A/N: TIME JUMP. Please see the AN at the end. Sorry for the delay in updating!
"It's been six months."
Beca looked up from where she was looking over Alex's homework at the kitchen counter, chewing on the tip of her thumb. Chloe stood in her bathrobe, boiling a kettle of milk. All the ingredients she needed for hot chocolate laid out on the counter and the rest of the family waiting in the living room.
"Six months?" Beca asked with a curious smile, resting her elbows on the counter. Chloe turned with a small sigh.
"Six quiet, uneventful, normal months." She said, before looking up at her. "Aside from Bella Squared becoming bigger then we thought, Alex choosing to stay in school instead of staying home and taking lessons and the milestones Kai has hit, nothing has happened. You work, we work. We come home, have dinner, relax." She said and with every word, Beca could see Chloe drifting off. "Alex's childhood is normal again."
"It's been the quietest six months we have had since Alex's fifth birthday." She said and Beca stood up, walking around the counter, her arms open wide.
Chloe smiled and leaned into Beca's open arms. "I could really get used to this. This is the life we have been dreaming of."
"It's the life we deserve." Beca said leaning up to kiss her. "The life we have been fighting for. I think we are finally going to be able to leave the past in the past."
"God that sounds so good." She said turning back to the stove.
"It does." Beca said softly, leaning back against the counter, watching as Chloe began pouring the milk into all the glasses.
"Baby, hand me Kais sippy cup please?" She asked without looking up.
Beca turned and grabbed one of Kai's favorite cups from the cupboard and passed it to Chloe. She watched as she filled it only half way with the hot milk before adding cold milk to even out the temperature.
"Your hot chocolate is the best thing on earth." Beca said watching as she mixed the freshly melted chocolate into the cups.
"I know." She winked and Beca chuckled.
"Humble as always."
"You know it." Chloe said as she stared transferring all the cups onto a tray. "Grab the marshmallows please?" She asked as she turned and headed for the living room.
"Gladly."
"Okay, who is ready for Cocoa?" Chloe asked as she walked into the living room.
"Me!" Stacie and Alex said simultaneously from where they were playing a board game on the floor and Aubrey laughed, cuddling Kai in her lap. He was nearly 10 months old now, and was starting to take his first steps. Stacie couldn't believe it had already been so long. Everything had been so chaotic, it seemed to fly by. She watched as her son happily took the luke warm cocoa and leaned back on Aubrey as he drank it.
"Your children are more than ready." She joked she took her own cup. "Thank you."
Stacie grabbed one for her and Alex and Chloe moved to the couch.
She then placed the tray down and sat beside Aubrey, with her own cup.
"Hey, where are the marshmallows?" Alex asked looking into her cup. "Mommy, did you forget?" She asked looking up at Chloe.
She shook her head. "I didn't forget but I bet I know where they are."
"Where?"
"Beca get your butt in here with those marshmallows!" She called and Beca appeared in the doorway, a bag of multicolored marshmallows in her hand.
Alex started laughing hysterically and they looked to see Beca walking in, her cheeks puffed out and a proud look on her face.
"Oh my goodness." Chloe started laughing as Beca handed the bag to Stacie.
"How many are in there?" Aubrey laughed holding out her cup as Stacie dropped some in.
"18," she mumbled, her hand flying up to cover her mouth so they didn't fall out.
"That's all?" Stacie laughed as Alex began to calm down and started shoving them into her mouth as well.
"They are medium sized, so that's not bad." Aubrey said her eyebrows raised impressively.
"I can beat that!" Alex said as she shoved more in and they all laughed.
"You're on!" Beca said as she swallowed what she had left in her mouth and grabbed for more.
The room echoed with laughter and Kai joined in, dropping his cup and clapping happily.
An hour later, they all sat cuddled on the couch, Kai asleep on Chloe's lap, Alex asleep on Stacies while Aubrey ran a soothing hand through Beca's hair.
"I hate this." Beca mumbled.
"Well, sorry hunny. But that is what happens when you get into a marshmallow eating war with a six year old."
"She never faltered. Not even once. She could have kept going." Beca said in awe as she nuzzled her head further into Aubrey's touch. "She didn't get sick."
"She is six, she can handle it a bit better."
Beca groaned and tucked her face into Aubrey's lap, "Never eating those evil sugar pillows again."
"Yes you will." Aubrey deadpanned and Beca groaned again.
"I know."
"Alex! Hurry bunny or you're going to be late for school!" Beca called up the stairs and waited until she saw the little girl walk to the top of the stairs.
"Come on Mama, I wanna go with you to LA!" She said as she walked down the stairs, holding her backpack up so it didn't hit the steps.
"Sweetie, you know the rules, and we had a deal." Beca said as she reached the bottom.
"But I haven't been since forever ago." She moaned. Beca sighed and shook her head as she took Alex's bag and straightened out her shirt.
Aubrey walked in then with an empty coffee cup in her hand. "Alex, that is not an accurate measure of time, and don't whine." She said kissing the girls head as she climbed up to the breakfast bar where her cereal was waiting.
"Why is she whining?" She asked refilling her cup as Beca finished packing her lunch.
Alex pouted at Aubrey's question as she shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.
"She wants to go to LA with me."
Aubrey looked at her and she looked into her bowl as she ate. "Alex, you agreed that you wouldn't get to go all the time if you chose to go to public school." She said. "You can't miss school, and this is the longest you have been able to go and keep perfect attendance."
"I know. But I'm gonna miss Mama." She said quietly, letting her spoon fall from her fingers and clink against the edge of the bowl.
Beca sighed lightly. "I'm going to miss you too bunny. But, it's only for two days. And anyway, it's not anything you would enjoy. I have to go to a bunch of meetings, it would be very boring for you."
Alex sighed loudly, bringing her hands up to her face and resting her elbows on the counter. "And you have dance lessons. You'd make Mommy really sad if you missed them." Aubrey said.
"I know, but, she might get lonely. Since she is going by herself this time." She said and they could hear her voice beginning to crack. This got their attention. Usually when she was told no, she would do the typical thing and pout, but she got over it. It was when she started to cry, that they realized there was more to it.
Aubrey felt her stomach twist. Beca was going alone this time. It wasn't really work, it was a whole two days full of meetings with Rachel and the other producers in the label. Going over things that were going to bore even Beca. And, they couldn't leave the dance studio. Aubrey, Stacie and Chloe all had their own responsibilities at the studio and couldn't just leave for two days.
"I'll be fine." Beca smiled. "I promise. And I'll bring you back something nice." She said rounding the breakfast bar and turning Alex's stool so she could see her.
"Besides. Billie would be so bored without you." She said quietly and motioned over to where the nearly fully grown German Shepard lay sleeping in the sun by the back door. Alex sniffled and Beca reached up, wiping her tears. "You have to keep her company."
Alex smiled. "She gets into trouble when she is bored." She said and they could tell she was really trying to fight through it.
"I know she does. So do three pairs of my shoes and Mommy Bree's purse." She said with amusement.
Alex's cheeks turned red, remembering all the things that her dog had destroyed when she was bored. She was out of her chewing phase, but still attempted to fit herself into or on top of things she was far to big for. Ending in broken lamps, picture frames and dishes.
"So you think you could stay here and make sure she doesn't get herself into trouble?"
Alex sighed but smiled. "Okay,I can do that. But only if you promise I can go next time."
"If there is no school, I promise you can go next time."
Alex smiled widely. "Repeat that." Beca said and Alex's shoulders dropped.
"If there is no school, I can go next time."
"No what?" Beca asked tilting her head to the side, and Alex's laughed.
"No school!" She said louder and Beca nodded.
"Alright. Now finish your breakfast, we have to leave in ten minutes, I have to be at the airport in two hours."
Alex nodded and turned around to finish her cereal as Aubrey and Beca walked out of the kitchen.
"Did they say what these meetings are about?" Aubrey asked as she set her cup down and started picking up toys and tossing them in the toy box in the corner of the room.
"No, Rachel just said it was mandatory for me to be there. I think they are even having Emily go in. I'm not sure about Halsey. The album doesn't come out for another three months."
Aubrey nodded and watched Beca pick up a pair of Alex's shoes and looked at them.
"You okay?" She asked. Beca looked up and smiled softly.
"Laces." She said walking over and setting them with the rest of Alex's stuff. "Remember when it was Velcro and buckles?" She asked and Aubrey smiled.
"She was so proud of herself, when she was able to buckle her shoes on her own. Now she is tying them. Where did the time go?" She asked walking over and wrapping her arms around Beca's neck, pulling her into a hug.
"Six year old. Ten month old. More to come eventually. Careers, a home. We finally made it." Beca sighed into her shirt as she hugged her harder.
"I always knew we would. Somehow, some way."
Beca nodded against her. "I'm glad we did. Alex is practically back to her old self, I think the counseling is helping us all immensely. Chloe's finally on the right dose of her medicine, she feels better."
"I have a feeling, it's only going to get better from here." Aubrey said leaning back and placing a kiss on her forehead.
Alex tried not to, but she couldn't help the tears that escaped when she was dropped off at school. Her Mamas suit case in the trunk, reminding her that she wouldn't be home that night. Or the next night. She tried her hardest to keep it in as they all stood outside her school, all the kids running in, parents waving bye.
But as soon as Beca knelt down and took her hands, to tell her she loved her, a sob escaped her and she threw her arms around Beca's neck.
"I'm gonna miss you Mama." She cried.
"I'm going to miss you too bunny. So much." Beca said, tears filling her own eyes. She hadn't been away from any of them for more than a night, in six months. And even then, she had one of them with her.
"Will you call me, and say goodnight?" Alex asked standing back and Beca wiped her tears from her cheeks for the second time that morning.
"Absolutely." She said. "I'll call at exactly eight, so we can talk for a full half hour before you go to sleep, how does that sound?"
Alex nodded, sniffling and looked down.
"I love you, Alex."
"I love you too, Mama." She smiled.
"Have a good day, and I'll talk to you tonight okay?"
"Okay."
"Say bye to your moms." She said kissing her cheek and standing up.
She watched as Alex hugged each of them before adjusting her backpack and running toward the school before the bell rang. The teacher at the front door smiled and waved at them as she ushered Alex in.
Beca let out a breath and turned around, getting back into the car so they could head to the airport.
"Let us know when you land." Chloe said giving her a kiss and standing back.
"I will."
"And make sure to let us know as soon as you can about what the meetings are about." Aubrey said kissing her as well.
"Yes ma'am."
"And be safe." Stacie added leaning in as she balanced Kai on her hip and kissed her.
"You too." She smiled before reaching out and ruffling Kais hair. "Be good little man, watch over our girls." She said kissing his cheeks.
He let out an excited scream and swung his hand around excitedly. Beca laughed as she dodged his tiny fists.
"Careful buddy, you're gonna knock someone out with those chunky knuckles." She laughed before kissing his hand and stepping back to pick up her laptop case.
"Alright, I love you. I'll call you as soon as I can." She said,
They all exchanged I love yous before Beca headed toward the small plane that would be taking her to LA.
They watched her go, and waited until they could see the plane taking off, before they piled back into the car and drove back home. They were all due at the studio at five, had to pick up Alex at three and needed to do some chores around the house.
However, when they got home and got a sleeping Kai unloaded and into his crib, they all collapsed on the couch, completely unmotivated to do anything they were supposed too. And that's how they stayed until Kai woke up, crying for food.
Stacie smiled and pulled herself off the couch, heading up to his room to nurse. Relieved that he was awake, as she was uncomfortably full. She had decided she would nurse until Kai was old enough to have cows milk. Then she would slowly transition. For now, she wasn't ready to stop nursing her baby. She learned Beca nursed Alex until she was a year and half. She kept producing milk, and she had no desire to lose that connection she had with her baby. Stacie felt the same.
Chloe and Aubrey watched her go as they repositioned on the couch.
They were silent for a while, both daydreaming, comfortable to just be laying there. It was a while before Aubrey spoke.
"You want to be the next of us, to have a baby." She spoke softly and Chloe looked at her.
"I uh-" she started, but Aubrey stopped her.
"Are you ready, Chloe?" She asked lovingly, playing with the end of one of her curls.
Chloe was quiet for a few moments, her eyes drifting out the windows, to look at the ocean. "I am." She nodded.
"You've already spoken with Beca about this, a long time ago. We have all talked about it briefly." Aubrey said. "I just wondered if you were ready for it? If it was something you wanted now, or in the future?"
"Kai isn't even a year old yet." She said. "I think I'd like him to be a little older, to be the baby of the family for a while. I want to have a baby, but for now, I think I should focus on myself and us. And the studio. Maybe a few years down the line." She said.
Aubrey nodded. "I'm sorry, I know this is a conversation we should probably have with all of us, I was just curious."
Chloe smiled and leaned up, pressing her lips to Aubrey's and they relaxed into the kiss.
After a few seconds, they pulled apart and Chloe left one last kiss on her lips. "We will all talk about it. But right now, I think Alex and Kai are enough. We have time." Aubrey nodded.
"Is that okay with you?" She asked.
"Of course it is. I'm not ready, myself, but I know that it was something you were wanting. Just making sure we are all on the same page." She smiled.
Chloe nodded and relaxed into the couch. "I'm happy. Just how we are."
Aubrey let her head fall back and closed her eyes. "Me too."
Beca smiled as she hung up her phone. She had just stepped out of the car that drove her from the airport to her hotel and had been talking with Chloe and Aubrey the whole ride. She spoke with Stacie briefly, but she had to take a call about the studio and had said her goodbyes and promised to talk to her that night.
She was on the top floor of the hotel, and it took a while before the elevator finally stopped. By the time she got into her room, she wanted nothing more than to fall into the bed and take a nap. But, she knew she didn't have time. She was due at the label for the first of the meetings.
She sent a text to the group chat they had going before going into the bathroom to freshen up her make up and brush her hair. It was around that time her phone chimed and she looked to see it was Rachel, letting her know they were sending a car for her and that it would be there soon.
Deciding she had enough time, she fell onto the bed and curled around a pillow, closing her eyes and letting the soft blanket under her, and the fluffy pillow she held relax her. She was tired, and a little nervous, unsure what these meetings were going to hold. She was also feeling a little weird, being away from home, and away from the family. It would be weird to fall asleep alone that night and she wasn't really looking forward to it if she was being honest.
She jumped when her phone began to ring and she realized she had fallen asleep. She sat up quickly, answering her phone.
"Beca Mitchell." She answered as she stood up.
she nodded, as the other person spoke. "Yes, okay, I'll be right down."
She hung up and grabbed her bag and laptop case, hurrying for the door. It was her driver, letting her know he was downstairs and waiting.
By the time she made it to the lobby and out the door it had been nearly fie minutes since the call and she gave the driver a guilty look.
"I am so sorry, I drifted off." She said as he opened the back door of the SUV for her.
"No problem, Ms. Mitchell." He smiled kindly. "I am a tad early."
she smiled at him and climbed into the back, buckling her seatbelt as he rounded the car and got into the drivers seat.
It wasn't until they were driving down the freeway, on the way to the label that it hit her, how weird this was. She had a driver. That referred to her as Ms. Mitchell, and opened her door for her. She was being chauffeured in a giant black SUV to a record label.
This was what she had dreamed of, what seemed like a lifetime ago. She made it.
It wasn't even the fact that she had a driver. It was where the driver was taking her. To the place she always wanted to be. A music studio where she worked with artists. Created music.
She looked out the window, smiling lightly at the Los Angeles sky line. She was told she would lever make it. So many things had tried to stop her. But nothing succeeded. She beat all of it. They all did.
"Alex..."
Aubrey peeked into the living room, a smirk on her face. "Al..ex..."
She snickered lightly. "Come on buddy, you can do it."
Alex sat on the floor in the living room, in a black leotard, leg warmers and her dance shoes, Kai sitting across from her with a big drool filled grin on his face.
Stacie walked up behind Aubrey, a brush and ponytail tie in her hands.
"Come on, Al...ex, say it with me." All she got was a high pinched squeal as the baby leaned forward into a crawling position and Alex threw her head back.
"I'm your big sister, you have to learn my name." She said. "I know you can say it."
Aubrey chuckled and Stacie walked around her and into the room.
"How is the lesson going princess?" Stacie asked as she knelt behind the little girl and began brushing her brown hair into a tight bun for her dance lesson.
"He is stubborn." she sighed. "But cute,so ill let it slide for now."
Chloe, who was just walking in, in her work out clothes, laughed. "Sounds like another kid I know."
Alex looked up as Chloe picked Kai up. "Me?"
She nodded as she wiped the spit from the babies face. "Yes ma'am. You were extremely stubborn. We knew you could talk, you would do it all the time when you were alone. Sometimes full when we would ask you questions or try to get you to mimic us, you refused"
Aubrey walked in, and sat on the couch, putting her shoes on. "You didn't start talking around us until you were almost two years old. And then we couldn't get you to stop." She added as Stacie finished the bun and stood up.
Alex stood as well and walked over opting up onto the couch next to Aubrey. "But you thought i was cute?"
"Well yeah!" Chloe said. "We thought you were adorable. Especially when you would try to argue with us. In your squeaky little baby voice."
Alex laughed and looked at Kai. "I just want him to say my name."
"He will." Stacie smiled."when he ready for you to hear it." She winked.
"All right, are we all ready?" Aubrey asked standing up.
"I am!" Alex said and ran toward the door. "Come on, we have to hurry, cause Mama is going to call at eight and I don't want to miss it!"
"Thats still there hours away," Chloe said grabbing the keys.
"Yeah, we are running out of time!"
They all laughed as they followed her out and into the car.
Beca was talking to Emily, showing her the latest picture of Alex and Kai that she had on her phone, the now eighteen year old gushing over the photo when Rachel and a group of people Beca didn't know walked in.
"Hello ladies, sorry to keep you waiting." Rachel said as she sat down at the head of the table to Becas left.
Beca smiled as they exchanged hellos. "Alright, so I am sorry the details of this meeting were so vague. We wanted them to be as such for a reason. That is also why we requested you both to come alone." Rachel started and Beca and Emily looked at each other. The air in the room seemed to change and they both felt it. Rachel took a breath and smiled widely as she clasped her hands in front of her.
"Beca, Emily, you have both been nominated for a Grammy award."
A/N: I have had this written for SO long. But I wanted to put more. However, i cant seem to. I guess that means, this story isn't ready to end just yet. A little more to go. PLEASE review?! I really need some kind words, let me know how you are feeling about this story and the stories to come! This series isn't over! No this isn't the last chapter.
