A/N: I don't usually do this but thought it was time to give a HUGE shout out to everyone that has been taking the time to read & review KMS. If I missed anyone, I do sincerely apologize & promise to catch you on the next shout out. It is because of each & every one of you that I continue to write this epic fic.

Over a year ago, when the idea for this fic came to me, it was only supposed to be about 10 chapters... I look back now, laugh & think, "what a joke?" This story has clearly taken on a life of its own. KMS has challenged me in ways I never thought possible & just like that, it has slowly but surely grown wings & started to fly.

Waatp: Without you, your constant help, support and kicks to my oversized badonkadonk this story wouldn't be what it is today and Luke certainly wouldn't be the polished, posh and perfectly Britishy dude that everyone is learning to fall in love with, of course, the rock hard bod and dreamy eyes help... a lot! Guess what mate? Your reviews are stellar and are a fic by themselves! SQUIRRELS! xx

HariboJunkie: Gummy Bears and Piggly Wiggly. :)

MasterZoRoRi Forever: Sorry I pissed you off. It gets better... I promise! ;)

cruisingturtle: A happy ending is in the works but will it be Team Jeca or Team Luca? Hmm...

50 Shades of Pitch Perfect: Your reviews and support are top notch!

SundanceQT: I got a mic drop! A real mic drop! That's so fucking awesome!

Jessica (.yip.792aka annak47fans: You always read and review... Thanks chicky! I appreciate the support!

LiquidE3: You introduced me to the saying "Sweet Mother Nature" and I love it though I can't promise a fix. I did however, promise a bumpy roller coaster ride. All Aboard!

LeYoYo: You my dear reader, are fucking nuts & your reviews make my head spin like a top but I'm so thankful for your support!

Alexa64: Thanks for your reviews and support. I hope you like how the story is going and where it will eventually end.

ak47fangirl: Thanks for the support. I hope you won't be disappointed with the outcome.

I cabral: I think I've managed to piss you off the most... and you've told me just how much. I promise... this story does get better but we have to get through all the shit to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Stick with me chick...

Now... as they say in show business, ON WITH THE SHOW...

o~O~o
Insight and Intervention
o~O~o

Luke's POV

There are not many things in life that I take for granted.

I know I am generally very lucky. I work hard and get paid well for it. I put in the hours and get recognition and rewards as a result. Work takes me away from home more than I'd like but I get to stay in really nice hotels, eat at fancy restaurants and get to see parts of the country, and the world, that I normally wouldn't get to see.

I have a wonderful family that loves me. My parents, Claire and Spencer, raised me right and we have a mutual respect for each other. I do not give them a hassle, I keep my arse out of trouble and call them regularly. My brother Jake and I get along very well, some might say that we're thick as thieves. Jake has spent many weekends on my couch watching soccer games and American football. We moved to California at an age where he barely remembers his English roots now but soccer, as something we both love, is the one thing we can always agree on.

I am in great health, which is something I am beyond grateful for. I work out daily and find that my time spent at the gym pays off. I have been told I am good looking, handsome even, and not just by my grandmother. I mean, really? All right, I take care of myself and like to wear nice clothes but I am no different to anyone else.

I do not have a wide circle of friends. My people, the ones I liken to my extended family, can be counted on my two hands and that is the way I want it to remain. I would rather be around the people I can be myself with, than the whole horde of folks on Facebook whose dogs and kids names I cannot remember nor do I care about.

All of these things could disappear from my grasp tomorrow. Life can change in the blink of an eye and sometimes there is nothing anyone can do about it. I accept it as a way of life. And while I would miss my good fortune, my loving family and my rather burly arms, there is one aspect of my life that I would never get over losing.

Beca.

It is hard to describe a best friend in words. Especially for a guy. We are supposed to be the tough ones, the decision makers, the rocks and the ones who will help a friend move and expect nothing in return. I guess we do not really show our emotions in the same way as girls. A dude losing his cool over shaving foam or a new pair of Chucks just is not cricket, is it?

My brother is the closest thing I have to a guy best friend. We can count on each other for everything. Maybe it is just because he is family, there are things I cannot talk to him about. Generally I have not had a problem getting a date, some say my English accent helps but a few hints and tips thrown my way from a friend or a coworker have always been happily accepted. I can cook, to a certain extent, but I am not really a chef and being able to pick up the phone and call for takeout is something so unbelievably handy.

Every time I need a new suit or a smart shirt for when my grandparents visit or even just shopping for gifts, I always have a willing volunteer who will come along as long as I pay for lunch or a trip to the movies. And that is the other thing... having a friend who, for the most part, is willing to attend a movie with me, even if it is some random chick flick style thing; the kind of movie I secretly quite enjoy, is actually quite nice. Especially when she pays for the popcorn. We can take a walk in silence, we can dance like crazy dorks to music we would not dare admit to liking and pretend to be anyone we want to be without fear of judgement.

And that is it really. That sums up me and my best friend. Beca is the better half of me. She is there for me when I need someone and even when I do not. She simply seems to know when I need a text with a stupid meme or when I need to be told to pull my head out of my arse.

I miss her when she is busy with him. I have spent so much time working out my frustration and loneliness at the gym, that other members think I'm part of the staff and have asked me to be their trainer. I miss her randomly showing up at my door with dinner and a bottle of wine or to model new clothes she bought for herself. I even miss her showing me her latest pole dancing routine, although I do admit that it did make me uncomfortable for the first time in forever.

I love my best friend with everything I have. I have thanked my lucky stars everyday since the day I met her and realize that my life would be very different without her. I even have her called her everything from my sister from another mister to my emergency contact and confidante.

My one downfall is that I think I sometimes take her for granted.

It is something I think about late at night. Most people who cannot sleep might read, watch a movie, have a wank but me... I think about my Gran and the wisdom she has spent years trying to impart on Jake and I. I mean, my dear old grandmother can fill anyone's head with her wise notions and interesting spins on classic proverbs and there have been many nights recently where I have laid awake in my apartment thinking and rethinking her advice.

If I'm going to lay awake, then I should be going over my next day's appointments for work, wondering what to suggest for an album cover or if a collaboration between Metallica and Justin Bieber will really work. That kid really is weird!

I should be thinking about my mother's invitation for Sunday lunch and which 'nice girl' I should take with me as my plus one. I should be messaging my brother with congratulations and words of encouragement as he is about to propose to his girlfriend. I am beyond proud of Jake, simply because he never really seemed to fit in anywhere until he met Shelby. Heck, I even should be planning my Christmas shopping as shipping gifts to my grandparents in England is not something I can organize at the last minute. I know there was talk about us meeting up somewhere else this year but I have not called my mother in a few days to find out what the plan is. I guess that is something else I should be doing.

I should be thinking about all those things but instead, I am laying wide awake at three in morning agonizing over my best friend. I mean, seriously? What the absolute bloody hell is going on in her head right now? She is acting like a complete prat and I actually do not know how to reach out to her this time. It is late and I am tired. It has been quite the week at work and that is all up in my face right now but I do not need images of Beca upset, crying, worrying, making herself ill over the dumbest fucking wanker in the history of dumbest fucking wankers.

She has stopped taking my calls.

And to my knowledge, she is not communicating with anyone but the doctors at the hospital. She has barred anyone from coming to visit Jesse, not that anyone wants to but we would all do it for her sake.

I hear my Gran in my ear saying, in her perfectly quaint grandmotherly tone, 'Lucas, my dear boy, don't judge a book by it's cover'. She is right of course, nobody should judge anyone else until a mile has been walked in their shoes but I make an exception in the case of Jesse Christopher Swanson… not to mention, he wears ugly shoes.

I want to shave his skin, pour salt on him and then watch him squirm. I know that makes me sound angry and aggressive and I am but this is my rant and I can pretty much say what I like. Beca is my life and she is hurting right now… so I'm hurting too.

Again, I hear Gran saying to me, 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' and that is what I have been trying to do since the day Beca introduced me to that waste of space. There was something about the limp handshake and the fact that he could not look me in the eye. Not once. I admit that I never liked him but I tried so hard to keep my thoughts to myself. I was never going to like anyone Beca brought home and I should be grateful that I was not kicked to the curb straight away. Not that I would have let her do that to me. I love her too much to let her go, especially over a plonker like him.

Urgh, I need to get up and do something. Laying here getting angry is not helping me clear my mind. I do not want my late night thoughts to be filled with Jesse and Beca Swanson. Her new name does not roll off my tongue very easily. She will always be Beca Mitchell to me and I am happy that she kept her name at Warner as I am not sure I would get used to hearing 'Beca Swanson' when I called her on the phone. Mind you, we do not get to talk as much as we did, let alone see each other as much. I know I could just turn up at her house any time I like but Jackass Jesse Jizzface would be there and I want to hurt him, all the bloody time.

Ok, I am getting up.

I am going to get some Tylenol and find something to read to take my mind off of everything because I have a meeting in six hours and I need to focus. Or maybe I can watch something horrid on the television... perhaps an alien abduction and pretend it is Jesse getting experimented on... maybe even him being dissected into forty two pieces and never put back together again.

I think I am a little obsessed with the man who stole my best friends heart. But then I guess it stops me from thinking about her so much.

I wanted to mention the other day that she looked particularly pretty. She was wearing a really lovely (she would use the word cute but I am trying to protect my manliness here) dress with a sweetheart neckline. See, I do pay attention when she waffles on about stuff that I cannot begin to contemplate or understand. Who knew there were over twenty different neckline styles? Not this guy, that is for sure. So I pay attention and it earns me best friend points. But anyway, back to Beca's outfit. The pale turquoise tone really flattered her complexion and the Louboutin heels she wore complimented not only her dress and jacket but the scallop detail on the heel matched her Kate Spade handbag... sorry purse. I will never get used to these American locutions.

She had also done something different with her hair and I noticed, as I bent down to give her a kiss on her cheek, that she had used a new shampoo. She always smelled of coconut before, not overpowering, just subtle, a little bit like her. Now there was an almost floral scent surrounding her. I am not saying it is a bad thing, it is just different.

I could not bring myself to ask her about it as I am well aware of how stalkerish my actions probably sound but I just so happen to notice all the small things about Beca. I can tell if she is having a good day or a bad one by the way she says hello in her first text of the day.

Maybe my mother is right, maybe I do need to get out more or find myself a girlfriend. Maybe I should go online and see about joining one of those dating sites. Yes, I will do that.

I will have my Tylenol, maybe a glass of whiskey and some chocolate and find myself a girlfriend. Anything to get the sight of Beca's sad face out of my mind. She has decided to distance herself at the time when I think she needs us the most. My gut says she has shut down, this is one drama too many.

There is now a new baby to think about as well. Ever since I heard the news, I have been praying to God that Beca gets to bring this child home. Losing Bodhi... actually, I cannot even think about it, it hurts my head and my heart far too much. I will admit though, that a small part of me wishes that the baby growing in her belly is mine. It is not as weird as it sounds, I swear but it would help me feel less jealous about it.

I am not making much sense, I know. It is late and I am tired and now I am thinking that Beca's child is a bad thing because of his or her father. It is not the child's fault that it has been sired by a pillock.

I can honestly say that, after the last fiasco, I did not think Jesse 'C Word' Swanson could stoop any lower. I mean, come the fuck on! He has been away from home more than he has been there and I get that he is working hard to get his new album out but I have never known a first release to take so long. At first I did not really think too much about it until his brother Casey was decent enough to come to me about it. I did some digging and found out that The Riff's album had wrapped weeks before. Armed with that information, I was going to confront Jesse about it when I got home from my latest business trip then I got from a call Beca saying that he has collapsed. Turns out the arsehole finds out his wife is pregnant and takes up drinking again, instead of rejoicing that they have been given a second chance at parenthood.

All I hear are empty promises and pathetic excuses when he talks. He is a grown man acting like a teenager with a first girlfriend. And Beca is almost as bad as him for putting up with it. She does not deserve that. She needs someone strong, hard working, capable and trustworthy. Someone who knows her favorite ice cream, just how much cream she takes in her coffee, what she loves doing on a Sunday morning and the special part of her back that, when rubbed, instantly relaxes her. Someone should be worshipping that girl and making her a number one priority in everything they do, think and say.

She deserves the best and she is not bloody getting it.

I wish I could make her see that life, even married life, is supposed to be fun, exciting, challenging and mundane all at the same time. Yes, of course, there are highs and lows and forks in the road but all I have seen her do since she has been with Jesse is stress out.

He acted up within the first couple of months, heck let us bring it back to the day they met. He wormed his way into her life and her bed and I will bet my last British Pound on the notion that he was eyeing up her house from day one. I truly believe he saw her as a meal ticket, an easy life and an opportunity. I do, in his defence, believe he loves her deep down but he has taken the piss out of her and that is just not right.

She called me when she returned from Oahu and saw her house had been trashed. I was there to pick up the pieces and it was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do. Usually, after a break up, one of us would turn up with a cheesecake, some crappy movie neither of us really wanted to watch and we would sing, dance and cry out our indifference before getting drunk and falling asleep before Midnight. We did not give a hoot that we would wake up around four in the morning, eat the cheesecake that invariably one of us would have sat on at some point in the evening and then spend the rest of the day in bed, watching MTV, reruns of MacGyver and telling stories about all the shitty things our exes had gotten away with doing for so long.

This time, after fuck up number two hundred and ten... all right, more like fuck up number three, she seemed lost without him. I knew way before she did that they would end up getting back together again but I am not sure I have ever told her that I prayed to God himself that they would never see each other again.

I know how that makes me sound. I sound like a whingy brat who has not gotten his way but there is a part of me, a huge part of me, that hates to see anyone upset. And Beca is happy. But she is not content. I know a part of her died when they lost Bodhi. She has not been the same since he passed away and I wish with all my heart that I could bring him back for her. I even felt sorry for the wanker that day as well; I would not wish what they went through onto anyone.

'Two wrongs don't make a right.' I can hear my Gran speaking now and it is decent advice from across the pond. Thinking bad thoughts is not going to help anyone right now, least of all me. I have not spoken to Beca in almost two weeks. She has shut everyone out and we need to wait until she is ready, despite all of us knowing she is being a dick right now.

I get up, out of bed, and head to the kitchen. I have had an idea and whiskey is not going to help… not yet anyway. Turning the kettle on, I boil enough water for a large cup of tea and let it steep while I fetch my phone.

Texting Anne, Will, Aubrey, Amy, Kimmy, Lilly, Flo and Sawyer is the one thing I can do for Beca right now. I need to do something, anything and if it does end up costing me my friendship with Beca but it means she is safe and happy, then it will be my last gift to her. She may not see it this way but sorry girlfriend, it is time for us to do something.

I was calling an intervention.

o~0~o

Two days later my condo was full of people. I had stopped off at Whole Foods on my way home and filled my cart with snacks and drinks. It was not a party, but in the back of my mind I heard Beca telling me "You have to provide refreshments when you have guests over." Then I heard my Gran's voice telling me 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going' and tough love was on the agenda for the evening.

I put Amy in charge of putting out the snacks, regretting my decision when I saw her eyes light up at the range of European food I had bought from the ethnic food aisle. Strangely enough, she did not hog the nibbles as I thought she might. Aubrey arrived a few minutes later and came with Ben and both baby girls in tow. We spent a few minutes catching up with each other and passing the babies around the room. When I started hearing whispers of "What are we doing here?" and "Wonder what's going on?" I realized it was time that we finally got down to business.

"Thank you all for coming and my apologies again for the early morning text day before yesterday." I said, after ensuring everyone was armed with a cup of tea. I was aware of just how British I was sounding and acting as I stood up in front of everyone that I had known for most of my life.

"It's fine Luke. I think we were all thinking the same thing." Will said, nodding his conviction.

"As per my message, I believe that the time has come to stand up for Beca and what she needs, rather than what she thinks she wants for herself and for her scumbag husband."

"She won't like that." Aubrey said, indicating to Ben that he needed to burp Penny.

"I know, I know... but right now, I believe she needs our help. She just does not realize it. I, for one, am prepared to fight for her future."

"You'll have a hard time convincing her of that." Anne commented before taking a long pull from her cup of tea. She enjoyed a good English brew and the way Luke prepared it.

"I have a question." Amy said, raising her hand high above her head.

"Yes, Amy?" I answered, wishing for possibly the twentieth time that Amy would wear deodorant. I saw Anne cough a little and cover her nose as she was downwind from Amy's aroma.

"Why are we here?"

I tried hard not to sigh too loudly. "Well, we are staging an intervention to-"

"-I know all that." Amy said. "But why are we here?"

"I am not following." I admitted.

"Ok, so Beca is acting like a piker-"

"-Amy? Watch your language." Anne said, her eyes wide.

"What did I say?" Amy asked.

"A piker?" Anne baulked.

"Oh Mrs M, where I'm from that just means someone who doesn't want to do something especially within a group of people."

"Well that does describe Beca ninety percent of the time." Will mumbled but wilted under a glare from Anne.

"So, Beca is acting out because, what... we don't like her husband?" Amy asked. "And she's stopped replying to messages because she thinks that's the best course of action?"

"There is a little more to it than that." I explained.

"Then, perhaps we all need to hear what this 'little more' is?" Amy suggested as I bit my lip. I was trying to explain if she let me have a moment.

"Mr. Luke is trying to tell you." Flo said quietly and I admit, I raised an eyebrow in her direction as it was not very often she said anything sensible. I was about to thank her when she said, "Q-Tips make excellent stilts for mice."

Flo's statement caused a few snickers and looks of 'what the fuck?' from around the room.

"Luke... if you please." Anne prompted after a few seconds of just staring at Flo.

"Thank you. Yes. Of course. It has been less than two years since Beca introduced Jesse to us. In less than two years, they have moved in together, or rather Jesse has moved in with Beca, gotten married and... and... and Bodhi." I said, as carefully as I could. Anne and Will both looked down at their cups of tea. "She helped find him a job. She did a lot of legwork for him in finding a suitable record manager, one willing to give his band a try. To give him some credit here, The Riff is not a bad little band and-"

"-Then why didn't you sign 'em?" Amy interrupted.

"I am sorry, what?"

"The Riff. Universal didn't want to sign 'em?" Amy asked again.

"Conflict of interest." I said plainly as my way of explanation.

"Oh?" Amy asked.

"Yes, I had conflict and I was not interested. The Riff did not and does not fit what Universal is currently looking for." I said and a ghost of a smile posted itself on everyone's lips. "Beca also bought him clothes, paid for medical care and looked out for him. Then she trusted him to look after her house while she was away and Jesse repaid her by trashing the house and partaking in drugs and drinking. She kicked him out and he ended up back on the streets. She found him a few weeks later in a terrible state and brought him home. I remember asking her why she did that."

"What did she say?" Aubrey asked.

"She said that a person who has done bad things and made terrible life choices is still a human being. Even someone who was clearly in the wrong or in Jesse's case, a fuck up... apologies Anne. But nevertheless, she took him back after putting him through rehab because that is the kind of person she is. She attended all of the counseling sessions, bought him new clothes and shoes, paid for haircuts and treatments and he started to get well. I kept my mouth shut but I always thought there was more to him but I trusted Beca's instincts. She was, obviously, comfortable enough to have him share her bed and maybe that is what it is. Maybe he is a good fuc-"

"-Luke."

"Sorry Anne. I will rephrase. Maybe Jesse is a good, considerate partner? Maybe he does put the trash out and do the laundry, but I was not convinced. So I hired a private investigator and had him followed right around the time they announced they were expecting Bodhi. As it turns out Jesse's father was in town and following them, maybe he was after money, maybe trying to reconnect with his son, I guess we will never know."

There was a smattering of chatter so I paused for a moment and took a mouthful of tea.

"For a while Jesse looked to be behaving, he was at work every day and I never received a text from Beca complaining about him for a couple of months. Then Bodhi was born. We..." I said, indicating Anne and Will, "... where there when they got home from the hospital and like anyone who had just lost a child, they were completely broken. Will and Jesse had the idea to get the puppies which seemed to work well and they looked to be on the long road to recovery. Then Jesse was spending more and more time away from home again. He is busy with the band and that Pepper chick comes up all the time, as if Jesse feels he has to run everything past her. Beca began to call me more, texted constantly and, at first, I thought it was to do with the wedding and her nerves but I quickly realized she was lonely."

I heard a couple of people begin to sniff, as if the story is somehow getting to them. I did not realize until someone handed me a tissue that I was the one crying.

"My best friend was lonely because her fiance was too busy with everyone else and not giving her any help, suggestions or damnit, even some love. Their wedding day came and, as some of you know, I had words with Jesse and told him to pull his head out of his arse. He got my message loud and clear. Look after Beca, or deal with me. I am not usually into threatening people but he needed to be told. He looked nervous on his wedding day and he barely looked at Beca. She was the one taking his hand, guiding him through the day while he was constantly searching in the crowd. Maybe he thought his father would be there, his long lost brothers... who knows but he hardly looked at the vision standing next to him."

I looked up to see a few people nodding along with what I was saying.

"As we all know, the honeymoon was a wash out and that told me that Jesse did not really know Beca at all. She needed sun, a beach and more back massages than she could have ever wished for but he booked a camping trip. Again, I was there with an idea and a solution to make things better. A couple of months went by and I was asked to come by for dinner, to fix a broken switch, to help her move some boxes into the basement and hang their wedding photograph in the family room. I did not mind helping but all the while, I was thinking to myself that it should be Jesse doing this. He abandoned his new wife to do what? Beca tried to convince me that he was working on the album but she could not meet my eye while she was telling me. Recently, I was away on business. The morning after I arrived home, I received the phone call to say that Jesse had been hurt. I rushed over there and find her in quite the state. When I got there Beca told me that she had told Jesse that she was pregnant again-"

"-WHAT?" Both Anne and Will exclaimed at the same time, stopping me in tracks. Aubrey nearly jumped out of her skin.

"She's pregnant again?" Will asked, looking to Anne. "Did you know?"

"No, I didn't!" Anne said, quite loudly. Her face had already pinked up.

"Oh blast." I said, regretting what I had said. "I am so sorry, I thought she-"

"-No, this is not... we didn't know. She hasn't talked to us for... no, this is new to us." Anne stumbled over her words.

"Anne, I'm so sorry."

"A new baby?" Anne mouthed Will, her hand flying to her throat as she fought back tears. "Will, she's pregnant again."

"I'm sure she-"

"-My daughter obviously had her reasons Luke. It's not your fault." Anne said politely but I could see she was holding back her emotions.

"Carry on Luke." Will said.

"Um, sure. So, Beca told Jesse that they were expecting again and his reaction was to start drinking-"

"-Sorry to interrupt."

"Yes, Aubrey?"

"I think the drinking began again a lot earlier than that night." She said.

"Oh?"

"Beca came to me a few weeks ago, it was late and if memory serves, it was the night you are referring to. She was very upset, disoriented and just seemed so sad. I admit, I didn't handle it all that well and argued with her about Jesse. She left in a hurry and I haven't heard from her since."

"Ok, so Beca might have suspected he was drinking again… that makes more sense." I pondered, to myself than anyone else.

"He probably never stopped in all honesty." Will said.

"So Beca's up the duff again and Jesse's not happy." Amy concluded. "Why? Does he think the baby isn't his or something?"

Suddenly nine pairs of eyes looked to me.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Jesse is the father Amy." I said quietly. "If he suspected something different, then that shows just how little he really knows her.

"What next?"

"Beca found him three days later in the guest house and called the ambulance. At first, it was unclear if he was going to get through the night. After a couple of days, he rallied and looked to be on the mend."

"All of this seems bad Luke but not bad enough to stop Beca from returning our texts and calls." Sawyer stated.

"True." I said simply. "But after the first day, we... Will, Anne and myself were visiting with Beca as much as we could and as often as the hospital would let us. I never asked about Jesse, in all honesty, I could not give two shits about him. My concern was with my Beca. I did suggest that maybe they needed some time apart which did not go down well. She threw her marriage vows at me. When I suggested more counseling, she barked at me and told me it was a useless idea. I then-"

"-Every idea you offered, she discarded?" Anne interrupted and I nodded. "She's done that to her daddy and I too."

"And me." Amy said.

"We've also been told to keep away as our help wasn't wanted." Aubrey said as she looked over at Ben who was holding both babies in his arms.

"Ladies," I said, turning to Lilly and Kimmy Jin. "Have you had any contact with Beca?"

"None at all." Kimmy replied. "Her work phone is off and she's not responding to emails either."

"We've tried to give her much space as we can" Sawyer said. "I didn't know about the baby if I'm honest but she messaged me when Jesse first got sick and said she needed to take a leave of absence and that she didn't care if she was paid for it or not. She was blunt and to the point in her message so I took it that something was wrong and he didn't want to talk about it."

"How could you tell?" I asked.

"She was polite!" Sawyer grinned but dropped his smile in a matter of seconds. I smiled back, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Was that the last you heard from her?"

"No. It was quiet for a while but she sent a couple of updates by email. Then out of the blue, she started showing up at the office late into the evening and working at all hours of the night. I didn't hear from her but admittedly, I just left her to it. If I'm honest, I didn't want to hear anymore shit about Jesse. Last week, I received an email stating she was handing in her resignation."

"Um, what?" Kimmy Jin said. "Beca is leaving?"

Lilly made a face. "Beca can't leave us." She whispered inaudibly.

"I refused to accept her resignation and told her to take whatever time she needed. She's a very successful, well known music producer and I won't sit by and watch as she tries to throw her career in down the crapper for that no good son of a bitch." Sawyer said. "She can resign when I'm six feet under, until then… she's stuck with me. I won't give up on her." He looked down to the floor and mumbled, "Nobody should."

Will mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Sawyer as soon as he lifted his eyes again.

"So, what's next?" Amy asked.

"Well... we need to get Beca away from this abusive relationship and-"

"-He's been hitting her?" Aubrey said, her eyes as wide as saucers, her voice full of concern.

"No, I do not think that is the case but I do think that she's being abused both emotionally and mentally which in my opinion is worse than the physical."

"True but does Beca see it that way?"

"No, I do not think she does. She is wrapped up in the relationship and desperate to make it work. She does not want to be seen as a failure."

"She's not a failure." Anne chimed in.

"I couldn't agree more." Will said as he took Anne's hand in his own. "Plenty of relationships don't work out."

"Beca is strong. She'd manage on her own."

"Ben and I can help out with the baby when she leaves Jesse."

"One in four marriages end in divorce."

"Right now, her safety and that of the baby is the most important."

"I see where she's coming from."

"I'm afraid for her future if she stays with Jesse."

"Do you have any cheese?"

The cacophony of responses had my head spinning as everyone began talking at once. I pointed Flo in the direction of the kitchen so she could get herself some cheese and turned back to the group of people who knew and loved Beca the most.

"In my opinion," I offered. "Beca is not in the right frame of mind. She is pregnant, scared and needs her husband to stand by her in all of this. I actually do not give two hoots what is going on with Jesse right now, he should have stood by her. If their marriages fails later on down the road, at least they can both say, with clarity and certainty, that they gave this their best shot."

"Luke, may I say something?"

"Yes, Anne, please go ahead."

"Firstly, thank you for hosting us tonight. I know Will and I appreciate the way you look out for our daughter and have always looked out for Beca. You are like a son to us and we don't remember a time when you weren't around. You have always been there for her, even when she has been difficult and you have given and sacrificed a lot of your free time for her."

I blushed. In a very non manly way.

"I always hoped you two kids would get together but Will and I understand that sometimes being such good friends means overlooking the connection you may or may not have in the future. I thank you for always loving and supporting for our family."

"You are welcome." I said, biting my tongue over what I really wanted to say.

"My thoughts for the future are that until Beca sees what the rest of us see, she won't be able to do a thing about her relationship. She sees Jesse as her equal, loves him for some unknown, unfathomable reason and respectfully supports him in all his endeavours. The drinking can be dealt with, the disrespect cannot."

"Anne and I both agree on this." Will said carefully. Everyone could see that he was fighting with his emotions. "Beca is our only daughter and for that reason we have given Jesse all the chances he needs and deserves. I have always been able to get through to Beca, even when it seemed no one else could but she has shut me out."

"This leads us to summize that Jesse must have given Beca an ultimatum. I think he has told her that she has to make a choice between all of us and him." Anne summed up. I could see the judgey side of her shining through.

"We didn't understand what hold he had over her until this evening. She hadn't told us she was pregnant."

"I am sorry for spilling the beans." I said sadly. If I had known the announcement hadn't been made, I would have picked my words more carefully.

"I think it was Jesse who spilled his beans!" Amy quipped. Anne rolled her eyes at Amy's choice of words but a slight smirk appeared on Will's face.

"So we now think Jesse has a hold over Beca regarding the baby?" Aubrey asked taking Pru from Ben when the little girl began to fuss.

"I would imagine she is frightened about what happened with Bodhi and worried that it will happen again." I said. "Bree, if you need to use my room to feed Pru, please go ahead."

"Thanks Luke." Aubrey said, getting up with the baby.

"Mr. Luke, why is everyone so concerned with Mr. Hesse?" Flo asked, slipping a chunk of cheese into her mouth.

"Jesse?"

"Yes, Mr. Hesse. Everyone seems to dislike him and so why are-"

"-The squeaky wheel gets the grease, I guess." I answered.

"I don't understand Mr. Luke. Mr. Hesse needs to be greased?"

"I'd grease him!" Amy muttered, flexing her fingers.

"No, Flo, it just means that because he is annoying and needs to be sorted out, he gets the help rather than someone who stays quiet. Make sense?"

"No. But then marshmallows are a mystery to me too."

Luke gave Flo a very Beca-like eye roll before turning toward Sawyer when he began speaking.

"So Luke, do you have any ideas about what we can do to help Beca?" Sawyer asked, changing the subject.

"We need to get her out of that hospital. She's hardly left there for three weeks and when she does, it's only been to go home to change her clothes or collect things for Jesse."

"If we show up at the hospital, we could force her to come with us. Bring her home, get a decent meal into her, the break away from Jesse could be the break she needs to see where she is going wrong." Amy said. I was surprised about how sensible she sounded. "Then I could go back in and make Jesse's balls into a pair of earrings."

There was the Amy I knew and loved.

"Who will go to the hospital and get Beca?" Sawyer asked.

"I will go." I said.

"Are you sure Luke?"

"I know all her tricks and can see from a simple roll of her eyes what she is thinking." I said. "Besides, she is only the size of one of the Queen's corgis. I am sure I can handle her."

"She's going to fight you tooth and nail. Are you prepared for that?" Will asked.

"As my dear old Gran would say, 'hope for the best but prepare for the worst' and I am definitely prepared for the backlash."

Will smiled. "Even if it costs you her friendship?"

"At least I'd know she was safe."

"Why are you so good to her Luke?" Anne asked, leaning forward to take my hand in hers.

"Because I love her." I said simply. Everyone would think it was because she was my best friend but only I knew that it went so much deeper than that.

I hated Jesse for being her husband. I hated that he wasn't good enough for her. I hated that I was not the one to take her to bed every night. I hated that I was not the one she woke up to each morning. I would take her places, treat her nicely and look after her. She could work part time if I was there, rather than the long hours she had to with him. I would simply love her for being her.

She was my absolute world.

And nothing and nobody compared to her.

I think what shocked me the most was that I just admitted to myself that I am in love with her for the first time.