A/N: As always, I want to thank you for reading. Please don't forget to review. I love & appreciate each and every one.

o~O~o
Chapter 17
Xenial and Xenogeneic
o~O~o

Jesse pounded the pavement of downtown Los Angeles everyday for the entire first week he was out of rehab. He had a spring in his step and a smile on his face as the heat of the summer was no longer his enemy and it now simply put him in a good mood. Wearing his new Ray Bans and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap, he wasn't quite sure if it was the sun that had him ridiculously happy or the fact that he slept each night with Beca wrapped tightly in his arms. He woke before her each morning and kissed her cheeks before slipping out of bed and heading down to the kitchen to make coffee. He really wanted to make his second chance work and he liked being able to do the little gestures which made her smile.

He applied for every job that he felt he was qualified for; from janitorial and maintenance positions, washing dishes or waiting tables, to folding clothes at Abercrombie and Fitch. He applied for it all but without any recent work experience, he was struggling to find someone to give him a chance. He didn't let that deter him; if anything, it made him try that much harder.

His determination finally paid off on Friday morning when he walked into a highrise office building not far from the Warner office building. He inquired about any available job openings and was pleased to find out that one of the guys from the mailroom had quit just a few days earlier. He applied for the position, left his contact information and headed back into the sunshine. He texted Beca to let her know and within a few hours he got a call back from the company.

Bob, the mailroom supervisor, was anxious to get the position filled and asked Jesse to come back that afternoon for an interview. From the minute they sat down, the two took quite a shine to each other and by the end of the meeting, Jesse walked away with the job. It wasn't the greatest job in the world but the pay was decent and the benefits package was good and the hours were perfect, still allowing him to be able to attend support group meetings in the evenings.

During dinner that evening, he told Beca that he had gotten a job offer. He explained what he would be doing and Beca could see he was excited to get started after the weekend. He went on to tell her that he thought working in the mailroom was going to be a lot like the 1987 movie "The Secret of My Success" starring Michael J. Fox, only his uncle didn't own the company and he had no plans of sleeping with his aunt. Beca desperately wanted to roll her eyes at his movie obsession but she saw such a renewed energy in him, she ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his head instead.

o~O~o

Since the building Jesse worked in was on Beca's way to work, the location couldn't have been better. The drive to work every morning was nice for both of them and they took turns behind the wheel which meant a lot to Jesse that she trusted him with her car. At least a couple of times a week, their journey included a stop at Starbucks for lattes and muffins. Beca agreed to pay for what Jesse got at Starbucks until he had some of his own money lining his wallet, after that if he wanted something he had to buy it himself. She couldn't give him another free ride and taking the advice given to her at the family therapy sessions that she should keep to a routine and not try to do everything for him. She kept telling herself that while it sounded like she was being a bitch, she really wasn't and it was for his own good. She had to stick to her guns and make him find his way otherwise muffins and coffee could turn into much, much more. She'd already let him in to her bed quicker than she should have but she was internally struggling with how much she missed him. While it still felt a little strained, she couldn't imagine him being anywhere else.

The mailroom where Jesse worked, served the entire building, all 60 floors and most of the offices belonged to law firms, modeling agencies, financial advisors and high powered business tycoons who wanted success in every major city. While the work was mundane, it was steady and it managed to keep Jesse busy all day. He even went so far as to make a friend, a colleague named Mike who looked out for him and showed him the ropes and Jesse enjoyed his company. It was an honest day's work for an honest day's pay and at this point and time, that's all he was looking for. Well, he was looking for a big break in the music industry but knew he needed to pay his dues just like everyone else did before that was going to happen. The more he thought about the more he wanted to overcome his past and solidify his future. He also wanted people to understand and appreciate that he worked hard for his break, he didn't want anything to be handed to him.

A couple of times a week, on his lunch break, Jesse would pick up sandwiches from the corner deli and surprise Beca with a picnic lunch in her office. It was a small gesture but it showed Beca that, while he wasn't making a lot of money, he was doing little things to show his appreciation for everything she had done and continued to do for him. He knew that she didn't always stop for lunch and he didn't want her getting sick.

At the end of the day, Jesse would punch out and walk half a block over to Warner to wait for Beca. On most days, she was ready to go within a few minutes of him arriving but on the occasions that she wasn't, Jesse would curl up on the couch in her office and watch TV until she was finished for the day. If she happened to be working in the studio, she'd sneak Jesse in so he could listen to what she was working on which he really loved. He didn't even mind dodging the two ice queens who sat outside Beca's office for it. For some reason, they still hadn't warmed up to him.

Beca's parents hated that Jesse was back in her life but had to admit that rehab had done a world of good for him. It was because of Jesse that Beca was no longer working late into the night and on weekends, she was taking better care of herself and sleeping better, so in reality they owed him a debt of gratitude. They were actually really proud of her for taking an interest in his recovery and seeing him through it from start to finish. While they weren't crazy about him living in Beca's guest house, they admitted that it was far better than him sleeping in her bed, though if they were honest, they knew it wouldn't be long before he was. They could see the way Beca looked at Jesse and knew it was only a matter of time before they were back together. What they didn't know was that they were back together and Jesse actually slept in Beca's bed most nights although he hadn't moved all of his belongings back into her closet and wouldn't until she said he could.

It wasn't long before Beca started bringing Jesse to Sunday dinners. In fact, her parents even suggested that she start hosting Sunday dinners once a month. Secretly they made the suggestion because they wanted to see Jesse in Beca's house where he was comfortable. They were planning to scrutinize his every move and figured they may see more if he was in familiar surroundings and with his guard down.

In watching him, they learned that he had, in fact, made a lot of changes. He wasn't the same person they'd met all those months ago. Where he'd always been polite and overly cautious around them before, he now was much more relaxed and open. He talked sports with her dad and got drinks for everyone as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He cleared the table after the meal had finished and when the time came for her parents to leave, he held Anne's coat out for her to slip her arms into and leaned down to peck her politely on the cheek. As a criminal court judge, Anne saw people ruin their lives everyday, there were very few that could attend rehab, make a vow to become clean and sober then actually do it but Jesse had. While Anne still had reservations about Jesse, he made Beca happy and her happiness was all she wanted.

Within a few weeks, everyone knew that Beca and Jesse were officially back together. And if Beca and Jesse were honest with themselves, they'd been back together since the day he came home from rehab, but aside from Amy and 'Dipstick or whatever that dude's stupid name was', no one else knew that though. Things had been going well and they were both really, really happy.

It was almost too good to be true.

o~O~o

When the alarm went off at 5am, Beca groaned as she untangled herself from Jesse's limbs and reached over to turn it off. It was Monday morning, and the first day she had to go back to work after having Thanksgiving week off. She found herself wondering why in the hell she hadn't taken Monday off too. She laid there for several minutes before deciding it really was time to get up and while Jesse had gotten up first most mornings to get coffee, he'd made no attempt to stir that morning. She needed to work out, get ready for work and put something in the slow cooker for dinner that evening.

As she rolled over onto her side and attempted to throw the covers off of her, Jesse reached out and pulled her back toward the middle of the bed.

"Don't go." He mumbled as she squealed in surprise.

She turned to face him and playfully wrestled against him. "I have to put the lasagna together so I can put it in the oven when we get home this evening and we both need to get to work."

"I've got something else that needs to be put to work." He smirked then grabbed her hand and pressed it to his erection as he rolled on top of her, settling comfortably between her legs.

"Jesse, we just had sex two hours ago." Beca reminded him as she tilted her head to allow him better access to her neck and subconsciously parted her knees for him.

He was trying his hardest to get her in the mood by kissing and rubbing her in all the right places. "Wow! Has it really been that long? We need to up our game." He said between kisses.

There was no point in trying to resist him so she gave in. Jesse had been home for almost six weeks and she wasn't at all sure if she had slept a full night in that time. In fact, she was lucky if she got four hours at a stretch, but somehow she managed to have the energy to get through the day.

"Mmm…" She hummed as Jesse sucked and twisted her overly sensitive nipples. Everything was sensitive and had been for weeks since he'd been home. She had decided it was due to him being over loving and knowing exactly what buttons to push to turn her on in seconds. They had more than made up for lost time. She often found herself wondering how she was still able walk, even Amy had mentioned the 'hitch in her get along' several times. Beca laughed at the memory.

Jesse stopped what he was doing and lifted his head. Beca's eyes opened wide. "Why'd you stop?"

"Why are you laughing?"

"Just remembered something Amy said."

"What did she say?"

"We had just gotten out of a team meeting, she was going to her office and I was going to mine. Anyway, she stopped, turned around and said 'That little hitch in your get along is kinda cute.'"

"A hitch in your get along huh? Well… let me see if there's something I can do about that." He said with the biggest shit eating grin Beca had ever seen.

One hand immediately dropped down to her breast, his fingers tweaking her rapidly hardening bud, his mouth clamped down on her other nipple. His other hand snaked its way between them and he started rubbing her clit. Within seconds, Beca's head fell back, her mouth open.

Jesse loved watching her like this but what he liked more than watching was making her beg. She was always so receptive to his touch and today was no exception. Beca was rubbing her feet wildly on the sheets. She moaned as Jesse took her nipple between his teeth and flicked it with his tongue. It hadn't taken very long at all to get her to the point where she was all but begging him for what she wanted and needed.

She put her hands on Jesse's shoulders and pushed him down. Jesse smirked knowing exactly where she wanted him. He winked at her as he ran his tongue over her chest as he pushed down the sheets. He greedily slipped his tongue between her slick folds. With each swipe of his tongue, with each nip of her clit, Beca panted. Her hips began to thrust involuntarily and though she never said a word, he was doing everything she told him to do.

Jesse placed light, loving kisses on the inside of thighs before making his way back up her body. Lining himself up with her entrance and without any further warning, he thrust inside of her with one long, hard jerk of his hips. She cried out at the sensation and clutched at his shoulders as he settled onto his arms and held himself perfectly still. Beca rotated her hips, desperate for him to take her further as she whimpered in protest.

"Please..." She begged but Jesse shook his head.

"What's it worth?" He whispered, teasing her as she began to thrust her hips against his.

"I really don't want to rip your balls off right now." She growled and he smirked down at her as he slipped his arms under her back. He lifted his hips and picked up the pace as she closed her eyes in ecstasy as they both continued to ride the waves together. "Oohh… mmm… "

Jesse gave a final grunt and while still buried deep inside of her, he slowly lowered his head to rest on Beca's chest. "Shit!"

"What? What's wrong?" Beca asked, breathing heavily.

Jesse nuzzled her neck. "That was amazing!" He mumbled as his eyes closed.

o~O~o

When Beca woke up an hour later, still all sweaty and tangled up in the bedsheets, she finally felt like she could face the day and she had Jesse to thank for that. She carefully peeled herself away from Jesse for the second time that morning, getting up slowly so she didn't disturb him. She certainly didn't have time for another round that morning. She pulled on one of his t-shirts and a pair of boxers before making her way downstairs to get dinner started.

Anytime she was in her kitchen, she was happy. She enjoyed cooking and viewed it as therapeutic outlet. While getting the lasagna ready, she began thinking back to Thanksgiving Day. Every seemed to have a good time even though she had forbidden anyone from drinking in Jesse's presence. Nobody seemed to object and a couple of people even said they enjoyed the day even more as they didn't have to deal with the hangover the next day She missed Aubrey though as it was one of only two years that they hadn't spent Thanksgiving together since they were children. Beca was also sad because she hadn't see Luke either. Aubrey had flown to Dallas with Ben to be with his family for the holiday. She was actually pretty excited to see Aubrey later in the week at yoga class. Luke, on the other hand, didn't offer Beca a proper explanation for his absence and she knew his feeble concotion of being so busy with work that he couldn't take the day off was beyond weak. She made a mental note to spend an evening with him the following week to find out what was going on with the bug up his ass.

As she placed the pan of lasagna in the fridge, she caught a glimpse of the last slice of homemade apple pie that she had made. Taking the pie and warming it in the microwave Beca began to think of her Granny. When she was seventeen, her Granny tried teaching her how to make her famous homemade pie crust. Granny had had zero patience that day and yelled at Beca quite a bit but in the end they had made some pretty special memories. Beca was proud to say that by her twenty first birthday, she had finally mastered making her Granny's perfect pie crust. She smiled as she sat at the table with the last piece of pie and a cup of English breakfast tea.

After cleaning up the mess she'd made, Beca made her way back upstairs. She'd put off getting ready for work for as long as she could and really needed to get a move on. Sawyer scheduled a working lunch that day and she couldn't miss it. Warner had recently signed several new artists and they had already started to plan for the New Year.

She stood next to the bed trying to rouse Jesse awake. "Wake up sleepy head."

He grunted. "What time is it?"

"It's 6:30… you really need to wake up." She told him before she kissed his cheek. "Come on… up and at'em!"

"I'll get up in a minute." He sighed.

"Ok, don't be long." She told him as she began to undress on her way to the en suite bathroom.

As she showered she started thinking back to all of the things that had happened in her life since she had met Jesse. The more she thought, the more she believed that the good definitely outweighed the bad. Sure, he'd made some pretty stupid mistakes but she wasn't perfect either and everyone deserved a second chance. She looked around the shower and smiled seeing all of Jesse's things mixed up with her own. For the first time in a long time she was content and beyond happy.

She picked up the shampoo bottle, squirted some in her hand and began lathering her hair. As she scrubbed, she sang a song she'd been working with Emily on just a few days before.

"I got all I need when I got you and I
I look around me, and see a sweet life
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight
You're getting me, getting me, through the night
Kickstart my heart when you shine it in my eyes
Can't lie, it's a sweet life
Stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight
You're getting me, getting me, through the night"

She was so into what she was doing that she hadn't heard Jesse enter the shower. "Sounds like a great song… where's it from?" He asked, causing her to jump and grab her chest.

Turning around, she smacked his shoulder. "You jerk!" She said playfully.

Jesse laughed and threw his arms up to block any other punches she was going to throw. "Hey! C'mere." He said pulling her in for a kiss. "Sorry I scared you."

Beca wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled. "You can shower with me but I'm not having sex with you again this morning."

"Oh really? Well, we'll just see about that." He said nuzzling her neck. Beca immediately felt every ounce of her willpower leaving her body. He was insatiable… hell, if she was honest, they both were. She never stood a chance when it came to Jesse and if they kept this up, she may never walk normally again.

Thirty minutes later, they were both finally finished showering and were ready for the day. Jesse shaved while Beca applied her make up and braided her hair over her right shoulder. When he was dressed and ready, he went downstairs to get breakfast while Beca got dressed. She slipped on a white button down dress shirt, jeans, a navy cardigan, a thin leopard print belt and matching heels. Giving herself a once over she added a leopard print infinity scarf, put some perfume on and made her way downstairs.

"You look great!" Jesse told her as he took his last bite of cereal.

"Thanks. You ready?"

"Yeah. Just gotta go upstairs and grab a hoodie."

Beca kissed the top of his head before he stood up and took his dishes to the sink. "You want coffee to go?"

"Yes please." Jesse called from the stairs.

o~O~o

The morning flew by. Beca was no sooner at work, her cup of tea close by, when she began answering emails and returning phone calls. Before she knew it, Amy was standing in the doorway demanding her attention.

"Time for our lunch meeting Shorty McGee!" Amy called out loudly as she walked into Beca's office making her jump a foot in her chair. She shook her head at her blonde friend as Amy tapped the watch on her wrist.

Beca opened the door to her private bathroom, dug around in her purse before pulling out her foundation and patting at her nose for a moment. She closed her compact and threw it back in her makeup bag. "I'm coming. Just need to grab my drink and my iPad." She said as she tossed her makeup bag on her desk.

"Beca… Darlie with Glamour Magazine called about the up and coming article and studio photo shoot with Emily." Kimmy told Beca as she walked in her office.

"Shit! I forgot about that. Ok… umm… call Emily and nail down a day and time that's good for her. If she needs a ride, arrange for Bernie to pick her up. Then call Beth to schedule appointments with Craig and Vanessa for hair and makeup. Call Margo and ask her to pull some things for the shoot. Clothes, jewelry, shoes… the works but tell her to keep in mind that Emily is only 18 and this is her first photo shoot, so nothing too risque. Then call Darlie back with all the pertinent information." Beca told her as she pulled up her schedule for the following week. "I have a few time slots available early next week, the only day that's absolutely out is Thursday. I have studio times scheduled with Charlie Puth and T. I. that day. Let's really try to shoot for Friday though, that's definitely my least crazy day."

"Ok… I'm on it boss." Kimmy said as she jotted down notes. "Anything else?"

Beca was trying to think. "No… I think that's it. Unless you have any butter pecan ice cream hidden about your person."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, forget it. That's everything."

"Alright then… I'll take care of everything on this list and get back to you."

"Beca! Come on! If we're late Sawyer is going to filet us!" Amy barked. "I was planning on eating lunch at the meeting...not being the one that gets eaten!"

Beca sighed. "Kimmy text me if anything goes ass up."

"Got it!"

"Beca!" Amy called through gritted teeth.

"Ok, ok… I'm right behind you."

o~O~o

The meeting, while extremely informative and productive, had worn Beca out, or maybe that was her morning activities before she had gotten to work that were finally catching up to her. She was exhausted, yet the day wasn't anywhere near over.

"Hey Bec.." Amy called over her shoulder as she continued to walk down the corridor towards her office.

"Yeah?"

"If you aren't careful, we're gonna have to unscrew your legs at the hip joints."

"What?" Beca said, coming to a complete stop and throwing a look at Amy.

"That hitch of yours… it's gotten a little worse." Amy winked.

Beca laughed. "Aww, what's the matter Ames… Dipstick not greasing your joints at night?"

Amy got a big grin on her face. "Apparently he's not nearly as good as Mr. Sex-On-A-Stick."

"Well… I'm not loaning him out, so Stick Shift will have to watch some YouTube videos to learn how to grind those gears." Beca said as she pulled the glass door to her office open. "Hey girls… what happened while I was in the meeting?" She asked Kimmy and Lilly.

Kimmy took several minutes to give Beca the rundown as followed her to the kitchenette for a bottle of water. "So, Emily said Friday is the best day for her too since she doesn't have any classes that day. Bernie will pick her up at 8am sharp and bring her directly here. I've already let security know that depending on traffic, she'll be arriving at about 8:45 and they'll have her guest badge ready. Margo will be here with clothes etc... at 8:30. Beth has Emily down for hair with Craig at 9:15 and with Vanessa for makeup at 10 o'clock. Those appointments should take about an hour and a half total. You have touch ups scheduled at 10:45. Clothes, hair and makeup will all setup in conference room B. Darlie and her crew will arrive at 10am to begin their setup in conference room A since it's closest to the studio and the interview and pictures will begin promptly at 11:30." Kimmy finally took a breath as she finished what she was saying.

"Ok, sounds good… but why am I getting touch ups?" Beca asked looking confused.

"They want pictures of you and Emily in the studio… remember?"

"Oh yeah… Gotcha."

"You good with that?"

"Yeah… I guess I have to be, right?" Beca said as she plastered a fake smile across her face.

"Pretty much." Kimmy agreed. "Be sure to wear something cute!"

"I don't own 'cute'."

"Bullshit… I see you in cute stuff everyday!" Kimmy said. "In fact… you look adorable today!"

Beca was in the middle of a spectacular eye roll when she did she caught a glimpse of Lilly who had been sitting quietly at her desk. "Umm… Lilly, why are you putting sweaters on gummy bears?"

Lilly stared at her blankly. "Because I have already watered the plants with vodka." She whispered, looking extremely annoyed that Beca had asked her such a stupid question.

Beca just shook her head as she turned to walk into her office. Closing the door behind her she saw the mountains of files on her desk and let out a long sigh. So far, her day had been exhausting, it had started early and hadn't stopped since. As she walked across the room she gave the couch a wishful look, she wanted and needed a nap. Making a mental note to tell Jesse no sex that night, she kicked her heels off and sat down at her desk.

She started checking emails, voicemails and going through the files when she reached across her glass topped desk for her bottle of water. She turned at the same time as her phone began to ring and knocked her makeup bag and several files onto the floor, spilling the contents everywhere under her desk. She knelt down and started picking up her things, catching sight of a large manilla envelope marked:

Rebeca E. Mitchell
Personal and Confidential
re: Jesse Christopher Swanson

She raised her eyebrows unable to recall seeing the package before and certainly didn't understand why something regarding Jesse would get sent to her office. She crossed her legs as she sat under her desk and pulled open the tab to release several large colorful photographs inside. She audibly gasped at the contents as she flicked through the pictures. Shaking, she reached in her pocket for her phone before remembering it was ringing on her desk. Gathering up the last of her things, she quickly collated her paperwork and stuffed her personal items back into her makeup bag, grimacing as she looked down at the last product in her hand.

Getting comfortable in her chair and taking a few deep breaths, she opened her desk drawer and threw her cosmetics and the photographs into the drawer. She picked up her cell phone just as it buzzed with a text message. Seeing it was from her Mom, she ignored it for a moment and scrolled through her contacts to find the one person she knew she could trust as she tried to make sense of what she had just seen.

"What?"

"Hey, it's me." Beca said quickly.

"I know, I have caller I.D."

"Please don't be pissy. I need..." Her voice trailed off as she began to cry, overcome with fatigue and emotion.

"Beca, what's wrong?" He asked, suddenly concerned.

"Please come..." She sobbed.

"What's up? Spit it out, stop dawdling."

"I need you. I know you are at work but-"

"-Is everything ok?"

"I've just seen something I wasn't expecting and I don't know what to do."

"I can be there in fifteen minutes."

"Hurry… please."

"I'm leaving now." Beca could hear a set of keys being collected and felt a sense of relief.

"Thank you. And Luke..."

"I know."

Beca hung up and sat back in her chair as she glanced down at the drawer again. Wincing at the contents, she kicked it shut with her foot before leaning forward and placing her elbows on her desk. She sighed heavily.

"Ah shit."