First, I want to say how much I appreciate all of the reviews. Second, thanks for all the prompts that have been suggested. I am working to get to as many as I can and hope you enjoy them.
This prompt is mine: Beca promised her wife, Chloe, that she'd be home for their daughter's first Christmas. Will she make it and keep her promise? Or will a snow storm keep her away? Keep reading to find out. Lots of fluff.
It was early in the morning on Christmas Eve and Beca Mitchell was at JFK airport to catch her flight to Tampa where her wife and daughter were waiting for her.
"No, no, no," Beca Mitchell mumbled to herself. "This cannot be happening."
She studied the flight departures boards only to see "delayed" next to every flight out of JFK Airport. She walked over to the ticket counter only to hear the agents telling passengers that it looked like all flights were going to be delayed until sometime tomorrow. People started yelling and Beca pulled out her phone.
"Jerry?," Beca said when the call was answered. "I need a car. I don't need a driver, I'll drive myself."
"I thought you were flying home," Jerry said.
"This fucking ice and snow is keeping the planes on the ground," Beca said. "I need to be in Tampa when Sophie wakes up tomorrow or I'm going to have an extremely pissed off wife."
"I'll have a car to you as soon as I can," Jerry said. "It's icy but not too bad right now. It is supposed to get worse so we'll get you out of there as soon as we can. I know a couple of guys who don't mind driving in this stuff."
"Thanks, Jer," Beca said. "I owe you big."
"I'll have them text you when there close so you can meet them outside," Jerry said.
"Hey, Jer," Beca said. "I'm guessing it's going to be an SUV with four-wheel drive, right?"
"Definitely," Jerry said.
"How many people will it hold?," Beca asked.
"Four or five comfortably," Jerry said. "I'm guessing you'll need room for luggage and stuff."
"Yeah," Beca said. "It's like a 19-20 hour drive and I'm going to offer some folks a ride so they can help drive. That we can drive straight through. I really need to be there when Sophie wakes up tomorrow morning."
"I get it," Jerry said. "I'm going to call my guys. Be safe."
"Thanks," Beca said and hung up.
Beca looked around the ticket counter and saw that everyone looked upset and feeling down because they couldn't get a flight out until Christmas day. Also, it looked like they would all be spending at least tonight in the airport. She walked over to one couple that were looking a little frantic.
"Um, excuse me," Beca said. "My name's Beca Mitchell and I was supposed to be on the flight to Tampa. Is that where you were heading?"
"Actually, we're only going as far as Atlanta," the young man said.
"Can you both drive?," Beca asked. "I have a car on its way here and I'm going to drive to Tampa. I can drop you off in Atlanta. I just need someone else to help with the driving so I can drive straight through and not have to stop overnight. There's snow as far as North Carolina, so I need someone who can drive in the snow. I know it's stupid and dangerous, but I really need to get home to my wife and daughter."
"Seriously?," the girl said. "That would be-"
She grabs Beca in a hug and starts squealing "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"So, does that mean you can drive in the snow?," Beca asked with a laugh.
"I'm Benji and this is my girlfriend, Emily," the young man says. "We're originally from Boston so we know about driving in the snow. We would love to accept your offer."
"Do we know you?," Emily asks really looking at Beca. "You seem so familiar looking."
"Um, I don't think so," Beca said looking around.
"Oh, my gosh," Emily squeals. "I just realized. You're Beca Mitchell, the music producer, and singer/songwriter."
"Could you keep it down, please?," Beca said looking around to see if anyone was paying attention. "I'm trying to keep a low profile so I can slip out of here as quickly as possible without too much fanfare."
"Oh, sorry," Emily says with a beaming smile. "I can't believe we're going to be traveling with Beca Mitchell."
"Um, okay then," Beca said. "I'm going to go talk to those 2 girls over there and see if they want to help with driving as well. Just stay put and I'll come back to you."
"You got it," Benji said.
Beca walked over to an Africa American woman standing next to a dark haired woman.
"Excuse me," Beca said to get their attention.
The dark haired woman's eyes widen and her mouth fell open.
"You, you're Beca Mitchell," the woman said. "We saw your concert last night. CR that's Beca Mitchell."
"I see," CR said with a smile.
"Yeah, can we maybe keep it quiet," Beca said. "I'm just trying to get home to my family for Christmas."
"I'm not sure how we can help you with that," CR said. "We're just trying to get to Tampa for a friend's wedding. Doesn't look like we're going to make it."
"I have a car," Beca said. "Or I will soon. I just need some folks to help drive from here to Tampa. I already have that couple over there and just need someone else. I don't want to have to spend the night anywhere."
"Seriously?," the dark haired woman asks. "We can help drive if it gets us to Tampa by morning."
"Great," Beca said. "How's your driving in the snow? I think we're going to be going through a lot of it based on weather reports. I want to make sure everyone's comfortable with it."
"I'm from Denver," CR said. "I'm comfortable with driving in the snow."
"I haven't introduced myself," the other woman says. "I'm Denise. I'll admit I'm not very comfortable driving in the snow but I can drive once we get closer to Florida."
"That'll work," Beca said. "Get your stuff and come with me."
CR and Denise gather their bags and walk over to Benji and Emily. Beca makes introductions and everyone starts chatting about where they're going. Beca's phone pings.
"Alright folks," Beca said. "Our car is here. Follow me."
Beca picks up her laptop bag and puts it over her shoulder. She grabs her two bags and starts pulling them toward the exit. The others follow and Beca leads them to the car.
"Dave!," Beca shouts causing the man to look up.
"Hey, Beca," Dave says and starts taking the luggage.
"I really do appreciate you doing this," Beca said.
"No problem," Dave said. "Mike came too so he can drive me back home."
Beca looks and sees Mike standing next to the vehicle in front of them. She waves and he waves back. Dave and Benji manage to get the luggage piled in the back. Beca tells everyone to get in and she walks over to Mike and Dave.
"Here guys," Beca says handing Dave a wad of cash. "Merry Christmas."
"Thanks, Beca," both guys say. "Merry Christmas."
Beca just nods and heads back to the car. She gets in the driver's seat and makes sure everyone is buckled in before pulling away from the curb.
"It's almost 8:00 am," Beca said as she eases down the road. "If all goes well we should hit Tampa sometime between 4:00 and 5:00 am tomorrow. We have a full tank of gas, so we shouldn't have to stop for a while. I'll drive until we need gas."
"I'll take next shift," CR said.
"Thanks, CR," Beca said.
"How about we do this," Denise said from the passenger seat. "Whoever is in the passenger seat has to stay awake with the driver. That way the rest can nap and we'll always have someone rested enough to drive for a bit. Especially in this weather."
"Sounds good," Beca said glancing at the occupants in the backseat. "What do you guys think?"
"I agree," Benji said. "We had to be up at 4:00 this morning to make it to JFK in time for our flight. I could use a nap."
"Well, then I suggest you three rest," Beca said. "We'll wake you when we stop."
She hears rustling as CR, Benji, and Emily get comfortable. It isn't long before she hears light snoring coming from the back seat. She looks over at Denise, who is looking at her.
"So, why the urgent need to get to Tampa?," Denise asked. "I mean other than it's Christmas and you want to be with family."
"That's pretty much it," Beca says quietly. "My wife, Chloe, is with her folks right now. It's our daughter's very first Christmas. Sophie's only 9 months old and she won't remember any of it, but we will. Chloe sent me a video of her when she saw the lights and there was something magical about it. I really wished I had been there to see it."
"You're such a softie," Denise said with a light laugh. "You have this badass persona you show during your performances, but underneath you're just a big marshmallow."
"Please don't tell anyone," Beca says with a laugh. "You'll destroy my street cred."
"Your secret is safe with me," Denise says with a smile.
"So, what about you and CR?," Beca asks. "You said something about a wedding."
"Yeah," Denise said. "Our friends Ashley and Jessica are finally getting married. We all went to college together. CR and I were the first of our group to marry and everyone showed up for us. We wanted to do the same for everyone else. Jess and Ash are the last."
"That's great," Beca said. "Chloe and I are part of a group of friends like that. We're the first to have a baby, but Chloe's best friend Aubrey is due any day now. Aubrey's married to one of my best friends, Stacie. And, my other best friend, Jesse, and his wife, Sarah, just told us she's 3 months pregnant. Tampa holds a fond place in all our hearts because it seems we all found our better halves while visiting Chloe's family during Christmas. Sarah is actually Chloe's cousin and Jesse met her when he and I spent Christmas at the Beales' a couple of years ago. I brought Stacie along with me the first time Chloe asked me to visit her family. It was before I finally got the balls to ask Chloe out. We were just friends at that time. Aubrey was there and her and Stacie hit it off. I actually asked Chloe to marry me at their wedding."
"Wow," Denise said. "You guys sound a lot like us. Fat Amy and Bumper are the only ones with kids. They have two; a boy and a girl."
"Fat Amy?," Beca asks with a smirk.
"Yeah," Denise says and laughs. "That's what she calls herself so twig bitches like us don't say it behind her back. She's a real card."
"Sounds like it," Beca said and laughed.
The two were quiet as Beca concentrated on the road. They were lucky that the highways had been plowed a couple of times so Beca felt more comfortable as the miles passed. She had been driving for a while just chatting with Denise when she noticed it was time to get gas. She watched for signs and finally took an exit to find a gas station. She pulled into one and shut off the engine. Denise was waking the others as Beca got out of the car. She stretched and checked her phone. It was almost Noon and she was hungry. The others started piling out of the car and were stretching.
"We should get something to eat while we're stopped," Beca said.
"There's a diner right there," CR said. "Why don't we just get something there."
"Sounds good," Beca said. "Why don't you guys go ahead. I'll bring the car over once I've filled it up."
The four travellers walked over to the diner and Beca began to fill the gas tank. She went inside the station and grabbed some water for everyone. She got back in the car and drove it to the diner and met the others inside.
After everyone was done eating, they all went to the rest room. CR got behind the wheel and Denise rode shotgun again since she wouldn't need to drive until after they dropped off Benji and Emily.
Benji and Emily were talking quietly with Denise so as not to disturb Beca while she tried to get some sleep.
"Emily and I are high school sweethearts," Benji told Denise. "We want to get married but our parents want us to wait until we've graduated from college. We're both Seniors now and are talking about having a Christmas wedding next year."
"We both love Christmas," Emily said. "We met at a Christmas party our Sophomore Year in High School. Benji asked me to marry him on Christmas in our Sophomore Year of college."
"That's so sweet," Denise said. "CR and I dated in High School but my folks didn't like the fact that I was dating a girl so they made me break up with her. We were both devastated until we walked into our first math class in college and saw each other. We've been together ever since and got married just two years ago."
"We were just meant to be," CR said grabbing Denise's hand and giving it a squeeze.
"Why are we slowing down?," Benji asked.
"Snow plows ahead," CR said. "They're stretched across the highway so we just have to sit back and relax until they give us an opening."
The next few hours crawled by and CR said they needed gas and pulled off at the next exit. They got gas and Benji and Emily took over the front seats. Beca slept through the entire stop. Denise did try to wake her to see if she wanted anything but Beca didn't move.
"Benji," CR said from the backseat. "We're a little behind on time. If you want to put the pedal to the metal, we'll help pay any tickets you might get."
"I'm on it," Benji said and pressed the accelerator.
With Benji behind the wheel, they made up for the time they lost. The snow was falling but it wasn't as bad as it had been from New York through Pennsylvania and then Maryland. They made it through Virginia and North Carolina. In South Carolina, the snow had stopped and traffic was a little heavier but they were still moving at a good speed. They didn't want to waste time eating in anywhere so they grabbed some sandwiches to eat on the road when they stopped to get gas and switch drivers. They werenn't far form Atlanta and Emily was driving It was almost 10:00 pm when they pulled into the drive of Emily's parents in Atlanta. Mr. and Mrs. Junk came out to greet everyone and thanked Beca for getting their daughter and Benji to them safely. Emily invited them to stay and have some coffee before they left. Beca was a little hesitant but decided to stay for one cup. She pulled out her phone only to realize it was dead.
"Shoot," Beca said. "I forgot to charge my phone."
"Here just use my charger and plug it in here," Emily told her.
Beca thanked her and put her phone on the charger. As soon as it had some power she turned it on to see what she missed.
"Shit," Beca muttered
"What's wrong?," CR asked.
"I've got like 15 missed texts and 10 missed calls from Chloe," Beca said. "She's going to be so pissed."
"Call her now," CR said. "Trust me. Just tell her the truth and we're here if you need us to talk to her for you."
"Thanks," Beca said as she pressed the button to call Chloe.
"Beca Mitchell where the hell have you been?," her wife's voice comes through the line. "I've been calling and texting for hours. I've worried myself sick that something happened."
"I'm sorry, babe," Beca said. "I forgot to charge my phone and I called as soon as I did. I'm safe, Chlo. Don't worry. I'll be home early enough so I won't miss Sophie's first Christmas."
"Is the airport opened up again?," Chloe asked. "Last we heard it was going to be shutdown for a couple days with no flights leaving or coming in."
"Um, I'm not in the airport," Beca said.
"Coffee's ready," Mrs. Junk called out.
"Who was that?," Chloe's asked in an icy tone.
"Babe, it's not what you think," Beca said quickly. "I got a car and we're driving to Tampa. We're in Atlanta right now dropping off Benji and Emily. They invited us to stay for coffee before we continued our drive."
"Beca Mitchell are you insane?," Chloe yelled through the phone. "And who the hell is we?"
"Some people I was stuck in the airport with who wanted to get home as much as I did," Beca said. Beca sighed as she sat down on the floor with her back to the wall. She ran her hand through her hair and said, "I just want to be there when Sophie wakes up for her first Christmas. I want to be holding you and trying to be quiet so your parents don't hear us talking and whatnot. I love you and Sophie so much Chlo and I'm doing what I need to to get home for Christmas with my two girls."
"Oh, baby," Chloe whispers. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. How much longer until you get here?"
"We're about 6 hours from Tampa," Beca said. "We should be in Tampa around 5:00 in the morning. If I could, I'd be there right now. Trust me, baby, I'm coming home to you."
"Just be safe," Chloe said. "I love you so, so much."
"I love you, too," Beca said. "Give Sophie a kiss from me and tell her I'll see her soon. Bye, babe."
"Bye, baby," Chloe said.
Beca ended the call and put her phone on the table. She slowly got up to find 6 pair of eyes looking at her. Emily and her mother wiped away some tears.
"We didn't mean to eavesdrop," Emily said. "But that was the sweetest thing I've ever heard. We made your coffee to go. I added a couple of sandwiches in case you get hungry."
Beca blushed and nodded.
"I'm sorry," Beca said to Mr. and Mrs. Junk. "I just really want to be with my family."
"Don't apologize," Mrs. Junk said. "We totally understand. You'd better get going. You don't want to keep your wife and daughter waiting."
Beca smiled and said "Thank you."
"Come on, Beca," CR said. "Tampa awaits."
The three women went out to the car. Benji, Emily and her parents walked them out. Emily grabbed Beca in a hug and thanked her again for helping them get home. Mrs. Junk hugged her, CR, and Denise and wished them a safe drive. Denise took the wheel and CR rode shotgun. Beca climbed into the back and they drove off.
"Big softie," Denise said looking at Beca in the rearview mirror.
"Shut up," Beca said with a smile.
"Do you have a picture of your daughter?," CR asked.
"Of course," Beca said and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through and found some pictures of Sophie and Chloe.
"Awww," CR said. "She's adorable. Is that Chloe?"
Beca looked at the picture CR was referring to.
"Yep, that's her," Beca said.
"Damn," CR said. "She's hot."
"Hey," Denise said slapping her wife's arm. "Stop ogling Beca's wife."
CR held the phone up so Denise could see the picture. It happened to be one where they had Sophie at the pool and Chloe was in a blue bikini.
"Damn," Denise said causing CR and Beca to both laugh.
"Both of you need to stop ogling my wife," Beca said taking her phone back.
"How long have you two been together?," Denise asked Beca.
"I've known her for eight years," Beca said. "But, we've only been together for five, married for three. Could you put this on the charger for me?"
CR took Beca's phone and put on the charger.
"So, how'd you two meet?," CR asked.
"In college," Beca said and let out a laugh. "The second time I ever saw her she barged into my shower because she heard me singing and wanted me to join their group."
"Seriously?," CR said.
"Seriously," Beca said. "She is very confident about all that."
"From what I saw," CR said. "She should be. Did you join?"
"You saw her. What do you think?," Beca asked with a laugh. "We became best friends and somewhere along the line, I fell for her hard. I didn't think she felt the same way so I never told her. It took her best friend Aubrey, and my best friends Stacie and Jesse to finally make me see that she was into me as much as I was into her. It was one of the best days of my life when I finally sacked up and asked her out. She's been with me from the beginning of my career and is my biggest supporter and number one fan. I'd be lost without her."
"You know, Beca," Denise said. "When you say things like that, you lose so many badass points."
Beca laughed. She knew when it came to Chloe, and now Sophie, she was total mush. And she liked it. Beca told them she was tired and was going to try and get some sleep. She settled back and closed her eyes. She woke up when CR was shaking her letting her know they had stopped for gas.
Beca got out of the car and stretched and yawned. She checked her phone and saw that it was 2:30 am. They should be less than 2 hours from Tampa now. She was getting butterflies in her stomach. She hadn't seen Chloe and Sophie for almost 2 months because of her tour. It was her last one. From now on she would be home for dinner every night, and on weekends. She'd be able to watch Sophie grow up and not miss out on anything. She'd be able to talk to Chloe about when they were going to give Sophie a baby brother or sister. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Denise touched her arm.
"Sorry, Beca," Denise said. "I called your name like three times. You okay?"
"Yeah, sorry," Beca said. "I just got lost in my thoughts."
"Well, we're ready to go," Denise said. "CR said she'd drive us into Tampa so you could take it easy. We should be there in about 90 minutes."
"Perfect," Beca said. "Let's go."
The three women got into the car and CR drove off. Beca's body was tingling with anticipation and she couldn't wait to see Chloe and Sophie. She kept watching the signs as the miles dwindled. CR was pushing the speed limits and before Beca knew it they were in Tampa. CR drove to the hotel she and Denise were booked in and parked the car. The three women got out and CR went to the back to get their luggage. Denise pulled Beca into a hug.
"Thank you so much," Denise told Beca. "It was really great meeting you."
"It was great meeting you guys, too," Beca told them. "Thanks so much for helping with the driving and just putting up with me."
"Don't worry," Denise told her with a grin. "Badass Beca Mitchell's rep is still intact."
"So, where's the wedding taking place?," Beca asked with a laugh.
"It's actually all happening here," CR said and looked at Beca with a big smile. "I wish it wasn't 4:00 in the morning. I'd love to have you meet Jessica and Ashley. They are huge fans as well."
"I could sign something for them," Beca said.
"Oh, my God," Denise said. "That would be awesome."
Denise searches through her purse and pulls out an envelope.
"This is the their wedding invitation," Denise said. "Could you sign that?"
"Sure," Beca said and took the invitation.
She wrote congratulations on your wedding and signed her name. She handed the card back to Denise. CR pulled out her phone and asked for a picture for her and Denise. Beca obliged and both girls took pictures with their phones of the three of them.
Beca thanked the girls again for helping with the driving. She hugged them both and wished them a Merry Christmas and then got in the car. She made it to the Beales in about 10 minutes and turned off the car. It was almost 4:15 am when she got out of the car and grabbed her bags. She went to the door and got the key from under the mat. She opened the door and quietly made her way inside. She left her bags by the door and took her shoes off. She went upstairs to Chloe's room and opened the door as quietly as she could. She made her way over to the crib to find it empty. She moved to the bed to see Chloe asleep with Sophie cuddled next to her. Beca looked down them and smiled before kissing Sophie's forehead. She gently eased the blanket back and picked up Sophie. She held her daughter in her arms, rocking her back and forth.
"I missed you, baby girl," she whispered as she ran a finger down her cheek.
Beca gently laid Sophie in her crib and placed a blanket over her. Beca yawned and stretched and went back over to the bed. She slowly laid down so she was on her side facing Chloe. She relished the beauty that was her wife. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, happy that she made it home for Christmas.
Chloe woke up slightly panicked when she didn't feel Sophie. The she saw Beca laying in front of her. She reached up and gently caressed Beca's face. A part of her just wanting to touch her wife after two months of being apart, and part of her just wanted to make sure she was real.
"Stop staring," Beca mumbled.
"I can't help it," Chloe said and leaned in to kiss Beca. "I'm just so glad you're here."
Beca closed the short distance between then and pulled Chloe to her. She kissed Chloe and then wiped a tear from Chloe's eye. Chloe buried her head in Beca's neck as they laid there just holding each other.
"I missed you," Beca whispered to Chloe.
"I missed you, too," Chloe whispered before leaning up and grabbing Beca's lips in another kiss.
Beca broke the kiss and looked over Sophie in her crib. Sophie was looking over at her and making cooing noises while flailing her arms.
"Looks like someone else is awake," Beca said before getting out of bed.
She went over to Sophie and picked her up. She took her back over to the bed and laid her next to Chloe. She climbed back in and the three of them laid there together.
"I missed you both so much," Beca said a tear falling down her cheek. "I'm never leaving you two again. I'm done touring. I promise."
"Do you mean that?," Chloe asked softly.
"Yep," Beca said. "I told the studio this last tour was literally my last tour. I'll be home so much you'll get sick of me. I missed you two so much and I almost missed Sophie's first Christmas. I don't ever want to miss any of her firsts. Or any firsts of our future children."
Chloe leaned across Sophie and kissed Beca. Sophie started waving her arms and legs causing Beca and Chloe to laugh thus ending their kiss. Chloe started tickling Sophie's tummy causing her to giggle. Beca found herself staring at Chloe and Sophie with a big smile on her face. These are the moments she loved the most.
"Merry Christmas, my loves," Beca says as she watches over her two favorite girls.
