A/N - A huge thanks to my beta for this chapter. It was one of the first chapters I wrote in the story last year. They were honest enough to say the changes in this chapter didn't match the flow of the story so it got a quick rewrite and two thirds of it will come later! It'll get back on track and I really appreciate the advice!

A special birthday shout out to my friend, Iluvtvshows! Happy Birthday to you!

Without further ado...

.oOo. Chapter Nineteen .oOo.

One Week Later

"I don't get it." Amy huffed, as she stepped out of the elevator, turning back to Beca as she walked a pace behind.

"What now?" Beca snapped, her nerves apparent. She tightened the grip on her messenger bag handle and looked left and right, unsure which direction to go in.

They had signed in with the receptionist at the front desk, been given security badges for both of them and received instructions on how to get to the boardroom for her meeting with the hospital representatives . Amy's nonstop questions and mutterings all the way from the car to the elevator to the fifth floor of the rather imposing lawyer's office, which had made Beca forget everything she'd been told.

"Why does that woman get ta keep liddle Jessie?" Amy asked, brandishing her arms around as through she was conducting an orchestra. Beca, following closely at her heels, ducked under Amy's enthusiastic swoops.

"She is technically Jessie's Mom, Amy." Beca said, seeing the small, discrete sign for the lawyer's office on the wall and making her way down the hallway.

"But it ain't fair."

"Life isn't fair, Ames."

"But-" Amy spluttered out.

"-We just have to live with the hand that we're dealt with."

"You always say that." Amy muttered.

"Well, I always have to make the best of a bad situation. So…"

"You are her Mom though."

"Amy, it's not as easy as…" Beca sighed and paused in the corridor. She turned to face Amy, huffed and gave her a small smile. She loved Amy with all of her heart and knew that Amy was in turmoil over this whole ordeal as well. "… biologically, the child is hers."

"I get that part." Amy said.

"Through no fault of our own, it happened. And yes, we haven't dealt with all of that yet. That's what we have to sort out today. The hospital trust has to pay for their mistake and be answerable to our questions."

"Exactly, it isn't your fault."

"It's something I'm trying to come to terms with, in my own way."

"Money ain't gonna brin' Jessie home though." Amy stated flatly.

"No Ames, it's not. But it might mean I can launch a case against the Mitchem's… against David for the way he acted towards me. If nothing else, I can make a fuss so that he's looked into and then it might cause some trouble for him at his school."

"When did you cook that scheme up?"

"It's not a scheme Amy. He's an aggressive asshole who has dragged his wife along with him and brow beaten her into submission. Luke and I discussed it over dinner a few nights ago."

"After you got arrested and didn't tell me." Amy muttered.

"Huh?" Beca said, looking at her watch.

"I mean, you saved their lives and this is how you get repaid?"

"There's more to it than that. There was no way any of us knew this was going to happen."

"Would you have left them in the car if you had known?"

"Amy! You can't ask me that." Beca hissed.

"Well?" Amy said, folding her arms across her chest as she waited for the answer.

"Not her. Him, I'd leave."

"I don't get it." Amy said, again after a moment.

"She has every right to get to know her child. I can't hold that against her. I didn't exactly act properly in this, did I?"

"But Alex is yours." Amy moaned.

"I know she is. And things might have been different if I'd pulled my head outta my ass in the beginning. I was hoping it would all go away and look what that has cost me."

"But you don't get to keep her and you don't even get ta spend time at your place with her alone."

"I know Amy." Beca said, looking at the watch on her arm again. They had plenty of time before the meeting, but she was nervous about showing up late.

"And you're okay with that?"

"Am I okay with that?" Beca repeated and Amy nodded.

"Well, are you?" Amy asked when Beca failed to answer.

"Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think I enjoyed having my life laid out in front of everyone? Every single bad grade in school and my lack of a college education?" Beca breathed out hard through her nose. The memory of her being questioned on the stand making her heart thump in her chest.

"Well, no."

"My single parent family and the probability of history repeating itself? My mother's drug and alcohol abuse?" Beca snapped out, recalling her troubled youth.

"I didn't mean-" Amy tried to intervene.

"-My life in a trailer park? My best friend and father of my baby dying? My lack of a sustainable career? My inability to lay my hands on a few million dollars in a moment's notice?" Beca barked out at Amy, a lone tear threatening to fall.

"I don't think that-"

"-My lack of a husband? My sexual orientation? My working hours? My complete lack of failure at being a fucking human being?" Beca's voice was rising with each question. She only stopped when she drew the attention of a receptionist towards the end of the hallway.

"Beca, you-"

"-Do you seriously think I am okay with all of this?" Beca said, a lot quieter.

"I don't know Beca. You come home, you go inta your closet bedroom thingy and then you don't come out 'til the next morning when you goes back ta work. You don't talk ta me or people from work or anyone, you don't sleep, you certainly don't eat. So, no, I don't know if you are okay with it. You shut down and we're scared for you."

"Amy, I love you. I do. But you are infuriating the crap outta me right now."

"I don't understand why Jessie can't stay with you. You're her Mom."

"Jessie is not my daughter, Amy." Beca breathed out, trying not to lose her patience. "Alex is my daughter. Jessie is Chloe's biological child and a twin sister to Kate."

"I understand the family dynamics."

"Then why ask me the same question over and over?"

"Because I don't get it."

"Am I okay with being told that the child I brought home from the hospital is not mine? No, I'm fucking not!" Beca cried out, tears immediately pooling back in her eyes. She took a step back from Amy, needing some space around her as her face reddened. She'd gone through the whole range of emotions in the past two weeks. She'd not slept, barely eaten and was feeling very unwell, not to mention her stupid mistake which caused her to spend two nights in the local police station. It was only by the good graces of Luke that she'd managed to make it through. "Every time I fed her, every time I bathed her, every story I read to her, every cry I hushed, every laugh I made her have, every kiss I gave her and every time I told her that I loved her… it was all for someone else."

"Beca-"

"-And the same can be said back about Alex. Chloe gave her kisses that should have been mine. Chloe taught her how to talk, walk and play, instead of it being me. Alex has grown up with a sister. I can't give her that, can I? And, as it was so lovingly pointed out, I'm gay and have no intention of sleeping with a guy just to get pregnant again."

"You-"

"-Chloe even said she was a solitary child who loved to bang pots and pans, loved anything musical and to climb trees whereas Kate was always off in dream world playing with dolls and throwing tea parties and shit with her teddies and her friends. That's Jessie too, isn't it, Amy? Kate and Jessie are the same. I never really understood my own kid and the way she did things… because she's not mine."

Beca leant against the wall. The tears were rolling down her face, splashing onto her suit jacket. It was the same suit she'd worn to court and she was so grateful to Luke for getting it dry cleaned for her after he sorted out her apartment and kick started her into getting her life back in order.

After the court case, her lawyer John had left quickly after the verdict, leaving Beca outside the courthouse all alone. She didn't have the energy to move from the wall she'd leaned up against as every emotion coursed through her veins. She was blaming herself and could feel part of her life slipping away as she began to rebuild the wall around her heart, each virtual brick cementing itself in place.

She watched David and Chloe leave with their lawyer. David cast no more than a fleeting glance and smirk in her direction but his hand gripped Chloe's arm tightly as she attempted to pull away from him and move to speak with Beca. She was dragged along, twisting to get away as he walked them back towards their car.

It was dark by the time she heard her name being spoken and a strong pair of arms holding her to Luke's chest. He'd been trying to call her for hours to see how things had gone and eventually had come looking for her, not comprehending that she might still be at the courthouse on her own.

She'd collapsed on the ground, her legs giving way and she explained the verdict and the reasoning to Luke who'd nodded along as she spoke. He scooped her up in his arms and driven her to his apartment. He'd given her a clean tee shirt and a pair of sweats to wear and pushed her into his bathroom to shower. She'd felt a little better after washing the day away and he sat up with her for two days straight as she came to terms with losing the little girl in her life.

He'd been the one to call Amy and tell her, asking if she could keep Jessie for a little while and Amy had readily agreed. By the third day, she was ready to face Jessie and tell her what had happened and start preparing her to have to go and live elsewhere. It was the single hardest thing that Beca had ever had to do and that included losing her best friend.

"I love Jessie. I love her so much." Beca said to Amy, pushing herself off of the wall in the lawyer's office. "And it's because I love her beyond words that I am giving her back to her Mom and not challenging that fucking Judge. I'm almost twenty-five years old and today is her fourth birthday. Since she left the hospital, I'd not been away from her for more than a few hours until the verdict. I'm missing her damn birthday! I've lost everything in my life that I care about except you and Luke. And I'm not dealing with it very well."

"You always got me, Beca." Amy sniffed, nodding to confirm her words.

"I can do right by my kid, in a way that no one did right by me. She'll live in a big house, with a pool and a bicycle. Maybe even a pony, one day. She'll go to the best schools, maybe college and lead an extraordinary life. She'll eat three times a day guaranteed. Good meals. She'll have toys, games and books. She'll probably vacation every year, spend Christmases in some exotic land and her summers by the beach. She'll be surrounded by people, stability and love. I can't even promise her that we'll not be back in the van before Christmas."

"Which kid are you talking about? Alex or Jessie?" Amy asked.

"I don't know anymore. Both of them, I guess." Beca cried out. "Does it even matter?"

"No, I guess not." Amy muttered.

"So, ask me again if I am okay with it, Amy?" Beca sniffed. "I get to see Jessie and Alex for one hour every two weeks. I'm not losing Jessie and gaining Alex. I'm losing everything. I'm a stranger to Alex. Look how she cried when I picked her up the first time. I can't get to know my own child in one hour every two weeks. And that poor kid, Kate. Imagine how baffling it is for another kid to turn up that looks like her but be a complete stranger at the same time. And she's not allowed to come with the girls when they visit me because it's too confusing for them all. Not one of those kids is coming out on top, are they? The only thing I'm grateful for is that they probably won't remember this when they're older and I'll just be like a weird Aunt who visits and sends gifts."

"Why do you have ta pay Chloe money for Jessie every month?" Amy asked, remembering one of the court's decisions.

"I don't anymore. Chloe refused that part of the agreement."

"So, Chloe wins everything. It doesn't seem fair." Amy stated. She looked as deflated as Beca felt.

"Welcome to what a shit load of money, a huge mansion and fancy lawyers can do for you."

"I still don't get it." Amy repeated and Beca rolled her eyes.

"Not much more to get Amy. My lawyer fucked me over. He was all I could afford so I get what I deserved. The only thing he did for me was give me an invoice for his time."

"I don't get-"

"-I know you don't get it Ames but please, I'm begging you. I need to concentrate today. And I need you to be a friend and just have my back, take notes about the meeting and help me leave this the room today with a little dignity." Beca said plainly. She had hoped Luke would be free to come with her but as luck would have it, he had a meeting with a new prospective client that was only in town that morning. Beca had brought Amy along as backup but she was seriously regretting the idea and wished she taken Luke up on his offer.

Amy nodded and zipped her mouth shut. Beca gave her a small smile and they continued down the corridor, following the arrow on the small brass plaque bearing the lawyer's names. They reached the boardroom of Harris-Ginsberg and Beca knocked on the door, waiting for a signal that she was okay to enter.

After a minute of waiting, she knocked again but there was still no answer. Realising that she was probably the first to arrive, Beca pushed on the handle and the door opened with a soft whoosh.

The boardroom was large and impressive and smelt of wood polish and lemons. The twenty-place, highly polished, mahogany table and soft looking leather chairs shone under the spotlights and the desk lamps that were dotted around the room. The pot plants were big and leafy, well-tended to and healthy. The wall of windows gave an inspiring view over Santa Monica and Beca could see the Boardwalk in the distance; the colourful crowds having fun not quite matching her current mood.

She stepped into the room, Amy following closely behind. It was almost as if she were afraid to let her be by herself for just one moment. Beca was about to wander over to the window when someone else spoke, making her jump and spin around.

"Hello Beca." Chloe's voice sounded shaky as it cut across the room. Beca hadn't noticed her sitting in one of the side chairs.

"Hi." Beca said curtly, unable to stop her lip from curling.

"It's good to see you again. You look really well." Chloe said softly. "How have you been?"

"Don't. Just… don't." Beca said coldly, putting her hands up in defence and she watched Chloe flinch at her tone.

"Can we speak in private?" Chloe asked as stood up, straightened her dress and took a couple of steps towards Beca. Even in her current mental state, Beca could see how beautiful Chloe was. There wasn't a hair out of place, her makeup was simple and highlighted her natural beauty and she kept her actions slow and steady, without the theatrics of the courtroom. She still clutched at her purse like her life depended on it. Chloe held herself well as she waited for Beca's answer.

'Ever the actress.' Beca thought to herself but she could see the pain in Chloe's eyes as she stared at her. Beca looked away, she didn't want to look at the woman's face that so clearly resembled the child she'd been raising for the last four years.

"Please?" Chloe asked quietly.

"I don't have anything to say to you." Beca said, her voice hitching.

"Well, Miss Mitchell, I have some things to say to you." Chloe said, the strain in her voice apparent as she tried to control her emotions.

Beca didn't want to talk to Chloe in private, she didn't have anything left to say to her. Beca thought back to the day of their children's birth and the accident which held their connection and for a fleeting moment wished she had left Chloe in the car that day, then this mess wouldn't have happened.

She immediately felt guilty for those thoughts. Chloe didn't exactly ask for this to happen either and that part wasn't her fault. She was just angry at her for winning and taking everything away from her. She looked under her eyelashes towards her, taking in her appearance and noting, with surprise, the fading bruises on her arm that looked to be in the same spot that David had held her arm tightly on the day of the verdict in court.

Beca threw a look over her shoulder and saw Amy hopping nervously from one foot to the other. She was fiddling with her hair, a sure-fire way to know that she was uncomfortable and scared of the situation that no one had a clue on how to deal with. She knew Amy was a little star stuck with Chloe, even though she was pretending not to be.

Beca would always say that she met the real Chloe in the hospital all those years ago, not the actress they were used to seeing in the court room. In Chloe's defence, she'd refused to do any interviews or talk about the court case. It was the talk of the town and the media were desperate to know what was going on and why the young actress was in court.

"Amy, please wait for me outside." Beca spoke gently, she could feel some of the fight leaving her and that was a feeling she didn't like.

"Beca, it's not a good idea ta talk without your lawyer present." Amy leaned down to whisper in Beca's ear.

"It's okay, Ames." Beca said, hoping she sounded convincing.

Amy looked up at Chloe and bit her bottom lip. She so wanted to say something to the other woman but out of respect to Beca, she kept her mouth closed. She'd watched Beca fall apart over the last few months in a way she had never expected. She looked up to her friend in a way that Beca would never understand.

"Amy, please..." Beca said, pulling on Amy's hand.

Amy walked backwards the couple of steps to the door, glaring at Chloe the whole time. She didn't stop giving her the evil eye until she pulled the door shut as she left the room.

"Thank you, Beca. I appreciate you-" Chloe began.

"-Ms Beale… Mrs Mitchem… whatever name you go by-."

"-You can call me Chloe."

"I'd really rather not." Beca snapped. Using her name made Chloe seem human and Beca wanted to keep it strictly business.

"That's okay. I understand. Please, let's sit for a moment and we can talk." Chloe said, indicating one of the chairs at the end of the table.

"I'm not here for pleasantries so what do you want?" Beca said as she watched Chloe take a seat and fold her arms across her chest. She saw Chloe's face change from hopeful expectation to sad and scared as Beca stood her ground.

The silence was thick with unspoken insults.

"I asked to meet with you without our lawyers present today to discuss-" Chloe began, realising Beca wasn't going to sit down.

"-How is my daughter?" Beca interrupted, not knowing exactly which one she was truly asking about.

Chloe seemed to understand the internal struggle.

"They are all doing well. Getting to know each other. It's hard and the adjusting is not easy, but we are finding our footing. They are wonderful little girls. I've brought some pictures for you." Chloe said, reaching into the small purse she'd laid on the table as she sat down.

"Why would you bother doing that?" Beca said, feeling the beginning of a headache.

"I thought you might like some for your office, or your… um, home." Chloe said, holding out the envelope towards Beca.

"So I can see what I'm missing?"

"Excuse me?"

"You brought me pictures so I could have a reminder of what I'm missing out on?"

"That's not why…" Chloe sighed, this was going to be harder than she thought. "… it's just pictures. You didn't respond to any of my messages that I sent last week so I wasn't sure if you were getting them."

"Here we go again." Beca snapped.

"What?"

"I don't respond to messages. Call the fucking police then. Call your fucking lawyer. Call that fucking judge back and tell them I'm still acting like a child. I dunno, call God and tell them that you want to take everything else from me too. I've got thirty eight dollars in the bank, six changes of clothes, a crappy laptop and a rusty car… want that as well?"

"Beca? What are-"

"-You don't get to call me by my first name. You haven't earned the right to do that." Beca said, even though she knew what she was saying sounded ridiculous.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. Miss Mitchell, it's just a few pictures of the girls together. It's not meant to be anything else but a gesture of goodwill." Chloe said, sincerely. She laid the envelope down on the highly polished table.

"Gesture of goodwill." Beca said, turning her head to the side and mocking Chloe's tone.

"Okay. Okay." Chloe breathed the words, trying to calm her voice. She knew being this close to Beca was going to be difficult, but she didn't imagine it to be this awkward over just a few pictures. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to make you mad on purpose."

"Nope, you did that intentionally."

"What? When?"

"Um, the whole frigging court case."

Chloe sat back in her chair a little, needing to feel something on her back for support. She had a real sinking feeling that meeting Beca without their lawyers was a bad idea.

"This has been really hard on me Beca. I thought-"

"-Hard on you?" Beca repeated. "Hard on you."

"I know, it's not easy for you either." Chloe muttered, regretting her outburst just a moment before.

"Hmm." Beca glared. "See, I thought the ones who were probably finding it hard at the moment were the girls."

"Well, of course, them too."

"You know, how you ripped a perfectly happy child away from her home?"

"It wasn't my decision to do that."

"Don't give me that bullshit. You got exactly what you wanted."

"This is getting us nowhere." Chloe sighed.

"Now you finally understand how I feel." Beca said, her arms folding across her chest again. She had, what Amy would describe as, her Beca 'Effing' Mitchell face on. It was the look she used whenever Amy did something that Beca knew would take an hour to clear up, fix with tape or clean off of the ceiling.

Chloe sagged into the chair and closed her eyes. She didn't want the conversation to be heading the way it was going. Her idea had been that she would invite Beca out for a coffee and they could make a plan. She was frustrated that Beca wouldn't let her say what she'd been carefully rehearsing that morning as she got ready for the meeting. She didn't care about the lawyer's appointment, already deciding that she would put whatever money she was awarded into a trust fund for the girls. Chloe had just been keen to meet up with Beca.

"This isn't going to work, is it?" Chloe said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What isn't?"

"Us talking."

"I'm standing here, aren't I?"

"But you're not being receptive."

"So?" Beca shrugged her shoulders.

"So, this needs to be a two way street and if you aren't going to listen, I'm not going to waste any more of your or my time." Chloe said, as she stood up.

"Good." Beca said, dropping her arms to her side, turning and walking back towards the boardroom door. She decided it would be better to wait in the corridor for the lawyers to arrive.

She had her hand on the door knob when she heard Chloe speak.

"She cries at night." Chloe whispered so quietly that Beca almost missed it.

"Huh?" She said, spinning around.

"Jessie. She cries herself to sleep at night."

"She does that from time to time." Beca sighed, tears threatening as she thought of Jessie missing and needing her. She turned back around. "Always has."

"She's really struggling without you."

"What did you expect?" Beca asked, brushing some hair from her face.

"I didn't think it would be this hard. It's only been a week and everything… everything has changed. I didn't want Jessie to be scared of her own sister… sisters and me. I've tried everything but she's not settling well." Chloe said, retaking her seat.

"And that's my fault I suppose?"

"No, that's not what I meant." Chloe said and Beca could see tears forming. "She's my daughter and I am a complete stranger to her."

"Bit late for the guilty conscience, isn't it?"

"She won't eat properly. She picks at food and I know you said in the past that she's a good eater."

"She is. Usually." Beca said flatly.

"But the worst is hearing her cry at night time."

"And it bothers you because it keeps Alex and Kate awake?"

"No, it bothers me because she isn't happy. I didn't want to tell you."

"Then why did you?"

"Because I thought you might know why? And you might tell me how to make it better for her."

Beca scoffed and gently shook her head. She opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it.

"Please." Chloe said, her teary eyes shining under the lights.

Beca sighed heavily and cantered her weight onto one hip. She was torn over what to do. She wanted Chloe to suffer but didn't like the thought of Jessie being upset. It wasn't the little girl's fault and there was an easy solution to get her to go to sleep. However she also didn't want to make it easy on Chloe. As soon as she had that thought, another flittered across her mind. What if Alex had been returned to her and she had no clue on what to do for her, to make her feel better and stop her missing the only Mom she'd known?

Jesse's face popped into her mind, his soft eyes wordlessly asking her to not take out her pain on innocent children. She didn't need his memory floating around at that moment.

"Look, you've got what you want. I can't help you." She faltered.

"I didn't want her to be unhappy." Chloe implored.

"You'll just have to deal with her… struggles at night time." Beca said, walking a couple of steps back towards Chloe, who took that as a good sign. "She's only ever known me there, or her Aunt Amy or her Uncle Luke. And she's now surrounded by a lot more people than she's used to. Complete strangers who know more about her than she knows about them."

"Okay." Chloe said, sensing she wasn't going to get anywhere.

"I can't help you."

Chloe nodded.

"I mean, you're the expert, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry?" Chloe asked.

"On parenting."

"I'm hardly an expert."

"Really?" Beca scoffed.

"Of course not. I make plenty of mistakes. I just try my best."

"Mmm, I remember thinking I did that too. And I remember that not being good enough."

Chloe's eyes narrowed a little. She thought Beca had calmed down enough for them to perhaps have a civil conversation.

"Are you going to argue against everything I have to say to you today?"

"Quite probably." Beca smirked. "I'm pretty good at it."

Chloe breathed out a long raggedy breath. Her mind was all over the place. A part of her was pleased that Beca was still here, talking with her, despite the way the conversation was going, but on the flip side, all they were doing was arguing and getting nowhere but frustrating each other. She decided to try one last attempt to begin rebuilding the enormous crack in their relationship.

"It would seem that I approached giving you the pictures I offered in the wrong way and I apologise for that." Chloe said evenly, keeping her tone light. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. Can we please start again?"

"Oh sure, want to be besties?" Beca said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Chloe stared up at Beca, who was now standing at the other side of the table. Reading her body language quite clearly, she held her hands up in mock defeat and tried to look Beca in the eye.

"It's just a couple of pictures. I didn't think it would upset you this much."

"Upset? Who's fucking upset? Not me, that's for fucking sure." Beca said, her tone high pitched and a little squeaky as she waved her hands about. "Oh, why am I using my hands so much?"

"Miss Mitchell, please calm down. I'm trying to have a civil conversation with you."

"What do we have to talk about that can't be done through lawyers? I'm only here so I can hear what the lawyers are offering me as compensation for having my life ruined and turned upside down. That's not something I wish to discuss with you. I don't want to hear how great your life is. I don't want to talk about your friends and family. I don't give two shits or a fuck about your career and your charity work so don't want to know about that."

"We could-"

"-I don't want any sort of conversation with you."

"You've made that perfectly clear with your lack of response to anything I've sent!" Chloe uncharacteristically snarled.

"And who's fault is that?"

"Yours!"

"Mine?" Beca said, raising her eyebrows a little.

"Yes, if you'd acted better in the first place, then David wouldn't have gotten mad and gone to the lawyers."

"Because he acted so well the first time we met, right? So kind and caring about the situation."

"He felt threatened by you."

"Me? You're joking, right?" Beca laughed without humour.

"No, I'm not."

"I'm barely five foot two, I'm just a scrappy little nobody. How can you be threatened-"

"-He researched you before we met. Heard some good things about you. He knew he had to be that way."

"Instead of being friendly and making it work in a civilised manner? Oh sure, that had to be the better way. You are so full of fucking bullshit." Beca said, her voice rising.

"Where do you get off talking to me like that?"

"Don't paint yourself in that colour Princess. You fucking know you are in the wrong or you wouldn't be here!"

"And that gives you right to talk to me like that?" Chloe countered. "I'm trying to be nice here. I've wanted a chance to get to know you better and see how you are doing. You won't answer my texts, phone calls, or emails so how else can I get you to talk to me?"

"Again, I don't want to talk to you."

"So this is how it is going to be, is it?"

"What the fuck do you care? You don't have to be friends with someone like me. I can pick the girls up at the bottom of your driveway and drop them back off at the door. We don't have to fucking speak to each other."

"And how will that look to them?" Chloe asked, tilting her head to the side and watching Beca still fidgeting from one foot to the other, clenching her fists.

"How will any of this look to them? This whole situation has got to be affecting all three girls. Nothing about their lives is normal right now. Are you worried about me running off to the media about it all?"

"No." Chloe said, shaking her head. She knew Beca didn't want this whole debacle laid out for everyone to see any more than she did.

"Then what the hell does it matter to you how I'm struggling with it all?" Beca slammed her fists to her sides.

"Because I care."

"You have a seriously funny way of showing it."

"All my messages and me trying to communicate with you. Trying to organise meet ups and play dates with the girls, inviting you to my home with Jessie. That was me trying to show you I care. I wanted to get to know you as much as Jessie, and for you to get to know Alex and see what an amazing little girl she is. She's such a wonderful little girl and she will love you so much."

"I doubt that. No one loves me enough to stay around anyway. I'm used to it."

"Oh Bec… Miss Mitchell…" Chloe's hands flew up to her face as she realised something. "You have never had anyone give a serious damn about you before, have you?"

"What?"

"You don't know what it looks like, do you?" Chloe sobbed out. "You've never… oh God!"

"What?"

"I'm such an idiot." Chloe cried out. She flustered for a moment, before standing up and smoothing down her dress. She looked blankly around the room before faltering a little. She looked over to Beca once last time. "I'm so, so sorry. I have to go."

Chloe collected up her small purse from the conference table, wrapped her fingers around the handle and slipped it onto her shoulder. Her eyes darted about everywhere as she moved towards the door. Beca took a step back as Chloe marched past her.

"Hey, wait a minute."

"I'll rearrange the meeting with the lawyers. I'm so sorry to have wasted your time. Goodbye, Miss Mitchell." Chloe said, pulling on the door handle quickly, almost stumbling in her haste to leave the room. She choked back a sob as she walked out of the boardroom. As Beca got to the doorway, all she saw was Chloe's fast retreating figure as she disappeared down the corridor.

"Wait!" Beca called out.

"Everythin' okay Becaroo?" Amy said, standing up from the chair she'd been making herself comfortable in for the last half an hour. "Where's she goin'? She's runnin' like her ass is on fire!"

"I don't know what happened. We were talking and then she had some weird epiphany and left."

"What'd you say to her?"

"Nothing."

"Nothin'?"

"I mean, I wasn't nice to her but she stole my kid so she doesn't deserve me being nice." Beca said, looking back into the room. She spotted the envelope on the table and walked over to pick it up. She opened it quickly, flicking through the photos that Chloe had printed out for her. She'd written the date on the back and what they were doing at the time. There were pictures of Jessie playing in Chloe's beautiful back yard, a couple of them playing on small scooters and one of her decorating cookies.

Beca noticed that in more than half the pictures, Jessie was sitting to the side, looking about as sad as could be. Her heart hurt. She didn't want Jessie to be miserable and miss her. She thought back to when Chloe had said that Jessie was struggling at night time and began to wonder if, by not telling Chloe the easy solution to help Jessie fall asleep, she was doing as Luke had said, the week before, and she was starting to ruin their lives by not being present and supportive.

She leant against the table for support as it hit her that she was in the wrong for acting the way she'd done that afternoon. She was only thinking of herself and not the young girls who were caught up in the middle of all of this. She wasn't helping anyone by acting like an asshat and if they worked together, it might be more amicable. She felt herself deflate a little like a balloon with a small hole in it.

Chloe had made an effort, albeit not one that Beca recognised or wanted but an effort, nevertheless. And she'd acted like a complete dick.

"Shit!"

"You okay B?" Amy's voice in the doorway snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah… just… I… can you take me to Luke's?"

"What about your meeting?" Amy asked.

"Postponed. I'll explain on the way."

"Okay, then let's go. But can we stop for ice cream on the way?"

.oOo.

A/N - Sorry/not sorry for the non conclusion and the slow burn (I did warn at the beginning!). Can't have them being too friendly straight away, can we?! I really hope you'll continue to stick with me for this story. Every message, review and read means the world to me.

And don't worry about the troll, they are wasting their own time, not mine :)