Jesse didn't realize he was hungry until he started eating. He knew the food on his plate wasn't the greatest thing he had ever tasted because come on, it's hospital cafeteria food, but it sure felt like the best thing he ever had. He glanced at Beca who had just slapped Amy's hand away from her tray then picked up the muffin on his tray. "Here you go, Amy."
"Thanks, mate," Fat Amy thanked, gratefully accepting the muffin he offered.
As his mouth was full of grilled cheese, he settled for nodding. "You don't have to be so gallant, Jesse," Beca deadpanned. "I'm sure Amy can go get her own muffins."
He shrugged. "I'm paying, anyway." Getting hiccups from eating in a rush, Jesse grabbed his coffee and shugged some of it down.
"Amy!" Beca called when Fat Amy took the muffin that Beca had been trying to keep her from taking.
"You weren't going to eat it," Fat Amy shrugged.
"Doesn't mean you can have it, besides, Jesse just gave you his."
Fat Amy shrugged in response and got kicked in the shin by Beca. "Very mature, Beca."
"Oh, like you're one to talk about maturity," Beca snorted.
Jesse could tell that the bickering was harmless because they reminded him of himself and his siblings.
"Ladies," he called. "Is a muffin really worth fighting?" he questioned.
"She started it," they said in unison, pointing fingers at each other and causing Jesse to chuckle.
He tried to keep a straight face when Beca tilted her head to glare at him, Fat Amy didn't seem to mind him.
"Hey, Amy," he called. "Does Beca have an accent I don't know of?" He had asked Beca before and she said no but he had to check. Beca, after all, forgot to mention the fact that her mother was Aussie and that she had lived in Australia even if it was for a few years before she moved to the United States.
"No," Amy answered him and he'll admit he was a little bummed out. "But she can pull off a decent Aussie accent." He tilted his head to look at Beca and gave her puppy dog eyes, matching them with a grin that spoke louder than words.
"No," Beca shook her head.
"Oh, come on, Beca."
"Ask her after a few drinks," Fat Amy suggested. "She'll do it."
"Duly noted." He picked up his sandwich and took a bite. "If I hadn't met your mother, would you have ever told me she's Australian?" he mumbled as he chewed.
"Didn't think it's important."
"It's interesting," he replied.
"When did you meet Eliza?" Fat Amy wanted to know.
"At the ICCAs," he answered, frowning a little at the look Fat Amy and Beca shared. "What?"
"Nothing," Beca spoke before Fat Amy could.
"Did your mother say something about me?" he questioned then tilted his head to look at Fat Amy when Beca said nothing in response.
The blonde shook her head, "Don't look at me. Beca never tells me anything. She definitely didn't wake me up in the middle of the night to tell me what Eliza had to say about you."
"Damn it, Amy!"
Jesse rested his cheek against the palm of his hand after placing his elbow on the table and tilting his head to look at Beca.
"It's nothing, really. Just some awkward mother-daughter talk," Beca grumbled.
"Ehh, it was more than that," Fat Amy sang and received a glare from her friend. "Let's just say that if you by some chance decide to start dating your ship has a captain."
"Ship?" Jesse glanced at the blonde.
"Relationship. You have Eliza's blessings if you two picked up the shagging and threw monogamy and romance into the mix," Fat Amy said. "You need to get up to date with the modern lingo, old man."
Jesse sat up. "I did not see this coming," he admitted.
"Me neither," Fat Amy added. "When exactly were you going to tell me that this is your guy?" she questioned her friend while she nodded at Jesse.
"Jess's isn't my guy," Beca rolled her eyes.
"Right, Tarzan is," Fat Amy replied and Beca rolled her eyes yet again.
"I have so many questions about what your mother said but first who's Tarzan?" Jesse asked.
"No one," Beca told him so he turned to Fat Amy.
"A guy Beca humped and didn't completely dump," Fat Amy told him.
"Not true," Beca denied.
"Really now?" Fat Amy challenged.
"We just hung out sometimes and that was it." Beca nodded.
"Then why is he posting pathetic poems for status on Facebook that are a hundred percent about you?"
"I wasn't aware of that." Beca frowned and accepted Fat Amy's phone a minute later. "See for yourself."
Jesse peeked his head to look at the screen and snickered once he saw for himself what Fat Amy was talking about. "Wow," Jesse dragged the word sarcastically. "Looks like Tarzan found his Jane in you, Becs," he continued and joined Fat Amy when she began singing You'll Be in My Heart from Tarzan under her breath.
"You guys are assholes," Beca deadpanned to which the pair currently getting weird glances for the soft singing shrugged.
"She can't be here for Chloe, right?" Beca asked once she glanced at Jesse and found him already looking where she was as she, Jesse, and Fat Amy made their way towards the elevator to go up to Chloe's room and say hi before the girls left. With the kind of relationship Jesse and Chloe had, Beca doubted Chloe would still be friends with the woman that broke Jesse's heart in the shittiest way ever.
"I don't know," he replied and reached for the elevator button, pressing it.
Beca glanced yet again at the woman before fixating on the elevator door. She could feel herself get riled up as she thought about the emotional damage Hollie did to Jesse.
And, of course, she'd climb into the elevator with them. "Hey, Jesse," Hollie greeted, sounding unsure. Jesse nodded curtly at her then smiled, looking outside of the elevator, hearing someone ask them to hold the door. Fat Amy kept the door from closing until the blonde was in the elevator.
"Aubrey," he called. "Long time, no see. How have you been?"
"I've been very busy," she sighed, smiling back at him. "It's quite the hassle managing a business without your partner," she added.
Jesse nodded, a small sympathetic smile on his lips, as he eyed the blonde with whom his sister-in-law shared a wedding planning business. "Well, I'm here if you need help," he offered, despite knowing how unlikely Aubrey would take him up on it—she had a lot of pride.
"Actually, we need someone to look at the numbers," she told him and he had a hard time keeping his expression neutral because Aubrey Posen just accepted his help. "I know you quit your job but do you think you could do some financial analysis us? Business' booming and we'd like to some consulting on what to do next." She cleared her throat and Jesse knew it killed her a little to ask for his advice.
Chloe probably told Aubrey not to ask Jesse for his financial assistance because he hated his former job with passion and wanted nothing to do with it yet Aubrey still asked, so she must really need his help.
"Sure, Aubrey." He nodded. "Just let me know when and I'll drop by the office," he added, quickly glancing at Beca who was glaring at Hollie.
"You quit your job?" Hollie asked in confusion and he replied with a hum. He saw her as soon as she stepped inside the hospital and decided he was going to ignore her thus missed Aubrey when she entered the hospital. He could tell Beca had other plans and that worried him slightly, though.
"Well, what do you do now?" she asked and he could hear Beca inhale sharply.
"And, why do you care?" Beca asked back.
"Excuse me?" Hollie frowned, taken aback with Beca's choice of word and tone.
"Did I stutter?" Beca questioned.
"Jesse, who's this? Your girlfriend?" Hollie said instead of replying to Beca's question.
"Oh, I'm just his friend. But if I were his girlfriend I definitely wouldn't fuck his best friend while we're together," Beca spoke before Jesse could. "And, because I'm his friend I won't just stand here and listen to your pathetic attempt at small talk. So, do us all a favor and don't." Feeling Jesse's fingers dig into her arm, Beca figured she should leave it at that.
"I don't want things to be weird between us, Jesse." Hollie began to say, looking at Jesse. "Like, put it all behind us and who knows possibly be friends?"
Guess won't be leaving it at that. "Friends? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Beca questioned. "Are you, like, delusional or something?" she paused, needing a second because the thought of sucker punching Hollie crossed her mind and it was quite appealing. "Just fuck off."
"Jesse, are you gonna say something or are gonna let your little attorney talk to me like that?"
"Yeah, of course," he nodded as he subtly unfisted Beca's hand, noticing that her knuckles were turning white. "Eh, what she said." He pointed at Beca with his free hand.
Luckily they didn't have to stay in the same small space longer because the elevator reached their level.
"This is my fault," Aubrey spoke once the elevator door closed, leaving Hollie behind, and they were walking towards Chloe's room. "I ran into her in the parking lot, she told me she was here visiting a relative and asked why I'm here. I should have told her not to come."
"It's okay, Aubrey," Jesse told her with a shrug as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants once he realized he was still holding Beca's hand.
"Just so you know, if Beca tried to punch her I would have helped and not just because I don't want Beca to hurt herself trying to beat someone bigger than her." Fat Amy patted his shoulder.
"Thanks, Amy," he replied. "But I'd appreciate it more if you'd stop Beca if she had tried to punch Hollie," he was saying as Aubrey knocked on the door of Chloe's room before she unlocked it.
"Are we allowed in?" Aubrey asked, peeking her head.
"Of course you are," Chloe told her, beaming her business partner/best friend before she looked behind her and saw Beca walking as well as Fat Amy and Jesse.
"Hey, Chloe," Beca greeted, waving at the redhead. "Congrats. Um, this is my friend Amy she drove us here." She gestured at Fat Amy not knowing what else to say.
"Fat Amy," Fat Amy corrected, earning a confused from both Chloe and Aubrey. "So twig bitches like you don't do it behind my back," she explained.
"Well, thank you for getting Adam from the airport," Chloe thanked, getting over what Fat Amy had just said. "And for calling me a twig bitch, I sure don't feel very twiggy," she let out a humorless chuckle then sniffled, getting emotional.
"Aw, honey, you're twiggy alright." Adam placed a peck on her cheek. "You just gained healthy baby weight that you will lose." He pecked her cheek again.
"I'll make you lose it," Aubrey assured her friend as she patted the redhead's thigh. "So, don't worry about that."
"Thanks, Bree," Chloe smiled.
"So, what did you name your rug rat?" Fat Amy went on to ask as Chloe handed Aubrey her baby.
"Excuse me?" Chloe frowned, using the back of her hand to wipe her nose.
"Baby, she means baby," Beca spoke. "That's Aussie slang for baby."
"Iris Lana," Adam answered, rubbing Chloe's arm as he rested his head against hers.
"She's so precious," Aubrey gushed before handed her to Jesse.
"Hey, Iris Lana," Jesse softly said to his baby niece. "We've already met earlier but I didn't properly introduce myself, I'm Jesse, your favorite uncle." He grinned at the infant whose eyes were barely open.
"You can hold her if you want," Chloe said as she watched Beca stroke the newborn's cheek who was in her uncle's arms.
Beca stepped back when Jesse looked up. "She can't bite even she wanted to, she's got no teeth yet," he mumbled, smiling at the eye-roll he received, and held Iris Beca's way. She let out a breath and carefully took the baby from him.
"Beca, introduce yourself, don't just hold her awkwardly, you'll weird her out," Jesse told her.
"How could I possibly weird out an infant?" Beca asked. "Pretty sure she doesn't fully comprehend the fact that she's no longer in her mother's womb yet."
"Fine, I'll do it for you," he sighed and threw an arm around Beca's shoulder as he leaned down. "Iris, sweetie, this is Beca, she'll have your back if assholes who hurt you try to breathe the same air as you." He placed a small peck on his niece's forehead.
"She's so adorable, I might steal and raise her as my own," Jesse mumbled. "Can I steal her and raise her as my own?" He looked at his brother and sister-in-law.
"We had fun making her and we'd like to keep her so no," Adam answered. "Now, tell me." He sat up. "Who's picking Chloe's folks up from the airport?" he wondered looking between Jesse and Aubrey.
"I'll go," Jesse told him.
"Might wanna hold a sign, they may not recognize you with that beard," Adam advised. "Hell, our parents wouldn't recognize you... don't shave until I've thought a practical joke to pull on them when they're back from their cruise."
"I don't plan to shave anytime soon, so, you got it, man." Jesse shrugged.
"You guys really need to grow up and start behaving your age," Aubrey told the brothers. "You just had a baby." She pointed at Adam. "And, you," she sighed, looking at Jesse. "You should probably shave to look your age, that beard isn't doing you any favors."
"What, do I look old and wise?" Jesse grinned.
"No, you look old and sad," Aubrey told him.
"I'm not sad," he replied. "I'm actually the happiest I've been in a while."
"Yet somehow you look like you live on the streets and possibly have killed a squirrel or a cat recently to eat for lunch. Might even be dabbling in male prostitution," Fat Amy noted. "Which isn't working out for you since instead of attracting clients you scare them off and no one wants to be your pimp."
"Amy, I think I get it, you can stop," Jesse told the blonde.
"Don't listen to them, I think you look... fine," Chloe said and slapped Adam's chest when he snorted. "I've never seen you so carefree and it suits you," she added.
"Thanks, Chlo," he smiled at her.
"But you could always use hair conditioner and trim it a little," she grimaced.
"Or just shave," Adam chimed in. "But not until we go through with the prank," he quickly added.
"I think you look perfect," Beca blurted out and as a consequence, everyone in the room looked at her. "Not perfect in the literal sense because perfection is overrated." She shrugged. "You're perfect when you're most comfortable in your skin," she went on to ramble before she tilted her head to look at Jesse who she could feel gazing at her. "Even if means looking like a hobo," she continued, meeting his gaze.
"Looks Iris agrees with you, Beca," Chloe chuckled when Iris cooed.
Beca looked away from Jesse's eyes because the look in them was starting to make her uncomfortable and she wasn't fond of the uncharacteristic feeling in the pit of her stomach that was behind her discomfort.
"No, I think she wants her mommy," Beca remarked and rushed to give baby Iris to her mother.
"Jesse, you should probably head out if you wanna beat traffic," Adam noted.
"Right," Jesse nodded. "Bec, you heading back to Barden?" he asked.
"Yep," Beca replied, stuffing her hands in her back pockets. "I have to get the bus back in the garage before anyone notices we took it."
"Oh, Aubrey, Beca's a Bella," Chloe informed.
"Really?" Aubrey said in surprise. "Huh, you seem a little alternative to be a Bella."
"Bellas aren't stuck up bitches anymore, Aubrey," Jesse told the blonde. "Looking like Victoria's secret rejects isn't a priority, no offense."
"None taken," Chloe replied while Aubrey narrowed her eyes at him.
"I'm just saying, Beca doesn't look like she'd be into A Cappella all together," Aubrey elaborated.
"Is it the tattoos?" Beca asked, flipping Aubrey off while pretending to show her the tattoo on the side of her middle finger. Her action made both Adam and Fat Amy chuckle.
"Becs led the Bellas into winning the ICCAs," he let her know. "The Barden Bellas made history thanks to her."
"I heard the Bellas's set was quite spectacular," Aubrey acknowledged.
"It was awesome," Jesse grinned as he reached to open the door.
"Welp, it was really nice seeing you, guys, again. And, meeting you, Aubrey," she smiled tightly meeting the blonde's gaze before she walked past her and out of the room.
"You didn't have to do that," Beca mumbled as she, Jesse, and Fat Amy made their way to the elevator.
"Aubrey can be a bit of a bitch sometimes, didn't want you guys to fight." He shrugged. "She's great once you get to know her."
"I'm sure she is," Beca replied dryly.
"Thanks, by the way," he said while nudging her. "When I first saw her my initial plan was to just ignore her but I like your approach better."
"Well, someone had to say something. I mean, the nerve with that woman, ugh."
"You regret not throwing that punch, don't you," Fat Amy guessed and was met with a curt nod from her friend.
AN: The next chapter won't be expository like this one, I promise. I'm not a big fan of exposition myself so I understand if this felt very bleh. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed it. Your feedback is very much appreciated.