(Chloe POV)
Jordan had her tiny arms locked around Toby's neck and her head buried in the crook of her own arms, her strawberry blonde curls sticking out haphazardly from her notorious bedhead. Toby's head was resting on the back of the chair with her mouth slightly open and her arms providing a seat for our baby girl, her own hair pulled even more haphazardly into a messy bun. Chloe smiled from the doorway looking in at her wife and youngest.
She walked as quietly as she could over to the two and kissed Toby's head softly hoping to wake her without making her jump. Thankfully her eyes fluttered open without the rest of her body moving. Chloe held a finger to her lips to remind Toby's sleepy brain what she was doing.
Toby looked down at Jordan then stood up. She placed the six-year-old in her bed. Chloe kissed Jordan's forehead, much like she did moments ago to her wife. Toby followed the redhead out of the room. Once the door was shut she spoke but still in a hushed tone.
"She had a bad dream."
"I was wondering where you got to." Chloe wrapped her arms around Toby's neck. She had woken up to an empty bed at 2am. An odd occurrence in their house to say the least. Most of their kids made a habit when they were younger to sleep in the couples' bed. Just when they got Zac to stop Jordan started.
"She came in but we're trying to get her in her own bed, yeah? So I told her I would stay until she fell asleep. I didn't mean to fall asleep too." She chuckled at herself as her hands found Chloe's hips.
"That's alright. It was cute finding you cuddled up with her like that." Chloe pulled Toby back to their room.
"It's cute getting woken up by your kisses." They laughed at her corny comment as they got comfortable back in their bed.
"Let's make waffles in the morning."
"Okay, you gotta cook. I got up with Jordan." It was too dark to see but Chloe could hear the smirk in her voice. She thought she won.
"That's fine but you have to get up with her when she wakes up again in a few hours."
Toby let out a short laugh then admitted defeat. "Fine. Whatever you want, babe."
To her surprise, Toby let Chloe sleep in later than normal the next morning. The redhead walked into the kitchen to find Toby and Jordan coloring while Brandon worked on a school project and Zac was lost in the game he was playing on his tablet. It was the Wright Saturday routine to spend the morning in the kitchen together.
"No one made breakfast yet?"
"Nope. You said you would make waffles so we're just waiting on you, beautiful."
Chloe hummed her agreement, stopping to kiss the top of Toby's head as she moved to get out the waffle supplies. Zac shot up to help her, helpful as always. She heard Brandon scoff and call him a suck up.
"I think someone's been spending too much time with Aunt Beca, Bran. I think you owe Zac an apology." Chloe told him with an eyebrow raised. He bowed his head apologetically and mumbled sorry to his brother.
"Speaking of Bec, are we still having that cook out this next weekend?" Toby asked, still focused on the turtle she was filling in.
"Yes and I've reminded you a million times!" She laughed at her wife's scattered mind. "Your friends are coming into town for it and everything."
"Oh, yea…sorry." Toby replied as she turned her attention from the cartoon turtle to her wife. "And they're your friends too! When do they get into town?"
Chloe sighed. Toby was so bad at keeping a schedule when things got busy at work, like they were now. She wore the same look Brandon had when Chloe had scolded him for mocking his brother as she waited for an answer.
"Rachel and Ethan are driving up Friday night and we have to pick Grace and Andrew up from the airport earlier the same day. Everyone's bringing their kids. We're going to get a babysitter for Friday night," Brandon groaned, "and go over to Bree's for dinner. Oh, and Beca wanted me to remind you that she got Friday off and that you need to do the same so you guys can entertain your friends."
"Fuck, I completely forgot about all that."
"Tobin Ann Wright! Language!" Chloe exclaimed on the heels of Toby's comment. She immediately apologized. The room erupted into that of a middle school classroom after a teacher scolds a student.
"OOOOO!" Zac rang out from beside Chloe.
"Mama, told you!" Brandon said with a smirk. Their little trouble maker was too much like Beca.
"She just used your middle name!" Jordan giggled.
"Hey now! I don't wanna hear it Brandon Jacob, Zachery Carter, and Jordan Elizabeth!" She turned to playfully glare at each of the kids and accented Jordan's name with a tickle.
Chloe smiled at her family goofing off at the table, the three brunettes and the single redhead, the only one who took after her. The memory of how the couple decided to go about having their kids rushed to mind, causing a small smile to spread across her face at the odd and, admittedly, funny night.
...
Toby burst into their little apartment with a paper in hand. She looked panicked, confused, and on the verge of tears. Before Chloe could ask what was going on she shoved a paper at the redhead. She took it with her own confused look. Chloe tried to ask but got cut off.
"J-Just read." Her voice was shaky. Not a good sign.
Toby,
This is weird. I'm a little uncomfortable with it but I thought it would be a good going away present. Maybe not the best way to describe what I did but I don't know how else to say it. After meeting Chloe and hearing you talk about her, I knew she was it for you. The way that girl looked at you every few moments at that game I went to was enough.
That said, I went ahead and did something really weird but I think it'll help you guys in the long run. I froze some of my sperm for you. I know it might be a little too early but I have that mission coming up. And before you freak out, you'll only become aware of this if something happens to me. This is a conditionally present. You only get it if I'm gone. That way your kids can be a part of both the Beale's and Wright's without any weird my-uncle-is-my-dad issues. They might not be 100% yours biologically but they will be a part of you.
You don't have to use this. I'm still not sure how I feel about it honestly. It's just another option for you guys if you want to go this route.
All that said, you getting this means I'm not around. That I haven't been around for two years now. If you aren't with Chloe (which means you messed up and I will haunt you for hurting that girl and yourself) than ignore all that about her and do what you want. I hope you're doing alright. I died doing what I love, Toby. I knew what could be asked of me being in the military and I accepted it proudly. Don't be stupid and miss out on life because you miss me. Live it for me, baby sister.
Do what you want with all this information. Like I said, it's just another option. I love you so much! And I'm sorry I left you but not for how it happened.
Love,
Carter
There was contact information scrawled at the bottom for the place Carter used. Chloe looked up with furrowed brows and a deeper confusion. She now knew why Toby was panicked but didn't understand why exactly. Actually, Chloe just didn't understand. It was a lot of information.
"So?"
"That's weird, right? He said it himself. And I'm 21. I don't want to think about kids. How long does that stuff even last? It's not exactly an area I'm knowledgeable in."
Chloe laughed at Toby's off-handed joke. She hadn't meant to be funny but it was.
"Calm down. We don't have to think about kids yet, Tobs. But like Carter said, it's an option. An option we don't have to think about until we're ready but honestly, and it is totes weird, it's a really nice thing he did for us." Chloe stopped then added with a face, "I think."
"But it's weird."
"So you've said." Chloe laughed again. "I'm going to call the number tomorrow and ask some questions. Then we don't even have to think about this again until we're ready to. Okay?"
Later that night Toby gently shook her awake.
"Chlo?"
"Hmm?"
"I do want to have kids with you. That's not why I was freaking out. I just don't want them yet."
"I know, baby. Go back to sleep. We don't have to talk about this yet."
"I just wanted you to know."
...
The three kids definitely got the Wright family height and all but Bran had her hazel eyes, his were blue like Chloe's. Bran's hair was curlier like Chloe's as well. They all had the freckles that pointed to Chloe's side of the family, light like her own.
Their personalities were pieces of the people in the couples' lives. It always surprised Chloe how much Bran was like Beca. He idolized Beca. His too cool for school attitude came from her, and the playful spark he picked up from Jesse. When he was younger, Chloe and Toby had their two friends babysit often which explained why. Bran picked up Toby's passion for basketball, her awkward confidence, and her smile. His Beca-like attitude would never allow him to admit it but he idolized his mom just as much as he did her friend.
Zac was just like Chloe. He constantly wanted to help take care of everyone and his confidence was anything but awkward meaning Zac was a natural at socializing. Toby always joked how they should've named him Chloe Jr. CJ was a manly enough name to make up for what it stood for. Thanks again to Beca and Jesse's influence, he was crazy about music. And much to Toby's delight basketball as well. The kids were exposed to music at home but not like at the Swanson's where they saw first-hand the music Beca made and the process Jesse took to score the indie films he chose to make a career out of.
Jordan was a lot like Chloe too but could be the martyr that Toby was from time to time. She was stubborn, always wanted to fight other people's battles for them, and so kind like Toby. Her confidence rivaled Chloe's and she was perpetually happy. Their little girl also claimed she was Ariel from The Little Mermaid which always made Toby laugh and give her wife a look. Interestingly though, Jordan also showed some traits she picked up from Bree. She was a stickler for punctuality and for things to be 'just so.'
At first Toby was against taking Carter up on his offer. Chloe was weirded out as well but if it meant that their kids could be theirs than she was up for anything. She didn't regret the decision, if anything agreed with it more every time she looked at her kids and saw her wife.
Chloe was pulled from her thoughts as Jordan shrieked. Bran and Toby had ganged up to tickle her. Her breathless giggles filled the kitchen. Zac left his station manning the waffle maker as he ran over to tickle his mom and protect his baby sister.
"Make sure she can breathe, guys!" Chloe laughed along with them as Jordan let out another shriek and tried to call out a truce.
This weekend was going to be hectic after a hectic week at work but it would be worth it. Besides Bree and Luke, Beca and Jesse, the couple didn't see their friends more than a few times a year, and the phone calls were never enough. Life and distance got in the way. It would be nice to have their Barden family all together again.