A/N - Thank you for the feedback on the last chapter! And apologies this one is a few days late in posting. Decided to split this chapter into two parts, and the next one will be up in a coupla days.

Thanks, as always, to my beta. And thank to my readers, I couldn't do this without you!

Happy Sunday everyone :)

.oOo. Chapter Twenty .oOo.

Aubrey was just putting the finishing touches to her perfectly calculated, calorie-controlled and colour coordinated lunch when her phone rang, making her jump and wonder who was calling her. It was quite rare she wasn't working over a lunch break and she was enjoying a couple of hours at her own home for a change.

She lived in a completely remodelled two storey home in Toluca Lake, about ten minutes from Chloe's house which suited them both just fine. It wasn't too far to get a taxi back home if a quick pop in after work turned into dinner, four glasses of wine and an impromptu sing-along to whatever Disney movie was still in the blu ray player, long after the girls had gone to bed but it was just far enough away that they didn't feel like they were living in each other pockets. Aubrey didn't feel obliged to babysit, just because she was around the corner and convenient. She offered, simply because she could.

The house itself was simple in it's footprint and while Chloe loved visiting Casa Bella, as she truly felt at home, there was a lot of white furniture and expensive art pieces which she was constantly checking for fingerprints and left over stickers from her daughters. She knew Aubrey wouldn't say anything if Alex or Kate left a trail of glitter throughout her pristine home, but Chloe was acutely aware that her best friend had spent close to two million dollars turning the small, run down, 1920's home into something that was the talk of the neighbourhood. Word soon spread about her interior design work and she had enough small projects lined up from her neighbours to keep her busy for the next two years.

Aubrey loved her home, enjoyed the free-flowing layout, large kitchen which could incorporate the wide patio area at the back of the house. The kidney shaped pool was perfect for swimming in and the small waterfall was a favourite with her two Goddaughters. The three car garage had an apartment over the top which Chloe always joked that she'd live in when she was older. Sometimes Aubrey rented it out to people if she was going to be out of town on a large project for a few weeks, Chloe having put her in touch with people from her studio. Occasionally an actor wanted to bring his or her family with them on a shoot and it suited Aubrey. She didn't really have to interact with them, as they appreciate the privacy afforded to them and she got some extra funds to invest into her next project.

Aubrey liked living in Toluca Lake. To the south, was the Lakeside Golf Club of which she used to frequent corporate dinners with Bentley and its open spaces, and smaller density in population, gave Aubrey the air to breath. Having been born into a military family, she was used to tight knit communities and often felt the walls were closing in on her. The house she chose gave her an outlook over the private lake and she had access to it, from a small corner in her backyard.

Aubrey didn't mind living alone, she craved the quiet but there were times when she was a little jealous of Chloe and her family lifestyle. She adored spending time with the girls and loved them dearly and was beyond shocked when it came to light that one of her best friends' babies had been switched at birth. She was supportive as she could be for Chloe but couldn't tell her that she was struggling with the news too. Every time she saw Alex, she knew she was acting a little differently towards her at the same time as she was learning that there was a reason why the little brunette was harder to get to know.

Aubrey shook herself as her phone continued to ring, snapping her out of her daydream. Glancing down and noting it was Chloe, she tapped the Bluetooth speaker in her ear.

"Good afternoon Chloe, how are you?" She said, her usual level of greeting whoever she was talking to still in place.

"Bree…" Chloe cried out, sniffing twice before continuing. "… I didn't get it. I mean, I got it, but I didn't. And I've just been so horrible and cruel and self-absorbed and all she needs is someone to love her. Just one person. Anyone. I mean, she's had people that love her in the past, but they've all just left her. And I am sure her friends love her. Um, Amy. She's the Australian. She's… I think her best friend, but it might be Luke. He's a sweetheart."

"I-"

"-And I am sure they love her and care about her, but she doesn't see it. It's why she acts like she does. She just expects people to leave her and walk away or something. I mean, God, why didn't I see this happening? Why did I just think she was being aloof all the time, what for fun? Who does that, right? Who really does that? No one. Right?" Chloe rambled. "That's why she was… oh God, it's why she's just been so horrible today. I thought I'd make it up to her and it'd be fine, and she'd come over for lunch and we'd be best friends by dinner, but she lost the one person who truly, truly loved her. And that's my fault. It's no wonder she hates me."

"Chl-" Aubrey tried to break up Chloe in mid rant.

"-I'm so stupid. I took the one person she loved and who returned that love away from her. And it doesn't even matter anymore that darling little girl is mine, I've done it too. And why? Why? Because I don't have a backbone when it comes to David. I mean, you know what I've been through with him. And he… he's moving out soon. They are getting a place together. She's having his baby. A baby. My husband is having a baby with someone else." Chloe gave out a thin laugh. "We're really getting divorced this time. I've told him he can have the furniture and then I'll get the pool house re done because he's been in it for nearly three and a half years and… he's having another baby."

"Wha-"

"-And I don't get to have another one. And she can't have another one unless… oh God, I've taken it all away from her. And all I did was give her some photos. I thought it was a nice gesture but no, that backfired on me too. She was so mad at me, like really mad as if I was rubbing her face in my happiness." Chloe sniffed a couple of times. "But I'm not happy Bree, I'm not. I'm miserable. I am. David's going. He's moving on. Finally moving on. I'm alone again, which, I'm okay with but he's loving someone else now. David was all about winning the case but he had no intention of staying with me so what was he so desperate to win for? He's so competitive and I'm glad he's going."

"Can-"

"-I mean I was scared of being on my own for a while but not anymore. After he told me, I thought it would be a great start for us to begin talking properly without him breathing down our necks and he wants time with the girls too and I don't know anymore. But she's so, so mad at me and I tried to talk to her, but I couldn't, and it was awful. I guess she doesn't know me at all. But she was so kind in the hospital and I still remember that. I remember it all." Chloe rushed out. "Should I have taken her a gift? Or brought Alex and Jessie with me? Stacie could have watched Kate. Or just brought Jessie? Would that have been a bad idea?"

"If-"

"-Jessie misses her so much and I feel so awful. I don't know my own daughter and it's not going how I imagined it going. I thought it wouldn't hurt like this. And I've hurt her so much. Everyone. Everyone hurts and it's all my fault. I should have known they were switched and noticed but I didn't because everyone around me was just getting on with it." Chloe cried. "I had too many people who cared about me around me all the time and she has no one to care about her. Honestly, she has like two friends or something, I think. She just doesn't like people, maybe? Or has she been cast away all of her life, so she doesn't know how to love anyone but Jessie."

Chloe sniffed again.

"Bree, are you there? Why aren't you saying anything?" Chloe asked.

"I've been trying to, but someone hasn't paused for breath yet. That was a lot of information to receive in under a minute."

"I'm so overwhelmed." Chloe wept.

"I can tell. Where are you?" Aubrey asked.

"I'm just driving back from Santa Monica."

"I'm home, if you wanted to come round and talk."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course. I've got lunch so we'll talk and eat." Aubrey offered.

"Thanks Bree, I owe you one."

"Mmm hmm. Bye." Aubrey said, disconnecting the call and forgetting for the hundredth time that Chloe hated it when she shut off her phone too quickly. To Aubrey, time was money and sometimes every second counted.

She looked over to her perfectly prepared salad and decided it wouldn't be enough to share. Pulling open her freezer door, she scanned the colour coded and carefully labelled meals that Chloe often sent over, knowing cooking was definitely not one of Aubrey's skills. Reheating, chopping and making toast was about Aubrey's limit and although she insisted that she could organise her own pantry and freezer, Chloe took it upon herself to make spare meals for her best friend.

Aubrey was just microwaving a vegetarian lasagna when her doorbell echoed throughout the house.

"No one cares about her Bree." Chloe gushed as soon as the door opened, forgoing her usual greeting.

"I assume you are referring to Miss Mitchell?" Aubrey said in response.

"And that's the other thing, she said I couldn't call her Beca. That I hadn't earned the right, or something."

"Come in." Aubrey said, gesturing for Chloe to enter her home.

"Oh yeah, sorry." Chloe said, stepping inside and wiping her feet on the doormat for quite some time.

"You are going to wear a hole in that." Aubrey said, looking down as Chloe scrapped her feet back and forth.

"Sorry." Chloe said, ceasing actions but fiddling with her hands instead.

"You need a drink." Aubrey stated, turning on her heel and marching towards in the kitchen in a move that Chloe never thought Aubrey realised she was doing. "White or red?"

"I'm driving." Chloe said, shutting the door behind her and kicking off her heels.

"Call an Uber. Stacie's got the girls?"

"Yeah, but I said I wouldn't be long." Chloe said, thinking that Stacie wasn't expecting her back for a couple of hours as she didn't know Chloe had already postponed the meeting with the hospital lawyers. "Maybe one glass? Um, white please."

Aubrey nodded briskly and set about pulling a decent bottle of wine from the fridge. She didn't have any work calls to make that afternoon as she'd just planned to catch up on paperwork. She quickly uncorked the bottle – Aubrey would never entertain a screw top – and set about pouring her friend a large glass. She handed it to her, briefly wondered if it was a bad idea, knowing that a couple of glasses of wine usually meant that Chloe became even more chatty than usual before deciding not to worry about it and clinked their glasses together.

"So, tell me from the top… what happened today."

.oOo.

"And like I said, it just hit me why she's been so defensive about everything. She's got no one in her corner." Chloe said, finishing her story by slumping into the lounge chair she'd found herself in after lunch. She'd barely drawn breath while telling Aubrey all about her meeting with Beca and made just pushed her food around the plate, banging her cutlery on the plate which irritated Aubrey as she'd always been taught not to use knives and forks as orchestral batons. Aubrey's only interactions throughout their lunch had been the occasional 'hmm', 'right', and 'okay'.

"Wait, I thought you mentioned she had people called Amy and Luke?" Aubrey asked, knowing those names had come up a couple of times.

"She does but maybe she doesn't trust them enough to let them in properly?"

"That's not your problem Chloe." Aubrey said gently.

"But I've made it a problem."

"Chloe, my dear, sweet and lovely friend, you cannot just decide that everyone you come into contact needs or wants your help. Look, I know, for you, the world is an exciting place. You grew up with a great Mom and Dad who loved you from the very second you were born and still love you with that same ferocity. You had a lovely, stable childhood with loads of friends because people naturally gravitate towards you. That's the sort of person you are. You are the human equivalent of all that is needed in the world to make it a better place."

"You say it like it's a bad thing?"

"No, I'm saying that you see the world as a good place because you had a good start in life. Your parents saved for college from the day you were born They bought you a car for your sixteenth birthday. You had a nice bedroom and a backyard to hang out in. Now, just for a minute imagine that everything was the opposite. Your parents abandoned you or left you to fend for yourself in a trailer that wasn't fit to keep chicken feed in. At thirteen, you became the adult because your only parent just gave up on life and went off and did their own thing… what was it, alcohol and drugs?"

"Yeah, I think so." Chloe confirmed.

"So you've never had anyone turn up to a parent and teacher conference or hear about your bad day at school, baked you a birthday cake or spared a thought if you were two hours late home from school. You didn't have a reason to even try to make something of your life because no one cared if you reached the age of thirty."

"Aubrey?"

"No, that's not my life. It's Beca's. Just from what you've said. And I know what it's like. My dad, The Colonel, was absent for most of my childhood and yes, we're doing okay now, and my Mom tried her best until the cancer took her away, but I know what it's like to have to raise yourself. You've said to me on a number of occasions that I struggle to let people get close to me and I think Beca is the same."

"But that-"

"-I know you want to paint the world with glitter and make everyone happy and I love you for that. But not everyone wants or needs to sparkle, okay? You love the limelight, being in front of the camera, sharing your gift with the world and doing your best to bring joy into people's lives. But you have to remember that not everyone is destined to be happy."

"That's not true."

"It is though Chloe. Look, Beca had a tough upbringing. She's had to stand up for herself, probably more than anyone I know. Then, her best friend died. The one person she could count on, right? Wouldn't that make you a little dark and twisty too? You're alone in the world with no one. You find yourself pregnant and working all the time to afford the proper care for your unborn baby. And you do it all by yourself. It toughens you up, as a person, I mean. You get tough."

"But she was so nice to me in the hospital."

"Yes, but just because you are tough, doesn't mean you are inhuman. She's still a person. She can care about other people, but she finds it hard to accept the love from others. She's like me, in a way. It took us just a few hours to become friends and that was us, for life. But I wasn't hardened to life's adventures like Beca. What if we'd met in college and the damage was already done? My upbringing and good graces would have forced me to be friendly and polite to you but would I have let you into my life in a few hours, absolutely not."

"So, what are you saying?"

"Slow down." Aubrey said, matter of factly.

"That's it."

"Yes. I love you with my whole heart, so much that it sometimes hurts. You are the best friend I could ever hope for. You are my person. But sometimes, just sometimes, you can overwhelm me."

"Bree…"

"No, no, it's not a bad thing. I didn't mean it like that. You are cookie dough, warm summer evenings, the first sip of coffee in the morning, a fleece blanket on a wintery day and the sliver of joy when you see someone waiting for you at the airport arrivals. People like Beca and I, we're the opposite. We're vegetable peelings, we're running out of milk, we're rainy days that stretch into a week, we're catching your sleeve in a door handle and we're missing the train by ten seconds. And that's okay. Because we need those types of people in the world or it would be Pleasantville and a strange Utopia that society couldn't sustain."

"Did you just compare yourself to vegetable peelings?" Chloe mused, her mouth twisted into a slight smirk.

"I did. Look, I know you're barely holding it together. You don't fool me. And I know the real you. You aren't Chloe Beale, rising star and Hollywood darling, you're just Chloe, my friend who read trashy teen magazines with me, who's hair I held back when she puked after too much tequila at sixteen and the girl I know who never wears matching socks 'because who has the time to match them out of the drier'. You're not just a famous actress, you are the dork who doesn't know all the words to Gangsta's Paradise but sings them anyway. You're my everything. And I love you with my whole heart. But you've got to let Beca do some of the work too. Yes, she's hurting. Yes, she's gotten the worse deal out of all of this. But if all she is going to do is sulk and manipulate you, yell at you and not listen to what you have to say, then that is on her."

"But I-"

"-You need to let her come to you, when she's ready. You can't fix something that isn't ready to be fixed, just because you've decided you need to make yourself feel better. It's only been a couple of weeks since she handed Jessie over to you. It's all so new to everyone. I mean, I've not met Jessie yet because everyone needs time to adjust."

"You can come over anytime to meet her. I keep inviting you."

"Yes, I know. But it's not time yet. Jessie hasn't had time to get to know you yet, let alone David, Kate and Alex as well. She's gone from a simple, single parent family to suddenly thrust into a paradise with more people than she's used to."

"Yeah, I guess."

"And another thing, don't try to put yourself in her shoes. You've never had to worry about where your next meal comes from or where you are going to sleep that night. You've had money in the bank from day one."

"That's not quite true. When David and I first started out, remember that little house we owned and we had to buy second hand furniture?"

"You can hardly compare a two bedroom house, however small, to living with all of your stuff in a car, while pregnant, I might add and working all the hours in the day just to afford prenatal vitamins. It's simply not the same."

"Are you calling me a snob?" Chloe bristled a little.

"I'm just saying that you can't compare anything about your life with hers. For her, losing Jessie to you wasn't like losing one of your cars, or having to give up your cleaner or go without those charity lunches you love to give. Jessie was her entire world. If, God forbid, something happened to Alex or Kate or you were simply desperate to extend your family, you could add to it within a few weeks. You could open your home to more kids and because of your status in the world, you'd be allowed to. Think about Madonna and Angelina. Could you imagine anyone granting Beca another child?"

"I guess not." Chloe admitted after a few moments contemplating.

"So you can cry about Beca not having someone as much as the day is long, but until you've walked a mile in her shoes, you can't understand. So calm down, think rationally and move on."

"So…" Chloe said after a few minutes reflection where she finished off her wine. "… I need to be less Chloe."

"A little."

"How long for?"

"I can't tell you that." Aubrey said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Hmm, you've certainly given me a lot to think about. Thank you."

"I'm just glad that I'm able to say these things to you and you don't hate me."

"I could never hate you. I know we've had our fights throughout the years, but we've always forgiven each other."

"Of course. Like I said, you're my person. And you, and David, need to forgive Beca at some point for her involvement. And she needs to forgive you. It might take years. It also might be that you never forgive each other."

"I don't hold anything against her."

"That's not exactly true, is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to leave that with you to think about."

Chloe nodded, grateful that Aubrey was able to poke her thoughts with the very sharp stick she knew her friend kept just for her.

"Okay, okay, I'll spend some time working on that."

"Hey, you're all right. Just try not to rush into a resolution that isn't ready yet or you might regret it. These things take time to settle down. This is not going to be resolved in a week. Take small steps. And remember to let her come to you. She is playing the victim here, but she also forgets that you didn't do anything wrong either with regard to the girls being switched. And I know you came out on top with getting Jessie, but you'll also have to deal with the fallout when they grow up and start questioning everything. Like I said, you two might never resolve this and you might need to get some mediation organised."

"Mediation?"

"Yes, it might help."

"In what way?"

"What's the first thing you do at a table read?"

"How does that-"

"-Tell me."

"We sit around a large table, two or three people deep. Usually whoever is on the script is at the table, then the second layer are the production team and the third layer, at the back of the room, are the professional extras, key grips and anyone else involved who wants to be there."

"And why do you all sit in one room?"

"So everyone knows what's going on at the same time. All on the same page."

"And are you and Beca on the same page?"

"Ah, I see what you mean." Chloe said, as the realisation kicked in. "We're both too busy thinking of our own agendas that we're not thinking collectively."

"Exactly."

"When did you get so smart?"

"Right about the time I was born. I've got a number I can give you of the company that sorted The Colonel and I out when we were struggling to communicate. Worked wonders for our relationship. They are a little… controversial and definitely unconventional but you've got nothing to lose, have you?"

"What's the company name?"

"The Smith-Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberger Institute Of Mediation And Positive Thinking."

"Whoa, big firm. I'm not sure-"

"-No, there's only two people. Look them up and when you are ready, I'll do an introduction for you if you can get Beca to agree to come."

"Okay, I'll message her." Chloe said, nodding along.

"No. You'll…?"

"Oh right. I'll wait for her to message me and give her some space."

"It's really the best thing. And she needs to see how hard it is when you don't respond to her questions. When is her scheduled time with the girls?" Aubrey asked.

"Not until August. Courts decided Jessie needed a settling in period. I could offer Beca to call her?"

"Or?"

"Oh, yeah, wait for her to ask. You are right Bree. I do push myself onto people."

"It's not a flaw Chloe, just sometimes you need to not fix everything and let people come to you."

"No, I get it. I'll spend some time working on myself and thinking over everything you've said."

"I'm here if you need to talk."

"I know, thanks." Chloe said, checking her watch.

"Go, spend some time with Jessie and help her settle in." Aubrey said, noting Chloe's reaction to the time. "Give everyone some time to breathe and stop worrying about trying to fix everything."

"I love you Bree."

"I love you too Chloe. No, go home and give those beautiful babies a big kiss from their Auntie Aubrey."

"I will, I promise. But first, tell me everything that happened with Bentley and how you are doing?"

.oOo.

A/N - Part two out on Wednesday.