"Hey Scout, we're home." Beca says, opening her door, causing the overhead light to come on.
Lucy lets out a little groan and blinks her eyes open. As soon as she realizes where they are, she unbuckles and rushes out of the parking garage. Beca and Chloe exchange amused glances while they ride the elevator up to their apartment. Lucy takes the keys from Beca. She can't get the door open fast enough.
Her sneakers scuff on the marble floor, but she continues down the hall, into her bedroom, ignoring her sister's request for her to take her wet shoes off.
"Hi Finch, I'm home, buddy." She says, quietly, kneeling down next to the crate.
He is sound asleep on his bed, just where she left him. There's less water in his bowl than there was before she left, so she knows he has been awake, at least once. She opens the door and rouses him. He lets out a little yelp and crawls onto her lap. Her fingers brush through his fur as she lets out a relieved sigh.
"I told you he'd be okay." Beca says, arms crossed over her chest.
Lucy looks over her shoulder, unamused. She picks up the puppy and kisses his head.
"Let's take him out quick, okay? I have more work I have to do, and you need to get to bed."
Beca hadn't thought about the fact that Lucy having to take the dog out, meant that someone had to take Lucy out… she really wishes she had thought about that. She pulls her coat tighter around her shoulders and bounces on the balls of her feet. The wind has been relentless the past few days and she already knows that one, if not all three of them, are going to get sick again. She's falling down the usual rabbithole of worry when Lucy interrupts.
"Beca?"
"Hm?"
"Does Chloe not want Fletcher to have a baby?"
"What are you talking about?"
Lucy picks the puppy up as they walk back toward their building. She's wanted to ask this question since Chloe's impromptu trip to Georgia, but she hasn't been able to work up enough nerve to actually do it. She figures, now, with Chloe not around, is probably her best bet.
"I don't know. She's been different since she went to see her parents."
"What do you mean, different?"
"I don't know, sadder, I guess. But like she's trying really hard not to be. And that's what that trip was about, wasn't it?"
They walk through the main entrance of their building. Beca pulls Lucy over to two of the lounge chairs in the corner. She knows they can't go back upstairs having this conversation, and now that she's asked, there's no way Lucy is dropping the subject.
"It's complicated."
"Why?"
Every time Beca thinks she has a handle on how to talk to Lucy, she is thrown into a conversation that leaves her scrambling. She doesn't know how to explain the depths of this situation to Lucy in a way that is both satisfying to her curiosity, and age appropriate; although if she's being honest, her sister is probably more emotionally mature than she is.
"Is she jealous?" Lucy asks, when Beca takes too long to answer.
"I think a little bit, yeah. This year has been hard on all of us, that means Chloe too."
Lucy looks down at Finch in her lap. She hadn't really thought about it that way. Chloe has been there for them through every second of the last six months, except for that one week that they don't talk about.
"She's lived through it all too. She's had to watch while two of the people she loves have gone through the deepest pain they've ever felt. And no matter how much she's helped us, I think there is always a part of her that feels like she could do more."
"That's crazy."
"No, that's just Chloe. She wants to be everything for everyone."
Lucy scrunches up her nose, "But what does that have to do with Fletcher's baby?"
"Chloe wants to have a baby too."
"Oh."
"She's finally figured out something that she wants for herself." She adds the last part like an afterthought before continuing, "She has something that she wants really really badly, and I think she feels a little guilty about that. And there's also the fact that we can't have kids as easily as other couples, and the wedding needs to happen first."
Lucy hadn't ever thought that Beca and Chloe would have babies. She doesn't know why the idea has never crossed her mind. It makes sense, even if the thought of it makes her own stomach feel weird.
"Like I said, it's complicated, and there's not much we can do about it tonight."
"You want to have a baby too?"
Beca nods, it's slow but sure. Lucy copies her, unsure of what her reaction should be.
"Don't say anything about this to Chloe, okay? She's working through it, in her own time. We need to be respectful of that and let her come to us if she wants."
"Okay."
Beca puts a hand on Lucy's shoulder and guides her over to the elevator. The ride up is quiet, other than slight panting from Finch.
Lucy puts him down as soon as they're inside. She walks over to Chloe, who is sitting on the couch watching the news.
"Hi," Chloe says, a little startled when Lucy basically climbs on top of her, she snakes her arms around her waist and gives her a tight hug, "oh my gosh, you're freezing."
Lucy doesn't laugh, or let go, or look up at her face. She suddenly feels protective of Chloe; she's never felt that way before.
"What's this for?"
Lucy shrugs, but keeps her spot, "I love you."
Chloe looks up at Beca, for an answer or an explanation, but she's just met with an amused smirk and a shrug. Chloe squeezes Lucy back and rests her cheek on top of Lucy's hair.
"Thank you, sweet girl. I love you too."
"Hey Peach," Lincoln greets her as she walks into their biology class on Monday morning, "how was your weekend?"
"It was good. Yours?"
"It was alright. My mom was gone at a conference so I had the place to myself."
"You were home alone all weekend?" Lucy asks, her eyes widen at the very idea. "Weren't you scared?"
"Nah, I do it all the time. She'll be back tomorrow."
She adds the last part with a shrug, as if it makes it any more normal.
"When did she leave?"
"Thursday morning. It's really not a big deal."
The more Lucy gets to know Lincoln, the better she is able to read her. That's why she can tell so obviously now that she's sad.
"Do you want to come over to my house after school today?"
It's abrupt, and Lucy knows there was probably a better way to change the subject, but Lincoln smiles anyway.
"You don't have band practice?"
"Not today. We can do our homework and maybe watch a movie."
"Beca and Chloe won't care?"
"Are you kidding? They like you more than they like me. Besides, they're so busy planning their wedding they're pretty much letting me do whatever I want."
Lincoln gives a smirk and her eyes lighten, just a little, as she nods.
"Okay, sounds good."
"Hey Beca, you got a second?" Matt asks, peeking his head around the door.
"Sure, what's up?"
Beca puts her headphones down around her neck and sits up a little straighter in her chair.
"So, I wanted to talk to you about new music."
She smirks, "Isn't that like all we talk about?"
"I mean new music from you."
"Ah, I see."
"Bec, you've been doing amazing stuff on the production side of things. But I fear that we're losing public interest in you as a name. We're going to need to fast track an EP."
"Fast track, by how much?"
"Summer."
If she could see her own face, she feels like her eyes would be bulging out of her head like a cartoon character.
"Summer? This summer? That's fast."
"I know."
"My first album just came out and I haven't even-"
"I know. And I wouldn't normally put pressure on an artist so soon, you know that. But with your lack of tour dates, and with cutting the press tour short, there are just a lot of factors to consider."
"Uh yeah, yeah, you're right."
"Four songs. Maybe five. I'm not looking for anything nearly as demanding as Days of Plenty, that was your baby, and I get that. I just need something of quality. A little taste to tide people over."
"To keep making money." Beca supplies.
"That's not the main focus but we also need to be smart. I know this year has been…" He doesn't finish the sentence, Beca decides it's probably because he doesn't know, at all, what this year has been like for her.
"Yeah, I got it. Thanks for the heads up."
He slaps his hands down on his knees before pushing himself up out of the chair.
"Alright, start thinking on it. We'll have a meeting early next week to talk about next steps and listen to what you've got so far."
Once he's gone, Beca rests her head against her desk. Whatever calm she thought was entering her life, is once again blown to pieces.
"Hi sweet girl." Chloe greets Lucy outside of the school.
"Hi, can Lincoln come over?"
The thought that Lucy waited until they were both standing in front of her to ask, doesn't go unnoticed. She knows that the older Lucy gets, the smarter she'll get, and soon they'll be in a lot of trouble; as soon as she realizes she can use her intelligence to get away with a lot worse than getting Chloe to agree to a friend coming over.
"Yeah, of course, does your mom know where you'll be?"
Lucy thinks to herself that her mom probably doesn't care one way or the other. She turns to Lincoln who is already giving her a warning look.
"I'll text her."
Chloe nods and starts walking. Lucy and Lincoln lag behind her, talking quietly. Every once in a while she can hear a giggle or a scoff and it makes her smile.
Beca walks through the front door and drops her bags on the small bench, with a dramatic flourish. Chloe looks up from her spot at the stove and smiles.
"Quite the entrance, Bec."
"Thank you." Beca says, moving over to wrap her arms around Chloe's waist. She kisses just below her ear and says, "How was your day?"
"Good, I think I found a photographer for the wedding."
"Really, already?
"Mhm, her portfolio is on the table for you to take a look at."
"Damn lady, you work fast."
"I don't have a lot of time to work with if we want to stick to the date we talked about. I have to work fast."
"Six months is plenty of time, what are you talking about?"
Beca walks over, grabs a beer from the refrigerator and hops up to sit on the counter.
"That's nothing. You've never planned a wedding before, you wouldn't know."
"You've never planned a wedding either. Unless there was a secret marriage in there somewhere that you forgot to mention."
Chloe snaps her fingers, "I knew there was something I was supposed to tell you."
"Funny girl."
"How was work?"
Chloe puts the large spoon, that she's been using to stir, down and leans back against the counter.
"It was good. Matt's already on me about new music. He wants to plan on releasing an EP this summer."
"That soon?"
"He's worried that without the momentum of a proper press tour, and without live performances, that my name recognition is going to tank. I get where he's coming from, it's just, all of this couldn't have come at a worse time, you know?"
"Don't say that."
"It's true. I wish I could have started at the label like a year earlier than I did."
"Yeah, it would have made everything a lot easier. But that's not the way things worked out. So we just have to find a way to balance it all."
"That's a lot easier said than done."
Chloe's gentle smile stays on her face, but her eyes take their time observing each of Beca's features. She looks tired, but not overly stressed, which is a rarity these days. She knows the coming months don't leave much opportunity for relaxation, she just hopes that the chaos that fills them is happy chaos.
"I noticed an extra pair of shoes by the door, I take it Lincoln is here."
"Mhm, they're doing their homework."
"Sure they are."
"Can you go tell them dinner is ready?"
Beca hops down from her spot and walks toward Lucy's room. From outside the door, she can hear giggling. Lucy's laugh is on her list of top ten favorite sounds; it ranks up there along with the way Chloe says her name, the guitar riff from The Smiths' This Charming Man, The Bellas' voices when they hit a perfect harmony, and the echoes on the city streets late at night. Lucy's laugh is bright, and bubbly, and she's incredibly thankful she's been hearing more and more of it lately. She knocks on the door, but doesn't wait for an answer before pushing it open.
"Hi Beca." Lincoln greets her first.
Lucy and Lincoln are sitting against the wall on Lucy's bed. Lucy has her laptop open on her legs. They are laughing at a video. Beca can see the reflection of a Youtube page in the lenses of Lucy's reading glasses.
"Hi guys."
"Hey Bec."
"How's the homework going?"
"Oh, we finished that like half an hour ago."
"So, what are you doing now?"
"Nothing." Lucy says.
When it's clear she's not going to say anything else Beca clicks her tongue and says,
"Alright then, good talk. Dinner is ready."
"Okay, we'll be there in a second."
Beca walks back out of the room. She is beyond happy that Lucy has found a stable friend in Lincoln. But she isn't so sure she's happy about there being another avenue of her sister's life where she isn't aware of everything that's happening; another place where she can't protect her. She wants to know it all, but she doesn't want to be the nosy, overbearing parent, like so many of her friend's had when she was growing up. She sighs and goes to set the table.
"I should probably get home." Lincoln says.
It's been nearly an hour since they finished dinner and Lucy hadn't even thought about Lincoln leaving.
"You're going home?"
"Uh, yeah, that's where I live."
Lucy stands up and steps in front of the door, blocking her way out.
"You should just stay here."
"What?"
"I mean, it beats going home to an empty house and having to be all by yourself, right?"
Lincoln seems to think it over. She shrugs and says,
"I'm sure it won't be a problem. I'll ask my sister."
"I should probably just go home."
Lucy squints, just slightly, confused by Lincoln's hesitation. They have become pretty close recently and she doesn't see why there would be an issue. She is also a little confused about why she is so determined to get Lincoln to stay. Lincoln has been living this way longer than they've known each other, she doesn't need Lucy to protect her. But now that Lucy is around, she doesn't want her to be alone anymore.
Lincoln moves around Lucy and walks down the hallway to find her shoes. It's been dark for hours at this point and Lucy knows Beca and Chloe won't let her walk home alone.
"You ready to go, kid?" Beca asks, from her spot at the kitchen counter.
"Uh, yeah, I'm good."
Lucy's heartbeat quickens, she knows she has to make a decision, quick, about what she's going to do. Before she can fully think it through she blurts out,
"Lincoln's mom isn't home."
"What?" Beca asks, only half paying attention, while putting on her own shoes.
"Lucy." Lincoln says, through gritted teeth.
"Her mom is on a work trip. She isn't home."
"Is that true?" Beca asks, now standing up straight, and looking between the two girls.
"Uh yeah, she's gone until tomorrow."
Beca puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head, slowly. She looks around, probably waiting for Chloe to jump into the conversation but she's been MIA for the last hour.
"Why didn't you tell us that?"
Lincoln shrugs, "I don't know. I didn't want to get in trouble."
"You're not in trouble." Beca reassures her, "But you know I can't let you go home either. You can sleep in the guest room, or Lucy's room, tonight. Wherever you're most comfortable."
Lincoln doesn't make eye contact with Beca but she nods so she knows that she heard her.
"And Lincoln," Beca waits until she looks up at her, "next time your mom is out of town just tell us. You're always welcome here."
"Thank you."
Lincoln walks quickly out of the room, and back into Lucy's bedroom. Lucy looks at Beca who is already looking back at her. She has her arms crossed over her chest, leaning against the wall, now.
"She's mad at me now."
"You did the right thing. You just maybe could have done it a little differently."
"Yeah, I know. I was just worried about her."
"I know you were."
Lucy trudges down the hall, just like Lincoln did, but she doesn't go into her bedroom, instead she goes to Beca and Chloe's. Beca waits to see what she's doing. She reemerges a moment later, with sweatpants, knowing hers would be too short for Lincoln's legs. She gives Beca one more look before closing her own bedroom door behind her.
"Here." She says, placing them on the bed.
"You shouldn't have done that."
"Look, next time if you'd really rather stay home alone than be here with me, that's fine. I won't say anything again. I'm sorry."
Lucy feels herself beginning to get upset, although she doesn't know why; not really.
"It's not that. I just-"
"What is it then?"
Lincoln falls silent again. She bites down and peels a sizable piece of skin off of her bottom lip. She runs her socked foot over the carpet to give herself something to focus on. When she looks back up into Lucy's eyes, they look similar to the night that she told Lucy about her dad.
"I'm just not used to people caring enough about me to do stuff like that."
"Well," Lucy hovers over a few different sentences, unsure what the right one is, but she decides on, "get used to it."
"Everything okay?" Chloe asks, from her spot on the bed, when Beca walks into the room a little while later. "Lucy came in, stole some of my sweatpants and left."
"They're for Lincoln. I guess she's been home alone, her mom is on a work trip."
"For how long?"
"I don't know. She definitely didn't want Lucy to tell me though."
"She's only thirteen and she was going to be alone overnight? That's…"
"Crazy. I know." Beca runs her hand up and down Chloe's thigh, "But she's here for the night, safe and sound, if only a little miffed."
"Why wouldn't she want Lucy to tell us that?"
Beca sighs, "She said she didn't want to get in trouble."
"Meaning she didn't want to get her mom in trouble."
"Bingo. Have you met her mom?"
"Once." Chloe says, but squints as she thinks harder about it. "I think. I'm not sure actually."
Beca looks into Chloe's eyes. She's met with the same loving gaze as always, but right now it's cloaked in worry, and sleepiness.
"I think there is much more to that kid than we know."
"Does that make you nervous? Like what happened with Poppy might happen again?"
"No." Beca says, shaking her head.
"You sound pretty confident about that."
"I've seen the way she looks at Lucy. I don't think we have anything to worry about."
Chloe smirks and lays her head back against her pillow.
"Wait, so you think she might-"
"No, no, no," Beca interrupts her, "we're not talking about that. They're babies."
"They're twelve and thirteen, I think it's right around the time that we need to start talking about that."
Beca flops down lower on the bed, she looks over at Chloe, with a pout on her lips.
"She's getting too old too fast. I don't like it."
"I know." Chloe agrees, "But, seriously, do you think they like each other?"
"I have no clue. Even if they do, I don't think anything will happen. God, imagine Lucy dating one day, she's so little and tiny and awkward."
"Wonder where she gets that from."
Beca laughs, "Hey now, watch yourself. I landed you, didn't I?"
"Mhm."
Chloe crawls over her and kisses her lips. Like always, she's soft and smells good. It makes Beca's heart flutter. Chloe rests her head on her chest. Beca can only vaguely remember the time where this felt out of the ordinary; it's a distant and foreign memory. She wouldn't ever want to go back to it, but she also hopes she never manages to forget those last little bits of it.
"Chlo?"
"Yeah?"
"I can't wait to be married to you."
Chloe laughs inaudibly, but Beca can feel the gentle quake of her rib cage against her and she knows she's smiling. She runs her finger tips over her back gently, while she waits to fall asleep. She hopes, one day, in the very very very distant future, that Lucy finds this. She just doesn't want to see too much of it, or hear any of the details. But yeah, she definitely wants Lucy to have this.
