"Hey girls!" Chloe said brightly, as Beca opened the door for her.
"Aunt Chloe's here!" Beca called, stepping aside for the thunder of footsteps. Tiny Courtney led the way, as she threw her arms around the redhead.
"Aunt Chloe!" she squealed.
Chloe lifted her into the air, wrapping her free arm around Natalie and Rosie at the same time. "There's my favourite nieces!" she said warmly, kissing Courtney's cheek before leaning down to press kisses to the tops of Rosie and Natalie's heads. "Ready for tonight?"
"We're ready!" Rosie giggled, tugging Chloe into the lounge room.
"Okay, they had Chinese food for dinner- did you eat, Chlo? There's leftovers in the fridge, regardless. There's ice cream in the freezer, they can have ice cream or popcorn, not both", she said warningly, shooting a look at Natalie (who had the ability to talk her aunt into everything). "Yes, Nat, I'm looking at you. Um, I don't really mind what you do- don't get any ideas, Rosie Ryerson- as long as the three of them are in bed, asleep, before I get home". She grinned, and Chloe nodded.
"Chinese food, ice cream, popcorn, bed". Chloe grinned. "Got it". She slung an arm around Beca, plopping a kiss to the side of her head. "Go out, have fun. Don't worry about a thing, I've got it sorted!"
"Thanks Chlo!"
"Have fun!"
Beca grinned, pulling the front door shut behind her. She could always count on Chloe, whether she wanted to or not.
Chloe grinned on the other side of the front door, before turning to her three goddaughters. "Alright, I'll get some ice cream dished into bowls and then we'll start a movie! I'll even make popcorn".
A cheer erupted from the three girls and Chloe laughed. She was their fun aunt.
"Hey Benji!" Jesse said cheerfully, opening the door and bracing himself for the footsteps that would no doubt shove him out of the way.
"Uncle Benji!" Brody was the first one to make an appearance, and Benji laughed, catching the four year old in his arms.
"Hey man!" he greeted. "Ready to have some fun tonight?"
"Yeah!"
"Hi Uncle Benji!"
"Hey Uncle Benji!"
"Alright, they've eaten dinner- there's leftover spaghetti bolognese in the fridge if you want some", Jesse offered, "And I've popped a bowl of popcorn and they're sitting down to watch Peter Pan. You can make them more popcorn if you want, but no more ice cream, they had enough today already. They need to brush their teeth and go to bed as soon as this movie is over- do you hear me, Benjamin?"
"Yes Daddy". Ben refrained from rolling his eyes, grinning up at his beloved namesake.
"Is there anything else?" Jesse asked, mentally ticking off his list of things he needed to address. "You know where everything is, if there's an issue call me straight away-Ben, you'll help out, won't you?"
"Yep".
"No, that's all". Benji all but pushed him towards the door. "I know the drill, chill out! We'll be fine. You just go and have some fun, alright?"
"Thanks, man".
"Don't mention it. Just have fun". Benji grinned and Jesse rolled his eyes.
"Be good, boys!"
"We will!" he could hear the grin on Dean's face and Jesse frowned.
"Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't! I love you!"
"Love you too!" Brody called brightly.
Once Jesse was out of sight, Benji went into the kitchen, pulling the tub of ice cream from the freezer. "Who wants ice cream while we're waiting for the popcorn to pop?"
The boys whooped excitedly and Benji pumped his fist into the air, because he had essentially won the fun uncle of the year award.
Beca stepped through the doors of the little hole in the wall karaoke bar that Chloe and Aubrey had first brought her to when she and the girls first moved away from Luke. It was small and the atmosphere was great, and Beca almost always enjoyed herself (there were exceptions- like Fat Amy plucking her off her stool, carrying her over her shoulder and forcing her to sing the Spice Girls 'Wannabe'. That was a night she pretended didn't happen, but yet Chloe kept bringing it up).
Sliding onto a stool and ordering herself a drink, she glanced around the room, taking in the scenery. The usuals were gathered in the corner (the old men who, despite looking a little rough around the edges, were the first to check how she, Chloe and Aubrey were getting home because they were genuine gentlemen), while the obvious college kids were slumped over the pool tables, laughing.
Beca sipped at her drink and closed her eyes, sighing contently at the thought of a proper night out. Her girls were her entire world, but as much as she loved them, the occasional night out she had without them allowed her to turn her brain off completely, without a worry. Glancing around the bar, her eyes fell on a dark haired man, a beer sitting in front of him. Colour rushed to her cheeks, and she'd have to be a total idiot to say he wasn't hot.
The little hole in the wall karaoke bar had been Jesse's favourite place to hang out ever since they moved. It was the perfect place to get away and escape from the realities that faced him every day, and one of Jesse's favourite places in the whole town.
So he took a seat at the bar, downing three beers in quick succession (because it wasn't often that he had a kid free, friend free night out- Benji and Donald and the others insisted that he needed a babysitter and had accompanied him everywhere he went since Katherine died) before glancing around. His eyes fell on a brunette with curls falling into her face, but not enough to hide her face. She was beautiful. And Jesse felt blood rush to his cheeks, as he took another swig of his beer.
Donald and Benji had told him to have fun, and what was wrong with a little flirting?
"Can I buy you a drink?" Jesse approached the petite brunette, feeling a rush of confidence that was no doubt the alcohol pulsing around his system.
"No thank you", Beca said politely, fiddling with a straw.
"Come on, I think you need to get on this level".
After an awkward pause, Beca shrugged, giving in. "that'd be great".
As Jesse handed her a drink, he grinned. "That earspike is amazingly scary".
She snorted (very ladylike, she had to reprimand herself) appreciatively. "Thanks".
He took a swig of his beer, settling down onto the bar stool. "So what's your deal?" he said confidently (he was so going to regret this, he knew it). "are you one of those girls that's all mysterious and dark and then she takes off her glasses and you realise she was beautiful the whole time?"
"I don't wear glasses". She frowned slightly, her cheeks turning pink.
He shrugged. "Then you're halfway there".
Blood rushed to Beca's cheek, and she took a long sip of her drink.
"Do you want to sing?" he said suddenly (wondering where he was going with it- he hadn't sang with anyone since he was in college). "I mean, we're at a karaoke bar-"
"Sorry, I don't even sing".
"I bet you do", he told her, a grin on his face (he had always been one to push the boundaries, he admitted). "I bet you were one of those aca pella girls in college".
(How had he had her pinned already? She had been one of those aca pella girls in college- much to her disgust, Chloe had hauled her into it and she had found herself actually liking it.)
"You were definitely one of those aca pella boys", she shot back (was she flirting? She hadn't flirted since she had first met Luke, and the whole concept was foreign to her).
"Sing". And he reached out to grab her hand (when she flinched he retreated, even he knew his boundaries), holding out his for her to take. She didn't, but she climbed down from the bar stool (she was so short. Adorably short, but hot. How did she even manage to pull that off?), following him towards the karaoke corner.
She couldn't believe she was doing it. But he was the first guy to approach her in a long time, and if she was honest, he wasn't bad to look at. It was harmless, she assured herself, because the chances of her seeing him again after that night were slim.
She had to roll her eyes, though, when she saw the song he selected. 'Summer Nights' from the classic Grease, which Aubrey had forced her and the rest of their aca pella group to watch during one of their infamous sleepovers in her freshman year (because Aubrey wanted them to bond and apparently a sleepover was the only way to do that), despite Beca's hate for films.
"Summer lovin' had me a blast", he sang, and Beca bit back a smile, because that boy could sing.
"Summer lovin' happened so fast", she sang in return, and his eyes widened.
"You can sing!" he said in surprise. "I met a girl crazy for me!"
"Met a boy cute as can be".
"Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights!"
Jesse had to admit that he flirted shamelessly with the tiny brunette during the duration of their song. And Beca, keeping a smile firmly off her face, flirted back.
"It turned colder - that's where it ends", Beca sang gently, as Jesse dramatically threw his hands in the air, holding his last note.
"So I told her we'd still be friends".
"Then we made our true love vow".
"Wonder what she's doing now?"
"Summer dreams ripped at the seams, bu-ut oh, those su-ummer nights!" they both held the last note, the rest of the bar erupting in cheers (because it was rare that they got two peole that could actually sing in the doors of that place).
Grinning, they took their seats again, Jesse's eyes twinkling.
"You were one of those aca pella girls", he accused.
"You were definitely an aca pella boy". Beca rolled her eyes playfully and Jesse laughed.
"I'm Jesse". Jesse held out his hand and Beca took it gingerly.
"Beca".