Fixes
16
A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long for me to get this done. I've been struggling a little with where I wanted to go with it. But here we be!
Chloe looked a little on the pale side as she linked arms with Beca for the walk into the lawyer's office. Concerned eyes followed her along the corridor to the meeting room where she and her fiancée were signing for their new home. Aubrey was with them, smiling broadly as she held out chairs for her friends and then took one herself.
"Ms. Mitchell, Ms. Beale and of course, Ms. Posen," a man said as he entered the room. "My name is Edward Flynn and I'm the attorney for your home closure." He was carrying a folder and he smiled as he took a seat and untied its closure. "I always enjoy cash sales," he went on. "It means there are only a small number of documents to sign and no lenders to worry about. We'll have you in out in a jiffy with the keys to your new place."
Chloe shifted, her stiches pulling a little, and wincing as she tried to get comfortable. "Chlo," Beca said. "You should be in bed. We can do this another day." She looked at the lawyer. "She was injured last week, and she should still be resting."
The lawyer nodded, looking away as he saw the annoyed set of the redhead's shoulders. Chloe was a little frustrated with the oversolicitousness of both her fiancée and her best friend. She sucked in and released a deep breath, ignoring the pain from her wounds. "Beca, there is NO WAY on Earth I'm going to miss this today, ok?"
The brunette sat back in her chair, suitably chastised, and she nodded. "Sorry, Honey."
The vet closed her eyes and shook her head. "No… I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated that I'm not healing faster." She smiled then. "Let's do this, huh?" Her smile widened into a grin. "We all need somewhere to live."
Flynn tapped his fingertips on the table. "Good deal. Let's get started."
It took an hour or so but at the end, Chloe and Beca, with Aubrey right behind them, left the lawyer's office with a packet of documents, a set of keys and various other house-related items. Beca was shaking when they got back to the car and Aubrey kissed their cheeks before heading to her own car to give them some time alone.
"I'll see you at the house!"
"Ok!" Chloe replied, then turned to look at her fiancée. "Hey," she said gently. "What is it?"
"I think…" The brunette's teeth were chattering a little. "I think everything is catching up with me," she whispered.
The redhead pulled her close and hugged her. "Are you ok? Do you need Elise?"
"I… yeah… I'm…" Beca laughed softly. "I'm actually NOT having an Elise-grade anxiety attack. I think I'm just overexcited. I don't feel like I'm going to hyperventilate. I'm just feeling good, old-fashioned homeowner fear."
Chloe grinned happily. "Hey," she said. "What's the worst that could happen? We own the place now. We just keep doing what we were doing. If you think about it, nothing has really changed except the size and the sea view." She rocked her fiancée gently. "We'll still get up, work, eat dinner together, go to bed… nothing has changed, Baby."
"Chloe?" Beca said seriously. "Will you marry me?"
Blue eyes twinkled. "I thought we'd already established that as a yes," the vet replied just as solemnly.
"Dude... yeah… no… but I mean… now?" Beca added.
"Babe, as much as I'd love that, Jack and Mark would never forgive us if we just went to the courthouse right now."
The brunette sighed and nodded along. "You're right, I know. I just really want us to be married."
They shared a gentle kiss. "Me too," Chloe smiled. "How about we set a date later on today and let the families know?"
"Sounds like a plan," Beca agreed. Then she grinned happily. "Aubrey is going to need a blindfold later on because I seriously intend to do some skinny dipping in our new pool!"
"Are you kidding?" the vet replied, looking at her lover as though she'd grown an extra head. "Aubrey will be right in there with you!"
The musician laughed as she guided her fiancée to her side of the car to help her get in. "Kinky," she replied. "Don't go getting any ideas."
"Been there, done that," Chloe shot back with a cheeky chortle.
"Oh my God… a threesome? Seriously? You've done that? How did I NOT know you've done that?!"
The redhead just grinned harder. "Just kidding."
Xx
Tom and Betty had already removed the gate code and, after a few minutes of figuring out how to set their own from one of the documents in their packet, Chloe and Beca, followed by Aubrey, were slowly driving up to the house. It was a warm, sunny day and the girls spent a few minutes walking around outside and showing Aubrey the vet building, before heading inside. It was cool, quiet and empty inside the house but Chloe and Beca were already picturing their furniture layout while their friend went to look at her new digs. She was back ten minutes later, with a beaming smile on her face.
"I guess we should make a list of what we need to buy, Chlo," the brunette said. Then she looked at Aubrey who had pushed the huge folding glass door back and was standing on the patio, looking longingly at the pool. "Aubrey, when is your stuff coming?"
"Later today," the blonde replied. She took her flip-flops off and sat down at the water's edge to cool her feet. Then she crooked a finger at them and grinned.
Beca walked with Chloe to the pool and helped her to take off her sandals and sit down before settling herself next to her. "This is amazing," she said softly. "It's a dream come true." Just then her phone rang, and she fished it out of her shorts pocket to look at the screen. With a sigh, she accepted the call, then put it on speaker. "Hi, Swanson."
"Beca," the detective replied. "I just wanted to check in and see how you guys are doing. How's Chloe?"
Chloe waggled a hand and shrugged.
"She's holding her own," the brunette replied. "But it'll take some time before she's fully back on her feet."
The redhead reclined back on her elbows and then mimed drinking something. Aubrey sniggered. "I have the champagne in the car. I'll get it."
"Well, well, well… what are you celebrating?" Swanson asked.
"Chloe and I signed for our new house today. You should come out and see it. It's on the beach."
Chloe frowned and lifted her hands in question. Beca just shrugged this time.
"Maybe," the detective said. "I'm overdue for a vacation… by about five years." He chuckled then. "Anyway, just so you know, the judge ordered for Myers to be held without bail pending trial. He's locked up right now."
"Good news," Chloe said. "I'm glad we don't have to worry about him anymore."
"Yeah… and again… Ladies… I'm so sorry he got away from us and I'm sorry you had to go through all that bullshit."
If she was honest, the redhead was glad they hadn't had to go back to their apartment again. Beca had arranged for movers to pack and store everything, and they'd been staying in a hotel after Chloe had been released from hospital so the new owners could move in.
"I'm just glad it's over," Beca sighed. "I think we can finally move on with our lives."
"Cool," Swanson agreed. "Ok, well I'll let you ladies get back to your housewarming. See you later."
"Later," Beca replied, then hung up the call as Aubrey returned with a bottle and three glasses. She set them by the edge of the pool, stripped down to her underwear and then jumped in with a happy squeal.
Chloe pouted as she watched her fiancée open the button on her shorts. "No fair," she stated unhappily. "I can't get my stitches wet."
Beca slowed her motions then and, to Aubrey's amusement, performed a slow striptease for her injured lover. Chloe's eyes blinked slowly, and her breathing deepened. "You're killing me," she groaned. Sex had been off the table since her injuries too, but her body was urging her on, so she reached for Beca and somehow managed to pull her into her lap.
"Chlo!" the brunette laughed. "This is also not good for your stiches!"
The redhead leaned close to whisper in her ear. "Tell that to my clit." Then she rested her forehead on her fiancée's shoulder. "Go on, have fun, Becs."
"I love you," Beca said softly, carefully hugging Chloe and kissing her gently. The she simply rolled back and into the pool with a splash.
The vet chuckled and opened the champagne, pouring three glasses before handing two of them down to her family. "Cheers, Bitches!"
Xx
"YES!" Beca cried out, not for the first time that night, as her body shuddered through another epic orgasm. "Jesus H. Christ, Chloe!"
The redhead chuckled softly and lay on her back to get more comfortable as her stitches protested the exertion of making her fiancée come for the third time. "I'm sorry, Baby, I think I'm done."
Beca smiled and snuggled close, laying her head on Chloe's shoulder as she caressed the soft. damp skin between her breasts. It always made the older woman sleepy, and the brunette grinned as Chloe stifled a yawn behind her hand. "It's ok, Honey. You've more than earned some sleep. Are you ok? I didn't hurt you earlier, did I?"
"Nah…" Chloe replied, eyes closed as her mouth eased into a grin. "And even if you had, it would have been totally worth it."
They were on an airbed in their large master suite since, by the time the movers had unloaded everything, it was too late to start putting their bed back together. They'd piled some sheets, blankets and a comforter onto the airbed and then proceeded to christen the bedroom as many times as possible. They were a little drunk after the champagne they'd indulged in, followed by the four bottles of wine they'd shared with Aubrey, who had also retired to sleep on an airbed in her temporary digs.
"I'd like to get married a month from today, on the closest Saturday," Beca murmured quietly.
"Done," Chloe replied with a nod and then, with a kiss to her lover's shoulder, the brunette started to doze off. "Love you, Becs."
"Mmm… love…mmm."
Chloe just smiled.
Xx
"Gotcha, ya little bastard," Beca muttered as she picked up the humane trap to examine the mouse inside it. "That'll lern'ya." The animal squeaked and the musician shook her head and pointed a finger at it. "No backchat or I'll hand you over to Bella and Battle Cat, understood?"
The mouse prudently remained quiet.
Chloe laughed softly from the top of a ladder where she was painting the ceiling of the dog side of the clinic's waiting room. They'd finished the cat side the previous day and she was feeling only mild discomfort from her healing wounds.
"You've stricken terror into the hearts of all mice in the area, believe me."
"At least I didn't use snap traps," Beca pointed out. "I know that would have made you unhappy."
The redhead nodded and went back to rolling. "Yeah, I hate those things. So horrible." She paused then. "I'm having doubts about the wall color we picked for in here."
Beca set the trap down and went to her lover, hugging her around the hips as she stood on the bottom rung of the ladder. "Babe, you said that about the other room too and it turned out great."
"I know," Chloe sighed. "I just want everything to be perfect. I really need to feel ready before I quit Perfect Paws."
The entrance to the building was standing open to let the sea breeze in and Beca jumped a little as a head suddenly appeared through it. "Hello?"
"Hi!" A man in dark blue overalls and a baseball cap stepped inside. "I'm John from Computechnology. You're waiting for some new computers?"
"Cool!" Aubrey said as she appeared out from another room. "Hi. I'm Aubrey, the practice manager." She couldn't help but grin every time she got to say that. "This is Doctor Chloe Beale and her partner, Beca Mitchell, the owners of Purrrfect Veterinary Services. If you come with me, John, I'll show you where we need everything set up."
"Thanks, Aubs," Chloe said with a smile as she went back to rolling again. "Ok, Beca, you're right about the color. It's good."
With a playful kiss to her lover's butt, Beca got back down off the ladder and went to the check in desk to sort through some insurance and billing docs for some of the equipment upgrades they'd installed. "So," she said a little nervously. "I… um… I know we've had a lot of change recently but…" She trailed off as a smiling face looked back at her. Chloe had just finished the second coat of paint and was climbing down the ladder. "There's something on my mind, Chlo."
The vet nodded as she ambled across the room and hopped over the desk to sit in her girlfriend's lap. "Talk to me," she said as she ran her fingers through Beca's hair.
"Children."
Red-hued eyebrows shot up. "Like… now?"
"Yeah. Well… maybe not… like… right now, but neither of us is getting any younger."
Chloe chuckled softly as she ran a fingertip along Beca's eyebrow. Her fiancée had the prettiest eyes. "While I understand your desire to get started on ALL the things, Becs, I was kinda thinking we should finish moving in, get the wedding done next week and get the practice up and running… not to mention the stuff you have to do for Disney… before we start down THAT additional path."
Beca nodded with a deep sigh. "I know. I just… I felt for so long like I was stuck in a nightmare. Now I'm free, I'm ready to live life… you know? I want the dream."
The redhead smiled happily and kissed the younger woman's forehead. "I know, Baby. And I promise we'll get there, one step at a time."
Just then, John and Aubrey came back, and the man doffed his cap. "I have the plan from your beautiful manager here. I'm going to get my stuff and get started on the install."
"Sounds good," Chloe replied. Then she looked at her friend. "Beca and I have to run some errands, Aubs. We'll be back later, ok?"
The blonde waved over her shoulder as she followed John outside. She paused at the door then and grinned over her shoulder. "He's cute," she said quietly, then winked as she continued outside.
Beca laughed a little. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of John around here."
"Maybe," Chloe grinned.
Xx
A lump formed in Beca's throat as she watched her fiancée scoop Jack up into her arms and hug him tenderly. "Hi, JackSparrow," Chloe said softly as he rested his head on her shoulder and hugged her back just as lovingly.
"Hi Chlocifer," he replied. "I missed you a lot."
"I missed you too, Buddy," the redhead replied as she let him down and then laughed as he ran to Beca and almost bowled her over with his enthusiastic affection.
"Hi, Mom, Pop," she said then as she exchanged hugs with her parents. "Thanks for picking us up."
"How are you doing, Baby?" Mo asked, cupping her daughter's cheeks and gazing at her.
"I'm ok," the vet smiled. "A little sore if I overdo it, but pretty much healed."
"She's a terrible patient," Beca teased as she got her own hugs from her family. "Wouldn't stay in bed long enough to let herself get better."
"I have life to be living," Chloe said with an imperious sniff. "I'll rest when I die." She only realized her mistake when she saw Beca swallow. Hard. "Shit, I'm sorry, Baby."
Beca swallowed again. "Too soon, Chlo."
"Waaaaay too soon," Tom agreed but he chuckled then. "Come on, the rest of the Beales are melting down without you, Baby Girl."
His eldest rolled her eyes and took Beca's hand as her dad took their bags and headed for the airport's exit. "I swear," she told her fiancée. "This family would fall apart without me."
"Let's never test that theory, ok?" her mother replied.
Chloe nodded unhappily. "Right. Too soon."
Back at the house, Tommy, Mickey, Zoe, Mel and Mark were waiting for them, and they ooohed and aaahed over Chloe's scars when she lifted her top to show them how well she was doing.
"You saved your woman. Badass!" Tommy said, his eyes shining brightly, and Chloe knew he was sober. She almost cried with relief and hugged him hard.
"I think she actually saved me," the vet chuckled. "But thanks, Bro."
"I definitely saved her," Beca said, playfully lifting her arms to show off her biceps.
"Badass!" Tommy said again.
"Alright!" Mo called out as she clapped her hands. "Now that the ladies of the hour are here, can we PLEASE stop fighting over stupid stuff?"
Mickey got up, hands perched on her hips. "There's an important decision to be made," she said. "Who is going to officiate the wedding, me or Tommy?"
"Um..." Beca and Chloe exchanged a glance. "Which one of you is ordained?" Beca asked.
"Neither yet," Tommy replied, glaring at his sister.
"Then easy decision," the musician went on, shrugging. "Whomever gets ordained first, gets to officiate." She grinned evilly. "GO!"
Chloe sniggered and kissed her temple. "What else are we fighting over, Siblings?"
Mark bounced across the room. "Me and Jack have decided we don't want to wear flamingo-colored ties."
Chloe lifted an eyebrow at him. "What's it worth to you?"
Mark and Jack looked at each other. "What do you mean?" the younger one asked worriedly.
The vet leaned closer, eyes narrowed as Beca tried desperately not to laugh. "What will you give me if I let you wear blue ties instead of pink?"
Mark gulped. "I... I don't know... what do you want?"
The adults were all stifling grins behind their hands and Zoe almost choked on her coffee.
Chloe slowly got down onto her knees and looked them up and down, straightening their t-shirts in a very dignified way. "I..." she said slowly. "Will let you wear blue ties with your suits, if you promise me that you'll always do your very best at school and shoot for straight As. Deal?"
Chloe's parents smiled at each other as Tom wrapped his arm around Mo's waist. "I think we did a good job with that kid," he murmured to her. "I couldn't be prouder of her."
Jack and Mark looked at each other again, silently communicating. Then they both nodded. "Deal!"
"High five!" the vet exclaimed and laughed as they haphazardly slapped hands. "Cool. Blue ties it is then." She got up and winked at the adults. "Although... now I'm thinking blue BOW ties..."
"NO!" Jack and Mark screeched indignantly.
"What's it worth to ya?" Chloe asked again. "I'm thinking I can get back rubs for a month..."
"Chlo," Beca laughed. "I think you should quit while you're ahead, Babe."
The vet laughed then. "I think you're right. Ok, Boys, you win."
"YAY!" the boys took off out into the yard to celebrate their victory.
Mo gave her daughter a side-hug. "Remind me to never get into a haggling situation with you, Chloe Beale! You're evil!"
"You're teasing me about being evil?!" Chloe laughed. "I can't believe you let them go on thinking they were wearing pink ties for so long! SO uncool, Mom!"
"And yet SO funny!" Mickey sniggered.
"Ok," Beca said. "What else are we undecided about?"
The vet smiled as she watched her fiancée go into organization mode and just stepped back to lean against her dad with her arms folded. "She's really something, isn't she?" she asked softly, a gently adoring look on her face.
"Just like your mom," Tom said with a firm nod. "You and I are the two luckiest sons of bitches in the world."
"We sure as hell are," his eldest daughter replied with a little laugh.
"Beer?" he said then. "I think Mo, Beca and the others have everything under control here."
"Sure," the vet shrugged. "Come help me take another look at Duke?"
The big man smiled and wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulders to guide her out onto the back deck. "Yes, Ma'am, Doctor Beale."
Xx
It was a couple of hours later when Mo and Beca found their respective partners sitting out on the back deck and more than a little tipsy.
"There you are!" the musician said, rolling her eyes as slightly unfocused blue gazed back at her.
"Hi, Baby," Chloe replied, opening her arms. "Have I told you how beautiful you are today?"
Mo smiled as Beca eased into Chloe's lap and wrapped her arms around her neck. "Only twice," the brunette replied seriously. "You're slipping, Chlo."
"You're beautiful and the best thing that's ever happened to me," the redhead stated just as seriously.
Tom grinned at his wife as he opened his arms to her. "What she said." Then he pointed at his eldest. "My daughter is a very wise woman, you know."
Mo sat into his lap and kissed his forehead. "I see... so, she's YOUR daughter when she's being charming and MY daughter when she's... let me guess... being a handful?"
"Yep," Beca teased. "Because she can definitely be a handful."
Chloe almost choked on her beer and shook her head, prudently remaining quiet and instead, nibbling her lover's neck.
Mo just rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Alright, since you pair were out here getting tipsy while the rest of us were wedding planning, Beca and I have a job for you."
"Uh oh," the vet muttered quietly.
The older woman pointed toward the trees, under which the wedding ceremony was to be held. "I need you to organize getting the trees trimmed."
Chloe's face lit up. "Ooohhh, chainsaws! Come on, Pop!" She held out her bottle to Beca. "Baby, hold my beer!"
"Nuh uh, no way," the musician replied. "There will be absolutely NO chainsaw usage while you've been drinking, Chloe. Friends don't let friends use chainsaws unless they're sober."
"Oh..." the redhead pouted a little. "I'm sober enough to saw some branches off a tree, Becs."
"Then get a hand saw," Beca replied. "At least you won't cut a limb off with that." She smiled then. "Besides, I think you'd look a lot sexier doing that, than just doing a quick chop with a chainsaw." She looked at Mo and smiled a little.
Chloe's ego was sufficiently interested, and she looked at her dad. "What do you think, Pop?"
Tom laughed softly. "I think you're whipped, Beale, and you need to rethink this conversation when you're sober."
Light blue eyes rolled. "Ugh, I think you're right. Point taken."
"In that case," Beca smiled. "You want to take a walk with me, Honey?"
"Sure," Chloe happily agreed. She eased them both to their feet and took her fiancée's hand. "Lead the way."
Mo and Tom watched as they strolled away. "She's different, don't you think?" the Beale matriarch said. "More focused and..."
"She's happy, Momo," Tom said. "Chloe's always been upbeat and positive but... I think we were mistaking that for happiness for a long time. She had to leave to find her happiness..." Tears welled in his eyes. "I didn't understand it at the time but… I get it now."
Mo nodded as she watched her daughter pick a wildflower and give it to her lover, along with a gentle kiss. "Me too, Babe."
