A/N: It's time to wrap this up, so this is the final chapter and epilogue my friends. Thanks for taking this journey with me!
Chloe dropped into her chair, exhausted and emotionally drained as Carolyn, her makeup artist, dabbed the tears from her face and began the task of reapplying her makeup... for the fifth time. Cyn wandered over, earphones around her neck and a big smile on her face.
"That was great, Chlo," she said. "I know it's really hard, but I just need one more angle."
The team had discussed it at length and had agreed to leave the most difficult scene in the movie until the end. They'd been shooting for two months, were still on schedule and this final scene would be the last.
Chloe sighed, eyes closed as her makeup artist touched up her eye shadow. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't."
The director frowned a little. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah," the redhead breathed. "It's just... a lot." She looked away and cleared her throat. "I'm a little tired, I think."
"You wanna take some time away?" Cyn asked. "We can take a break for an hour."
Chloe smiled genuinely. "Thanks, but no. I'm ok. We should get it finished while I'm in this mood. It's keeping me honest." She looked over at Beca, who was in a conversation with one of the lighting technicians and grinned as her fiancée waved her hands in the air as she tried to describe what she wanted.
"Alright then," Cyn chuckled. "We'll be ready to roll when your makeup's done." She strolled back to her seat and settled herself.
Carolyn applied some face powder and then nodded. "All done, Chloe."
"Cool, thanks," the redhead replied. She took a moment to check her phone and drop a message to Dylan, then got up and strolled across the set to stand on her mark.
Her co-star was ready too and they exchanged a few words before Beca, and Cyn took their seats together. "Roll camera!" the director called, and Chloe cleared her throat, tipping her chin up and setting her face into an angry scowl. The clapboard snapped in front of her, and she let go, becoming Jessica once more as she lifted her hand and smacked her co-star in the face... not really but very effectively for the camera angle.
"YOU DESTROYED EVERYTHING!" she roared. "OUR FAMILY, OUR FRIENDSHIPS... MY SANITY!"
Jessica's husband, the murderer, looked a tad shell shocked for a moment as his hand rested on his cheek. "But you drove me to do it," he spat back at her then. "This whole thing is your fault! I HAD to kill her!"
Jessica was stunned into silence. She looked at her husband with her mouth hanging slightly open, blue eyes filling with tears. "What?"
"You, Jess... I know you were having an affair with her. I KNOW you were sleeping with her."
"But... that's not... I wasn't sleeping with her, John! I barely knew her!"
"That's BULLSHIT. And you're a LIAR!"
Jessica lost it fully and screamed as she leapt at her husband and carried them both to the ground in a tangle of limbs. "You MOTHERFUCKER!" she screeched, grabbing his head in her hands and bashing it into the floor over and over. "YOU DESTROYED ME!" Her face was red, her carotid was throbbing furiously in her neck, her biceps bulging. One more blow and John's lifeless eyes just stared at her as a pool of blood formed under him. Jessica stopped and let his head rest on the floor. Then she slowly lifted her hands and looked at their blood-soaked skin. "Oh..." she whispered as she slowly sat back on her heels and pushed her hair back from her eyes with her forearm. Then she just stared into space in horror as she realized... that she was a murderer now too.
There was silence on the set. Chloe didn't move. She just held the shot until Cyn finally stood up. "CUT! That's a wrap!"
Cheers went up all around the set and Chloe chuckled softly as she got to her feet, holding her hand out to help her co-star up and then hugging him hard. They had fake blood all over them, but it just made them laugh. Then she looked at Beca to find her fiancée still sitting in her chair with tears streaming down her face. The brunette held up a hand as she got up and offered the redhead a sheepish half-smile, but Chloe moved quickly across the set to take her hand.
"Hey, you ok?" she asked, worriedly.
"You... you were incredible, Chlo," Beca whispered, voice stolen. "Thank you so much for making my dream a reality."
Chloe hugged her and grinned, shaking her head. "I had amazing material to work with," she said modestly. "Thank YOU for giving me the opportunity and for having faith in me, Baby."
Beca grinned back at her. "Always."
Xx
For the first time in months, Chloe and Beca didn't have anywhere to be. They were by the pool; Chloe sitting in the sandpit in a white bikini with Bella sitting pressed back against her chest, and Beca, in a black one-piece suit and oversized sunglasses, reading a magazine. Bella was getting more sand on her mother than in her bucket as she built her sandcastle, but Chloe loved every moment of it and pressed a kiss to the top of the little girl's head in encouragement.
Bella was doing so well. Her nightmares had all but disappeared and she'd gone back to happily sleeping in her own bed every night. Her mother had even stopped checking on her ten times a night and was now sleeping so much better herself too.
"Hey, Chloe?" Beca said suddenly.
"Mmm?" the redhead replied as she carefully sculpted a starfish for the top of Bella's castle. "What's up, Babe?"
"I was thinking about that thing we talked about last night... you know... the THING?"
Chloe giggled softly. "Yeah, I know what you're talking about." She smoothed her kid's hair back from her forehead and then hugged her gently. "What about it?"
"I was thinking we should go ahead and do it."
The actress's eyes lifted in surprise. "Like... now?"
"Yeah," Beca smiled. "Now."
"Is it the right time?" Chloe asked, frowning slightly.
"In a week," Beca replied. "Plenty of time to get what we need."
The redhead got up and dusted herself down, before moving to her fiancée to kneel in front of her and take her hand. "Are you sure?" she asked softly.
"I'm scared, Chlo," the brunette admitted. "But... yeah, I... I'm sure. Besides, it might not work the first time, right?"
Chloe nodded. "Yeah... it took three rounds for me." She looked down and then lifted her eyes again. They were brimming with emotion. "You're going to look so beautiful carrying our baby, my Love."
Beca took a shuddering breath. "Shut up, Dude! You're going to make me cry!"
"Softy," the redhead whispered as she leaned in for a kiss. "But you totally ARE going to look gorgeous. You think I can't keep my hands off you now? Just wait!"
The brunette laughed and pulled Chloe into her lap, wrapping her arms around her and stealing one more kiss.
Xx
Chloe had never been happier. Beca was lying in her arms, naked, with her legs propped up against the wall.
"I feel kinda ridiculous," the younger woman said quietly as she gazed into adoring light blue eyes.
"Hush and let gravity help the little swimmers along," the redhead responded, running her fingertip over a convenient nipple. She grinned then. "Making babies is so fun."
Beca couldn't disagree, even if the turkey baster had been slightly uncomfortable. Her body was still tingling from their lovemaking. She looked at her fiancée then. "Did you do this with Dylan?" she asked.
Chloe shrugged. "No," she said. "And I wonder if that's why it took three tries. It was all kinda... clinical, you know? Table in the doctor's office blah blah." She waved a hand. "Not a single orgasm."
"Boo," Beca scowled.
The actress laughed. "Are you saying you would have wanted me to have sex with Dylan?" She made a face then. "Ew. No."
"Of course not," Beca chuckled. "You're right. Ew." She sighed then. "What if..." She trailed off but Chloe moved to meet her eyes.
"What if what?"
"What if I get pregnant first time?"
A beaming smile lit the redhead's face. "Isn't that the desired outcome, Becs?"
"Well… sure," the brunette agreed. "But... I kinda have it in my head that it's not going to work this time."
"Because it took me three times maybe?" Chloe guessed.
"Yeah."
"Everything happens for a reason, my Love."
"Indeed," Beca replied, thinking back to the days she'd spent debating with herself about whether she wanted to take the job as DP on an adult movie or not. "They really do."
"What if I don't get pregnant?" Beca said then. She looked slightly dismayed, as if she hadn't thought of it before. "What if I can't?"
The actress smiled and kissed her gently. "You have a clean bill of health from the doc, Babe, but... we'll deal with that if it happens. I can have another one or we could adopt... or both." She grinned. "I'm kinda picturing us with at least three."
The brunette chuckled softly. "At LEAST three, huh? Sounds great, Chlo."
The redhead sighed and hugged her lover tighter. "Yeah, it really does."
"So, what are we going to do next?" Beca asked. "Now that the movie is done and edited?"
Chloe shrugged. "My agent has a few things lined up for me. I booked a three-episode role on Law & Order: SVU, so I guess I'll be going to New York for a while."
"Really?" Beca grinned. "I LOVE that show."
The actress sighed. "I wish you and Bella could come with me, but I don't want to take her out of school."
"We'll miss you, but it'll all be fine," Beca replied. "We can FaceTime every day."
"I'll count on it," Chloe replied. "Because you know I'll miss you both too."
Thye lay together quietly for a while longer, then Beca righted herself and pulled the bed covers over them so she could snuggle with her lover. "I love you," she said softly, kissing Chloe's cheek and then her lips.
"Love you too," the actress sleepily replied.
Xx
The release date of their movie was set, and the studio had organized a small premier in Los Angeles. Chloe was nervous, but she knew the screenings had been positive, so she was pretty sure it wasn't going to tank. She was proud of what they'd done and so was Beca... so much so that she wasn't really nervous at all. Or so she said.
Chloe found her sitting on the bed in their room, staring into space and she smiled as she took a seat next to her. "Doing ok?" she asked softly.
The younger woman cleared her throat and looked down at herself a little sheepishly. "When I picked this dress, I didn't really take the baby into account. Does it look ok?"
The redhead chuckled softly, laying her hand gently on her fiancée's belly and caressing. "You look perfect," she said. She leaned down and kissed the small bump. "You both do."
Beca had indeed gotten pregnant on their first try and they'd just recently told their friends and extended family, now that she was in her second trimester. Telling Bella had been fun, and the little girl had been so excited about having a sibling, it was all she could talk about. They were glad they'd waited to tell her, or the whole world would have heard instantly that she was going to be a big sister in two hundred more sleeps.
"You look beautiful too, Baby," the brunette said. "Are you nervous?"
"A little," the actress admitted. "I've never done anything like this before."
"You never had premiers for your other movies?" Beca deadpanned.
"No," Chloe laughed. "Elektra never went to premiers."
"Maybe we should just stay here," Beca joked. "Have our own little party?" She waggled her eyebrows, and the actress slapped her gently on the shoulder as she giggled.
"Cyn would never forgive us if we left her there alone with Jesse."
"I know."
Beca stood and straightened her dress, smiling as she saw herself in the mirror. She'd been doing that a lot lately. She was thrilled she was pregnant and, on more than one occasion, had found herself just standing and cupping her bump in total awe. It made Chloe cry sometimes and wonder how on earth she'd gotten so lucky.
They'd set the date for their wedding and planning was underway. The date was set for about a month after the baby's due date and neither of them could wait to finally be spouses. Everything was just perfect, and they were so happy together.
Then Chloe's phone rang. She fished it out of her purse and saw it was Jesse, so she answered straight away. "Don't tell me you're already there," she laughed. "We have an hour yet."
"Chloe... oh my God!"
The redhead's smile fell. "What? What is it, Jesse?"
"It's... is Beca there? Put me on speaker!"
The actress did as she was asked. "Go ahead, Jess."
"Chloe, Beca... oh my God... I don't even know how to..."
"Dude," Beca laughed. "Take a breath and use your words."
Jesse did just that. "Guys... I just spoke to a contact of mine. The Oscar nominations have just been released."
"And what does that have to do with..." Chloe began but she stopped suddenly and looked at her fiancée. "Oh my God."
"Our movie has been nominated for best original screenplay..." They heard Jesse sniffle and swallow hard. "And best actress."
Silence.
Then Chloe barely managed to get her arms around Beca to catch her as her knees unlocked. "Whoops, I got you," she grinned as she sat the smaller woman on the bed again.
"Are... are you serious about this? You're not fucking with us, right?" Beca asked. She was shaking and Chloe held her close as she sat next to her.
"I'm deadly serious about it," Jesse confirmed. "It'll be online and in the news by tomorrow morning."
"I don't even know what to say," the redhead said. "I mean. I... best actress?"
"But you deserve the nomination, Chloe," Beca replied. "And the Academy thought so too."
"Thanks," Chloe replied, almost shyly. "I appreciate that. And so do you." They grinned at each other.
"Well, I'll see you guys in an hour," Jesse said then. "Take care."
"Bye, Jesse!" Chloe hung up and shook her head. "This is so surreal."
"I know, right?" Beca replied. "So fucking surreal."
Xx
Beca was so exhausted she could hardly find the energy to breathe but, when the doctor pressed her newborn baby into her arms, she was suddenly energized all over again. Chloe was stroking her fingertip down the wailing infant's cheek and crying tears of such joy, it made Beca cry too.
"He's beautiful," the redhead choked out. "Oh my God, Becs, he's just gorgeous. You did so amazingly, Baby."
Beca held their little one close, cooing softly and kissing his thatch of dark hair. "He looks like Dylan," she laughed softly.
"He does," Chloe agreed, kissing his fingers and grinning as they closed around her much larger one. "He's strong."
"I never..." Beca choked on her words. "I never thought I could love someone more than I love you, Chloe, but... sorry, that sounded so..."
The actress giggled. "I know what you mean, Becs. Your kids are you whole heart." Then she kissed the baby's head once more. "Welcome to the world, Ryan Mitchell-Beale."
They watched as a nurse took their boy away to clean him up and give him a checkup. Chloe climbed onto the bed and held Beca close, kissing her head. "I'm so proud of you," she murmured.
"I'm proud of us," Beca corrected. "It's been a big year, Chlo."
"It has," the redhead nodded. "It's been a busy, terrifying, incredible year."
Ryan was fussing a little when the nurse brought him back to them. Then the doctor cleared Beca to go back to her room and a porter wheeled the bed with the three of them on it, to the private suite. The release of the movie and Chloe's Oscar nomination had gained them some media attention, but nothing too intrusive as of yet, however, the hospital wasn't taking any chances and had a security guard outside the room. Beca was glad, since she was so tired, she wanted to just sleep in peace. The nurse helped her to get the baby settled and latched on and Beca watched as he fed while Chloe went to get Mari and Bella from the waiting room. She sat with the little girl in her lap, answering her thousand questions about her new little brother with a patience born of pure adoration of her children. Then as Ryan and Beca both slept, she left Mari to keep an eye on things while she went to make the phone calls to their friends and family.
Chloe always said that the day her daughter was born was the best day of her life. Now, that day had a rival.
Xx
Beca hadn't won the Oscar and frankly, she wasn't even sad for herself. She was instead, bursting with pride as Chloe slowly walked up the steps to receive her award for best actress and she whistled loudly, making her new wife look back over her shoulder and laugh.
"Wow," the redhead said as she set the statue on the podium and folded her hands around it. "I gotta tell you all, this is the last place I thought I'd be standing tonight." The crowd laughed as she made a face and shook her head. "I've had a pretty long career in the entertainment industry, but this was my first role in a mainstream movie. I worked with an incredible team of professionals and I'm so proud of the movie we made. I'd like to thank Jesse Swanson, producer, Beca Mitchell-Beale, my beautiful wife and writer of the screenplay, and Cynthia-Rose Adams for her amazing direction. I'd also like to thank all the supporting cast, the crew and of course, the Academy for considering me for this honor. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the evening."
The applause was deafening, and Chloe grinned happily as she made her way, stage left, on the arm of a handsome usher, carrying her statue in her other hand. She got back to her seat a few moments later and Beca was waiting to kiss her.
"Congratulations, Wife," she grinned, gazing into adoring blue eyes. "I'm so proud of you."
"I'm sorry..." the redhead began, but Beca put her finger against her wife's lips and shook her head.
"Don't you dare apologize," she said. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Chloe's face gentled as she leaned in for another kiss. "I love you so much."
Beca smiled in return. "Hearing that is so much better than winning an Oscar. I love you too."
And Chloe Mitchell-Beale, former adult movie star and happiest woman on the planet in that moment, know exactly what her wife meant.
The End
