Chapter 3
Beca sighed in relief when Aubrey told her they were there as they drove up a dimly lit farm driveway to a large farm house at the center of the farm.
"This is where you grew up?" Beca looked around in amazement.
"It's even more pretty in the daylight. I'll show you in the morning." Aubrey pushed her out of the truck. She parked under a car cover her parents had set up for people to park under. Beca still grabbed both of their suit-cases even though she was exhausted seeing as Aubrey had already wondered up to the house, and was looking for the spare key hidden on the front porch. The door opened while Aubrey was digging around in a flower pot.
"Um. Bree." Beca pulled the blonde towards her with a hand wrapped around her belt. Aubrey looked up to see a woman standing in the door way.
"Pam. Hey. I'm so sorry if we woke you up." Aubrey hugged the smaller woman with an infant in her arms.
"Oh no. I'm was already awake sweetie. I saw the lights from someone pulling into the drive way, and figured it was you. Phillip had a dirty diaper. I thought I would change it, and let Jim get some rest. Hi. I'm Pam." Pam introduced herself.
"Hi. I'm Beca." Beca waved. Then leaned down to sling Aubrey's bag over her shoulder again.
"That bag is almost your size." Pam chuckled. Beca rolled her eyes. Aubrey laughed.
"I'm small. I get it." Beca groaned.
"She's tired. We've been traveling since nine am. You didn't have to get my bag. I figured we would get them tomorrow morning." Aubrey guided Beca inside.
"What if it rains? Gotta go get my guitar. I'll be right back." Beca set down the bags, and stumbled back out to the truck.
"She's cute." Pam smirked at her sister in law.
"Yeah. She's going to hurt herself. She's tiny. I'll be right back." Aubrey followed after Beca. Pam smiled, and shook her head at the two. Beca was guided back into the house with one more bag, and a guitar case.
"Just set everything here. We can bring it all up in the morning. You are going to fall over if you keep going." Aubrey whispered.
"K. Bree." Beca let herself be held up by the hands on her shoulders.
"You guys go on to bed. I'll help you move everything in the morning." Pam hugged Aubrey one more time. Aubrey pulled Beca up the two flights of stairs to her old bedroom.
"I'm going to change in the bathroom. Pick whatever side you want." Aubrey chuckled at Beca's zombie like state. When she walked out freshly changed into some pajama's she had pulled from her suitcase downstairs she spotted a small pile of Beca's clothes which included a bra, and her hoodie tossed in the rocking chair in the corner along with her boots and belt. Leaving the brunette in jeans, and a long sleeved black ribbed t-shirt.
Beca had fallen face first on the bed on top of the covers. Aubrey rolled her to the right side of the bed, and told her to shift under the covers while she moved under them as well.
"Beca." Aubrey whispered when she felt the brunette shift around. Beca grunted in response.
"Thanks for being here." Aubrey. Beca didn't say anything, but she shifted so she could take the blonde's hand in her own. She entwined their fingers, and rested their hands between them before they both fell asleep.
Aubrey woke up in a familiar, yet unfamiliar bed. She had a warm body pressed against her back, and arms wrapped around her tall frame. She rolled her eyes. It was a huge bed. Beca had never alluded to being a cuddler, and they still ended up sharing her side of the bed. She shifted until she felt Beca's hand slip under her shirt, and pull her back to where she was.
"Beca…" Aubrey whispered. Starting to turn when her bedroom door opened, and Jim stood in the doorway.
"Bree! Oh my god! My eyes!" Jim covered his face, and turned to leave only to run into the door frame. Pam appeared in the doorway looking at her husband confused.
"Beca!" Aubrey slapped Beca's arm. The brunette sat up confused by the surroundings. Her hair was a wild mess. She pulled her hand back when she realized where it was, and ran her hands over her face.
"Sorry. I thought… Sleeping in…" Beca mumbled through a yawn.
"It's noon! Mom said to bring you guys down for lunch." Jim told them still covering his eyes.
"Honey. You can look now." Pam laughed. Jim peeked through his fingers then lowered his hand.
"Hi! I'm Jim. This is my wife Pam." Jim waved awkwardly.
"Beca Mitchel." Beca pointed to herself tiredly, and looked at Aubrey.
"She's zombie until she has at least two cups of coffee." Aubrey chuckled nervously. At least Jim wasn't bringing up the situation he had walked in on a few minutes before hand.
"I can brew a fresh pot once we make it downstairs. The kids are excited to see you. They kept singing the cup song you taught them last year all the way here." Pam laughed. Aubrey heard Beca laugh, and nudged her with her elbow.
"You taught them the cup song?" Beca smiled.
"They heard Chloe sing it, and wanted to learn it." Aubrey rolled her eyes.
"Well. Mom had lunch ready. You guy can come down. Whenever you are ready. Come on Jim." Pam pulled her husband away from the doorway, and shut the door with a wink in their direction.
"Oh my god. That was so embarrassing." Aubrey laughed covering her face with her hands.
"Sorry. I cuddle." Beca shrugged falling out of the bed in an attempt to move towards the clothes she'd shed the night before. Aubrey let out another laugh.
"You are hopeless in the mornings. Aren't you?" Aubrey.
"Coffee." Beca grumbled from the floor.
"Come on then coffee monster. Get decent. Then I'll make you some coffee." Aubrey pulled Beca up. Aubrey pulled a stumbling Beca down the stairs. Aubrey let out an oomph when her legs were almost taken out by two excited toddlers. Beca steadied the blonde placing her hands on Aubrey's hips to rebalance her. She smiled when Aubrey leaned down to pick up the two toddlers smothering them in a hug.
"Hey CeCe. Hey Phil." Aubrey giggled with them.
"Hi Aunt Bree. Hi" They both said in unison. Then they waved at Beca who was leaning around Aubrey's arm.
"Guys this is my friend Beca. She's the one that taught me the cup song." Aubrey whispered to them. They both gasped, then looked at her excitedly.
"You are kind of a legend to them." Pam smiled.
"Hi there." Beca waved.
"They used to hear Chloe, and Aubrey arguing about you all the time too." Jim explained. Aubrey cleared her throat, and set down her niece and nephew. She maneuvered Beca to sit beside Jim who was smirking at her.
"Awe. You used to argue about me?" Beca smirked. Aubrey rolled her eyes, and pointed at warningly.
"Be nice to my brother. You be nice to her." Aubrey pointed at Jim next. She dropped CeCe into Beca's lap, and dropped Phillip into Jim's arms. She pressed a kiss to the side of Cece's head then followed Pam into the kitchen. Beca's eyes tracked her with a smile.
"So… You are Beca Mitchel…" Jim looked at her studiously. Beca met his eyes with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, and you are Jim Posen?" Beca asked amused.
"Jim Halpert. I kept my father's name. My mother died, and my father married Aubrey's mother. He took her name when he remarried. Henry, and I both came from his first marriage." Jim explained.
"I'm sorry. My mom died when I was young too. I know how hard that is. She never told me about that." Beca admitted.
"Aubrey likes to keep her cards close to her chest. She's been hurt a lot. So. This is where I ask you what your intentions with my sister are?" Jim acknowledged. Beca looked at him wide eyed. Then glanced down at CeCe who was playing with the pendant on her necklace.
"I don't want to hurt her. I can't say that I won't, because you obviously know our history. If someone had told me that I would have been coming home with her for the holidays a year ago. I probably would have laughed in their face. Things changed when she graduated though, and we've gotten to know each other a little bit better over the past couple of weeks. I actually really…" Beca trailed off.
"You're in love with her." Jim finished for her.
"I…" Beca looked at him stunned.
"Look. Bree never brings home anyone other than Chloe. I figured you had to be special for her to even consider bringing someone that wasn't her. I'm not my father. If Aubrey cares about you, and you truly care about her. Then that's all I need to know." Jim offered.
"We haven't discussed the finite details yet. As in. I mean we haven't brought up the big purple elephant known as feelings yet, but I promise you it is not my intention to hurt her. I just want to get to know her better." Beca admitted watching Aubrey interact with Pam, and a woman that had to be her mother in the kitchen.
"Well then. Welcome to the family. I hope everything works out for you both." Jim shook her hand. When Beca looked up again she met Aubrey's eyes. Aubrey was looking at her worriedly, but Beca smiled with a shrug. Aubrey smiled at her before she turned back to the conversation she was having before their telepathic moment. She sent a quick text to Chloe.
'Jim just gave me the shovel talk.'-B.
'Awe. Jim is my favorite. He's the only one genuinely nice to Bree.'-C.
'Well. I think we are on good terms now. Thumbs up.'-B.
'Did you tell him you are in love with her?'-C. Beca stared at the screen in surprise.
'Beca?'-C.
'I… Told him I might be. How did everyone know before us?'-B.
'That much eye contact can only mean one thing. Tell her. 😉'-C.
'Hate you. 3.'-B.
'Tell Bree I love her! 3.'-C.
Aubrey re-entered the room placing a cup of coffee down in front of Beca.
"Thanks. Chloe says hi. I just told her we made it to your parent's place." Beca explained.
"Beca passed the shovel talk. Just so you know." Jim raised the glass Pam set in front of her.
"Jim! I thought I told you be nice to Aubrey's guest. Hi. I'm Alice Posen. Aubrey's mother." Alice introduced herself.
"I'm Beca Mitchel. Thanks for letting me crash your holiday party." Beca smiled shaking the woman's hand.
"Oh. It's no problem dear. We are happy to have you. And to know that Aubrey has more friends than just Chloe." Alice joked.
Aubrey bit her lip to hide her smile which didn't go unnoticed by Jim. Beca forced a smile towards the middle-aged woman.
"Beca is friends with Chloe too mom." Aubrey told her mother.
"Chloe is actually how I met Aubrey." Beca explained with a wince at the memory. Aubrey laughed.
"I like to think we've come a long way since then." Aubrey tickled CeCe who squirmed into her lap from Beca's.
"You haven't yelled at me in a couple of weeks. So. There is that." Beca smiled back.
"You haven't yelled either." Aubrey nudged her.
"Now I definitely want to hear this story." Jim looked at them with amusement on their face.
"There is language unsuitable for tiny ears." Beca warned him.
"You mean yours?" Aubrey tried to hide her smirk. Pam choked on her coffee.
"Funny. Why did I agree to this?" Beca rolled her eyes.
"Because you love aunt Bree! Didn't she just say that Dada?" CeCe looked at her happily. Beca banged her head on the kitchen table while Aubrey gaped at her. Jim laughed, and picked up CeCe.
"Come on guys. I think Beca, and Bree need to finish their coffee's." Jim laughed. Aubrey was staring at Beca in stunned silence. Alice had excused herself to her get ready for the day in her bedroom. Pam patted Beca on the shoulder then followed her husband into the family room. Leaving Beca alone in the dining room with Aubrey.