Wow! Thank you so much for all of the support on the last chapter! It was great reading all of your predictions - I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Part II :)

Icedragone - Oh no! I hope you got some sleep! Yes, Beca did end up getting a good arrangement. All of my research has shown that California is one of the better states regarding custody + domestic violence situations which is good. Of course Theo had to interrupt her little moment of peace :/ Let's see what happens with the accident! Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

Jody1990 - I also felt relief writing it! And yeah, totally agree that he doesn't even deserve visitation. I think you're definitely right about how Beca may feel if Theo is hurt, but let's see what happens! I can definitely confirm that there will be lots of healing for Beca, Callie, and Henry in the future chapters :) (as well as there being a chapter with Beca and Callie actually having a discussion about everything that has happened). Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

Guest (Jun 9) - that is so funny omg you totally called it. At one point, I did think I was going to write him as becoming violent and getting into the house, but I couldn't bring myself to put them through that much trauma again. Callie's character development has definitely changed and the night of the accident/accident/post-accident will undoubtedly have an effect on her. Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

Hopefully0308 - I'm so glad that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

RJRMovieFan - Yep you've pretty much summarized the outcomes lol. Let's see what happens with the accident! But you're definitely right about the judge and the change of circumstances hmmm... yeah I really couldn't bring myself to bring more deliberate trauma on Beca and the kids, hence the drunkness and hence the him not being able to break into the house. It was too scary for me to even think about haha. Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

Whoa - Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the fic. Totally get your feelings about Theo and totally agree with your hopes for Beca. I can't wait for them to sell that house, too (love the idea about Lily haha). New York and healing is coming for Beca and the kids thank goodness! And oooo I love your question! Thanks so much for asking! I would say, regarding why Amy hasn't played a role in the fic, I would say it's two-fold: one, I have a hard time writing her humor. Sometimes I can get a few good quips in but her dialogue is so specific that I feel like I wouldn't be able to do her justice; two, kind of on a similar note, I just don't think her character and her character traits would be something that Beca needed at this point in her life, if that makes sense? Like, all of the Bellas that have been included so far - Chloe, Aubrey, Stacie, Emily - they've all played very specific roles that their traits back up. Aubrey is very calm and collected, can get the job that needs to be done, done. Stacie is very protective. Emily is good for the kids and bringing those happier memories back to Beca. And then Chloe, for obvious reasons. I have a hard time seeing Amy as more than just comedic relief, which is probably more of a me thing than anything else, but I just couldn't really... idk... lessen Beca's struggles by having her make light of the topics and conversations I guess? Does that make any sense? And again, it's totally a me thing and I love Amy as a character, I just never really saw her playing a huge part in this storyline! Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

Brooke - WHAT IF?! Idk what happens I guess you'll just have to read on *shrugs*. Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

Jessicafm1212 - I am so glad that you are enjoying the fic and for your kind words! I hope this update was fast enough and that you enjoy this next chapter as well :) Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

LifeAsWeKnowIt - Intense for sure! And woah! Speedy. I could never lol. Idk if Theo is dead, sorry! I guess you'll just have to read on to find out ;) Whatever happens, though, I will promise you that there will be tons of new emotions and situations that arise from it. And yes hehehe Beca and Chloe are slowly returning to their college-years relationship. Bechloe is endgame, so yes, a romantic relationship is brewing. I hope you are having a nice day, too! Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

Wolvezzz - I'm so glad that you enjoyed the chapter! Yes thank goodness the kids get to stay with Beca. And her opening up makes me happy too :) There's only going to be more of that! Let's see what happens with the accident! Thanks so much for reading and for your support!


Part II

Chapter 20

1 Year and 3 Months Later (May, the following year)

Content Warning: Referenced/implied abusive relationship and domestic violence situation; drunk driving accident; PTSD in a child (kind of?); described prison setting.

At first, Beca wasn't sure if she was going to make it. Her flight from California was delayed by about a half an hour, and then her plane was idling on the tarmac at JFK for an ungodly amount of time while she continued to check the clock on her phone, desperate to make it into the city before four-thirty.

By some miracle, she made it to the luggage carousel in record time, with her suitcase being one of the first ones on the belt. She got an Uber within five minutes, and she was off to the office building just a block down from the apartment.

Now, as she settles down into the chair in the empty waiting room, Beca has about ten minutes left to spare. She gives the receptionist a kind wave, setting down her bags on the ground beside her.

The minutes tick by slowly, each second punctuated by the loud ticking of the clock on the wall opposite of Beca. She doesn't mind the time passing slowly, though; she simply enjoys the brief moment of relaxation after the last week of running back and forth between meetings, tying up loose ends before flying back to New York.

But there's also a building excitement in her stomach, knowing exactly who is on the other side of the closed door, and who she will shortly be seeing. It's been six days since she's held her babies in her arms, and she can't wait to do just that.

She watches the clock as each minute passes, and when the door in the back of the office opens with a familiar screech, Beca is on her feet with a grin spreading across her face.

Callie doesn't notice her at first, her gaze focused on the carpet in front of her. Andrea, an older woman with graying curls and a kind smile, walks behind her with her hand gently resting on her shoulder, nodding at Beca upon seeing her. Beca gives her a quick wave before kneeling down on the ground, right in Callie's path.

She lets out a quiet whisper. "Psst…"

Callie's head jolts upward, a knowing grin spreading across her face as soon as she hears Beca's voice. "Mama!"

She runs away from Andrea's touch, crashing into Beca's arms instead. Callie wraps her arms around Beca's neck, holding on tight as Beca engulfs her in the biggest hug she can muster. She grins into Callie's hair. "Hi, bug!"

Beca feels Callie take a deep breath, loosening her limbs and her muscles as she settles into Beca's arms. Beca can feel the tension and stress leave Callie's body as she squeezes tighter, and Beca is perfectly fine sitting there for as long as Callie needs.

The last year has been rough, to say the least. Beca would argue that it has been harder than all of her years spent with Theo, the main reason being that her kids were astutely aware of what has been going on since their trip to Los Angeles for the custody hearing, while they were blissfully unaware of what was going on in the house prior to them leaving for New York while Theo was in Germany.

Out of the two kids, Callie has taken the brunt of all of the emotional baggage that has come along over the passing months. She has struggled; mentally, emotionally. Though Beca has tried being there for her as much as possible, with the added support of Chloe, Stacie, Aubrey, and Emily when she comes up to visit – along with Bella, who quickly became Callie's best friend – they've all tried to keep Callie's head above water.

But the poor girl… it has been tough. There is no other way to describe it. The last fifteen months have been an almost insurmountable challenge, and Beca isn't sure that the obstacles are going to lessen any time soon.

They started her in therapy two months after the car accident. Andrea was the second person that they met with, and Callie had an instant connection with the older woman. Beca, simply relieved that Callie was going to have added – professional – support in her corner, has ensured that Callie is in the office, every Thursday at 3:30 in the afternoon – right after she gets out of school. It has been good for her, and it was good for her when she was still required to visit Theo.

Those visits, Beca is one hundred percent certain, were detrimentally harmful to her kids. She has seen what they have done to them, and she hates herself, the court, and Theo, for putting Callie and Henry in that situation.

Because it was during those visits – post the kids seeing their father in a drunken rage, trying to break into their house – that they not only had to see him, but everyone else in the visitation room; the one where prison guards were stationed along the outskirts and bouts of yelling would often ensue – whether it be between family members or Theo's fellow inmates – and that environment was no place for two kids that already had higher anxiety levels than the average seven- and two-year-old, and who were still recovering from seeing a newly discovered version of their father.

The night of the custody decision wasn't pretty.

Theo showing up at the house and threatening to break down the front door was only the start of it. That was terrifying in and of itself, and though the initial fear from his presence was intense, nothing quite compared to seeing Callie and Henry as distraught as they were. Henry was simply crying, holding on to Beca throughout all of the commotion – first with Theo, and then when the police officers and a social worker showed up – and Callie…Beca has never seen her daughter so shaken up.

Her face was pale, her hands trembling. While Theo was there, she was screaming. Then the screaming turned to sobs. Eventually, Callie just got scarily quiet. She stayed glued to Beca's side, linked by the hand if she wasn't sitting on Beca's lap, and didn't speak a single word that entire night or the next day.

Of course, that made it quite difficult when, around two o'clock in the morning, another pair of officers showed up at the house – shocked that there were already cruisers in the driveway – and told Beca (with everyone else present because Hell would freeze over before Chloe or Emily left Beca's and the kids' sides and the kids clearly weren't going anywhere) that Theo, in his completely intoxicated state, crashed into another car driving in the opposite lane on a road heading into downtown Los Angeles.

The driver of that vehicle was killed on impact. Theo came out with three stitches and a one-way ticket to the Los Angeles County State Prison.

Because, naturally, another innocent person had to be harmed by Theo before someone would do something substantial about it.

And though the guilt associated with the accident and the death of August Heisman (because Beca will never forget his name for as long as she lives) comes in waves, Beca would be lying if she said her attention and worries weren't pulled to her kids as they struggled with the fallout from the accident.

The judge and jury didn't let Theo down easily – not with the vehicular manslaughter or the attempted assault/violation of the protective order/attempted breaking and entering or any of the other associated charges that they threw at him. The state of California sees vehicular manslaughter as a felony, and the judge charged him with a felony count of violating the protective order because of the nature and the intensity; all of the charges added up, Theo is looking at serving about eight years (though it's likely he'll get out earlier).

The first couple of months following the custody trial and the accident were horrendous. Beca brought the kids back to New York and Callie completely shut down. She wouldn't leave her mother's side and she spent most of her school days in the back of Chloe's classroom, doing the work her own teacher assigned to her. She woke up with nightmares, more often than not, and eventually, when the trial rolled around and Beca had to explain why she had to go back to Los Angeles for the trial and why her father wasn't just getting in trouble for the car accident, she also had to go into further details about what happened during the first seven (by then, eight) years of her life.

It was a horrible time to tell her, but Beca truly couldn't keep it a secret from her any longer.

And that new knowledge, combined with three failed monthly visits to see Theo in jail (the judge continued to hold him out of an abundance of caution for Beca and the kids' safety), just about destroyed Callie's and Henry's relationship and view of her father. Callie wouldn't talk with him, she wouldn't let him touch her. Beca isn't sure if it was because of the setting of the visit, seeing him the way she did after the hearing, or the new information that Beca gave her about their previous living situation, but those visits just about tore Callie apart. Even after, she would go a day, maybe two days, without talking, eating, or again, leaving Beca's side. Sometimes she would be more irritable than normal, other times she would spend the entire day in tears. But after three visits, with Henry not even recognizing Theo at this point and simply sitting on the visit supervisor's lap during the three hours (if they even made it that long), Beca put her foot down.

She had tried getting visitation terminated after the accident, but the judge wouldn't allow it until they 'tried it out'. Once Beca re-petitioned the court, though, Judge Campbell agreed.

And now, after this week, she will never have to step foot in that God-forsaken court room ever again, with the papers in her purse signed by the judge granting her and her kids freedom from Theo for the rest of their lives.

"How was your appointment with Andrea?"

Callie slowly pulls away, moving instead to Beca's side, and getting so close to her that Beca almost trips. She shrugs. "It was okay."

Beca looks up to Andrea for confirmation. The older woman tilts her head, her mouth opening in feigned disagreement. "I would say it was a little better than okay, Miss Callie… she did very well. We played a couple games, talked for a bit… and she worked so hard that I told her you better give her double the ice cream tonight."

Beca smirks, one of her eyebrows quirking upwards as she turns her attention back to Callie. "Is that so?"

Callie shrugs again (a typical movement these days), the corners of her lips barely turning up, and the brief show of emotion not even close to reaching her eyes.

Beca lets out a soft sigh, standing, while never once removing her hand from Callie's. As much as the separation anxiety was bad right after the accident – not as bad as it was in the beginning weeks of the New York move, but still troubling – it is very much still there. "Well, what do you say we head home and see your brother, and you tell me all about what you did in school this week, and then we can go out for ice cream after dinner? How does that sound?"

Callie nods, tiredly, before giving Andrea a small wave. "I'll see you next week?"

"Absolutely. Have a good time with your mom and at school. Remember what we talked about today."

Again, Callie nods, but buries herself deeper into Beca's side. She's getting taller now, as she finishes up her year in the third grade, but Beca still holds her close like she's just as small as she ever was, wrapping her arm around her shoulders, and pulling Callie against her. Beca grabs her luggage, tugging it behind her, and doesn't speak until they are in the elevator going down to the main floor.

"How was school today, Cal?"

Callie keeps her eyes trained on the ground. "Fine."

"Yeah? Did you stay with Mrs. Beckley, or did you go to Chloe's room again?"

"Chloe's."

Beca bites back a disappointed sigh. They've been trying to keep Callie in her third grade classroom as much as possible, but more often than not, it's much simpler – for everyone involved – to just allow Callie to have that bit of structure with Chloe. "How were her students today?"

Callie shrugs as the elevator door opens with a 'ding' and they make their way out of the office building. "Loud. Sam was being annoying."

Beca snorts as they head down the street toward the apartment building. "Aren't most fifth grade boys?"

Callie stays quiet, not giving Beca a response as they get closer and closer to their home.

Beca allows a silence to fall over them, knowing that not only is Callie normally tired after her appointments with Andrea, but she has been quieter than normal, period. She tries not to let it bother her, especially thinking back to how Beca was when she was a child, so she's absolutely willing to give Callie the space that she needs – so long as she doesn't push everyone away.

So long as she doesn't push Beca away.


As they make their way down the hallway towards the apartment, Beca's excitement rises once again. Though she's naturally concerned with Callie, she can't help but be excited to have Henry in her arms. He's growing into a happy and curious little boy, somewhat unaware of everything that has been going on in their lives, and Beca couldn't be more grateful. He's getting bigger now, and will be starting preschool in the fall, which Beca still can't wrap her head around.

She's going to miss having her day-time buddy.

Beca searches in her purse for the keys before sliding them into the various locks. When she finally opens the apartment door, she's greeted with the bright lights of the kitchen, soft music playing from the speaker on the corner of the counter, and the smell of something – garlic bread, maybe – in the air.

They have definitely made the apartment more homey since the first couple of months in New York, but nothing makes it feel more like home than Beca laying her eyes on Henry, and watching him exclaim, just like his sister did, "Mama!"

Beca drops her bags and Callie slinks off to the side as Henry launches himself out of the counter stool. He runs across the kitchen – because he doesn't know how to walk these days – and jumps into Beca's waiting arms. Beca grunts as she lifts him and swings him side to side as she peppers his face with kisses. "Oh, I missed you so much, buddy."

He lets out a squeal as he bounces out of her hold. "Mama, me and Chloe… we did a huge puzzle today!" He reaches out to grab her hand, tugging her out of the front entry way and into the living room. Callie is emptying her backpack at the kitchen table, remaining silent as she does so. When Henry stops, they're standing over the coffee table . "Look!"

Beca rests her hand on her head as she looks down at the coffee table and the puzzle of the Bronx Zoo on top of it. "Wow! That's pretty amazing, monkey… how long did that take you?"

Henry shrugs, bouncing back onto the couch where his iPad is playing a random show though Beca is almost certain he hadn't been watching it when she came in. "I dunno. Like five hundred hours, pro'ly."

Beca nods, eyebrows raised. "You're probably right, bud. It looks like the hard work paid off though."

She reaches over to plant a kiss on Henry's head, before turning and refacing the kitchen. When she does so, Chloe is standing there with a smirk on her face, her arms crossed over her chest. "It definitely wasn't five hundred hours, but it took way longer than I thought it would. We've been working on it since Sunday."

Beca chuckles, closing the remaining distance between her and the redhead as Chloe meets her half-way. They give each other a brief hug, each of them holding on tightly, before separating. "Maybe only four hundred hours, then."

To put it bluntly, Beca and her kids would not have been able to make it through the last 15 months without Chloe Beale. The same goes for Stacie, Aubrey, and Emily, but, specifically, Chloe.

Gradually, Chloe once again became Beca's rock. It was a long process, one stalled by Beca's reluctance to get close to the other woman again, combined with the fact that Beca was clearly still working through some of her own trauma. And while that fact remains true, Chloe has undoubtedly become the person that Beca has relied on the most, especially through Theo's criminal trial and the subsequent proceedings following the car accident.

Most importantly, she has been amazing with the kids. In the months following the custody hearing, she spent more nights than not sleeping in the apartment with Beca and the kids, helping with Callie and Henry as they struggled and readjusted, and helped Beca handle the newly-added pressure and to cope with the new circumstances.

As the months passed, Chloe eventually moved back into her own apartment, though she continues to come over to Beca's most days. She has become a regular fixture at dinners, and they eat with the Conrad-Posens every Saturday (save for the ones where Callie is so temperamental that Beca knows that it is best just to keep everyone home). She has become another person that Callie and Henry can rely on, and she has reclaimed her title as 'best friend' even if Beca hasn't said it out loud.

And yes, there are still days where Beca wakes up feeling like she shouldn't even be talking to Chloe because of everything that has gone down. There are still days where she wakes up with an overwhelming amount of guilt for the ten-year-long-silence; and she is sure that is never going to go away – just like the nightmares, the anxiety, and the guilt associated with all things Theo-related never will go away. Some days are tougher than others. Some days she doesn't want to get out of bed. And, sure, those feelings and those harder days will lessen over time – they have already started to – but Beca doubts that they will ever go away completely.

(Her own therapist, along with everyone else in Beca's life, have agreed with that statement on more than one occasion).

But for now, Beca just reminds herself how grateful she is that Chloe – and Aubrey, Stacie, and Emily, as well as the other Bellas that she has spoken to over the phone yet has yet to see in person – have allowed her to come back into their lives. She definitely wouldn't be here without them.

Beca looks around the apartment: at the dinner Chloe is preparing in the kitchen; at her bags abandoned in the front hallway; at Henry on the couch already submerged in a game or a movie or a TV show on his tablet. She leans backwards so her voice carries more easily down the hall. "Callie? Did you say 'hello' to Chloe, bug?"

"Oh, Bec, it's—"

Beca shakes her head. She knows that Chloe understands what's been going on with Callie – she has been living through it with them, after all, but Beca also knows that Callie needs stability and structure – not the ability to do whatever she would like.

And it's because of that, that Callie starts trudging out of her room. Her eyes remain downcast, but she shuffles past Beca and heads over to where Chloe is standing and wraps her arms around her waist. Chloe plants a kiss on the top of her head, smoothing Callie's loose waves down from where she must have just taken them out of the braids they had previously been in. "Hi, sweetheart. How was your appointment?"

Callie just shrugs, pulling away and turning back to face Beca. Her eyes and her general demeanor just look so sad. So tired. It makes Beca's heart ache like very few things do. "Can I go lay down until dinner? I need some alone time, please."

It's a phrase that Beca was quick to teach Callie about a month after the accident and the custody hearing.

It is one that Callie now uses frequently, and almost always after her appointments with Andrea.

"Sure, bug. I'll come get you when dinner is ready."

Callie stops to give Beca one more hug before heading down to her bedroom and closing the door behind her. Beca turns back to Chloe with a tight-lipped smile and a sigh. "How did she do at school today?"

Chloe turns back to the stove, stirring the pot of pasta before it boils over. She lowers her voice so that Henry doesn't hear her (and perhaps so Callie doesn't hear her, either). "Um… she did alright. Got all of her work done. Didn't get into any arguments with any of the kids, so that's good. We ate lunch together, and she stayed in my room for the majority of the day, but all things considered…it was pretty good."

Beca begins to move her bags closer to the wall so they aren't in the middle of the floor. She won't unpack them until tonight, but they don't need to be out for someone to trip on. "I know I say this every day, but thank you. For everything that you do for her and Henry. And for watching them this past week. I couldn't have done it without you."

Chloe taps the spoon a few times on the side of the pot before resting it on the counter. "And you don't need to worry about doing it without me. I'm happy to help in whatever way I can." Her eyes flick to Beca's bag. "So? Everything's all set, right?"

Beca lets out a light laugh, walking over to her carry-on, unzipping the main pouch and reaching in to grab the file holder. She pulls it out, spreading out two sets of documents on the counter. "Yep. Both of them."

Chloe starts to look over the two documents that Beca flew across the country to obtain finalization for.

The two documents that Beca has been waiting the last decade for.

Her finalized divorce proceedings that both frees Beca from Theo's legal hold and frees her share of financial assets from his control.

And the court documents that state that Theo's parental rights to Callie and Henry have been terminated, justified by his violation of the protective order, his two, newly-charged felonies, and the negative impact that his presence and visitations had on Callie's and Henry's well-being.

All signed by Judge Campbell yesterday afternoon.

Chloe looks over them, gingerly touching each stack as though they're made of gold. "Wow. So, it's really all over now?"

Beca nods, letting out a heavy breath as she, too, looks at the papers. "Finally."


In the hours that pass, Beca, Chloe, and the kids eat the meal that Chloe prepared. They do the dishes, walk a block down the street to get the Beca-promised ice cream, make sure that Callie does her homework, and then Beca puts the kids to bed after three stories and two songs. As soon as the kids are tucked in – and hopefully sleeping – Beca and Chloe settle back down on the couch with their respective cups of tea, a blanket spread across the both of them.

They sit in a content silence for a bit, both of them watching the nighttime news that is playing quietly on the television. Eventually, Beca relaxes deeper into the cushions, her eyes already growing heavy from all of the traveling, plus the jet lag.

Chloe, too, shifts so that she's more on her side as she looks over at Beca. "So? How does it feel?"

"Hm?" Beca glances over at Chloe, placing her emptying mug on the coffee table and readjusting so that she isn't straining to look Chloe's way. "Oh. Um… God, does it sound completely cheesy to just say 'freeing'?"

Chloe gives her a soft smile, fighting back tears. "Not at all. I can't even imagine how good it must feel, after all this time."

Beca nods. "It's hard to believe that it even happened. The outcome was so uncertain for such a long time. And, like, the way it all went down… it's just… I wasn't sure if we'd ever get here."

"But you did. Now, you have a clean slate – a whole life for you and your kids ahead of you. Away from Theo, away from Los Angeles… do you know what you want to do next?"

Beca snorts. "Next? Besides worrying about when I'm going to get the kids' laundry done before dinner on Saturday?"

Chloe bounces a little on the couch. "Bec, you're finally free from Theo. You and the kids… he can never hurt you guys again. He doesn't have any power over you; he can't force you to do something that you don't want to do… so, do you know what you want to do next?"

Beca shakes her head, stretching back out over the couch. "Next, I'm going to sleep until I have to bring my daughter to school, and then I'm going to work to make sure that Henry and Callie are okay… just like always."

Chloe shrugs. "Well, I mean… that's a good start…" Chloe lets out a light laugh. The divorce has been just about finalized for months. But now, all of the i's have been dotted and the t's crossed. Chloe isn't going to let Beca just sit around and not celebrate. "What are we going to do for you?"

Beca rolls her eyes, brushing away Chloe's statement. She doesn't need something for her. She needs to be there for her kids; make sure that they are okay after their entire lives have been torn to shreds.

"Becccccc," Chloe groans, dragging out her name. "You've been spending so much time focusing on the kids and I get it – I really do – but…" She takes a deep breath. "Have you thought any more about what you might want to do about work?"

Following the accident, Beca's bosses from the record label finally reached out to her. The media had gotten a hold of the protective order and had seen their family court documents and apparently started putting pressure on the label for protecting her abusive husband. Beca had been staying away from the media and looking online, so she was a little unaware of what was going on, but apparently it was enough for the label to cave. It took a couple of months, but Global Records let Beca out of her contract and drew up a new one that made her the sole recipient of any royalties or additional income coming from her albums. Remarkably, with more people supporting her music following the truth coming out about Theo, she was able to pay Aubrey and Stacie back all of the money she owed them, began paying for the New York apartment on her own, and started making a nice living for herself and her kids.

Now, with the divorce settled and Beca's bank account being instantly refilled with all of the money that Theo stole from her under the guise of their marriage, she probably wouldn't need to work for some time.

But on a whole other level, Beca does need something to keep her occupied. She needs some sort of creative outlet – she always has. She has no interest in going back to performing – she told everyone at Global Records that during one of their many meetings over those first few months – but as to what comes next, whether it be producing, sound engineering, or something completely different; Beca has no idea.

"I mean, I've thought about it a little… but right now… with everything going on with Cal and Henry. I've gotta take it slow."

Chloe nods an understanding. She's come to learn that her excitement, especially concerning Beca and the kids, can sometimes be a little premature. She's learned, over time, that Beca and the kids often have to go at their own pace, with support, rather than added pressure. "Okay. Well, let me know if I can do anything to help."

Beca gives her a small smile. "Of course. Even though you've done so much already."

"Beca…"

"No, seriously, Chlo. As exciting as all of this is – with, with Theo no longer having any legal claim to me or the kids – I couldn't have done it without you. I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how much it all means to me. I know I didn't always make it easy."

Chloe swallows the thickness in her throat, forcing a tight-lipped smile on her face as she fights back her tears. "I'd do anything for you guys. You're my family."

Beca's heart swells with an extreme fondness and gratefulness that she has grown to associate with Chloe. It's funny, in all honesty, because more often than not, when she feels these emotions, she's transported back to her college days. It's hard to believe that she is able to have Chloe back in her life, in a capacity so similar to the relationship they used to have.

But before she has an opportunity to say anything to that effect, the opening of the bedroom door down the hall stops the words from spilling from Beca's mouth. Both her and Chloe freeze, turning to look down the hallway, until Callie is standing in front of them with a tear-stained face and a timid stance. "Mama?"

Beca moves the blanket off of her lap. "Hi, bug. What's up? Did you have a bad dream?"

For Beca, the nightmares have slowly started disappearing. For Callie, they have become more and more frequent.

Callie nods, reaching out her arms to Beca as Beca engulfs her in a hug. She holds Callie against her chest, rubbing her hand up and down her back as Callie takes a shaky breath in, her breath hitching. "It's okay, baby, you're safe. You're at home with me, and Henry, and Chloe… you're safe."

It's moments like these that remind Beca just how far they still have to go to heal from Theo's influence. And it breaks Beca's heart.

"Come on, bug, let's get you back in bed." Beca stands, holding Callie close to her side as tears continue to stream down her face. She turns around to face Chloe. "I'll be right back."

Chloe shakes her head, standing from the couch as she tries to keep on a light-hearted face for a distraught Callie. She hates seeing her like this. "No, that's okay, Bec, I'll head out. I'll see you in the morning?"

Beca, fighting both exhaustion and Callie's tightening grip, manages a nod. "Alright. See you tomorrow. Thank you – again."

"Of course. Night, Bec." She cautiously makes her way over to Callie, before squatting down and laying a brief kiss on Callie's cheek. "Night Cal. Sweet dreams, baby girl."

"Night, Chlo." Callie whispers her response, leaning tiredly against Beca as she does so.

Beca gives Chloe a small wave before guiding Callie back to the bedroom, leaving Chloe to head out of the apartment, to her own, empty one, that is waiting for her.

Though Chloe wants nothing more than to stay in the one that she's walking away from.


Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I look forward to hearing any thoughts that you may want to share :)

See you next Wednesday!