It was a particularly miserable, rainy day in Barden, and Rosie was seated at the kitchen table, doing her homework. Natalie and Courtney were sprawled out on the lounge room floor, a board game between them, while Beca alternated between clicking through her mixes and poking at the casserole that was in the oven. The house was peaceful, only the sound of the girls' giggling to be heard.

Until a car pulled up outside.

"BEC-CA!"

"Oh good God", Beca muttered, as her brother marched into the house, shaking away drops of rain. "Good to see you, Michael, how are you?"

"You didn't tell Will and Mum?"

"What?"

"About Jesse", he elaborated.

"You told them?" her eyes bulged in her head. "oh my God!"

"How was I supposed to know you didn't tell them?"

"I tell them what they need to know!"

"I think they need to know this!"

"Well I don't!"

"You're like children", Aubrey complained, greeting her nieces with appropriate enthusiasm. "Hey guys!"

"What happened?" Rosie asked curiously. "What did Uncle Michael do?"

Aubrey started to chuckle. "he told Grandpa Will and Nanna Sheila that Mummy and Jesse are girlfriend and boyfriend".

"Didn't Grandpa know?" Natalie said in surprise. "Why?"

"When did you tell them?" Beca ploughed on, ignoring her middle child.

(Aubrey snickered- it was the 'Beca's dating Luke who's older than her' incident all over again. And Beca had yet to forgive Michael for that.)

"Today!" Michael protested. "How was I supposed to know? If you had said 'hey Michael, I'm dating Jesse but haven't told Dad and Sheila' then I wouldn't have mentioned it!"

"That is bull-" she cut herself off when she saw the girls staring at her. "That is bull! I can't believe you!"

(She had the worst stepbrother in the world.)

"What did they say?" she grumbled finally.

"You'll like this", Aubrey assured her, and Beca glared.

(The blonde had a sick sense of humour.)

"They want to meet him", Michael said, not missing the death stare that was currently burning holes into him (the devil himself would be scared of his baby sister).

"Well you're just the worst person in the world", she huffed.

"We're you even going to tell them?" Aubrey questioned, and Beca frowned.

"Of course I was! Just like I was going to tell them about when I was dating, and Michael went and opened his big mouth! That went down like a sack of- a lead balloon", she said hastily, changing her words to suit the G rated audience in the room.

(For someone who used profanities in her everyday language, her vocabulary had changed dramatically since she found out she was pregnant. She had invoked a swear jar- a lot of which was her money- that had bought the bedding for the cot Rosie slept in, along with a variety of toys.)

When the phone started to ring, Beca groaned. "I'm screening".

"I'll get it!" Courtney said brightly.

"no no no no no!" and Beca bounded ahead of her youngest daughter, snatching up the phone before she could. "Hello?"

"Beca!" her father said in surprise. "How are you?"

"Hi Dad", she sighed, sounding dejected.

"I should totally make popcorn", Michael whispered to Aubrey, and Aubrey smacked his arm.

"Be nice", she hissed.

Beca flopped dramatically onto the lounge, her head lolling into the cushions.

"How are you?" he persisted.

"I'm fine Dad".

"I talked to Michael today; he and Aubrey came to visit".

"I know, I heard. Cut to the chase Dad, I know he told you that I was dating Jesse".

"Why did I have to hear it from him?" he said, sounding sad. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"To be fair, I didn't tell anyone, so it's not like that", she said, trying to make it sound better than it was. "Michael found out by accident- trust me; he's the last person I wanted to know".

"Beca", he chided gently.

Beca pointed to Michael and Aubrey, before jabbing her finger down the hallway.

"Hey, you know what we should do?" Aubrey said, taking Courtney's hand. "We should go and play a game in your room!"

"Murder in the dark!" Natalie said brightly (Beca would never forgive Fat Amy for teaching them that game).

"Let's go!"

And they thundered down the hallway, leaving Beca alone in the lounge room.

"I heard he's got kids?" her father said, and Beca groaned.

"Good Lord, how much did Michael tell you?"

"He told us that he went to the zoo with you".

"That was an unfortunate mistake that was beyond my control".

"How many kids?"

"He has three boys, and yes, before you say anything, we are essentially the modern day Brady Bunch. Trust me, Chloe and Aubrey and freaking Fat Amy find that particularly hilarious". She glowered at the photo on the wall, hoping that their ears were burning. "They're eight, six and four for the most part; the kids get along really well".

"Beca-"

"Dad, I know what you're going to say", she interrupted. "You're going to tell me to be careful, because this time I'm not going to be the only one getting hurt. This time, if something happens, I am aware that I'll be hurting six little kids. Rosie and Ben are more than aware of this too. But, as Chloe and the girls have assured me, Jesse is not Luke. I'm really happy Dad, and I never felt like this with Luke".

Will Mitchell paused for a moment, letting his daughters words sink in.

(When he left her and her mother, when she was ten years old, he saw her walls go up. it was his fault that she had walls, and upon coming to his college, he slowly chipped them away. Luke helped, and she was finally happy. But when Luke left, they went right back up, higher than ever.)

"I'm happy for you, Bec", he said finally. "Sheila and I would love to meet him".

"Oh good God", she complained.

"I heard that, Beca".

"What's this I hear about you having a girlfriend?"

Jesse closed his eyes for a moment, wondering how on God's green earth that his mother found out. He hadn't spoken to her in a week, and he had never brought up Beca's name.

(He bet it was Donald. Jesse was certain that his mother liked Donald more than she liked him.)

"What?" he said finally.

"I had to find out from Donald!"

(He made a mental note to punch Donald in the nose the next time he saw him.)

"Why haven't we heard anything?" Caroline wanted to know, sounding wounded.

"Mum", Jesse objected. "We haven't been together for that long".

"That is inexcusable, Jesse! I am your mother!"

(He loved her, he loved her and his father dearly, but they were insistent in knowing every detail of his life.)

"When do your father and I get to meet her?" Caroline pressed on.

"Um…"

"When we come for Thanksgiving?"

"Maybe. Mum, I've got to go; I can hear Dean calling me. Love you; I'll talk to you later".

"I love you sweetheart- give my grandkids a kiss and a cuddle from me!"

Setting the phone down, he sighed heavily.

And now he had to tell Beca that his parents wanted to meet her.

(Because like that wasn't going to send her sprinting to the hills.)

"Rosie posie, can I talk to you?" Beca called, as Rosie advanced down the hallway.

Rosie glanced at the clock, shrugging (she'd do anything to get out of her eight fifteen bedtime). "What's wrong?" she questioned, plopping down beside her mother on the edge of the lounge.

Beca pulled her closer, squeezing her tight. "Why don't you like Ben?"

Rosie shrugged.

"Do you like Jesse?" Beca pushed on.

(Because apparently she had become one of those mums who wanted to talk about everything. She had become everything that she had sworn she wouldn't.)

"He's fine". Rosie shrugged again.

(It was times like that that Beca hated the fact that her eldest was so much like her.)

"Rosie, what's wrong?" she said gently.

"I just…"

Beca rested her chin atop her daughter's head, knowing from personal experience (read: her) that it would take a moment to get the words together to answer.

"I miss Daddy", she said quietly, and Beca felt her heart break a little. "I like Jesse, he's really nice and funny but I miss Daddy". She was quiet for a moment, before asking Beca the question that she was sure shattered her heart into a million little pieces in her chest. "Do you think Daddy misses me?"

"I bet he does, Ro". Beca held her tight, like she had done when she was a lot smaller. "But Daddy just wants us to be happy".

"I like Jesse, he's a really cool guy", she said after a moment. "But not Ben".

So they'd have to work on it. They'd get there, Beca reasoned.

"I love you, Ro".

"So, my parents have organised to come to Barden for Thanksgiving", Jesse said conversationally down the phone, pulling the blankets up higher over a sleeping Ben's shoulders. "They want to meet you, they've heard all about you and the girls from Brody".

Beca smiled, because Brody Swanson was seriously the sweetest little boy she had ever met. "I'm glad Brody approves".

"He does, you're his favourite person. I hope you're happy with yourself", he teased.

Beca laughed.

"Hey buddy, what are you still doing awake?" she heard, and she frowned a little.

Ben was sitting up in his bed, his eyes heavy but full of questions.

"Hey Bec, I'll call you back", he told her.

"Is everything okay?"

"I think so", he said uneasily.

Putting the phone into his pocket, he plopped down on the end of the bed.

"What's up, Ben?" Jesse questioned,

"Why don't you like Beca?" Jesse wanted to know.

"Beca's fine", Ben said in surprise. "Why?"

"I was just wondering".

"You aren't going to marry her, are you?" Ben said, scrambling to sit up.

"What?" Jesse's eyes widened in alarm.

(Because sure, he liked Beca- he loved Beca- but marriage wasn't something he had even thought about. But Ben, just like his mother had been, overanalysed every little thing he did.)

"She's not my mum!" Ben said after a minute, and Jesse reached out to hug him.

"Oh buddy… I know, your mum was special", he told her. "And she's watching over you, you know? She's watching you and Dean and Brody and she's so proud of everything you do".

"Beca's not my mum". He shook his head, sounding on the verge of tears. "I miss my mum. And Brody acts like Beca is Mum, but she's not!"

"Ben", Jesse said gently. "I know Beca's not mum. But she would want us to be happy. She told me, after we were married and before you were born, that if anything happened, all she wanted was for the other to be happy. She didn't know she was going to die, no one knew that. She wants us to be happy, kiddo".

"I'm happy", he mumbled. "I like Beca. But I don't like Rosie".

It was a work in progress.

When Jesse called Beca back, he told her everything that Ben had told him. And, in turn, she explained Rosie's confession (leaving out the part how she had cried silently after all three girls were tucked into bed. He didn't need to know that).

"So, um…" Beca nibbled at a lip, a habit Chloe had been reprimanding her about since college. "I spoke to my dad today. Michael told him about… us".

"Yeah?" Jesse said, smiling at the nerves in her voice.

(He had been the one to actually announce that they were in a relationship- and Beca had embraced it. He knew that she was still nervous, though, and that was okay.)

"And he wants to meet you", she said in a rush. "Do you and Ben and Dean and Brody want to come over for dinner on Saturday night with Dad and the stepmonster?"

Jesse grinned. "I'd love to".

"Great!"

"Why can't we be there?" Michael whined.

"Yeah, why can't Uncle Michael come?" Natalie wanted to know, and Michael pulled her into his lap.

"See? Natty wants me to come!"

"He's not invited", Beca answered.

As Michael continued to whinge, Chloe tugged Beca aside.

"It's getting pretty serious, isn't it?" Chloe whispered to her, and Beca nodded uncertainly. "Meeting your parents and everything!"

"I know- this is the breaker. This is gonna send him running for the hills".

"Hey, if he can put up with everyone at the zoo, he can survive dinner with Will and Sheila". Chloe shrugged, squeezing Beca tight. "Love you".

"Love you too Chlo".

When Jesse pulled up to Beca's house that Saturday night, he saw a car already in the driveway.

"Whose car's that, Daddy?" Brody questioned, as Jesse unbuckled his seatbelt and lifted him out of the car.

"That's Beca's parents, guys, we went through this", Jesse said in amusement, taking Dean's hand. "Ben, can you ring the doorbell for me?"

Ben pressed his finger to the doorbell, waiting for someone to answer.

"Hi", Beca said with a small smile, opening the front door. Jesse leaned down to peck a kiss to her cheek and Brody laughed, hugging her gently.

"Hi Beca!"

"Hey Brody! Hey guys", she greeted, and Dean smiled at her.

"Hey", Ben said quietly.

"The girls are in the lounge room, they're playing a board game", she told them, and they almost ran down the hallway to join in. she took Jesse's hand, closing the door, and taking him into the kitchen. "Jesse, this is my father, Will Mitchell, and my stepmother Sheila".

"Hi Dr Mitchell, nice to meet you", Jesse shook hands firmly with Beca's father, smiling at his wife. "Nice to meet you, Mrs Mitchell".

"Please, call me Sheila".

"Nice to meet you", Will replied.

"Jesse!" Courtney screeched, running out from the lounge room and throwing herself at his legs with all her force. Jesse grunted at the impact, before picking her up and hugging her tight.

"Hey kiddo!" he enthused.

"Wanna come and play?" she questioned.

"I'd love to, munchkin, but I'm talking to your mummy right now", he told her, and she frowned slightly.

"Okay", she said.

"Hey! I'm coming, later!" he tapped her on the nose and she grinned playfully. "Go and play, alright?"

"Wanna sit next to me at dinner?"

"Sure!"

Setting her onto her feet, she scampered back into the lounge room to re-join whatever they were playing.

Beca shook her head in amusement, her heart almost melting at the exchange she had just witnessed. Jesse cared so much for her girls, and she thought it was adorable. "She's a nut, isn't she?" she chuckled.

Will smiled (because Courtney, his energetic youngest granddaughter, reminded him so much of when Beca was that age). "She's not a nut", she protested.

"She is", she argued, pulling the lasagne out of the oven. "Hey Jess, can you grab the bottle of juice out of the fridge for the kids?"

He obliged, grabbing the apple juice and setting it at the table. While he poured glasses for the six kids, Beca sliced up the lasagne, dishing out the pasta bake and putting slices on plates.

"This looks wonderful, Beca", Sheila complimented her.

"Thanks Sheila". Beca managed a small smile. "Guys! Dinner's ready!"

"Hey Jesse!" Natalie said brightly, and Brody threw himself at Beca.

"Beca!"

"Brody!" she enthused, lifting him off the ground and twirling around with him.

"It's a shame Michael couldn't be here", Will commented, and Jesse bit back a snicker, putting a seat out at the table for Rosie.

"Michael and Aubrey are busy tonight", Beca told them (because she had threatened Michael on his life if he even as much as thought about making an appearance to dinner). "It's a shame".

As they sat down, dishing out salad and garlic bread and more juice, the conversation began (Beca bracing herself for the worst, because her father had been known to interrogate people).

"So, Jesse, what is it you do?" her father questioned.

"I'm a composer", he explained. "I write scores for movies".

"Oh, really?" he raised his eyebrows and Jesse nodded.

"Yeah, it was my dream and I was fortunate enough to make a living out of it". He smiled, taking a bite of lasagne. "This is really good Becs".

"Thanks weirdo". Her eyes sparkled, and her father frowned.

"Beca".

"What?" she protested.

Sheila chuckled, and Brody smiled.

"That's what Daddy calls Beca too", he informed them.

"Yeah, and sometimes Mummy calls Jesse nerd", Courtney added.

"Thank you, that'd enough". Beca looked at the two of them and Courtney's eyes twinkled innocently.

(Will and Sheila Mitchell could tell just by the way that Beca and Jesse looked at each other that they were a couple that was going to be able to make it through the toughest of times. They had never seen Beca look at Luke the way she was looking at Jesse, and Jesse was looking at Beca like she had hung the stars up in the sky.)

(And Courtney had a love-struck look very similar to her mother's- he hadn't just won over Beca Mitchell, he had all three Ryerson girls under his spell.)

"It was nice to meet you, Jesse", Will said gravely, as he stepped into the hallway and gathered up his keys. "Take care of her".

He nodded, shaking his hand. "I will, Dr Mitchell".

"Bye Grandpa", Rosie said with a smile, hugging him quickly.

"Bye girls", he said, hugging all three of them. "Be good, alright?"

"We always are!" Natalie giggled, and he tapped her on the nose, chuckling.

"Why do I doubt that, Natalie Ryerson?"

She grinned at innocently and Sheila laughed.

"Thank you for having us, Beca", she smiled. "Nice to meet you, Jesse. You too boys".

"Nice to meet you", Brody said shyly. "Bye Mrs Mitchell!"

Bidding them all farewell, Beca waved from the front door before making her way back into the kitchen, Jesse following her. The two of them wordlessly stacked the plates, working in a comfortable silence.

(How was she able to do that with Jesse, knowing the man barely three months, when she was with Luke for eight years and any silence between them was awkward?)

"Mum!" Rosie called from the lounge room. "can we watch a movie?"

"The Lion King!" Natalie squealed.

"Monsters Inc!" Dean piped up.

"No, Nemo!" Beca could almost hear Courtney shaking her head.

"The Wizard of Oz!" Rosie countered.

"They have good taste", Jesse complimented, as he poked underneath the sink for the dishwashing liquid. Beca, giving him a small smile, gently pushed him aside and pulled it out of the cupboard beside it.

"Oh", Jesse said.

"The Wizard of Oz!" Ben agreed.

(Jesse never thought he'd hear the day where Rosie Ryerson and Ben Swanson agreed on something.)

(She'd never tell, but when she was a little girl and was sick, she'd watch the Wizard of Oz on repeat for days. But that was something that Jesse didn't need to know about her, because she believed she'd never live it down.)

He could get used to the scene in her kitchen. He washed the dishes; she dried the dishes, despite the dishwasher underneath the sink. He heard the kids in the background (albeit, it was Ben and Rosie arguing, but it didn't matter).

"Hey guys, want some popcorn?" Beca questioned, pulling a box of microwave popcorn out of the pantry.

"Yes!" Natalie hollered.

"Please!" Dean hollered.

Once it was popped, Jesse shook it into a large bowl, setting it on the floor with the kids. they had made themselves comfortable on the carpet, pulling down the cushions off the couches. Courtney was snuggled under her favourite mink blanket. Brody was lying beside her, his head on Rosie's pillow pet (because the lady bug had been kindly lent out to the youngest Swanson). They were silent apart from the sound of chewing, eyes fixed on the television.

Jesse wasn't sure when, but somewhere between Dorothy skipping down the Yellow Brick Road and Dorothy and the Scarecrow finding the Tin Man, Beca had tucked her head into the crook of his shoulder. And, as her breathing grew deeper and her eyes got heavier, she found herself resting her head in his lap. Jesse smiled, running his fingers through Beca's dark curls.

By the end of the movie, he was the only one awake. Somewhere during the movie, Brody had tucked himself under Courtney's blanket, and Dean had fallen asleep resting against Rosie's thigh. Natalie was leaning against Ben's shoulder and he had an arm wrapped around her protectively.

"I could get used to this", he said softly, reaching out to grab the remote and flicking off the television.