Every Day [Bechloe Fan Fiction]

27) The One Where Relationships Are Repaired

Jesse opened the door to his little house, letting Beca inside. The dog bounded up the hallway towards the kitchen directly opposite. A high pitched, happy voice could be heard greeting the little dog. Beca spun around and looked at Jesse, a ghost of her old smirk on her face.

"Who's that?" She asked teasingly, happy that Jesse obviously had a woman in his life. Jesse grinned cheekily at her.

"Wait and see," he teased, shutting the door behind them.

As the two of them took their shoes off, the woman could be heard getting closer and closer. Jesse could barely contain his joy as he watched the kitchen, waiting for her to appear. Beca watched Jesse, bubbling with anticipation.

"Babe, are you coming?" The voice called. "You've been- Beca?"

"Shoot." Beca cursed, suddenly scared all over again as she stared at the woman in the doorway. She felt her knees go out from under her. Jesse quickly grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back up into a standing position.

"Jesse?" The woman asked, concern filling her voice. "What is go on?"

"Look who I found wandering the streets," Jesse chuckled, pushing Beca forwards.

"I see that," she woman said carefully.

"Oh my God," Beca gushed, regaining some control, she pushed her hair out of her face, quivering on the spot. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know this was- I mean I didn't know you guys were-"

The woman said nothing, trying to hide a triumphant smirk - she had never had this reaction from Beca before. This wasn't what she expected from the woman at all.  This Beca was a wreck, to say the least.

"Aubrey, I'm so sorry." Beca said finally.

Aubrey Posen raised an eyebrow at this. She walked steadily towards Beca, judgement in her eyes. She stopped directly opposite her. Jesse immediately went and stood beside Aubrey, his arm looped around her waist.

"Do you forgive her?" Aubrey asked, still looking at Beca.

"Yes," Jesse replied, assured. "I forgive her."

Beca waited, not breathing. Her bottom lip trembled - she felt like a naughty toddler.

"Then come in!" Aubrey grinned, pulling Beca into a hug swift one armed hug.

"Whoa! Okay," Beca gasped, the breath being taken out of her.

Aubrey just laughed, letting go and holding Beca at arms length to get a good look at her. Jesse chuckled, before leaving them to make them all some much needed coffee.

"How have you been, Beca? It's been what, ten years?" Aubrey asked, talking Beca into the living room.

"Eight," Beca corrected. "And I'm... okay... What about you? You certainly seem... different?"

"That'll be my good influence," Jesse called back. Aubrey simply rolled her eyes, a smile on her face.

"I'm well," she said happily. "You've missed a lot."

"You have no idea," Beca mumbled, looking at her shoes.

The two made polite small talk until Jesse came back with the coffee. Beca told Aubrey about her producing job and Aubrey told Beca about how life at the retreat was going. She also told Beca about Jesse's work producing scores for some small independent films and theatre shows. They found it astonishing really, professionally speaking, they were all doing what they loved to do.

Yet, Aubrey kept looking at her with a face Beca was all too used to seeing. A look she got at work, from the other mum's at Beatrice's school, from her neighbours. Everybody. A look where they knew she was broken. Beca hated it.

"So go ahead," Jesse said, sitting down beside Aubrey. He handed her a warm cup of coffee, looking at her intently.

"With what?" Beca asked.

"Why you left," Jesse said. "You promised you have a good reason."

"I do," Beca nodded. "But I don't want you guys to tell... anyone. I'd rather people heard it from me."

"We promise," Aubrey said gently, knowing Beca was talking specifically about Chloe.

"Beca, you're not in any kind of trouble, are you?" Jesse asked worriedly, thinking about Beca's constant fear and anxiety, coupled with how long she had been away.

"No! No, I'm not in trouble," Beca promised. "It's probably not what you think..."

And so Beca told them. She told them about her mistake back at the Worlds, she told them about getting pregnant, about leaving her family and friends, about raising a child as a single parent. She told them everything.

The only thing she didn't talk about was how Chloe fitted into that. She was sure Chloe herself would have told them, and it didn't seem fair to talk about it in front of Jesse. After all, she had been cheating on him the whole time.

"Oh my god, Beca," Aubrey said emotionally when Beca was finally done.

Without another world, she pulled Beca into a tight hug. Beca resisted for a moment, her whole body shaking. But Aubrey ignored her, rocking her slightly until Beca relaxed.

And then Beca cried. She cried all over again, completely unable to control it. It was so hard being there. It hurt so much seeing these people again. It frightened her and brought back feelings she didn't want to think about. And she cried.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed when she could finally speak. "I'm so, so sorry. Both of you."

"Your sorry? Beca, you didn't even do anything to me." Aubrey said gently. "You hurt people I love, but it's up to them whether or not they forgive you. You've been through a lot, I'm not going to condemn you for a mistake you made eight years ago that has nothing to do with me."

"Th-thank you," Beca stuttered back. She could hardly wrap her head around this new, understanding Aubrey.

"You don't need to thank me," Aubrey laughed. "It's okay. It's up to Jesse and Chloe whether or not they forgive you. It doesn't involve anybody else."

"And I've already forgiven you," Jesse added with a wink. Beca smiled up at him through Aubrey's hair.

"I don't deserve you. Either of you," she said.

"Nope," Jesse chuckled, ruffling her hair.

Slowly, Beca pulled away. She looked at the couple in front of her. They both smiled back at her, comforting and familiar. Beca simply couldn't take it in.

"Why have you guys forgiven me? Especially you, Jesse! I was awful to you. Shouldn't you guys hate me, or something?"

"Probably," Jesse nodded. Beca's mouth dropped open, not expecting his answer. Aubrey quickly slapped his chest, glaring at him.

"No," she said pointedly. "Without you, we wouldn't have found each other. And I wouldn't change that for the world."

Beca looked at them. They shared a quick kiss, the love between them evident. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. These two polar opposites looking so happy and content together.

"At least I did some good then," she whispered quietly, feeling calm for the first time since she arrived.

With the most unlikely people.