It was just about time for Aubrey to drop Ava off and Beca had finished up cleaning her apartment for the thousandth time.
"Beca chill. You're gonna wear yourself out before she even gets here." Stacie pleaded watching Beca run around cleaning the already cleaned furniture.
"I can't let Aubrey see my place in shambles. She's leaving her daughter here and I will not look like I slum it."
"But Beca you do slum it. Seriously, when did you buy a mop?" Stacie asked.
"This afternoon."
"Exactly! You're just trying to impress her and trust me your place looks fine now come sit down. You're making me nervous."
Beca took the spot next to Stacie on the couch and placed her head in Stacie's lap with a sigh,
"What's wrong Becs?"
"She's so perfect Stace. I want her to see that I can be good for her, to her and her daughter."
Stacie laughed, "Beca, you don't need to prove anything to anyone. Aubrey likes you I just know it. Just be patient honey and it'll work out."
"I feel like my 14-year-old self when I discovered…feelings. I haven't felt this nervous and anxious over another person in a long time."
"Love will do the damndest things to people." Stacie replied rubbing Beca's head.
"Language!" Skylar yelled from the living room floor.
"Oops! Sorry Sky."
"What time is it anyways?" Beca asked.
"Ten til 6."
"What are you gonna do tonight Stace?"
"Actually, I met someone right after I left here earlier."
"Ohhh, is he cute?"
"Well he is a she and yes, very." Stacie said proudly.
"Romantic date or Winging it?"
"Winging it. You know I just go with the flow Becs."
Beca rolled her eyes, she hated to admit it, but Stacie was right. She drug her dates wherever to see if they could keep up with her, it made the chase more fun for Stacie, "I wonder what Aubrey is gonna do?"
Beca hadn't thought about it, ok she did, but it was all negative. Thoughts of Aubrey just using her, so she could go on a date was her worst fear, but she tried to look past it.
"No idea. She doesn't seem to get out very much. Maybe hang out with some old friends I suppose? Beca said as the doorbell rang. "Holy crap they're here!" Beca tucked her head further into Stacie's lap to hide.
"Alright Becs, if you wanted to get in my pants all you had to do was ask."
Beca lurched from Stacie's…area…and made her way to the door, taking a deep breath before opening it,
"Beca hi!" Aubrey greeted and placed a small kiss on the brunette's warming cheek.
"It's good to see you and miss Ava again. Come on in."
Aubrey stepped through the door with her miniature blonde counterpart and took the place in,
"Beca your apartment smells so wonderful, is that Peach air freshener?"
Beca blushed as she tried to ramble out her answer, "Yeah. I also use the carpet cleaner stuff before I vacuum."
Aubrey smiled in approval, "I hope you didn't go through all this trouble just for us."
"Oh no. I like to keep a tight clean ship." Beca lied but Aubrey didn't need to know it. Stacie just rolled her eyes.
"Hello Stacie, it's good to see you." Aubrey greeted.
"Hey Bree. Beca I gotta get going, I'll be back around ten to get Bella. And thanks again. See you guys later."
"Bye Stacie." They replied in unison.
"Looks like you're gonna have your hands full tonight. Are you sure you want to watch them all by yourself?" Aubrey asked concerned.
"Well of course I can. I want you to go out and have fun." Beca said chasing Aubrey to the door.
"Well if you need anything please call me and I'll be here in no time!" Aubrey hurried out before Beca could shove her out the door.
"Bree, I got this. How bad can they be? Now go have fun."
"Alright, alright, I'm going. Ava?"
"Yes mommy?"
"Come give me a kiss goodbye."
Ava did as told and kissed her mother, "Now you be good for Beca and play nice. I'll be back later to get you ok?"
"Ok mommy. Can I go play now?" Ava asked.
"Yes. Beca? Thanks for watching her, this means a lot to me."
"No problem Bree. Now shoo! Go have fun." Beca closed the door and watched Aubrey sigh through the peephole before slowly walking away.
It was so odd, it wasn't long ago Beca was in Aubrey's shoes. Handing her daughter over to be watched. Beca knew what Aubrey was feeling right now and although Aubrey was a pro at what she did, she was getting a taste of what it was like to be the parent in this instance. Being separated from your own child, your creation, someone you gave birth to and have raised up to this point. Someone who you spend all your time with and just to get separation from them for a few hours feels like an eternity, but Aubrey knew she could trust Beca and she would be good to Ava.
"Alright ladies. What do ya'll want to do first?" Beca asked.
"We're hungry mommy!" Skylar demanded.
"What would you three like?"
The three girls mulled it over and finally reached an agreement. It was so cute watching them three have a debate as if it were something serious,
"We want pizza rolls."
"Pizza rolls it is then." Beca got to work in the kitchen as she kept a close eye on the kids. Thoughts of Aubrey flooded her mind, hoping she was having fun.
…
"Bree!" Aubrey winced at the high-pitched squeal and braced herself for the patented Chloe Beale, make that Walp, hug.
"It's good to see you too Chlo."
"Well don't just stand there silly! Come in!" Chloe hadn't changed one bit, still peppy as ever.
"I love what you did with your hair by the way," Aubrey said noticing the color change.
"Like you always say, blondes do it better."
"It's so good to see you Aubrey. I wish you had tiny with you though." Chloe frowned, she hadn't seen her godchild in a while now.
"I know I miss her already. But she is in good hands for now."
"You need to seriously dish about this Beca girl. She must be something if you of all people are letting her watch Ava."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Aubrey said playfully.
"Aubrey you have control issues. You are a pro at what you do but that's the reason why you became the Mother Duck, so you could stay near Ava."
"I know. But Beca is. She's perfect honestly. To me that is." Chloe squealed and crossed her legs on the couch and took Aubrey's hands and pulled them onto her lap. "Go on."
"When I first saw her, I knew she was special. Rough around the edges but she is something to be treasured. I love her rambling and she is hot as hell when she is flustered."
"I like this so far." Chloe replied.
"Ava loves her I swear. She told me to not screw this up."
Chloe laughed and shook her head, "She must be something if she got Ava's approval."
"She is. Like last night for instance. I took her and Skylar out to eat. We ended up at my place and the girls played their selves to sleep in Ava's bed and Me and Beca watched movies. I asked her to stay because she was worried about waking up Sky to take home. Anyways, she stayed, and I woke up this morning to a hot breakfast and Coffee exactly like I take it too. She wouldn't let me help clean up or anything."
"Sounds like she is seriously interested."
"It just feels so nice to be taken care of you know? I'm always looking out for mine or someone else's child and just to be cared for just for a minute is so heartwarming."
"Why Aubrey if I didn't know any better I'd say you liked this girl." Chloe teased.
"That's enough of this, I'm here for our girl's night, not to talk about my love life."
Chloe pouted but the girls began their well past due girl's night.
…
"I got an idea." Beca declared gaining the attention of the girls. "Who wants to play a game?"
"What kind of game?" Sky spoke up.
"Hide and seek? Tag?"
The girls eyes lit up. Again, they chatted and came to an agreement, "Hide and seek please."
"Ok then. I'll count first and you three hide. This chair is base, and you must stay in the apartment." Beca finished laying down the ground rules and started counting as the girls hid.
"48, 49, 50! Ready or not, here I come!" Beca yelled out so all could hear. This was going to be easy she thought. Boy was she wrong.
How could three four-year old's hide so well in an 800 square foot apartment? She looked high and low for the little rascals when she heard a giggle coming from her closet. She smirked and slowly crept up to closet and slung it open ready to tag her victim. To her surprise it was Ava, and the girl was fast. She slipped through Beca's legs and ran back to base before Beca could process what just happened.
To her surprise Bella and Skylar were sitting at base and happily greeted Ava for not getting Caught. Beca's mind was blown. "How did you two? Where were you?"
"Can't tell you mommy." Now count again. This time Beca was sure she checked every inch and luckily tagged Bella before she could make it to base.
"Alright Bella you count while we hide. Let's go girls." Beca hollered but they didn't budge.
"Well? Aren't you gonna hide?" Beca asked curiously.
"Momma we are sticking with Bella. We are a team. Besides, if we you come with us, you will know where we hide, we aren't stupid."
"Damn her kid was so clever. She never thought about that and kicked herself for letting it slip. "Well ok then, I'll go hide and you three count."
"What do we count to?" Bella asked.
"How high can you count?" Beca asked.
"Twenty."
"Ok then, count to twenty once, then again before looking for me."
The girls hid their eyes as Beca ran to her makeshift office and hid in an oversized box. "They'll never find me in here." Beca's thinking was, although she was bigger than the girls, she was still small and could hide in the tiniest places."
Beca waited for what seemed like forever. There was no way she hid that good, but she waited because the girls never called quits and she wasn't about to try and sneak to base, she was outnumbered.
More time passed, and she heard noises coming from the living room, "That sounds like the tv."
Beca reluctantly gave up her spot to investigate, what she saw shocked her, "What is going on here?"
The image was of the three girls watching cartoons and eating ice cream from the tub. "Did you guys even look for me?"
"Nope." Skylar said shoving ice cream into her mouth. "And this, how did you get it?"
Beca didn't have to wait for an answer, she saw the chair placed in front of the fridge and figured it out. "You guys left me in that box for 45 minutes! And you're eating my ice cream! It appears I have a couple of con artist in the making." Beca wasn't mad, she was proud of the girls, its not everyday you get outsmarted by 4-year old's.
Ten rolled around and the girls were sound asleep on the couch as Beca cleaned up their messes. Stacie knocked, yes, knocked this time but continued to barge in regardless,
"How were they?" Stacie asked.
"I think it well." She nodded toward the couch and peeked at the three passed out on the couch.
"Any trouble?"
"Nope. Other than tricking me at hiding seek, they were good. How was the date."
"Ehh. Not bad, I may see her again, not sure. Listen I better get Bella home, I'll see you tomorrow ok, and thanks again."
"It was no problem Stacie, anytime."
Beca quietly shut the door trying not to wake the others up. But right after she shut it, there was another knock, "Aubrey!"
Aubrey smiled and Beca pulled her inside. "How was your girls night?" Beca asked.
"it was everything I needed. It felt so good to see my old friend again. Wish it could have lasted longer though."
"I know what you mean."
"I had to go as soon as we started comparing Grease and Grease Live. I love Chloe but the minute she runs Julianne Hough down is my signal to leave."
"I take it you love Julianne?"
"OMG yes! She totally nailed the part of Sandy! She did it all live too! And Chloe doesn't appreciate it because she's not Olivia Newton-John."
Seeing Aubrey all worked up like this was cute. "Well I agree with you on that. She totally killed it. Hopelessly Devoted To You was flawless."
Hearing Beca say that lit a fire in her. She jumped forward and shoved the brunette against the counter and captured her lips. Beca finally came to her senses and fired back with all her might. It was so hot she thought.
Stacie slipped back into he room to get Bella's bag and she almost said something but didn't want to interrupt the kinky make out session.
Aubrey shyly pulled back, "Sorry, I'm not sure where that came from."
"I liked it." Beca quietly spoke.
"Well I gotta go." Aubrey started to panic and overcomplicate the situation. Beca stopped her, "Stay the night?"
Aubrey couldn't say no to that and she helped Beca carry the girls to Skylar's room and tucked them in before going to Beca's bedroom.
Aubrey was already is sweats, so Beca changed and crawled into bed. It didn't take long for Aubrey to snatch her up and pull her Beca's backside to her front. Aubrey was definitely a cuddler, not that Beca minded.
