head extolling the list of pros to moving to their current location; it will be great for kids. Great for kids, Beca just laughed at the notion. The spare bedroom would make a great office; all of her equipment would finally be in a usable space. Beca thought about kids a little bit though, as she passed the rows of houses, and the good parks that Chloe so loved. Mostly though she thought about how she wasn't ready for them, no matter how many times Chloe had tried to convince her that she was.
"Earth to Beca," the red head's voice snapped Beca out of her daze as they pulled into the restaurant's crowded parking lot.
"Hey," was all Beca could think to say, "it's a good thing we've got a reservation huh."
Chloe laughed, "yeah, Aubrey is on top of things like that."
Beca and Chloe made their way into the restaurant hand in hand. "Reservation for four, under Posen probably" Beca heard Chloe tell the hostess over the noises of celebration and good times. "Right this way madam."
The two women laughed and caught up, chatting about their respective work weeks. Friday night was generally their night to catch up, being so busy throughout the week that most of the time even the pleasantries of "how was your day?" got lost in the shuffle. Chloe was a teacher with papers to mark, tests to make up and grade and lessons to formulate. Beca worked in a local studio with independent artists, it was what she wanted to do, but it didn't always pay the bills. This meant she also found herself assisting in the office of a local real estate agent; this paid the bills, even if it wasn't her passion project. Luckily the guy wasn't a douche, Aubrey had introduced Beca to him years ago and thankfully, it had worked out. They got a long and she was good at helping him, her years at Barden majoring in business actually coming in handy. After they were more than caught up Beca looked at her phone; half past seven and more than half an hour after Aubrey and Todd were supposed to meet them.
"Umm Chloe…" Beca started, worried by the time as Aubrey made a habit of never being late. Just as she was about to voice her concerns though Chloe's phone rang, probably just Aubrey calling to explain the hang up. Maybe Bridget was upset again, the only times Aubrey was ever late, it was usually because she couldn't leave Bridget.
"Oh my god…okay…okay…yeah…I'm sorry…I'll be right there," Chloe's eyes were filled with tears and worry as hung up her phone.
"Babe, what's up? Is something wrong with Bridget?" Beca questioned, getting up from her seat to put an arm around her beloved.
"No, we just have to go. Now." Chloe offered no further explanation.
They got up to leave, Beca informing the hostess that they would no longer need the table, although she still didn't know why. They drove in mostly silence, the only noise being the sound of Chloe's crying. Beca wanted to ask, but she knew Chloe, if Chloe wanted to talk, she'd start the conversation herself. She placed a hand on the red head's thigh tentatively, gently offering her the comfort she so desperately needed, whatever the reason. Moments later they pulled into the parking lot of the city hospital. Dread instantly filled Beca who was already on edge. There were many reasons to rush to the hospital and almost none of them were good. Beca swallowed the lump in her throat, and grabbed Chloe's hand, squeezing it tight.
"I love you, are you okay?"
Chloe just shook her head.
As they walked into the waiting room they were met with the tear stained face of Aubrey's father. Beca knew in this moment that whatever the reason was that they were here, it wasn't good.
"Chloe…" was all he could muster. In an instant Beca felt a tug on the material around her neck and Chloe's face was buried in her chest. Loud, heaving, painful sobs escaped her girlfriend's lips, muted only by the flesh she was drowning in tears. Beca put her arms around her and held on tight, placing a kiss a top her fiery locks.
Beca looked to Aubrey's father for the answers Chloe couldn't give her. She had met the man a few times previously, most recently at this very hospital when his granddaughter was born. The tears in his eyes were telling, but Beca needed confirmation. She needed to know that the thing that could break her girlfriend's immeasurable spirit had not just happened. She needed him to tell her that Aubrey wasn't dead, but he couldn't.
Both Todd and Aubrey had been killed in a collision with a truck earlier that evening. The conditions weren't bad, the man had just lost control of his machine and rammed right into them. Todd was killed instantly Beca was informed, and Aubrey was brought to the hospital, only to die moments after her arrival. Neither of them had a chance the doctor informed her sombrely. Beca was used to hearing that they had done everything they could, which in this case was nothing.
She was sitting now, having lost the ability to both stand and hold up her distraught girlfriend. Chloe still hadn't said a word; there were no words to say, not tonight. Aubrey's father had left soon after meeting them at the hospital. He couldn't be there anymore and really, there was no reason to be. They couldn't see the body, they wouldn't want to by the sounds of it. Really, they should just leave, but they couldn't. Chloe couldn't move, and Beca couldn't move under her weight. A weight so much heavier than its actuality, weighed down with pain and a desperate need to block out the world, to forget reality, if only for a moment.
Two hours later, they were still sitting in the waiting room, tears now streaming down her own face. It occurred to her suddenly that it was unlikely that anyone had called the babysitter who was caring for Bridget. Aubrey's father she suspected had gone to drown his sorrows in a glass of scotch, not that she blamed him. Aubrey's mother had passed on a few years earlier, and as far as she knew Todd was a parentless, only child. That meant whichever sixteen year old Aubrey had hired tonight was sitting in their house, scared and alone, receiving no answer from either of their cell phones. Beca dug the cell phone out of her purse, trying not to disturb Chloe, who was now sleeping in her lap.
She dialed Aubrey and Todd's house number and waited for an answer, Beca could hear Bridget wailing in the background when the phone was picked up. She collected herself as much as possible before speaking, "hi, this is Beca, a friend of Aubrey and Todd's."
"Oh hi, has there been some kind of problem, they were supposed to be home an hour ago and neither will pick up."
"Yeah. Sorry about that kid. I'll come over right away so you can go home. Call your parents okay."
"Okay," and the line went dead. Beca didn't really want to traumatize whoever it was or freak her out before she got there.
She wasn't sure exactly what they were going to do once they got there, but someone needed to stay with the kid for the night and a random sixteen year old girl wasn't the ideal candidate. Although at this point, she wasn't sure Chloe was the ideal candidate either. Beca nudged her arm gently in an effort to wake her up. She hated to do it, but they needed to get going, there was nothing there for them anyway.
"Chloe babe, come on. We have to go to Aubrey and Todd's place and get Bridget."
Chloe got up, but immediately the tears began to flow again. She really couldn't get herself together, again though; it wasn't like Beca could blame her.
When they arrived at the house the babysitter's parents were sitting in their car, in the driveway.
"Sorry about this," Beca mumbled. Chloe had fallen asleep again in the car. Beca figured sleeping was easier than dealing, at least right now.
Beca ran up the steps to the house, and knocked on the door. "Hey, sorry."
"Its okay. Is something wrong?"
"Aubrey and Todd were killed in a car accident tonight," Beca blurted out. She hadn't meant to be quite so blunt, not knowing how the girl would react, but she was in a hurry. It was getting late and she just wanted to get Chloe home.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," the young girls' face was pale, drained of all its colour in her shock.
"Yeah, umm, yeah," it was all Beca could say, she didn't want to talk about it and she didn't want to be in their house.
The babysitter handed Bridget over to Beca, along with the diaper bag, some bottles and some clothes. The girl was obviously bright, clearly having prepared all of this stuff with the inkling that something was wrong. Beca took the baby, and the house keys and locked the house, as if it mattered. Bridget wailed in her arms, that fact that by now she expected to be in her mother's loving embrace was obvious. Beca placed a kiss on the small child's head in an effort to calm her down, and patted her back. "Shh baby."
Beca took a fifty from her purse and handed it to the young girl as she stepped into her parent's car. The girl rebuffed the offer, but Beca insisted. It was all Beca had but she figured the girl had plans for that money, she remembered Chloe telling her stories of how she used to babysit for a part time job. She thanked her one more time, and left her to explain to her parents. She had no more explanations left for the night.
As they pulled out of the driveway and Beca opened the door to the back seat of their car, she realized they were without a car seat. How dangerous was it to drive back to their own house with a 9 month old not in a car seat she wondered. More danger than she was willing to risk. Beca just sat down in the driver's seat for a moment, baby in her lap, just watching her. Beca's soothing had worked for the moment, Bridget was quiet, just staring at her. Luckily it was a summer night, so Beca didn't have to worry about keeping them warm on top of everything else. She closed the door to the car, reclined her seat and just lay there, baby on her chest. Once the tiny blonde had fallen asleep, Beca let herself drift off. They stayed like this for the rest of the night, just sleeping in the car in their friends' driveway.
Beca awoke early, abnormal for her but the night's sleep on a car seat hadn't been the greatest and a car full of windows let in the bright light more than her bedroom ever did. She was surprised but grateful to see that Bridget was still sleeping peacefully on her chest. The last thing she needed this morning was a screeching baby; her head was already pounding with emotion. Beca looked to her right and noticed that Chloe was gone. Noticing the house keys were missing from the center console, Beca was sure she knew where her girlfriend was.
"Chloe?" Beca called out into the large house. "Are you there babe?"
Beca walked with Bridget around the house, searching for the red head. The house was cleaner than Chloe and Beca's ever was, no surprise there. Beca didn't once trip over a toy, or see anything out of place. "Chloe?" she called again, growing more worried with every unanswered call.
Beca found her love minutes later, sitting on the floor of what had been Aubrey and Todd's master bedroom. She was looking thumbing through a photo album. Beca closed the bedroom door and sat down next to her girlfriend, setting Bridget down on the floor to crawl around. She reached her arm around the red head, saying nothing, not knowing what to say.
"When we were 14 we agreed that we would have a double wedding, and raise all our children together," Chloe's voice was strong, but sadness tinged the usually perky tone.
Beca looked at the page of photographs she was stopped on, all pictures of her and Aubrey when they were growing up. Chloe grinning at the camera as she stood next to Aubrey and her next bike, Aubrey hugging the red head tight on one of her birthdays, Chloe and Aubrey at swimming lessons. So many memories all stuffed neatly into little plastic pockets.
"We're never going to get to do that."
Beca's heart broke hearing these words. Aubrey had been her friend and she was devastated to lose her and Todd, but her heartbreak could not compare to how her beloved girlfriend was feeling at this moment. Chloe had known Aubrey since they were 4 years old, meeting her on the very first day of kindergarten. To have someone that close ripped so suddenly from your life was unimaginable, that's the only word Beca could come up with.
She just leaned in and kissed her girlfriend's lips, sweet and gentle. It was the only comfort she could offer; words failed Beca at the best of times.
"Come on Chlo, we need to figure out what to do with Bridget. Do you know if they have a spare car seat? Or where the keys are to the car in the drive way, I saw one in there."
Chloe was silent for a few minutes longer, flipping through a few more pages of the album.
When she finally spoke up, Chloe said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We're taking her home."
For the first time since last night, Chloe acknowledged Bridget, picking the little girl up and cradling her in her arms.
"You mean for the night?" Beca asked, curiously.
"No, I mean forever," Chloe's declaration was stern but not angry. There was no time for anger.
Beca sat wide eyed, watching her girlfriend tickle the little blonde baby.
"As soon as she got pregnant with Bridget she told me that if anything ever happened to her and Todd she wanted me, she needed to make sure her child was taken care of."
"Oh."
"Her father helped them prepare wills and everything soon after Bridget was born."
"Oh," Beca said again, it seemed to be the only word in her vocabulary at the moment.
"The car keys are on the key hanger by the door. Let me just grab her clothes and stuff from the nursery and we can get the car seat and take her home," Chloe was much more composed now that she was last night. The responsibility taking the place of the pain in her brain, at least she had a distraction.
"Okay."
Chloe had never talked to Beca about this before. Again, Beca couldn't really blame her. Chloe probably never thought it would matter. It didn't occur to her conversation with her best friend about the worst scenario possible would ever become a reality. Now it had, and Beca wasn't sure how she felt. One night and a lifetime of taking care of a kid, those were completely different realities. Realities Beca wasn't sure she was ready to face.