Chapter Text
“I just don’t see what else she’d need,” Beca said, running her hand over the items in the aisle at Target as if by feeling them she’d know better what to buy. “Dad’s spoiled her as a way of, like, making up for all his massive mistakes with me, or whatever.”
“He didn’t make any mistakes with you,” Chloe said. She nudged Beca lightly with the back of the cart, grinning. “And I’m sure she’d like anything you got her. She is less than a year old.”
“Us Mitchell ladies have high class tastes, Chlo,” Beca sniffed. Chloe moved forward with a squeak, pinching Beca’s side to emphasize her point. “I can’t just get her anything.”
“Okay, but we’ve been standing in this toy aisle for just under twenty minutes, and we didpromise Stacie that we’d pick her up after her gyno appointment which ended five minutes ago so…”
“You go,” Beca said with a wave of her hand. “Stop back here after you pick her up, and I’ll be waiting out front.”
Chloe eyed Beca suspiciously, only for the brunette to respond by rolling her eyes. “Comeon!” she said, tugging the cart out of her way, “I have to get a few things for the girls anyway.”
Chloe knew for a fact that Beca hated Target. She hated most department stores, really, particularly around Christmastime when they were filled to the brim with people supporting the “capitalistic ventures of a holiday that shouldn’t exist in the first place”. So, as she left Target with an empty cart and an empty passenger seat, she found herself more than a little surprised that she had gotten away with leaving Beca at the store during the holiday season ALONE.
Granted, only a few months ago she’d “known for a fact” how much Beca hated babies, and we all see how true that turned out to be.
So maybe there were a few surprises still up Beca’s sleeve after the three and a half years she had spent slowly opening up for the Bellas.
So maybe Chloe thought a couple of these surprises were particularly and absolutelyadorable.
They were set to babysit that Wednesday afternoon - an escape for the stepmonster to pick up a few extra gifts from Santa - and Beca had spent weeks looking up baby gifts on the computer, even travelling to three nearby stores, before she finally managed to find something that satisfied her “high class taste”. When Chloe snuck under the covers, nuzzling Beca’s shoulder to try to get a peak of what she’d gotten, Beca hid the computer screen from her.
“I was there while you were shopping!” Chloe said. She, for one, loved surprises. But when there was no benefit to keeping something a surprise, then it was….well, she was a bit nosey.
“But you weren’t there when I bought it!” Beca argued, “Besides, I don’t want you to ruin it for Rose.”
“She’s a baby,” Chloe said, head tucked perfectly into Beca’s neck, “I’m not going to text her.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Beca said, “You’ll see when she does.”
It made for quite the build-up on Wednesday, and Chloe found herself rushing through the final holiday rehearsal just so they could get to the Mitchell residence and open the goddamned bag that Beca had stuffed underneath her seat in the car. She would’ve been more embarrassed - should’ve been more embarrassed - but considering the effect Beca holding a baby had on her, the effect of holiday!Beca holding a baby should’ve really been illegal.
“Hey, bud,” Beca said when they made their way into the nursery to find Rose holding onto the bars of the crib, tears dabbed at the corners of her eyes like she’d been crying for an escape. When she saw Beca, who was walking in with her back slightly bent, so it was more of a prance than a walk, her face broke out in an full-bodied smile. “Don’t get mad, I brought the chick,” she said as she picked Rosie up, shaking her slightly above her head before dropping her quickly a few inches back into her arms. Leaning down as if to whisper, she said, “I know what you say about her. But hey, it’s nice eye candy, to say the least.”
“Beca,” Chloe tutted, walking forward in the room. She reached a hand out for Rose, letting her grab onto a finger. “I like to think one Mitchell girl keeps me around for more than my looks.”
Beca snorted. “Tough luck, toots,” she said, starting to walk out the room, “She’s a boob man, too, you know.”
“She’s breast-feeding,” Chloe called out after her, leaving the nursery to find Beca already stationed on the couch, knees up for the baby to rest on them.
“Right,” Beca said. She let go of the baby’s fingers for a second to gesture to her own chest, whispering “boobs” while she did so. Chloe shook her head, rolling her eyes, before saddling up next to the two girls and looking down at the baby.
She had grown in the week since they’d seen her last, enough so that her features were just beginning to get defined. Chloe could see in her the touches of Mitchell blood that she shared with the women she loved so much - the dark blue of her eyes that seemed to reflect everything around her, the brown curling around her head, all the way down to the cowlick that framed the left side of her face. Chloe reached out, just like she did for Beca, and tried to pry it down, failing, as per usual.
The baby cooed under her touch, and Beca grinned. “So,” Chloe started, her voice a sing song. “Is baby ready for Sister Santa?”
“She could stand to wait,” Beca said, eyes locked on Rose, “But you are going to piss your pants, so go get it.” She handed the car keys over without breaking her gaze. “Under t–”
“The passenger seat, I know,” Chloe quipped, standing. When Beca pulled the baby up, resting her on her shoulder with a raised eyebrow towards Chloe, the redhead had the decency to blush a little. “I’m excited,” she said in a hushed tone, looking towards the door. “Sue me.”
Intentionally, she took a touch longer in the car than she needed to - there was something about letting Beca and Rosie be together that felt necessary, at least so they could say their hellos. When she snuck back in, Beca was on her back, holding the baby up on her shins in the air and making airplane noises. Chloe snapped a picture from the kitchen before Beca noticed her presence, considering the option of snapchatting a video before deciding instead that she’d much rather enjoy the live performance.
There was a spirit to Beca - a liveliness - that was unique to these moments. She was excitable when she was with the girls, and spirited enough of course in specific…moments…with Chloe, but this was colorful. Bright. Sunny.
And as much as Beca made fun of her, Chloe couldn’t help but see the similarities between Rose and her and start thinking about their own kids. Who they would take after, how they would giggle and who would be the first to bring that out of them….
…Whether Beca could get any better at this whole “baby” thing, and if she could, whether it would be fair at all to whatever absence of skill Chloe might have had.
“You gonna stand in the corner all night, or are you gonna give this chick her gift?” Beca said, breaking Chloe out of her daydream with a slightly jump and a quick “oh”. Watching Chloe carefully, Beca chuckled, shaking her head. “Should I be worried that you only give me those bedroom eyes when I’m holding a baby?”
“They aren’t bedroom eyes,” Chloe said, more to herself than to Beca, judging by the volume of her denial. “You’re good with her.”
“I know,” Beca said cockily. “I just didn’t realize I was that good.” She gestured up and down at Chloe’s stare, and the redhead blushed, shaking her head.
“Give her the gift already, I can’t take it,” Chloe finally said, throwing the bag the few inches between them so Beca could catch it by the strings and still hold onto Rose with one hand.
“Alright, kiddo,” Beca said, moving so that she was sitting up and cradling Rosie in one hand. “I would let you open it, but we both know how disastrous that would be. Besides the fact that I didn’t, uh, wrap it. Because that would’ve been useless.”
Chloe cleared her throat, earning a glare from Beca. “Will you not rush us with your impatience, huh?” Beca said, and Chloe giggled despite herself. Crashing down on the couch, she pulled a pillow into her lap. Beca took a deep breath, reaching into the bag.
“Here’s the deal,” she said, “You don’t have to be good right away. I’m mostly just expecting noises at first. But this is going to be the family business, and if we want to give Dad a heartattack, you’re gonna have to take a liking to this, alright?”
The baby cooed in response, which, according to Beca, apparently, was enough to solidify a confirmation. “Of course, you can do other things too. If you want. Like paint. Or draw. Or write. Or something. Just….nothing academic based, please. I wanna see how white we can make Dad’s hair.”
From behind them, Chloe giggled, nudging Beca. “You’re bad.”
“I’m just….encouraging her to follow her dreams,” Beca argued, reaching deeper into the bag and starting to pull something out. “Ready, Miss?”
The baby gurgled, but Beca’s hand stalled. She turned around, a grin on her face. “I was talking to you, Sir Impatience.”
“Shut up and open the gift,” Chloe said, nudging Beca’s shoulder. “Please.”
“Chloe likes to beg,” Beca said, her voice slipping into baby talk for the first time that night. It was slight, barely noticeable, but when coupled with the way Beca leaned closer to the baby it was clear. “It’s one of her favorite hobbies these days.”
“Beca,” Chloe squealed, this time kicking Beca’s back lightly with her toes, and Beca laughed.
“Exactly,” Beca said knowingly to the baby, only to have another scandalized squeal from Chloe. With that, she pulled the gift out of the bag, having taken it out of the box before coming to babysit. Sitting the baby down on the floor, she placed it in front of her.
Rose began to bang on the buttons immediately, starting the sound of drums from the toy.
It was a mixing board - one that differed greatly from the one that Beca used in the studio, obviously, because the buttons were enormous, and there included a few animal noises, but once the metronome started, the baby bopped her head, pressing down on a few keys nonsensically.
“There you go,” Beca said with a grin, “The package said three and up, but we’re advanced learners.”
“DJ R Mitch?” Chloe laughed, and Beca shrugged, looking down at the baby with nothing short of pride. “Your dad is going to kill you.”
“So what,” Beca said, “I’m too old to corrupt her in the normal big sister ways, so this’ll do for now.”
“Evil,” Chloe giggled. She put her hands on either side of Beca’s shoulders as the baby pressed down on the duck button three times in a row. “Adorable.”
“You can’t have both,” Beca said, turning so that she was facing Chloe but still on the ground. Her neck was craned up. “Pick one.”
“Oh no,” Chloe said, “Evil and adorable. With you, there is no or.”
“Whatever,” Beca huffed, sliding up slightly to kiss Chloe in the space below her right ear. “I’ll take it, I guess. It’s better than Baby Whisperer.”
“Wh–”
“I saw your texts to Bree earlier,” Beca said, sitting down in Chloe’s lap and leaning them both against the back of the couch. “I resent that title, you know. It doesn’t at all encourage my badass image.”
“You can’t deny your calling, Becs,” Chloe said with a hum, “It’s what’s in your soul.”
At that, the baby squealed, holding her hands up when she started a new beat, and Beca looked back at her, mouth open in glee.
“See, baby?” she said towards Rose, “It’s what’s in your soul.”
Her tone was mocking, very clearly imitating Chloe’s earlier tone, and the redhead responded by squeaking and slapping Beca lightly on the shoulder before soothing the spot with a feather light, impossibly short kiss.
“She’s a natural,” Beca said, almost in awe, and Chloe giggled, pressing her nose into Beca’s shoulder.
“You’re a natural.”
“Shut up.”