A/N - It is with a heavy heart that I have to write this author's note, not because I don't like speaking with you all but because I have spent the last week and a half defending myself against people who don't like a work of fiction.

I get it, okay?

I get that this story might not be everyone's cuppa tea. I'm not big headed enough to even begin to believe I'm the world's greatest writer, novelist or storyteller. I'm simply a fan of words who empties her head each night of thoughts and stories onto paper as it declutters my mind and helps me sleep better. I try my best to write something people enjoy, and I take critic of my words seriously, if it's constructive and something I can work on.

If you leave me a guest review, and I honestly love any kind of interaction, I cannot respond to you personally. I can't ask you why you dislike me/my story so much. Like I said, I understand that this story isn't for everyone. I'm the same. I begin a story and if it doesn't grab my attention in the first chapter, I put it down to experience and move on. Personally, it wouldn't cross my mind to tell the author that it's not good and I'm going to stop reading because they won't know either way if I read it or not! I just move on.

I can take comments like 'the way you write Amy is the worst' and a helpful remark where some of my formatting made it hard to understand who was saying what in text messages. You've cared enough to let me know how to make the story better and I appreciate that.

I can understand why someone might feel that the story is contrived, and they can't take it seriously anymore. I'm not up for any Pulitzer prizes here! I'm just doing my best to share a story with you all. But I do thank you for taking the extra time out of your day to tell me that you aren't happy. Unfortunately, with a guest review, I cannot ask you how to be better and keep you as a reader.

What I don't understand, and still cannot fathom, is being told 'I'm the worst', or 'I can go and boil my head in a vat of acid' and that it's hoped 'I die of Covid or cancer'. These folks don't know me! Barely anyone knows the journey I've been on in my life (like everyone else in the world) and to come at me like that is something that has baffled me because I've been through cancer treatment and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. You don't like me or my story... that's fine! I'm a big girl, I'll live! But to fling insults which don't help me be a better storyteller, to me, serves no purpose. I can't improve with what you've said, it just sits in my gut and irks away at my soul.

I'm not someone who only posts the nice/good/helpful reviews. I believe in the freedom of speech probably more than I should and you are, of course, entitled to your opinion of me. I've possibly wronged you in another life and for that, I'm sorry.

I'm so, so, so far from perfect. I make mistakes. Probably each and every day but I learn from them. I try to empower people rather than bring them down. So maybe that's why I'm struggling this week. That or perhaps I boiled my head in a vat of acid for too long?!

I contemplated not finishing publishing this story. But there's another two hundred thousand words to go that have already been written and I hope you'll all hang around long enough to give this story another chance. I've (humbly) received over three hundred mostly positive reviews (here and on AO3) and I am overwhelmed by that, which is the reason I'm continuing. Even if one person needs the closure of this story, then it's worth it... even if that person is me.

I've had some positive PM's this week from people who have given me constructive criticism and honest feedback on where I could do better, what's not working and that's something I can work on and I thank each and every person who has reached out and asked me to continue, and I do include the people who don't like to leave reviews for all to see but have let me know their thoughts in a PM. I appreciate the time it takes to speak with a stranger. I'm not asking for praise and I'm the opposite of an attention seeker but I've appreciated the kind words.

I promise that I don't bite, and I love having a good discussion about storylines, the weather or how my country is now the laughing stock of Europe. PM me anytime and I'll answer as soon as I can. The world will seem a much less bleak place if we all reached out a little more, in my opinion.

This author's note has become almost as long as a chapter, so I'll close for now and leave you with this chapter. You don't have to leave a review and tell me you wished you hadn't read it! There are some truly exceptional works (and authors) out there so if you don't like my story, I implore you to find someone elses.

I thank everyone else for sticking with me. This ride might be bumpy, but I've got snacks and two very cute puppies that adore cuddles!

Thanks, as always, to my beta for giving this chapter the read through.

Take care everyone and stay safe out there xx

.oOo. Chapter Sixteen .oOo.

Three Days Later

"Chloe?" David called out as he came in from the deck. He'd spent the last couple of hours out there with the girls as they played in the early morning sunshine. He called the girls to him and told them to wash up and go and play in the playroom while he went looking for their Mom.

He listened for the sound of Chloe moving around in the house but couldn't hear her. Thinking she might be on the phone, he casually walked up the stairs, humming to himself, quite content in that moment as he thought about what would be happening in the week and how his daughter would be coming home to live with them.

Entering the master suite, he looked around for his wife and called out her name again.

"Chloe? You in here."

He walked through the bedroom and into the dressing room which separated the bed area and full en suite bathroom. There was a balcony off of the bathroom with two comfortable lounge chairs which overlooked the backyard and pool area. He often found Chloe curled up on one of the chairs, catching the late afternoon sun with a glass of wine and a magazine if the girls were asleep or playing quietly nearby. The area wasn't overlooked and afford her a little privacy from over zealous fans who, after finding out where she lived, loved to wait outside for a glimpse into her life. The insecure feeling of not knowing who or what was waiting for her outside her home was the part of fame that Chloe hated.

Finding the balcony empty, he frowned slightly. Chloe had been acting very odd from the moment they got home from the courthouse a few days ago. David had popped some expensive champagne a few minutes after they'd arrived home but by the time he'd poured the glasses and turned to hand one to Chloe, she was gone from the kitchen. She didn't come out of her bedroom that night and David had fallen asleep on one of the sofas in the lounge, having downed two bottles of champagne by himself and spending hours on the phone calling everyone that knew about the case so they could congratulate him.

Chloe had eventually come downstairs the next morning, ignored his attempts to talk to her and had made the girls breakfast in silence. David was ready to celebrate but Chloe mostly certainly was not. He wanted to tell the girls that their sister would be joining them in a few days, but Chloe had hissed through her teeth at him to keep his thoughts to himself and it wasn't the right time.

The full scale row they'd had that day had been epic and Chloe had called Stacie to come and collect Kate and Alex so they wouldn't be around their parents while they argued.

David didn't understand Chloe's reaction to the news but decided that she must be feeling very overwhelmed with the court results. Aside from playing with the girls and making food for them all, Chloe had had no interaction with him and was spending lots of time upstairs with her own thoughts.

Leaving the master suite behind him, David stood at the top of their stairs of the large family home, looked out of the front window overlooking the driveway and called out her name again. He was getting a little concerned as he knew she'd not left the house and her favoured car was still on the driveway.

"Chloe? Where are you?"

He pulled open the doors to the spare bedrooms, finding them all empty. Chloe's taste in decorating the guest rooms was simple, delicate yet comfortable. She'd themed each room slightly differently, colour coordinating the rooms so they could refer to each one as the 'purple bedroom', the 'musical bedroom' or the 'African bedroom'. Stacie, when she stayed over, used the purple room and stored a few items in the closet, preferring the outlook over the side of the house and the pond she enjoyed so much.

David's brow furrowed as he walked across the landing to the girl's bedroom. Opening the door to the room that Aubrey had tastefully designed as a gift to them both when the girls were born, he was hit with the wall of pink, purple and white that always made his eyes hurt a little.

"There you are." He said, smiling as he found Chloe sitting on Alex's little bed. She didn't react to him coming into the room. "Didn't you hear me calling you?"

"I heard you." Chloe said quietly, replacing the lopsided fabric doll on Alex's bed. Alex had been given the toy from Trent and Helen when she was born and while she didn't favour it during the day, she liked to sleep with it tucked into her neck at night.

"What's wrong with you now?" David said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Nothing." Chloe said, standing up but not meeting his eyes.

"You've been very quiet the last few days."

"I've got a lot on my mind D." She explained simply.

"So have I, but I don't have you to talk about it with because you're avoiding me."

"You don't need to talk to me, you've obviously got a lot to say to Oliver though."

"What do you mean?" David asked, but Chloe shook her head and pushed past him, out of the girl's bedroom. He caught her arm as she turned in the hallway. "Hey, I'm talking to you."

"Get your hands off of me." Chloe growled, her tone meaning business as she looked over her shoulder towards him. David dropped her arm quickly and took a step backwards, surprised at the look on his wife's face. She was usually so carefree, positive and happy that he was not used to seeing worry lines, a downturned mouth and heavy eyes. As he watched her stare him down, he realised he couldn't remember the last time he saw her truly happy; it certainly hadn't been for the last few months, since they'd found out about Jessie.

Chloe headed towards her bedroom and David hesitated at the top of the stairs. He could hear the girls playing downstairs and was torn between checking on them or following Chloe to find out what her problem was. Knowing they'd come to find their parents if there was a problem, he decided to deal with Chloe. Casting his eyes back over the girl's bedroom, he followed Chloe, pushing open the door that she'd quietly closed, as he remembered he needed to ask her something.

"What David, what?" She huffed as she took refuse on the small sofa by the French doors to her balcony at the front of the house. It opened up over the driveway and gave the room so much more light. She occasionally took a morning coffee up there, collecting the early sun before it got too hot. It was also a lovely place to sit out in the evening if the weather was warm as the shelter from the trees that were dotted around the driveway, afforded her plenty of privacy. Chloe pulled a small blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders, despite the warm Californian morning.

"Are you cold?" David asked as he watched her.

"No."

"Why the-"

"-I don't feel good, so if you don't mind…" She said, partly in way of explanation for her actions and partly to get him to leave her alone.

"I came in to ask if you'd ordered a new bed for Jessica yet."

"No, I haven't." Chloe said, sighting heavily.

"Don't you think you should? Or do you want me to do it? I thought we said we'd get a rollaway bed for when she visited but if she's coming full time, shouldn't we get a proper bed just like Alex and Kate's?"

"Do what you want David."

"We discussed this already, didn't we?"

"We did so I don't know why you want to discuss it… again." Chloe said, rubbing at her temples. "I'll order a new bed tomorrow. I'm not in the mood today, okay?"

"Aren't you happy about Jessica coming to live with us? We also need to talk about changing her name."

Chloe stopped rubbing her temples to look up at him.

"Why would we change her name?" She asked with a slight shake to her head and her forehead creasing under the question.

"We can't keep it as Jessica."

"Why not? You liked the name for one of the twins when we first discussed names four years ago." Chloe said, remembering his choices.

"That was different."

"You can't change her name, it's hers and it's all she knows. Beca gave it to her."

The noise that escaped David's throat was unkind.

"What now?" She asked.

"The only thing Miss Mitchell did for Jessica was-"

"-Don't." Chloe said, putting her hand up to stop him. "Why must you be like this?"

"Like what?"

"She didn't do anything wrong and yet you talk about her like-"

"-Didn't do anything wrong?" David repeated. "She took my daughter from the hospital. She stole my child. She-"

"-And we took hers." Chloe said, closing her eyes at the memory of the day she packed up the two babies and with the help of Trent and Helen, drove them to the lake house to stay until they were strong enough to make the trip back home to the west coast.

"Well, you did." David said bluntly, canting his weight onto his hip.

"Oh, that's right David, blame me. That's nice." Chloe hissed out. "I was the one who didn't notice how different the girls looked because, God Almighty, there was a lot going on at the time. You forget that I had a major operation as well, gave birth in difficult circumstances on my own and dealt with my own care, your care and all the worry that came with the fact that I didn't know if you were going to live for the first couple of days and the stress that Pete's injuries were causing to everyone."

"My surgery was-"

"-Terrible, yes. And yet you recovered well. You aren't stuck in a wheelchair like Pete or unable to have more children like me."

"I get headaches."

"Oh that's right. You are the one person in the world who gets headaches David. Just you. Always… you."

"I had a brain injury."

"No David, you had a slight concussion. It was serious but not a brain injury like you go around telling everyone. Every single brain scan that you've had, which I happily pay for on your behalf as our insurance doesn't cover it, has shown there is nothing wrong with you."

"Well, I passed out in the car."

"So did I David." Chloe breathed out. "I had a concussion as well but I don't go on about it, do I?"

"Well, I… um… no, no you don't."

"I was recovering while you took the children home. I had to deal with my Mom."

"No, David, I was the one who had to constantly update your family because you couldn't deal with the phone calls as you lay in bed sulking, yes sulking, over what happened to you. Two people died that day, and you act like that was nothing. You act like Beca didn't jump into the car to save us all. You act like you were the only one in that car wreck. You act like it was only you who was traumatised by the events that July. Well David, you were the one driving that day. Were you paying due care and attention or were you just showing off to Pete, as you usually do, that our new car had all the latest gimmicks and gadgets? Were you driving too fast? Were you?"

"The guy jumped the red light, he-" David protested.

"-And could you have avoided the situation if you'd paid attention and seen him coming? Maybe, maybe not. But instead, you choose to blame everyone else around you for what happened instead of just accepting that it happened."

"I… guess." David said wincing slightly.

"And while you were enjoying your new found respect for life, or whatever the hell you referred to that period of time when you first got out of the hospital, I was still trying to recover from my own surgery, from my hormones raging all over the place, for trying to feed, change, clothe and raise two tiny fragile babies who needed so much help, on my own with no support from you."

"That's not fair. My Mom helped."

"You are their father David! You should have wanted to help!"

"I was busy recovering and getting better." David said lamely.

"No, I was the one who had to arrange all of your doctor and physio appointments, your therapy appointments and sort out the necessary adaptions to the house for you. I booked all the transports to and from the hospital to home, all the appointments because you didn't time. You once asked me why I didn't do anything about my own health problems at the time, instead of waiting to collapse almost a year later and it was because you became my third, and biggest problem, child David. You were out of plaster in four weeks, had finished your physio about three months and yet you still didn't help out."

"Okay, I accept that." David said, looking down at his feet.

"Did I notice my girls didn't lookalike? Absolutely! That is all my fault. I was with them all day, every day for months and I didn't notice. But you know something David?"

"What?"

"You didn't notice either!" Chloe yelled.

"Well, I-"

"-You didn't change a diaper until they were four months old. Four months David and you moaned about that for weeks. One diaper! Did you notice they were different? No, because you were too busy avoiding helping and instead, you were out having a good time. You didn't cuddle them until I got sick with flu that first Christmas and couldn't do anything. I had to hire someone to help because their own father couldn't be fucking bothered. You were desperate for children and when you got them, you checked out and yet you still paint yourself as father of the year."

"I-" David started to talk but Chloe was on a roll.

"-You talked in court how you were such a good teacher at a prestigious school, but I bet you don't recall when Alex first rolled over or what Kate's first words were?" Chloe breathed hard as she paused for a moment.

David shook his head.

"You said I was a good mother in court-"

"-Well, you are. I've never said you were anything but a great Mom. You do so much with the girls." David said, offering a weak smile.

"And yet you blame me for not noticing the difference. I passed a comment to you that Alex was smaller than Kate, but you dismissed it and when I recently brought up their different hair colouring, you dismissed me and said with my history major, I should know that there can be trace genetics involved."

"I'm sorry." David said simply, as he leaned up against the wall.

"And all you keep doing is blaming Beca in this. She's barely got anything in life, and I admire her so much for what she's achieved. I've… we've had it so easy. I've been lucky and got a break and do a job I absolutely love. It affords me the material things I never thought I'd be lucky enough to have and a safe home I can raise my children in. She's done everything she can to keep Jessie safe and well and loved. She's done more for her than you've done for your daughters and you've got more opportunities in one week than she has in a year. So quit bad mouthing her. I'm sick of hearing you saying unkind things about her."

"Well, you've changed your tune."

"What tune?"

"You were all for the plan for court."

"No, I wasn't, you and Oliver cooked up some dirty questions and laid out all of the bad stuff about Beca. I never agreed to that. I wanted time with Jessie, and I wanted Beca to have time with Alex. We were to arrange schedules for that but you pushed and pushed until you took all my strength away from me. I let it happen but you were the fly in the ointment. You and Oliver-"

"-You didn't stop me."

"You didn't tell me you were into playing games in court!" Chloe hissed. "You 'messing' up one of his questions just so you could get to talk about Notre Dame school was not one of your finest ideas."

"I work hard, I should-"

"-And so does Beca. And thousands of other single parents out there. She works eighteen hours a day… eighteen. And then there is housework, laundry, cooking… and yet she still finds the time to be with Jessie. That little girl is grounded, independent and far more advanced than our daughters D. She spends as much time with Jessie as you do with the girls and yet you find it in your heart to berate her for that."

"You got mad at her not returning your calls and messages as well."

"I was frustrated, yes, but not enough to go to court over. I realise now that I've made a very grave mistake in letting you talk me into this. I shouldn't have let it get this far."

"I say again, why didn't you stop me if you thought I was in the wrong?"

"Because you have a way of manipulating the situation to make it all about you."

"What?" David said incredulously.

"Well, you do." Chloe said, shaking off the thin blanket around her shoulders and cricking her neck. "You went on and on for so long about it that I just needed you to stop so agreeing with you made me have half an hour's peace. Instead of being here with the kids, you would rather spend hours with Oliver in his office or on the phone working out the best way to win."

"It worked though, didn't it? We won!" David exclaimed, annoyed with Chloe's lack of enthusiasm.

"We didn't win anything David. All we have done is to have taken a child away from the life that she's known."

"And we'll be giving her a better one."

"No, we won't. This is where you are wrong."

"I'm never wrong."

"You pompous asshole!" Chloe said, shifting in her seat as she felt her rage begin to boil over.

"So what if I am? I hardly call the life she was living better than the one we can provide for her?"

"She has a parent who adores her, works hard for her, does everything she can for her and lives and breathes just so she can bring her child up in the best way possible."

"What? An hour on the swings and a cupcake once a month is better than-"

"-Yes."

"I don't agree." David said, shaking his head.

"Have I said to you in the past how tired the girls get and how Sunday's are horrible days with them because they are so tired?"

"Well, yeah…"

"And I said to you I think we should cut back on their activities because we were over doing it?"

"You also said that you had appearances to keep up."

"When did I say that?" Chloe asked.

"When you were doing that charity thing last year, for Halloween, for the disadvantaged kids."

Chloe thought for a moment or two as David stood, smugly looking at her.

"I wasn't talking about ballet lessons and Wiggle Workout." She said, remembering some of the conversation. "I was saying that they asked me to be an ambassador for their charity and when you lost your crap because it meant I'd be out of the house for a few nights helping set everything up, I said that I needed to be there, even if it was just as appearance."

"But your social circle. The other actor moms."

"I honestly don't give a crap what most of them think about me. You think I care if they talk about me being my back. I don't attend that many compared to some of them and yes, there are some who are real mothers of the year but most of them are as stressed out as I am."

"And why don't you take me along to these things anymore?"

"You really need to ask me that?"

"Yeah."

"And you really think that's relevant to this conversation? You want to bring up Holly right now? God, you always steer things around back to you."

"Well, for the last couple of months, you've managed to make every conversation about her."

"Jessie is-"

"-No, Beca."

"I haven't."

"Yeah, you have." David scoffed. "It's all Beca this, and Beca that."

"And?"

"And it ridiculous."

"No more ridiculous than you." Chloe said, childishly. "She's in the same boat we are in."

"No, she's not. She's a paper kayak, we're an ocean liner."

"You stupid, arrogant bastard."

"Name calling Chloe, really?"

"Comparing yourself to an ocean liner David, really?" Chloe retorted.

"You were mad at her to begin with."

"Okay, this situation is something none of us could have imagined and I admit that I was in the wrong to think badly of her in the beginning. It was my knee jerk reaction. My life is different to hers, but it's not any better. Jessie is happy, we saw that and Ms Davies even said she was."

"She's our child Chloe."

"And Alex is Beca's."

"No, Alex is ours."

"If that's your logic, then Jessie belongs to Beca."

"No, she's ours as well."

"I didn't give birth to three children D." Chloe said, trying to help him see the logic. She watched as David blinked a couple of times. "However you choose to see this, we didn't deserve to have custody of all three children. I know I said that's what I wanted and until I got to court, it was what I wanted but seeing Beca made me finally understand."

"Then why the hell didn't you say anything. I'd have listened."

Chloe chuckled humourlessly.

"No, you wouldn't. Because it was a competition with you. You just wanted to win. These kids are people, not possessions."

"Are you saying this whole thing is a mistake and you don't want Jessica?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying." Chloe said, her voice gentler now. "I'm saying that you and I are a pair of absolute assholes for taking a child away from the only mother she's known."

"Jessica is our daughter."

"Yes, I know. And I want her in my life. I need her in my life. But she has a Mom in Beca. I am her mother, but I'm not her Mom."

"If we change her name, it would be as if she was no longer Miss Mitchell's daughter." David said lamely. "We could call her something completely different so the association wouldn't be there? We don't have to have all her stuff either. Miss Mitchell can keep that at her house. We'll buy her new clothes and toys."

"So you want a frightened child to move in with strangers and then get rid of everything familiar to her, then change her name to something completely different?" Chloe questioned.

"Yeah, I was thinking of Natalie or maybe Olivia as it was Oliver that got us-"

"-Are you for fucking real?" Chloe asked, shaking her head at him again.

"What?"

"Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"

"Yeah."

"See, I don't think you are." Chloe said, standing up from the sofa and straightening her clothes. She looked at David and slowly shook her head as he stood there staring at her. "I'm going out with the girls for a while. I'll talk to you later."

"We're in the middle of a conversation."

"No, we aren't because I just ended it."

She brushed past him and left her bedroom, walking away quickly from him. She appreciated the fact that he hadn't lost his temper and started shouting and raging as he often did these days, but she still couldn't talk to him about what he considered his victory.

She called out to the girls when she got to the bottom of the stairs and they came quickly from the playroom.

"Mommy!" Kate said, running up to Chloe and throwing her arms around her Mom. Chloe felt a sliver of guilt as she realised that she'd been a little absent from her girls' lives for a few days.

"Hey baby." She said, bending down to place a kiss of the top of Kate's head as Alex hesitantly edged forward. Chloe reached out a hand for her. "Hey Ax."

"Is you and Daddy fighting?" Alex asked, casting big eyes up the stairs as she squeezed Chloe's hand.

"No darling, we're just talking about some things." Chloe explained, bring them both over to the hallway closet. "Now, find some shoes quick, as we're going to go out for a milkshake."

"Milkshake!" Kate yelled, an enormous grin on her face.

"Yes, we've not done that for ages, have we?"

"Nooo!" Alex called out, diving into the closet for a pair of sandals that she knew she could do up herself. She liked to race Kate to get dressed, knowing she was better at getting organised than her sister. She had sorted herself out by the time Chloe had wrestled Kate's feet into a pair of flashing sneakers.

Chloe slipped her feet into a pair of flats and picked up her purse from the hook by the door.

"Ready?" She asked, as she walked towards the front door a few moments later. Both girls nodded at her as they waited for the door to be open. "Last one to the car is a rotten egg!"

The trio raced towards the car as the sound of the front door shutting echoed around their home. Chloe hung back as Miss Competitive, also known as Alex, got to the Chloe's Range Rover first, followed a second or two later by Kate who just wasn't as fast. Chloe found herself wondering, as she gave Alex a high five, if Jessie would like this little game they played.

She helped Alex and Kate into their car seats, wondering if she needed to change her everyday car to something bigger if they needed to squeeze in another car seat. It wasn't until she climbed into the driver's seat that the feeling of desperation came over her again. Taking Jessie meant leaving Beca without anyone, aside from two one hour visits every couple of weeks.

Chloe shook her head to clear her thoughts as she waited for the security gate to roll back. She headed away from the house and towards Ruby's Shake Shop which was a firm favourite with them all. She couldn't stop herself from wondering if Jessie liked milkshakes and if she did, what her favourite flavour was. As she drove down Moorpark Street, she wondered if Beca was able to afford little outings for treats like this. She felt her throat tighten as she couldn't decide if that was a bad thought against Beca or if she was feeling guilty for being able to do this with her girls.

Realising she had more going on in her mind than she first thought, she called Aubrey's number from the car.

"Aubrey Posen."

"Hey Bree, it's Chloe. I'm in the car with Alex and Kate."

"Hi girls!" Aubrey called out and received a chorus of 'hi Auntie Bee Bee's' back from the rear seats. "You okay Clo?"

"Um, yes and no." Chloe said. "D and I had words and I'm just so muddled about everything."

"Understandable. It's been a big week for you both."

"Yeah, yeah, it has. I just wondered if you were free for a little while."

"When?"

"Well, now? The girls and I are just on our way to pick up some milkshakes. Got time to join us?" Chloe asked and heard a soft rustling coming from the car's speakers and she imagined Aubrey was checking her appointment book.

"I can take an early lunch. I'm at the Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank actually, can you meet me there?"

"Yes, we'll be about twenty minutes."

"Great, I'll watch out for you."

"What flavour milkshake?"

"You have to ask?" Aubrey said easily and gave a light chuckle.

"Right." Chloe smiled, slowing down to wait at the lights to turn onto Lankershim Boulevard. "See you soon."

"Bye Chloe. Bye girls." Aubrey said before ending the call slightly abruptly.

Chloe looked to the lights as she listened to the girls excited chatter in the car. She remembered her own childhood days when going out for ice cream or a milkshake was a real treat. She tried not to do it all the time with the girls, not wanting for them to be too spoiled. She scoffed at her own thoughts as she waited for the lights to change. She knew she spoiled them with their current social calendar and David was right, it was partly to keep up with the other mom's. She actually like hanging out with people who weren't in the business or who she considered normal.

'People like Beca.'

She breathed in deeply, ignoring the sharp pain in her gut as she recalled the conversation in court where she'd listed all that she did with the children. She realised just what a conceited snob she must have sounded. She was just trying to let everyone understand that her girls had a wonderful life but as she sat in the traffic that morning, it dawned on her how terrible she must come across to people. She remembered her dear old Mom commenting that the girls never sat still, and they were always so busy, and Chloe had laughed it off but now she understood what her Mom meant; the children didn't know how to be quiet and play by themselves as their entire day was mapped out for them.

She groaned internally as she took a left on Lankershim Boulevard and drove to the shake shack. She'd been coming here for years, before she had the girls. It was close to the Warner Brothers studios and quiet enough that she wasn't bothered by crazy fans. Deciding to navigate the drive thru instead of going into the store, she pulled up behind a car and started rooting round in her purse for her money.

"We not going in Mommy?" Alex asked from the back, snapping her out of her daydream.

"Not today sweet girl." Chloe replied, locking eyes in the rear-view mirror with the little girl. Alex pouted and Chloe remembered she loved to go in as there was an old-fashioned jukebox which she loved to pick a song from. A pang of something ran through her stomach for the second time in just a few minutes as it dawned on Chloe where Alex got her obsession with music from. "Next time, okay?"

Alex nodded and went back to poking Kate with a green crayon that she'd found between the car seats.

"Welcome to Ruby's, may I take your order please?" The crackly voice came through the diner's outdoor speaker.

"Hi!" Chloe said brightly. "Can I please have three chocolate chip cookie dough milkshakes and one vanilla milkshake?"

"No problem. Anything else?"

"Um, a couple of bottles of water and a few napkins would be great as well."

"Sure thing. If you'd like to drive around to the next window. The total will be twenty one eighty six."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Have a nice day."

Chloe pulled up to the next window and fished her bank card out of her wallet. She pulled a set of oversized sunglasses out of her purse and quickly put them on, not wanting to deal with a dozen questions as she picked up her drinks. The window opened after a few moments and a young girl of about fifteen smiled in the direction of the car.

"Hi, that will be twenty one dollars, eighty six please."

"Thanks." Chloe said, gesturing to the card in her hand. "Can you round it up to twenty five please?"

"Yeah, thanks." The girl said sweetly, holding out the card machine for Chloe to tap. As she checked the screen at her register, she did a short double take at the name that appeared on her screen before glancing up at Chloe with the look that she knew all too well. Chloe tucked her head and put her card back in her purse, fiddling around in an effort not to make eye contact.

"Sorry, excuse me, are you Chloe Beale the actress?" The girl asked and Chloe took a deep breath before turning on her charm.

"I am." She smiled kindly.

"I am such a fan of yours! I know I shouldn't ask…" She squealed excitedly and Chloe thought 'then don't ask' as the girl continued to wave her hands about enthusiastically. "… but can I have an autograph?"

"Sure." Chloe said, turning on her megawatt smile as the server looked for a pen. She thrust a napkin and a Sharpie towards the car window and reached for her phone to take a picture of Chloe as she did so. "What's your name?"

"Lana." She said, half leaning out of the server window so she could take a selfie with Chloe.

"Okay, here you go." Chloe said, handing back the napkin and pen.

"You are such a great person!" Lana said, snatching back the napkin from Chloe's outstretched hand. "Are your twins in the car?"

"Umm, yeah."

"Can I say hi to them?"

"We're actually just on our way to meet someone..." Chloe trailed off as Lana just continued to look hopefully at her. "… If we can just get our drinks please."

"Oh yeah sure." Lana said, ducking back inside and collecting a drink holder with the milkshakes and a small paper bag with the water and napkins. "Sorry."

"It's okay. You have a great day." Chloe said, still with the fake smile plastered on. She reached for her drinks.

"And you. You're great!"

Chloe nodded her thanks as she set the drinks down on the passenger seat. She rolled up the window in an effort to get away a little faster and gave the server a quick wave goodbye as she pulled away from the drive thru window and onto Lankershim Boulevard, heading towards the golf club to meet Aubrey. She didn't mind interacting with her fans and people who recognised her but today, she had too much on her mind.

She knew it took a lot of courage for some people to come and talk to her and she wished instead of just asking for an autograph or shoving a camera in her face, they'd ask her questions so she could ask some back. Sometimes she did just want to hear about a cashier's day or how the mail man's vacation went. She was a person deep down and as she drove to meet Aubrey, it hit her hard that she'd not afforded Beca the same courtesy. She realised that all she'd done was to push her about meeting up, getting anything on Jessie rather than let Beca breathe and ask the questions when she was ready.

Her time with Beca in the NICU, when she was a complete unknown to her new friend, was one of her most favourite times of the past few years, despite the trauma her family were dealing with at the time. It had been Beca that had talked about the weather, music, food and anything else that wasn't personal. She groaned a little as she pulled into the golf club's parking lot, declining the valet parking and parking in a vacant spot near to the broad trees that would afford a little shade as she realised she'd been a complete moron.

She waved at Aubrey who was waiting under the canopy porch at the main entrance and Aubrey began to walk over.

"Auntie Bee Bee!" Kate said enthusiastically, pointing with a chubby finger as Aubrey approached the car. Chloe opened the car door and smiled at her friend who gave her a small frown as the two embraced and Chloe kissed her cheek.

"You look terrible." Aubrey said bluntly, before turning and waving at the two girls in the back of the car.

"Gee, thanks." Chloe muttered, rubbing her hands over her face as she remembered she hadn't brushed her hair in about three days and hadn't worn any make up for about the same time.

"I'll get the girls if you want to find a spot to sit." Aubrey said, nodding towards a couple of benches just out of the shade along the wall of the property.

Chloe nodded before she leant back into the car, snatched up her purse and the drinks and shut the car door with her foot. She walked over towards the picnic benches, smiling to herself as she glanced back and saw Kate grab hold of Aubrey's perfectly starched, crisp white shirt with a hand that was covered in green crayon. She saw Aubrey bristle a little as she noticed it herself, but she was in the middle of a conversation with Kate about the importance of seatbelts which Aubrey was blinking rapidly along with, trying to take in Kate's excited gabble.

Aubrey quickly shooed Kate over towards Chloe and tracked around the car to get Alex out of her car seat. She held Alex a little longer than normal before setting her down on the ground and pointing her in the direction of Chloe and Kate. Aubrey didn't want Alex to think she loved her any less. She wasn't sure how she was going to manage to love another child, despite it being another of Chloe's children. She didn't think it was possible to love another as much as she adored Chloe's girls.

"Bad day?" Aubrey said, joining them at the bench a few seconds later, having replaced her frown with her usually stoic expression.

"Tough week." Chloe said, over the girl's heads. She handed Aubrey a chocolate milkshake and straw, before unwrapping a straw and jamming it into the top of another chocolate milkshake for Kate. She did the same with Alex's vanilla milkshake before taking a seat with her drink.

"It's weird that a kid doesn't like chocolate." Aubrey said quietly, referring to Alex, as the two girls chattered excitedly about whose milkshake was better.

"Alex isn't a chocolate fan at all, not like the rest of us. No idea where she… gets that… from." Chloe said, tears immediately pooling in her eyes as she recalled the conversation about Beca not liking chocolate.

"Hey…" Aubrey said, concerned for her friend's sudden change of mood.

"Sorry, I keep doing this lately. Everything is just getting to me."

"Surely this should be a happy time. Everything will come together now."

"I wish I felt that way." Chloe said, wiping her teary cheek on her shoulder.

"What's changed?" Aubrey asked.

"I don't know. I guess a big dose of reality. Take the milkshake for example. A couple of months ago, we had no idea why Alex didn't like chocolate. Then boom, we find out Beca doesn't like chocolate."

"That's still weird to me." Aubrey said, trying to give a little humour.

"I know but there's so much about Alex we don't know yet."

"Same can be said for Kate."

"I guess, but I understand Kate better."

"And you'll need to learn all of Jessie's quirks too." Aubrey said kindly.

"Hmm." Chloe said noncommittedly. She brushed some hair out of her face and wouldn't look Aubrey in the eye. Something her friend picked up on immediately.

"Chloe?"

"David's acting like we won the lottery. He's only seeing this as a victory for us and not once has he stopped to think about Beca in all of this. She's ended up with nothing."

"But you knew that was a strong possibility." Aubrey said, keeping her voice low so the girls wouldn't hear. "There was a chance you had to give Alex back but let's face it Chloe, she was in no position from the start to fight against the type of lawyer you have."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"What good would it have done? You've both been so wrapped up in your own world trying to come to terms with all of this, anything I said was like water off of a duck's back."

"I said the same thing to David, but I thought I was on the outside of it. I wasn't, was I?"

"I think you went along with a lot of David's thoughts, even though you had no obligation to." Aubrey said, setting her drink down. "His control over you, this sense of power he feels he needs to have, you allow him to still do that to you. And now, here we are, and it sounds like you've changed your mind."

"I feel we've made a terrible mistake." Chloe admitted.

"How?"

"Please understand. I want Jessie in my life more than anything. I didn't realise I was missing a piece of the puzzle until the day I met her, and it was like all the pieces of my life suddenly fit. I imagine Beca felt the same when she met Alex. You should have seen Beca's face when she held Alex. It was… it was… pure contentment."

"Well, that's something I can't imagine." Aubrey said honestly.

"I was so focussed on seeing Jessie again that I got myself and Beca overwhelmed with meeting up. It became an obsession to call her and message her. I didn't once stop to think how she was coping with it all or think about how busy she was with work."

"You said she works long hours."

"I think it's about eighteen hours a day. And I don't think that includes travel time between jobs. She spends as much time with Jessie as she can, so she probably only gets a couple of hours sleep a night. How does she cope?"

"She copes, because she has to."

"I thought so too. It's so obvious now that everything she did, all those hours, wasn't so they could live a high profile life… she was working to give the kid a decent home and a hot meal and a few toys. I didn't give her space to adjust to this whole situation. I mean, I've got you to talk to, and David, in a way but I get the impression she's a pretty closed book. I didn't allow her a chance to ask questions, or to see if she was overwhelmed with me being famous. And I realise that makes me sound big headed and it's all I can think about over the last few days. I wasn't born into luxury, I had a lucky break and even now, if I didn't work for the rest of my life, I'd survive on what I've got in the bank.

"She's-" Aubrey began.

"-She lived in her car!" Chloe exclaimed, making the girls look up. She smiled down at them before running her hands over her face. "She works harder than me and does more for Jessie because she gives her everything. And okay, her friend looks after Jessie while she works sometimes, but I've got people who work for me and organise my life, so I've got time with my girls."

Aubrey sat patiently waiting for Chloe to stop rambling.

"And when David was talking earlier about changing her name as soon as she moved in, not letting her bring any of her belongings or toys with her and making her have a fresh start, it hit me like a tonne of bricks that this was a frightened little girl we're dealing with. Before, she'd almost just been a name on a document, but I realised just what a culture shock it's going to be to take her away from her Mom." Chloe babbled.

"She's your daughter Chloe. You gave birth to her."

"I know, Bree. It's so hard to explain. It's like… I guess…" Chloe sighed and took a long pull on her straw as she collected her thoughts for a few seconds. "… My love for Alex is so strong, it physically hurts me. She's so precious to me. I love everything about her. Yet, it's as if that is all a lie to the outside world now. It's like I was wrong for loving her."

"Bold statement." Aubrey said simply.

"I should have known, shouldn't I?"

"We've been over this a dozen times. There's no way you could have known. If your love for Kate and Alex was no different, then there's no way you could have imagined something like this happening."

"And all I keep thinking about, as David keeps on and on about how we won, is that Beca has nothing. She's done nothing wrong and yet she's lost."

"Your petition was strong. That was always going to be the way. On paper, you and David are ideal parents. She, unfortunately, cannot keep the same standard."

"No, she's like every other hardworking family out there."

"Granted, your lifestyle is rare, but you work hard for-"

"-I work less than four months a year. She works every day. It doesn't seem fair."

"Chloe, you're losing the point of your story. You can't be getting all misty eyed about Beca now. What's done is done. The judge's decision was final, and I know there's an appeal but from what you've said, she doesn't have the mean to support a second court date." Aubrey said, matter of factly.

Chloe nodded sadly as she reached for a napkin from the bag she'd brought from the car and handed it to Alex to wipe her mouth, smiling sweetly to the little girl.

"I've been such a…" Chloe glanced over towards the girls before she continued. "… b-i-t-c-h about this whole thing. The way I handled the initial meeting, the CPS team, in the court room… I've hurt so many people in my own pursuit of happiness."

"But that's not usually how you are."

"I know. I try to do the best by people. But my instincts just took over. And I understand that Beca's silence was her instincts taking over. I pushed and pushed and then pushed some more. Beca was the opposite, she went insular, almost into hibernation, to protect her family."

Aubrey nodded along, finally understand what Chloe was getting at.

"Why does David want to change her name?" Aubrey asked, as she recalled some of the conversation they'd just had.

"Because he has to have full control over everything, as always, I guess. I like her name; it suits her, and it meant something to Beca to name her those names. If Alex had gone to her, I'd have been upset to know her name had been changed to something different."

"It does seem odd. If I remember rightly, Beca named her after her best friend. How does she feel about her bio kid not having that name?"

"I don't know, we didn't talk about it."

Aubrey nodded slowly and checked the time on her watch.

"I've got to get back in a minute. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, thanks. I just needed to get out of my head for a bit."

"No problem, sorry I couldn't be any more help to you." Aubrey said, reaching out and patting Chloe's arm in a rare display of affection from the blonde.

"Busy afternoon?" Chloe asked, as she swung her leg over the picnic bench and began gathering up the finished cups.

"Just a few last minute details. There's a big function on which I was asked to set up by the James Corporation. I was supposed to be attending with Bentley."

"Supposed to be?" Chloe questioned as she uncapped one of the bottles of water, dampened a few napkins and attempted to wipe off Kate's chocolate beard. "Everything okay between you two?"

"Chloe, we broke up last month."

"What?" Chloe's squealed, her head snapping upright making Alex jump in her seat. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did. We had a long conversation about it. You sent me a basket of cookies the next day."

"I don't remember doing that. Oh God, Bree, I'm so sorry. I've not asked…"

"It's okay Chloe. We've parted as friends and that's the most I can hope for. He asked me to attend this evening, but I don't think it's a good idea."

"But you've been together for so long."

"Almost three years." Aubrey said, standing up and looking at the stain on her shirt sleeve. "You were correct when you said we weren't right for each other."

"I didn't mean-"

"-Oh, I know. But we rarely found time for each other and when we did, one of us always working. He's still running for Congress and I felt it was better to let him go so he can enter into his campaign without any bad press."

"I'm still sorry."

"I know." Aubrey said easily. "I know you've had a lot on your plate."

"No excuse. I should have been there for you. Come round for dinner and a glass of wine? This week is a little busy with Jessie arriving but soon, okay?"

"When does she come?"

"Friday."

"Let me know how it goes?"

"Of course."

"I'd best go." Aubrey said, looking towards the golf club.

"Girls, say goodbye to Auntie Bee Bee. She's got to go back to work but she'll come to the house soon to see you."

Aubrey crouched down to give the little girls warm hugs and kisses, trying not to cringe at the sticky faces messing up her flawless make up.

"Bye Auntie!" Alex said, as she fell into Aubrey's lap, causing her Godmother to rock a little on her heels.

"Bye Auntie Bee Bee." Kate said, throwing her arms around Aubrey's neck. "Love you."

"I love you too. Both of you." Aubrey said, giving them one last kiss.

"Come on, let's go home and find Daddy." Chloe said, collecting up her bags and beginning to walk over towards her car.

"Call me later, if you want to talk." Aubrey said, as she began to head across the parking lot. Chloe nodded at her retreating figure.

"Have a good afternoon." Chloe said, her attention turning back to the girls. She'd finished buckling Kate into her car seat when she looked back in Aubrey's direction, chuckling a little as she watched Aubrey furiously swiping at her shirt with a napkin in an attempt to get rid of the green stain. "You settled Miss Kate?"

"Yup Mommy!"

"Alex, your turn." Chloe said, walking around the back of her car. "Let's get you buckled in and get home. Mommy suddenly has a lot of phone calls to make this afternoon."

.oOo.