The Assistant Saga

-- Opi Consulting Services --

"Alright people, can I have everyone's attention please?"

Suzanne yelled to be heard over the din. All the senior associates and their sponsors had gathered in the main conference room on the 50th floor. 

This is it! The time is now.

Ava bounced in place as silence fell over the entire room.

"The day we have been waiting for has arrived. After years of hard work and a whole year of proving their worth to be a partner, we have reached the end of this year's partner race. I know we are all biased. Every single one of the senior associates in the race is sponsored by one of the existing senior partners which means we have bragging rights at stake."

Suzanne smiled as Mary leaned towards Shannon.

"My girl is gonna kick your girl's ass so badly."

"Aww baby, you are probably the only who cannot see it. There is no way Cammie is going to lose to Lilith. Just look at them."

Shannon gestured to the two senior associates who were standing next to each other whispering furiously. 

"Yup, I'm going to win baby. And you are never going to hear the end of it from me."

Mary rolled her eyes at that statement. 

"Lilith is competitive. Some people are competitive with a capital C, Lilith's competitiveness is all in capital letters. She would sooner throw herself off the roof of this building than throw the race."

"Wanna bet?"

"You're on. What's the stakes?"

"Hmm…chores for a month and one other thing to be cashed in at a later time?"

"Deal, you're going down babe. I hope you know what you are doing. No trying to get out of it when you lose."

"So confident aren't you?"

"Hell yes. This is Lilith we are talking about."

Shannon and Mary shook on their deal just in time to catch the tail end of Suzanne's speech.

"Mama S has gotten more and more long winded I swear."

Ava complained to Beatrice.

"You should be nicer. If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't be in the race. She was the only one who would sponsor you seeing as how all the senior partners had picked their candidates a long time ago and you have a tad bit less experience than the rest of them. She went through quite a bit of criticism when she sponsored you."

"Baby, you make it sound like I don't appreciate her for all that she did for me. I love Mama S and I'm pretty sure she loves me too. Even if Shannon did betrayed me and sponsored Cam instead."

Beatrice looked at Ava. 

"Okok, Shan knows it's too early for me and I can get a shot in a couple of years and that it is Cammie's time. Stilllllll….."

Beatrice couldn't help but lean in to kiss the pout off Ava after her whine. 

"And now the top three senior associates, their biggest client and the value of the deal they signed."

The tension in the air was palpable as Mary smirked at Shannon. Her wife was going down and she was going to have a good time figuring out what favor she was going to call in for the bonus item. 

"In third place, we have Lilith de Almeida bringing in the Lego Group worth $1 billion."

"$1 billion and she is third?!"

Mary whisper yelled incredulously. This year's race is insane. She would have lost if she was competing. 

"Told you."

"Stop gloating babe, it's not a good look on you." 

Mary resigned herself to doing chores around the house for the entire month. 

"In second place, we have Camila Declan also bringing in the Lego Group with a deal of $1.5 billion."

Lilith whistled under her breath. She always knew that information security projects were worth more than human resources but she never knew it was such a huge gap. 

Wait a minute, second?! Who the hell is first???? Also we are already bringing in deals worth $1 billion. Then again, Beatrice forever being the overachiever had set the record at $5 billion during her year.

Lilith looked across the room at the couple. Beatrice mouthed congratulations while Ava just smirked at her.

"Finally, the moment we have all been waiting for…"

Silence once again enveloped the room. The senior partners in the room were surprised by the intensity of the competition this year and were wondering if the first place would break the record set by Beatrice two years ago.

"Crazy overachievers all of them. They blew all of us, excluding Beatrice, out of the water and this is just the value of the deals brought in by the second and third places. I wonder if the associate in first place would break Beatrice's record."

Mary whispered to Shannon, thanking her lucky stars that she joined the OCS so early that she was only responsible for sponsoring candidates in the race instead of being in the actual competition. 

"I wonder who will be first. Then again, they are all doing so well, I wouldn't be surprised if Lilith and Cam are promoted together next year and they do away with the race all together."

Shannon mused as she watched the rest of the senior partners wait with bated breath for Suzanne to unveil the winner.

"In first place, we have…Ava Silva bringing in the Vauseman Hospitality Group with a deal worth…"

Suzanne did a dramatic pause as an audible gasp ripped through all that were gathered.

"$10 billion"

Clamor broke out as everyone began talking amongst themselves while side-eyeing Ava.

"Something you want to tell me about darling?"

"I…broke your record?"

Ava openly laughed at Lilith's shellshocked expression. 

Lilith felt her jaw literally drop when Suzanne announced the client that Ava landed. 

So this is why they kept rejecting us. They were already signing with Ava. But…I know Beatrice tried lobbying them as a client before and it didn't work. How, what, who, what, how?!

Lilith could feel her brain breaking. Next to her Camila wasn't faring much better. No one in the room had expected this. When Beatrice brought in Meta two years ago at $5 billion, no one thought that the record could be broken. 

Until now I guess. 

"With that ladies and gentlemen, let's put our hands together to thank all the senior associates for their hard work and welcome our new partner, Ava Silva."

The claps started slowly with Beatrice leading the charge. Eyes full of pride at what Ava had achieved. It soon became a thunderous applause with a couple of wolf whistles thrown in, courtesy of Mary, for good measure. 

"You need to tell me how you managed to land Vauseman Hospitality Group love. I have been trying to get in touch with them for the longest time only to be rejected."

Ava squirmed. 

Bea is not going to like the answer to that. 

"Can we invite our new partner to say a couple of words on her win?" 

Suzanne addressed the crowd as the applause died down. All eyes turned to Ava who looked uncharacteristically shy at the attention.

"Thank you everyone, I look forward to working with all of you and will continue to do my best for the firm."

Ava gave a short bow at the end.

"With that, thank you all for coming and I'll see all of you at the new year's party tomorrow. I just have one last thing to say before we leave and that is…I win!"

Laughter broke out as the senior partners shook their heads at their managing partner's antics and filed out of the room.

-- later that night at Revival --

"I still cannot believe you won." 

Lilith grumbled as she lifted her glass.

"Two years ago we are gathered here to celebrate me being promoted to partner and today we are gathered once again to celebrate the achievement of the love of my life."

Beatrice looked at Ava, her eyes shining with love.

"Congratulations love, I am so proud of you. We all are. Including Lilith even if she refuses to admit it."

"Hear hear."

Camila yelled as Lilith rolled her eyes.

"Congrats shorty."

Alex winked at Ava as Beca creeped up from behind to hug her.

"Ahhh!!!" 

Ava screamed as she felt a pair of arms snaking around her from behind.

What the hell?! Isn't Bea in front of me?! Who the -

She turned around and squealed.

"Becs!!!!"

"Ow ow ow. Easy there. These ears are reallllly expensive."

Everyone laughed at Beca's traumatized face. 

"Oh don't be so dramatic. Congratulations Ava!"

A redhead bounded up from behind Beca and squeezed both Ava and Beca in a hug, sandwiching Beca in the middle.

"Babe, as much as I'm loving this, maybe you can let us go?"

Alex and Piper laughed at Beca's discomfort.

"Chloe! Come here girl, it has been too long."

Alex and Piper folded the redhead in a hug.

"Guys, this is Chloe Beale. Shorty's girlfriend."

Piper said by of introduction while Beca glowered.

"You are not that much taller than me." 

She grumbled at Piper.

Ava's heart swelled as she looked around the table. 

Everyone showed up to celebrate me. Beca and Chloe even flew in from God knows where to be here.

A waiter appeared at their table and deposited additional drinks for Beca and Chloe. With their glasses in hand, Beatrice started the toast again.

"Alright, now that everyone is here. Let's raise our glasses to my love, Ava Silva, congratulations on making partner and breaking my record. I love you so much and I cannot wait to see what you are going to do next."

Ava leaned in and kissed Beatrice deeply.

"Hear hear! Now break it up you two. It's time to drink!!"

Camila yelled excitedly. She was a little shocked that Ava won by such a large margin but she wasn't sore that she lost. Alex gestured to the waiters to keep the drinks going and excused herself and Piper to check on the food that was being prepared specially for this occasion.

"I need to know how you landed the Vauseman Hospitality Group."

Damnit Lilith is like a dog with a bone about this. I knew she would be sore but this isn't my secret to tell. 

Ava looked over to Alex and Piper across the table at Lilith's question.

' Can I tell them?'

Piper looked at Alex. This would be unveiling who they actually were. 

'I mean, Becs and Chloe know. It's not terribly fair?'

Alex lifted an eyebrow.

'I think it's time.' 

Ava breathed a sigh of relief while Beatrice watched on, puzzled by their silent conversation. She too was intrigued by how Ava managed this feat.

"Well…"

"Well?"

Camila interjected. This question had been burning a hole in her brain since Suzanne announced that Ava was the winner. Camila would bet good money that Beatrice was just as invested in the answer as her and Lilith. 

"Al, help please?"

"This is you kid, I'll…help out later."

Ava took a deep breath.

"Okay so, Alex and Piper. They aren't just Alex and Piper. They are actually Alex Vause and Piper Chapman."

Ava waited for the names to register.

"Wait, Vause as in…"

Beatrice looked at Alex who nodded. 

Ava picked a smart one. 

"That's why you and Camila get along like a house on fire."

"Maybe."

Alex laughed.

"Vause as in Vause from Vause Investment Holdings??"

Lilith wanted to smack herself. 

Of course, Vauseman Hospitality Group is a joint venture between Vause Investment Holdings and the Chapman Group.

"This means Piper is…"

Camila looked at Ava then at Piper.

"Piper Chapman of the Chapman Group, guilty."

Piper looked at the gang sheepishly. 

"Why are we the only ones that are surprised by this development?"

Lilith looked around the table. With the exception of her, Camila and Beatrice, the rest were just looking at them like it was an everyday event. 

"Does everyone else know this?"

Beatrice turned to Ava who nodded weakly. 

"So it is just us that were in the dark then."

Ava could hear the hurt in Beatrice's voice.

"Babe it is not like that. I didn't hide it from you on purpose. It really wasn't my secret to tell. Just like I couldn't tell you that I knew Beca until she crashed our dinner all those years ago. Plus usually I forget that they are not just Alex, Piper and Beca. The idiots that I grew up and/or go to school with."

"Beatrice, when Ava first brought you here she wanted to tell you. It was Piper's and mine decision to not say anything then and we forbade Ava from telling you. Then as time went by, we enjoyed hanging out with you guys as just Alex and just Piper that we forgot that you don't know about our day job and stuff."

Lilith could feel her brain breaking all over again.

Twice in a day. Ava managed to break my brain twice in a day. This has got to be some record. 

"I guess we should officially introduce ourselves in our professional capacity then. Hi, I'm Alex Vause, CFO of Vauseman Hospitality Group and chairman of Vause Investment Holdings."

"Hi, I'm Piper Chapman, CEO of Vauseman Hospitality Group and Vice President of the Chapman Group."

Piper gave a small wave at the end.

"Alrights, now that introductions are over shall we start eating?"

Alex looked around at the stunned faces of Beatrice, Camila and Lilith.

"Okay I guess we will wait a bit for them to come back to themselves. Becs, how long are you both here for this time?"

"I'm not too sure. Chloe did all the arrangement for this together with Emily. All I know is that there are no tours planned until the new album drops. Chlo?"

"We are going to be here for quite a bit. Becs says she writes better here and since I can't do my job until she begins touring, I can hang out with you guys when inspiration strikes her."

"Yesss!!!" 

Piper squealed at that.

"It will be like old times again!"

Chloe nodded excitedly. The last time they had the luxury of time to hang out together as much was before Beca became an international pop sensation. 

"Aves, you might want to check on your girl? She hasn't been moving for the last three minutes."

Alex nudged Ava.

"Booboo?"

Ava tapped Beatrice on her shoulder.

"I'm okay love, I just need some time to digest this. I'm going to get some air."

Beatrice slid out of her chair and made her way out of the bar with Ava hot on her heels.

"Are they going to be alright?"

Camila and Lilith finally snapped out of their surprise.

"I think so. I think Beatrice was more surprised than hurt at this revelation. But this also explains why Vauseman Hospitality Group had been rejecting us all these years. Alex and Piper had planned to sign with Ava right from the start."

"Are you even surprised that they would do that? Alex would kill anyone who breaks Ava's heart. Signing on as a client of the firm is nothing compared to that." 

"This reminds me, they really seem too bloody free for people in their positions."

"Lil, leave it. We will think about this another day."

Camila pulled Lilith out of her self-imposed quest to figure out how Alex and Piper managed to juggle everything whilst finding time to work at Revival. 

"Look Lil, Beca is here and you totally didn't realize it."

"Shut up Cam."

Lilith could feel her face heating up at Camila's tease. 

Damnit, there goes my chance to ask Cam to be my officially be my girlfriend.Unless…

Lilith leaned forward and tapped Beca on her shoulder.

"Can I borrow you for a minute?"

Beca looked at her quizzically and nodded.

"We'll be back in a bit."

Lilith announced to the rest of the table as Beca gave Chloe a quick kiss on the cheek. 

"So, what's up?"

Beca shuffled awkwardly on the spot. Even after knowing Lilith for the last couple of years, the taller girl still intimidated her a little.

"I need your help. I want to ask Camila to be my girlfriend but I don't know how."

Beca's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"You are telling me that the two of you are not together?"

Lilith nodded.

"Yes!! Chloe owes me 1 month of doing absolutely everything I ask. Thanks for settling this for me and yes I will help."

Lilith looked at Beca incredulously.

Do these people bet on everyone's lives?? Why are they all so weird. Wait, what am I saying. They are all related to Ava some way or another. That is why. It is the Ava effect. Birds of a feather and all.

"Gimme a minute."

Beca whipped out her phone and started typing. Lilith could feel her phone buzz in her pocket and Chloe bounded up to them shortly after.

"Could you please repeat what you just told me for Chloe to hear?"

Beca looked at Lilith and smiled. Chloe's head swiveled between them confused. 

"Fine."

Lilith sighed, knowing exactly why Beca requested it. 

"I need your help. I want to ask Camila to be my girlfriend but I don't know how."

Chloe gasped and hit Beca's arm. 

"You jerk, you asked me here to listen to this so that I know that I've lost."

"That's part of the reason. Now focus babe, Lilith needs our help. Well, more of your help. This is your wheelhouse. I'm just here to…well, do whatever you say. Also here to gloat after we pull this off."

Lilith rolled her eyes at their antics as Chloe smacked Beca's arm again.

"Okay, so here is what you want to do. First find a place that means something to the both of you. Then, just open your mouth and ask her."

Lilith looked at Chloe like she has grown an extra head. 

"That's it?!"

"Yeap!! It's that simple. Simple and also scary as fuck. Beca here can attest to it. I thought I would be six feet under before this idiot worked up the courage to say something."

"Hey! I wrote that song for you okay. Who was the blubbering mess at the end of it?"

"My job here is done, let's go babe, I'm starving. You okay there Lilith?"

Lilith nodded, still in a daze.

"See you back at the table then."

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.

Lilith pulled out her phone and smiled when she saw the texts from Camila asking if she was okay.

I'm going to do this.

-- in the meantime, outside Revival --

"Babe, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Ava, it is just quite a bit to take in. I thought you trusted me."

"I do. But this isn't something for me to tell you about. Also, I have never thought of them as CEOs and CFOs and whatnots. They have always been Piper and Alex. Even Beca has always been just Beca. Not international pop sensation Beca. I'm sorry for keeping it from you. It just didn't really occur to me. Well except when they were all professional and formal and shit when we were signing the agreement."

"Is this what you meant the other day? After your talk with Suzanne when you said if I was in this race, you would blow me out of the water too?"

"Yeapp. Because at that point, I was about to sign them but we couldn't find a date that works for both Piper and Alex. They were surprisingly busy these last few months. Does this means we are okay?"

"We are okay love. I just don't enjoy finding out that you hiding things from me. Now, are there any other things that you are hiding from me?"

Ava crossed her fingers behind her back.

"Nope, this is it. I promise."

"Are you sure?"

Beatrice looked at her suspiciously.

"I promise. Shall we go back? The others must be wondering where we went."

Beatrice nodded, still unable to shake off the feeling that Ava was hiding something from her.

-- inside Revival --

"Here's the woman of the hour!"

Beca hollered as Ava entered hand in hand with Beatrice.

'All good?'

Alex raised a brow at Ava, silently asking. Ava nodded and swung her and Beatrice's hand a little.

"I love you."

She whispered into Beatrice's ear.

"I love you too. And I'm so proud of you. Knowing Alex and Piper are behind Vauseman Hospitality Group doesn't change that."

Ava teared up at that. She didn't realized how much she wanted Beatrice's validation and how worried she had been that it would change how her girlfriend saw her.

If Bea changed her mind about me, that would really fuck up the final plan I have.

-- 5 days later --

Ava was buzzing with excitement the moment she woke up.

This is it. Today is the day.

Beatrice looked over at her girlfriend bouncing in her seat at breakfast. 

"Love, could you pass the milk? I have client meetings all day and some paperwork for Meta to go through. They have engaged us to do a new study and wanted me to personally lead it. It would be a crazy long day."

"We have the dinner at Revival later tonight baby. Don't forget that."

"If the review of the documents takes too long, I might not be able to make it to dinner with you and the rest of them though."

Ava pouted as she brought out the big guns.

"Babesssssssss"

She looked at Beatrice with her best puppy dog eyes and a pout that she knew Beatrice would cave to everytime. 

Sorry baby. I know you said to only use this tactic when I really want something. But I really need you at the dinner tonight. 

Beatrice sighed and knew Ava had won.

"Ok, I'll arrange it such that I'll be able to make it for the dinner. That said, this might mean that I would have to work late the next few nights and you are not allowed to pout and get your way then. Deal?"

"Deal!" 

Ava shook on it happily.

"Oh babes, I'm going to be out of the office for the entire day too until dinner. So I'll send Cam to make sure you leave on time."

"Hmmm? Alright then. I've got to dash love, my first meeting is downtown and the traffic is horrendous. I'm going to be late if I don't make a move."

Ava looked at her watch and snorted. 

"Don't ever change booboo. Have a great day!"

She tilted her head up for a kiss as Beatrice made her way out of the door.

"Love you!"

"Love you too!"

Ava yelled as the door closed behind Beatrice's retreating figure.

Operation get the girl is a go.

-- later that day --

"Bea?" 

Camila knocked on the door before popping her head in.

"Come in."

Beatrice called out without looking up from the documents she was currently vetting.

"Bea, it's time to go. Dinner at Revival remember?"

"Hmmm?"

Beatrice hummed distractedly as she highlighted a clause and made notes in the margin.

"Give me ten minutes. Just let me wrap this up Cam, I'm almost done." 

Camila nodded, knowing that it is futile to argue when Beatrice was in this state.

True to her words, Beatrice was packed and ready to go in ten minutes. 

"Where is Lilith?" 

"Oh, she would meet us there. Said she wanted to talk to Alex and Piper about something."

"So…has she asked you yet?"

Beatrice looked at the rapidly reddening of Camila's ears as the lift descended.

"She took me to Jiro's for dinner and drank two bottles of sake before she managed to work up the nerve to ask. But she did!"

Camila controlled herself from squealing. She would never forget how adorable Lilith was half stuttering with nerves as she asked. 

"I'm so happy for you! All that waiting paid off."

Beatrice hugged Camila.

Ding!

The door opened and they stepped out. 

"Tell me everything."

Camila laughed at Beatrice's interest.

I never knew Bea was this invested in us getting together. If only she knew what was coming.

Camila launched into the story of that night as they made their way to Revival.

Operation get Beatrice out of office on time and distract her along the way is a success! 

Camila pat herself on the back for a job well done. When Ava approached her with her proposal plan, Camila's heart wanted to burst from how in sync Ava and Beatrice were as a couple. She was more than happy to help with ensuring that Beatrice would be so distracted that she didn't pay attention to her environment the whole time she was in Revival. 

Well, at least until Ava proposed. Which should be in like three seconds after we sit down.

"Hi love"

Beatrice lean in and kissed Ava in greeting. 

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

Ava lifted a brow at the question. 

Camila was responsible for distracting and it seems like she did a really good job. Booboo didn't even look around the way she usually does when she walks in. 

"Camila and Lilith have officially gotten together."

"What?!"

Ava looked at Lilith and Camila.

"Finally you two. I'm so happy for you. I want to circle back to this later though."

"Later?"

Beatrice looked at Ava, puzzled by her choice of word. 

"Yeap, later. I have something terribly important I got to do right now."

Ava replied, popping the 'P'.

This is it Silva. Cannot fuck up now. 

"Something terribly important that you need to do right now? But we just got here?"

Beatrice was having trouble keeping up with Ava's train of thoughts. 

"Beatrice Athena Young Hui Ying (慧颖)"

Beatrice gasped as Ava got down on one knee.

"This is the place where you met the most important people in my life. And I am so glad that they didn't manage to chase you away."

Ava sent Alex and Piper a stink eye.

"If they did, I might just disown the lot of them but then we won't be here now? So maybe I would rethink that plan. Anyway, I digress. When I decided to do this, I went to your parents to ask for their blessing, I thought I knew everything about you then. Little did I know you have a secret Chinese name or that you literally are the living embodiment of your Chinese name. Your mother is super proud of you by the way. She would never say it to your face because she is all Asian parent. Also, can I say that it is super dope that your mother's Chinese surname, when pronounced properly, sounds almost exactly like your father's? It is almost as though they are made to be together. Yang (杨) and Young. Bet your mom is real pleased about that. She didn't even have to deal with much of a name change."

Beatrice laughed at Ava's characterization of her mom as she started tearing up.

"But I know. And I know for sure because she told me. Taught me everything I never knew about the woman I love. You did it booboo. If you want to know if you have your mother's approval and if you are her literal pride and joy, I can tell you, hand on heart. And not just because I'm hoping you would say yes. Or desperately wishing you would say yes. That you truly are her pride and joy. Not your older brother, you."

Ava looked up to Beatrice and smiled.

"I can definitely tell you that you are my pride and joy. Beyond that, you are my love, my soul, my heart. You are all the best parts of me. You make me want to be better, do better. You make me strive to be a better person because you challenge me in ways that push me like no one else has ever done before. You are the person I want to call when I have a bad day. The first person I want to share everything with. Your voice is the one I want to hear all the time. Even when we are fighting. Even when we are so mad at each other that all we want to do is break and throw stuff around. All I want to do at the end of it, is go home with you. Go home to you. You are my safe harbor. The place I turn to when the world gets tough, harsh and cruel. Your arms are the place I go to when I need to hide away and recharge to even begin to deal with the world again. If I'm a Tesla, you are definitely the charging station because I will not and cannot function without you."

Beatrice chuckled through the tears that are currently streaming down her face at the weird analogies that Ava included in her proposal speech. Her eyes widened as she took a good look at the ring she saw in Ava's hand. 

That is.... That is the ring I have! Did Cam take it out of my drawer and give it to her? But the key has always been with me and the ring is currently in my bag.

"This ring represents my promise to you and what I hope we can both achieve. The passion cut has 81 facets which is a modification of the regular round brilliance. Ever since I knew that your mother is Chinese and that you have Chinese heritage, I wanted to honor it. Just like how you have always made me feel connected to my Spanish roots. I know we both have had our struggles with that and I wanted this ring to remind you of it. 81 is 9 square. And 99 when read in Chinese also means for a very long time (久久). Inside are the numbers 1314. The date we met all those years ago, 3rd Jan and the date today, 4th Jan. Now you know why I'm so adamant that we all need to be here today. I'm sure you know what those numbers mean."

Beatrice was full-on crying at this point. Ava had stolen her idea completely down to the minute details of the ring but she could not bring herself to care.

"Can you please educate the rest of us who don't understand Chinese?"

Camila yelled from the spectator side of the house.

"Yeah! I second that."

Lilith yelled, quick to back up her girl.

I still cannot believe I get to call her my girlfriend.

"Excuse me, I am busy here but fine. For the sake of the peanut gallery, booboo 1314 is for a lifetime (一生一世). This is my promise to you. My love for you is forever and I will love you for a lifetime. After all of that, and the additional inputs that we didn't require."

Ava glared at Camila for breaking her flow while Beatrice laughed. 

"I know I'm not doing this right, I had a script and I had gone off the rails with it. Why did I even write one to begin with?"

Ava asked aloud and the rest tittered. 

"Wait, no one answers. This is it. The most important part. Beatrice Athena Young Hui Ying, will you do me the absolute honor of allowing me to love you and be by your side in this life and the next? Will you marry me?"

Ava looked up at Beatrice, hopefully with tears in her eyes. 

"Yes, a million times yes. In this life and the next darling."

Ava stood up and slid the ring onto Beatrice's ring finger, hugging her tightly after. 

"A lifetime and forever isn't enough to show you how much I love you. Even though I have had my own plans. Cam could you?"

Beatrice said as she pulled slightly back from Ava. Camila rummaged through Beatrice's bag, took out a black velvet box and passed it to her.

"I guess you beat me to the punch."

She opened the box. Ava gasped, her head nearly crashing into Beatrice's.

"Baby that is..."

"Yes, it is the exact same ring. You want to know something even better?"

Ava nodded.

"Take a look inside the ring."

Ava lifted the ring out of the box and saw 1314 inscribed on the inner part.

"I guess we both had the same idea. But I was just a tad bit quicker than you."

"I must say I was a little stunned when I saw your ring. I half thought Cam handed mine over to you. But this proves that you know my heart and that my heart is yours. Just as I know your heart and yours is mine."

"I love you so much booboo."

"I love you so much too darling."

"Oh my God, just kiss already you two. Ava, you really should have added a 'my brain' to the part of your speech since Bea is clearly the brains here."

Lilith yelled and rolled her eyes at the display in front of her.

They really are made for each other.

Ava and Beatrice laughed, they could hear the eye roll in Lilith's voice.

"Babe, stop ruining the moment. They are both so adorable. Unless you want to find yourself suddenly and tragically single."

At that Lilith paled while everyone, including the newly engaged couple, laughed at how Camila delivered the threat as though it was just another item on her to-do list to take care of. 

"You guys are so cute and in tune with the other it is almost disgusting. But to celebrate Beatrice agreeing to marry my idiot sister from another mother, food and drinks are on me tonight. Time to party people!"

Alex gestured for the staff to open the doors of Revival and allowed the snaking queue of people in. Beatrice looked at the number of people streaming in and the queue that is currently forming. She wanted to facepalm at how she was so distracted by the fact that Camila and Lilith finally gotten together that she did not notice there was no one else but them in the entire bar. The silence felt a bit odd when they walked in but the minute Ava got down on one knee, everything else faded into the background.

"Darling, you want to tell me why there is a crazy queue outside and that Alex is only just opening the doors?"

"Al wanted to close for the entire night to celebrate us but I didn't want her to or deprive people of the chance to be here especially since..."

"Since...?"

"Well...."

The beat dropped and a voice familiar to them began singing. 

"Since Beca cancelled some of her engagements at the last minute for this whole thing and helped set it up. I have no clue how the word got out that she would be performing here for tonight but...well... This is it."

Beatrice finally took a good look around. Everyone that mattered to them was there tonight. Her parents, older brother, Lilith, Camila, Alex, Piper, Suzanne, Mary, Shannon, Beca and Chole. Even Fat Amy was on shift tonight at the bar. 

"So confident that I would say yes?"

"Are you saying that there's a chance the answer could have been no?"

Beatrice laughed. 

"I love you darling."

Beatrice looked straight into Ava's eyes.

"I love you too boo. But I do need to say I'm sorry since we are going to have to deal with the whole figuring out whose name to take and name change paperwork."

Beatrice laughed at the way Ava's brain went off on a tangent because the thought of her parents' marriage and the issue of her mother's surname suddenly struck her again. 

"Don't ever change darling. You are perfect just the way you are."

"Not too weird? Because I don't come with a return policy you know. You did just say yes in front of a whole room of witnesses. From ex lawyers to consultants to international pop artist. I think the range of people I covered is more than enough?"

Beatrice couldn't help but laugh again.

"You, my love, are perfect. Perfect amount of weird. Perfectly weird and just perfect for me."

"That's nice to know."

Ava said as she leaned in for a kiss while the rest fell onto the food that arrived at their table like they haven't eaten in forever.

"You know, I went ring shopping with Cam. I think her brain is now working overtime at how you managed to get the exact same ring as I did."

"No wonder the salesperson looked constipated when I described the ring I wanted them to create. You were there first. Alex thought he was having a stroke halfway through my description."

"How long have you had the ring for?"

"I went to jeweler's the day to get it made after I went to Mama S's office to ask about how to make partner. You?"

"I had the actual ring with me for about a month before that."

"If it had been a month, why did the salesperson looked like he was about to shit a brick when I described the ring?"

"Maybe they don't have a ready supply of passion cut? It could also be because you gave them a very tight deadline? What was it that you told him? Fuck it up and you are going to wish you never worked here?"

Alex helpfully supplied as she walked by. 

"Congratulations again Aves. Both on making partner and getting engaged."

She hugged Ava.

"Welcome to this weird family. Good luck. You'll need it to deal with this one." 

She turned Beatrice and hugged her.

"I don't need luck. I'm the lucky one."

Beatrice replied Alex as she returned the hug, her eyes never leaving Ava's