A/N: SO I finally decided what the big secret is going to be! You all wont see it coming! I hope you enjoy this chapter...
CHAPTER SEVEN
5 minutes later from where we left off…
Right after Chloe closed her eyes, she knew she had to go after her wife. She'd been standing outside of the guestroom for the past five minutes. She really wants to go in and apologize to Beca, but she made have ruined what was left of their rocky relationship. Chloe was just about to reach for the doorknob when the door swung open and she was met with Beca's alerted face. Beca looked down at her feet and said, "hey chlo," very shyly.
"Hi," Chloe said with a shy smile, happy her wife was probably on the way to see her. Then she thought of the possibility that Beca was actually leaving to use the bathroom so her facial expression changed to panic.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Beca was waiting for a response then it hit her, she knew her wife too well. "Yes, I was in fact leaving to come get you from the couch so we could go to bed…together. I'm sorry I've made you feel this way from being with Izzy so much I need to be spending most of my free time with my wife."
"No Becs, I'm the one who should be sorry. You've given me no reason not to trust you and I was just being insecure. I love you," Chloe planted a kiss on Beca's lips.
"I love you too, so much," Beca grabbed Chloe's hand and they walked to their bedroom together to go to sleep.
A few weeks later…
Chloe, Emma, and Aubrey were going through a box of old college stuff that Emma found while she was plundering in the attic. Beca was at the studio with just Luke and Cyn to finish up some stuff. Emma was mostly looking through all the pictures, loving to see her mom and stepmom in their younger days. Emma was studying a picture of Beca, Chloe, her Aunt Stacie, Tom, a guy she didn't know at all, and another guy she recognized but couldn't put a name to the face. "Mommy?" Emma asked. Chloe turned to acknowledge her so she continued, "Who's this guy standing next to Beca? He looks familiar," Aubrey whipped her head around hoping the little girl wasn't pointing to Jesse, but of course, she was.
"Um, uh that guy," Chloe said pointing the other side of Beca, "would be our good friend Benji, you met him when you were a baby."
"Okay, but I didn't ask about him, I asked about him," Emma said pointing to Jesse.
Chloe absolutely panicked. She looked at Aubrey for some assistance but her best friend looked like she was about to puke everywhere. Chloe figured since Emma recognized him and met him as a child she could at least tell her daughter his name. Although it will bring up memories and many questions, Chloe figured it would be best to get everything, (except for the fact he's Emma's father), out in the open. "That is J-Jesse," Chloe said hesitantly.
"Oh yeah I remember now! I met him when I was four; I think it was a couple of weeks after I met Beca at Aunt Bree's house," Emma said excitedly since she was able to remember.
"Mhm," Chloe said dismissively.
"Oh my gosh,"
"W-What, what is it?" Chloe asked worriedly.
"Beca punched him in the face. It happened at my party in the kitchen. There was a lot of yelling and I remember Beca looking so upset and hurt." Chloe didn't know how much Emma remembered so she tried changing the subject but Emma continued before she had the chance. "Why did Beca punch him and why haven't we seen him since Beca came back a few weeks after that?"
Aubrey was finally out of her shock and decided it was time for her to end this conversation, "Emma, that's not important, so just forget about it," Aubrey said firmly.
Emma was not satisfied with that answer, "No, I want to know what happened."
"Em, please just leave it alone, and don't talk to your Aunt Bree like that," Chloe said still trying to grasp the situation.
"Fine. Sorry Aunt Bree," Emma said apologetically, but the little girl was still thinking about how she could find out more about Jesse. She couldn't explain why she cared so much, or why she was so drawn to him. Emma went to her bedroom but snatched up the picture of Jesse and another one she saw in a box closer to the door.
After Emma walked out Chloe was pacing and panicking while Aubrey texted Tom telling him to not give Emma any information on Jesse. Chloe decided to call Beca to fill her in on everything as well. Beca was just as shocked after hearing what Emma remembered, "Holy shit. So are you and Tom going to tell her who Jesse really is to her?"
Chloe's knees almost gave out. She was not ready to tell her daughter that she has been lying to her for the past eight years. "Oh my gosh, Beca she's going to hate us if we tell her! I-I'm not ready for this. I wasn't ever going to tell her, but that would be wrong of me. I can't do this. Oh my gosh. What if she runs away? What if she says she hates me?"
"Chloe. Chloe. Chloe! Calm down, okay? You don't have to tell her right this second, but I think you should do it soon. If she finds out on her own or goes out looking for Jesse herself she's going to be hurt she didn't hear it from you."
Chloe knew Beca was right. She was definitely going to ask Tom if they could tell her tonight before she lost her nerve. "You're right baby. I think—I think I want to tell her tonight."
"Are you sure, Chlo?"
"Yeah, she deserves to know the truth."
Chloe and Beca said their goodbyes and then Chloe started to make arrangements with Tom and Aubrey on how they were going to tell Emma. Meanwhile, Emma was sitting on her bed studying the pictures of Jesse, hoping some memories would return so she could figure out what happened with him.
That night, at Tom's house…
Beca, Chloe, Emma, Aubrey, Stacie, Tom, and Luke had all just finished a family meal together. They were seated in the living room all chatting and trying to avoid the elephant in the room that was about to be revealed. Beca grabbed Chloe's shaking hand, knowing her wife was nervous, "everything will be fine and she will understand. She loves you no matter what." Beca finished by kissing Chloe's forehead sweetly. Chloe leaned in and cuddled closer to Beca, silently thanking her for her comforting words.
After a little bit of laughing and reminiscing, Tom gave Chloe a look, letting her know he thought it was time. Chloe immediately tensed up, but knew she had to power through it. Chloe got up and walked over to where Emma was sharing a chair with Stacie talking about all of her favorite songs, "Sweetie, come sit over here with mommy and daddy, okay?" Chloe asked softly wit her voice slightly wavering. Emma grabbed Chloe's outstretched hand and walked over to where her mother was sitting.
"Is something wrong? Am I in trouble?" Emma asked a little freaked out by all the concerned and anxious looks she was getting from her loved ones.
"No, no. Of course not we just want to talk to you about something very important, but it's also very complicated," Chloe was looking into her daughter's baby blues and trying to find the right words to say. "It has to do with Jesse."
Emma's full attention was to her mother. She was anxious to finally hear about Jesse and why he wasn't here with all of them.
"You see baby girl, I had you when I was still in college and your father and I were best, best friends and Beca and I were together," Chloe paused; knowing Emma would have questions.
"Wait, so you and daddy weren't already together when you had me?"
"N-No, we weren't"
"You were with Beca?"
"Y-Yes," Chloe was starting to get nervous with questions being involved. Beca squeezed Chloe's hand letting her know she could do this.
"Well, why did you have me with daddy if you were with Beca?" Did you break up with Beca for dad?"
"Not exactly. Um, Beca and I were very much in love, still are, but mommy did something very bad that hurt Beca a lot."
"You were with dad even though you still had Beca? Why would you be mean like that?"
Tears were collecting in Chloe's eyes seeing how disappointed her daughter was in her. Beca saw her wife's reaction and decided to cut in, "Emma, she didn't do it to purposely hurt me, she didn't know what she was doing at all. You know the happy juice only adults can drink?" the little girl nodded, " Well sometimes, the happy juice can make you act like a totally different person. And when people aren't in their right minds they do stuff they wouldn't normally do. Is this making sense?"
"Yeah, it's okay mom it wasn't your fault," Emma said hugging Chloe with one arm.
Chloe decided to continue telling the story as difficult as it was, "Well after Beca found out I was having you with your dad, she became angry and didn't talk to me for about four years. And when Beca and I reconnected, that is when you met her and Jesse,"
"I remember when you and Aunt Bree would ask me to leave the room whenever Jesse was mentioned,"
Chloe was blushing and Aubrey was visibly blushing from the loveseat next to where the family explanation was happening, "Yeah, we would. I'm getting there just bear with me," Chloe took a deep breath, "Uh, so you already know about the party and Beca punching Jesse,"
Emma cuts in, "Yeah now the question is, why?"
Tom decided he should be the one to break the news that he's not in fact her biological father. He ran his hands through his hair and coughed because his throat felt so dry. "Emmy, you know I love you right?"
"Of course daddy, but what does this have to do with Jesse?"
Everyone in the room could tell Tom was trying his hardest not to cry. "Well, baby, your mom and I were super close. We've known each other our entire lives and she's the bestest friend I could ever ask for in my entire life." Emma knew this was serious so she never cut in to ask a question when Tom paused. "Well our original plan was for me to be your Uncle Tom, and technically that's the truth,"
"What are you saying?" Emma asked not quite understanding.
"I'm saying that, um, t-that I'm not your dad. Genetically, Jesse is your dad, but I swear I love you with all my heart. I may not be your biological father but you are still very much my daughter, okay?" Tom was holding on to Emma's shoulders for dear life and everyone in the room had tears falling down their faces.
"W-Wait. So why wasn't Jesse helping raise me, and you were?" Emma asked with red eyes.
Tom was a little discouraged Emma didn't say she loved him back so Chloe stepped in, knowing he was too upset to continue. "Em, Jesse was not very nice and we were at a party and things happened and I told him I was going to have you and he couldn't handle that. He wanted to be free to enjoy college and he left me, so Tom," Chloe turned to grab Tom's hand and squeezed it, "He knew I was abandoned—we were abandoned, so he stepped in to act as a father to you. He is your dad because he loves you and loved you before we even knew you were a girl,"
Emma ran into Tom's arms while saying muffled thank you's into his shoulder. Both of them were crying very hard. When Emma let go of Tom she sat in his lap and turned to her mother. She had her eyes locked on her own feet and said barely above a whisper, "I'm glad Beca punched the crap out of him. He didn't even want me. Is that why you punched him, Becs?" Emma asked looking at Beca. Beca smirked and nodded, "Thank for looking out momma." Eyes widened all around the room realizing what Emma just called her stepmother. "Oh, I'm sorry. Can I call you momma? Is that okay?" Emma asked looking around in a panic.
"Of course you can bug," Beca gave Emma a big wet kiss on the cheek.
Back at home…
Chloe and Beca were tucking Emma into her bed so she could go to sleep. "So bug, do you have any more questions about Jesse?" Beca asked after kissing her stepdaughter.
"Um, yeah. I don't think you guys will like it though,"
"It's okay sweetie, we're listening," Chloe said encouragingly.
"Okay, well now that I'm older. Can I meet Jesse?"
Chloe and Beca looked at each other with wide eyes completely speechless.
A/N2: Tell me what you all think of this chapter! Sorry for any mistakes I didn't check over this at all I wanted to get a chapter up ASAP. .REVIEW. :)