Title: Meanwhile - Part Three & Epilogue
Author: slacker_d
Pairing/Characters: Aubrey/Beca, OFC, Mr. Posen, Denise, Benji, Jesse, Fat Amy, Chloe
Rating: light R for language
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: ~ 2,460
Part Three
Aubrey Posen's senior year is going exactly as she'd planned. Sure it's only the first month, but things to seem to be on track for a perfect senior year.
…
More surprising than being asked out by first Luke Morgan and then Bumper Allen is her girlfriend's reaction. She's been hit on by guys before, occasionally in front of Beca, with little reaction beyond a possessive hand squeeze. So she's a bit shocked when Beca seems intent on interrupting their usual study session schedule with sex. She's irritated at first, but realizes that Beca's still a bit insecure that their relationship will end like her parents.
Aubrey knows that Beca trusts her and vice versa, but there was so much hurt and anger involved in the Mitchell divorce that it occasionally brings out Beca's vulnerable side. Because of that, and the fact that she hates leaving Beca alone in her house, Aubrey stays until she's almost breaking curfew.
…
When Stacie Conrad asks her out, Aubrey is really confused. They've shared a few classes over the years, but they've never really talked or interacted. What on earth would make Stacie want to ask her out all of a sudden?
Thankfully, Beca's reaction isn't anything like her reaction to Bumper. Instead she seems intrigued, trying to figure out why Aubrey has suddenly become so dateable.
…
The afternoon after Jesse Swanson asks Aubrey out, Megan looks positively miserable as Aubrey drives her home.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," Megan grumbles.
"You want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Okay." Aubrey pulls into the driveway and waits for Megan to climb out. "I'm going to the library. I'll see you later?"
"Whatever."
Of course her little sister's crankiness is nothing compared to her girlfriend's anger when she arrives at the Mitchell residence.
"What the hell is wrong with your sister?!"
"Um..."
"Jesse Swanson asked you out today," Beca seethes.
Aubrey nods. "I was a bit surprised since he spent all of last year chasing you."
Beca growls. "And do you know why he asked you out?"
Aubrey shakes her head. "I'm assuming that you do, though."
"Your sister told him to!"
"She what?"
Beca nods. "According to Jesse, she encouraged him to ask you out, thought it'd be good for you."
"She did not."
"She did," Beca insists.
"How do you know that Jesse isn't lying?"
"What reason would he have to lie?"
Aubrey supposes that's a good question. She's not sure how many people realize that Megan is her sister. It's not something they advertise, after all. Jesse certainly wouldn't have realized it before now because he had no reason to. But why would Megan be pushing him to ask her out?
"Do you think she's behind the others too?"
"I'm starting to think so," Beca replies.
"Why?"
Beca shrugs. "She's your sister."
Aubrey rolls her eyes and pulls out her cell phone. "Dad, it's Aubrey. Is it all right if I bring someone over for dinner?"
"Of course," he replies. "You know Chloe is always welcome."
"It's not Chloe."
"Oh." Aubrey can almost hear the gears in his head turning. "It's not a boy, is it?"
Aubrey chuckles. "No, dad, it's not a boy."
He lets out a small sigh of relief. "Oh. Okay." Aubrey feels bad misleading him, but she doesn't want to say anything until she talks to Megan. "Then that sounds lovely. New friend?"
"Something like that."
"All right, then I'll see you both at dinner."
"Thanks dad," Aubrey says.
"So I'm finally going to meet your dad?"
"It's probably time, don't you think?"
"So what now?" Beca asks.
"Now," Aubrey replies. "We go talk to Megan."
…
They find Megan in the kitchen on her cell phone.
"...don't know what else to do. If she's going to— Oh, hey, Bree. Denise, I have to go."
"Can I talk to you a minute?" Aubrey asks.
"Course, sis. Who's your friend?"
"This is Beca Mitchell," Aubrey says. "Beca this is my little sister, Megan."
"I'd say it's nice to meet you," Beca says. "But I'd be lying."
Aubrey elbows Beca.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Megan asks.
"You told Jesse Swanson to ask Bree out?" Beca counters.
"So what if I did?" Megan asks.
"And the others?" Beca continues. "Mike, Tom, Luke, Bumper freaking Allen?"
Megan sighs. "Yes."
"Why?"
"Why do you care?" Megan asks.
"Because as her girlfriend, I get irritated when guys hit on her," Beca retorts.
"Your girlfriend?" Megan asks, looking to Aubrey.
"Yes," Aubrey says, nodding. "Why are you suddenly trying to push guys on me?"
"I can't tell you."
"What? Why not?" Beca questions.
"Are you staying for dinner?" Megan asks.
"She is," Aubrey answers, cautiously.
"Then all questions will be answered then."
Aubrey knows that look on her sister's face. Trying to get answers out of her will be a waste of energy.
"Fine," Aubrey says. "We'll be in my room, studying." She grabs Beca's arm and drags her upstairs.
"Yeah, studying, sure, whatever you say, sis."
…
They really are studying when Megan knocks on the door two hours later. Aubrey holds back a smirk at her sister's astonishment.
"Dad says dinner's ready," Megan says. "He also quizzed me about your new friend."
"I'm sure he did," Aubrey replies, standing.
The three of them trudge downstairs and Megan sits at the table as Aubrey introduces Beca to her dad.
"Dad, this is Beca. Beca this is my dad."
"Nice to meet you sir."
"You too, Beca."
They sit down and Aubrey waits for the questions to begin.
"So, Beca," he says. "How long have you and my daughter been friends?"
"Freshman year, actually, sir," Beca replies.
"Freshman year, you say," he says. "And yet we haven't met before this?"
Megan seems surprised by this too. Aubrey wonders if she realizes how long she and Beca have been dating.
"That would be my fault, dad," Aubrey says.
"Oh?"
"I wasn't ready to introduce her," Aubrey continues. "I'm still not, but, apparently, circumstances have changed."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that Beca is my girlfriend and has been since sophomore year," Aubrey replies.
Her dad actually drops his fork and it clanks as it hits his plate. "You don't say."
Aubrey nods.
"And what changed that you're telling me this now?" he asks.
"Because for reasons she won't explain, Megan has been trying to set me up on dates," Aubrey answers. "And I'd like it to stop."
"She told you?"
"I didn't, daddy," Megan says. "I just admitted that I was trying to set her up. Which you never said wasn't allowed."
He sighs. "I suppose I didn't."
"Either one of you want to fill me in?" Aubrey asks.
He lets out a louder sigh. "Your sister approached me earlier in the year because a boy asked her out. And I just wasn't sure that she was ready."
"Even though you were dating sophomore year," Megan interjects.
"It wasn't planned, it just happened," Aubrey tells her. "Please continue, dad."
"And since we were unaware of your non single status, I told your sister that she could date when you do."
Beca is trying very hard not to laugh. Aubrey elbows her.
"Sorry," she whispers.
"So why couldn't Megan say that when we asked earlier?"
"Because I told her that if you found out about the deal, it would be null and void."
"Why?" Beca asks.
"I was afraid she'd start dating because Megan asked," he replies.
"That's absurd," Aubrey says. "I'm not going to go out with some random guy just so Megan can date Donald Ram."
"How..."
"You really thought I wouldn't hear about that?" Aubrey asks Megan. "Chloe and Amy told me about it a few weeks ago. When I didn't hear anything else, I just assumed that dad didn't let you. Which I guess is pretty close to the truth."
"Oh."
"And what?," Aubrey continues, turning to her dad. "You thought I'd start dating just because Megan asked?"
"You say that like you've never given into her ridiculous requests," he replies.
"Letting her choose a restaurant or sit in the front seat are hardly comparable," Aubrey tells him. "And those were mostly so she'd stop whining."
"Hey."
"And last year's driving debacle?" he presses.
"Same reason," Aubrey replies. "It's just unfortunate how it ended."
"I feel like I'm in some kind of weird Three's Company episode," Beca whispers to Aubrey.
"Not helping," Aubrey whispers back.
"So if Aubrey has a girlfriend," Megan says. "That means I can date, right?"
Aubrey watches her dad struggle; she knows he wants to say no, but he did make that deal with Megan and they all know he'll never hear the end of it, if he says no.
"Fine," he huffs, finally. "But I have to meet him first."
Megan lets out a squeal that has the rest of the wincing and Beca actually covering her ears. She jumps up and hugs their dad before hugging Aubrey.
"Now if that's settle, may we please finish dinner?"
"Of course, daddy," Megan says, sitting back down.
…
After dinner, her dad orders Aubrey and Megan to clean up while he and Beca have a chat. Aubrey shoots Beca an apologetic look, but surprisingly, Beca just smirks. Aubrey supposes she'd probably been expecting something like this.
"So..." Megan says as they enter the kitchen. "You guys are dating, huh?"
"We are."
"I've never seen you guys even look at each other at school," Megan continues. "Is it like a secret?"
"No, it's not a secret," Aubrey replies. "We just don't feel the need to be all over each other."
"Or even breath the same air," Megan adds.
Aubrey sighs. "Yes, at first, we weren't telling people. But once things became more serious, we didn't feel the need to."
"That's fine," Megan says. "I just really don't understand why you guys don't even interact at school."
"We spend so much of our time together outside of school, that we decided we should just stick to our own carefully formed social groups. We didn't want to get sick of each other. Besides, we both act differently around each other and it isn't necessarily something the whole school has to know."
"Whatever you say, sis," Megan replies. "But I still think it's weird."
…
Knowing there was a slight possibility that her dad would have a negative reaction to her dating Beca, Aubrey had driven both herself and Beca to her house, so she'd have an excuse to drive her home. Thankfully, her dad seems to approve of Beca, though Aubrey is still a bit nervous about them talking privately.
She waits as long as she can stand before barging into the living room where they're talking. She's surprised to find them laughing, but takes it as a good sign.
"Sorry to interrupt," she says. "But I thought I better drive Beca home."
Her dad glances at his watch. "That's probably a good idea." He stands. "It was very nice to meet you, Beca."
"You too, sir," Beca says, standing and shaking his hand.
"Do you mind if I talk to my daughter for a moment?"
"Not at all, sir," Beca replies. "I'll just be in the kitchen, Bree."
Aubrey nods. She waits before Beca's out of sight before she turns back to her dad.
"I approve," he says.
She lets out a sigh of relief.
"I still wish you had told me sooner," he continues. "But Beca explained it all and I understand."
"She did?"
He nods.
"Okay. I better drive her home then."
"I expect you home in three hours though and not a minute later," he dad says.
"Excuse me?"
"If the two of you want to spend some time together before you come back," he says. "As long as you're home by ten, it's fine."
"Thank you dad."
…
Aubrey still can't get over how much her dad seems to like Beca. "So what did my dad say?"
"Just the usual," Beca replies. "My daughter is a very special girl who deserves to be treated right and just because you're a girl doesn't mean I won't threaten you in order to protect her."
"You seem rather blasé about it," Aubrey observes. "My dad can be pretty scary when he wants to be."
"Oh he was," Beca says. "I just wasn't worried because I already know how special you are and I have no intention of ever hurting you. Which I told him."
"Oh. Did he quiz you?"
"A bit," Beca replies. "Nothing I didn't expect. How long have we been dating, what are my plans for the future, the usual. Though he did catch me off guard with one question."
"And what was that?"
"It's not like I didn't know the answer," Beca continues. "It's just that I wasn't expecting the question."
"Well?" Aubrey asks. "What was it?"
"Don't worry, I answered correctly."
"Beca."
"He wanted to know what your favorite song was."
"And you said?"
"Without You, Mariah Carey."
"Wait," Aubrey says. "My dad knows what my favorite song is?"
"No," Beca replies. "He just wanted to see if I knew."
"How would he know?"
"Well I was right, wasn't I?" Beca says. "He said he wanted to see my response. Apparently the way I answered implied that I wasn't lying or making anything up."
"Oh. And you are correct."
"I know," Beca smirks.
Aubrey rolls her eyes. "God, you're arrogant."
"I prefer self-assured," Beca replies. "Besides, I'm only confident that I know you extremely well."
"Really?" Aubrey questions. "So it wasn't you the other day bragging about your musical knowledge?"
"I prefer—"
"Oh, look, we're here," Aubrey interrupts.
"Want to hear something funny?"
"I don't know," Aubrey replies. "Do I?"
"You do," Beca says. "While you were talking to your dad, Megan pulled me aside."
"She what?"
Beca nods. "She just wanted me to know that if I hurt you, she'll be pouring water in my gas tank. Which as far as threats go, is a pretty good one. Specially because I know she would."
"She would," Aubrey says. "Wouldn't she?"
"It was sweet."
"Yeah, maybe," Aubrey replies. "It might mean more if she hadn't spent the last month pimping me out so she could go out on a date."
"Personally, I think that's your dad's fault for making that deal," Beca says. "After all, he had to know that she'd try to find some way around his new rule."
"Yeah, I guess."
"C'mon," Beca says. "We'll find something stupid to watch on TV until you have to head back."
"Yeah, okay."
"I don't see why you're so upset. I'm a hit with your family," Beca says. "Sort of."
"You're ridiculous is what you are," Aubrey says, following her inside the house.
"Love you too."