Here we are! Chapter 39. The last one. The end of an era.

I am so beyond absolutely grateful for all the support that I've received for this story. Let me break it down for us all. This story has been up since mid-July 2013. His Boys Her Girls has, as of chapter 38:

594 reviews (which averages out to 15 reviews per chapter, what?! I thought I'd be pushing it to get a total of 15 reviews!)

69,498 views (WHAT?!)

167 favourites

291 followers

Oh my God! Guys! Thank you so so so much! I never ever ever imagined that this could have gone on like this. I appreciate every single chapter read, every review, every favourite and follow. You have absolutely no idea how much it means to me.

So here you go. The last hurrah for His Boys, Her Girls. Enjoy! And please let me know what you think, one last time

"Happy anniversary!"

They were woken at the crack of dawn by their very excited nine and ten year olds, the rest of their motley crew behind them. Rosie, depositing a baby on Beca's chest, hopped up onto the bed and her mother groaned out loud, smiling only when she received a cheeky grin from Brody.

"Happy anniversary Daddy!" he giggled, climbing up onto the bed.

"This bed isn't big enough for this!" Jesse laughed, as Dean and Natalie climbed over him. "oof- watch it!" he groaned, helping Ben and the baby up onto the bed. "What are you guys doing up so early?"

"It's your anniversary", Courtney said in explanation, "So we're gonna make pancakes! But Rosie can't turn the stove on because you said not to touch the stove. Remember?"

Jesse laughed, exchanging looks with his tired wife. "How about if we all get ready, we go out for breakfast? We never do that, that can be a special anniversary treat".

"Okay!"

And they scrambled off the bed, Beca and Jesse hearing a thunder of feet down the hallway as they departed for their respective rooms, leaving their parents with just the babies.

"What do you think kiddo?" Jesse questioned their three month old son, his little body propped up against his knees. "Do you want to go out for breakfast?"

Little Noah Swanson just smiled, and Jesse grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes. What about you, Claire bear?" he asked tiny Claire, the younger of the twins.

She grinned back at him and he smiled, turning to his wife.

"Happy anniversary", he whispered, pressing his lips against hers.

"Happy anniversary weirdo".

Big families weren't uncommon, Beca had found out. Although their family was the biggest she personally knew, there were families that had twelve or more kids- and that was not going to be the Swansons. She'd made that very clear.

("Come on Becs! We'd be like the Duggars! And how much fun would that be!" "Feel free to carry as many as you like, but my uterus is off-limits".)

There were some days where Beca felt like she was way over her head, parenting eight children. But she'd felt overwhelmed with three on her own. She had over double the amount, but she had a guy who would back her up.

"Guys", Jesse called over the chatter of their table, tapping his spoon against his coffee mug to get their attention. "Kids".

"Shhhhh", Brody hissed, spraying Natalie with spit through the newly formed gap in his front teeth. "Daddy's making a toast. You're good at that, Daddy".

Beca started to laugh. "Brody Swanson, I hope you still feel that way in twelve years".

"Thank you Brody", Jesse said calmly, frowning playfully at Beca (his toasts were the best. They all knew it). "Now, as you know today is our anniversary. To mark the occasion, let's just take note of what we've achieved in the last year. Who wants to start?"

"We went to Disney World", Ben said immediately, naming the event that had been the ultimate highlight. They'd packed themselves into the van and driven the seven hours from Barden to Orlando, Chloe and Tom meeting them there. And although six month pregnant Beca was unfairly ill ("Who calls it morning sickness when you're hurling every goddamn minute of the day?" she'd complained to Chloe, who had forced Jesse to leave his ailing wife's side to watch the fireworks with Tom and the kids), it was the trip of a lifetime.

"The babies were born", Rosie added, motioning towards the double stroller holding the youngest two Swansons. Noah Henry and Claire Louise at just three months old were little carbon copies of their mother and father. And then they shared traits- they both had the sparkle that Jesse's blue eyes had, and three days earlier Jesse swore that Claire smirked at him in a fashion that was so much her mother he had almost dropped her.

"Movie night", Dean called. And although it was something Beca said was from cheesy Hallmark movies, they all gathered around to watch a film, new release or otherwise, camped out in the living room. And while it had been significantly harder with two newborn babies,

"The trampoline", Courtney said seriously. After the demise of their original trampoline (an incident that was still touchy with their children), Jesse had invested in a heavy duty, twelve people trampoline with a net. But he hadn't told their children- he'd simply told them he'd be late home that night. He'd arrived after they were all asleep and enlisted the help of Hat, Uni, Donald, Benji and Michael (Beca choosing to watch from the back deck) to piece it together while they slept. And at the crack of dawn the next morning, he and Beca had been awoken to screams of excitement. The photos of six kids jumping, bouncing higher and higher while still wearing their pyjamas, had been put up on the living room wall, joining their wedding photos and the photo shoot they had done for their six month anniversary (a wedding present from Jesse's parents).

"Those photos", Natalie piped up. "The ones in the living room with Rosie's umbrella". Jesse had taken to calling Beca his yellow umbrella girl, after Rosie chose a bright yellow umbrella in the store. And while their kids hadn't understood, she had ("you're such a weirdo, don't call me that"). But he had, and Chloe had cooed in adoration. So when they had their belated wedding present photo shoot, he'd brought along Rosie's yellow umbrella.

"That time that Daddy made a special song like Beca", Brody said, after much deliberation. "That was so cool". And Beca and Jesse laughed, remembering the mixing lessons that he had undertaken.

"We've done it", Jesse said seriously, grinning and high fiving Rosie, sitting closest to him. "What do you think, is the next year going to be even better?"

He was met with six enthusiastic shrieks of delight, making Beca laugh.

They'd been together two years, married for one. They had eight kids, including a set of twins, a dog and an aquarium. They had a trampoline and their children were campaigning for a pool, but would settle on the treehouse that their beloved uncles had promised to build. Jesse Swanson had broken the unbreakable Beca into liking movies (he'd forced her to watch plenty- and he'd almost given her a heart attack when he saw her perusing the shelf for the name of a film that Chloe had mentioned, and started shrieking with excitement), and Beca was showing Jesse how to mix music. They'd been through heartache and heartbreak together and apart, and had come out the other side stronger together. But how Jesse Swanson had gotten the unbreakable Beca Mitchell to marry him, people were still trying to figure out.

"What a year", Jesse sighed contently, as he looked around the living room, seeing their eight kids scattered around the room. His three boys, her three girls, and their twins. One of each.

(Beca had shrieked at Jesse when she found out, as if it was his fault. "What the hell, Swanson! You did this on purpose!" "You were just as much a part of this as me, Becs, do not put this on me". "I bet you planned this".)

"They're here!" Rosie called from the front window. "I see Aunt Stacie!"

Stacie opened the door, greeting her nieces and nephew with screams of delight. "Hello my babies!"

"Aunt Stacie come and play on the trampoline with us!"

"Aunt Stacie, come and play with Bumper!"

"Hey Aunt Stacie, wanna help me build my Lego?"

Stacie grinned, blowing a kiss to Beca. "I'm the fun aunt! Tell Amy!"

"That is false information", Fat Amy corrected, coming through the door after her and receiving a tight hug from little Brody.

Within the hour, everyone had arrived, and while their kids were scattered throughout the house and yard, they were situated in the living room with the two youngest Swansons.

"Where are they all?" Donald questioned, as Lily fiddled with her engagement ring excitedly (Beca had totally won that bet. And she had acted maturely and hadn't even rubbed it into Jesse's face that much).

"Two are over there, three are outside- there's one, Chloe's got another- and I know someone else is somewhere but I don't know where". Jesse shrugged. "We can hear them, they're fine".

Aubrey started to chuckle, one hand on her pregnant belly. "Should I be taking parenting tips from you, Swanson?"

"Hey, we keep eight kids alive on a day to day basis", Beca held up her hands. "I think we do a darn good job".

She's never intended to have eight kids. Hell, Beca had never intended to have one kid. But then she had one, and all of a sudden, somehow, she was a mother of eight and while it was without a doubt the hardest job in the entire world, she loved it. She loved the sleepy, milk-drunk faces that looked up at her after a midnight feed, she loved the way that their kids would mumble 'love you' as she pulled their blankets back up over their shoulders. Despite all the noise and the madness of their household, she loved it.

Jesse Swanson had wanted two kids, three kids tops. One boy, one girl, and whatever the third one was, he'd be happy as long as they were healthy. And then he had four boys and four girls, and although he called them by the wrong name on occasion ("Dad, I'm DEAN not BEN! It's not that hard!"), he wouldn't trade it for anything. They looked at him like he hung the moon in the sky himself, and that was without a doubt the best feeling in the world.

"Hey Uncle Benji!" Ben said brightly, running through the living room in passing.

"Hey buddy!" Benji said just as brightly.

"I still can't move on from the fact that there is a boy child named after his uncle", Fat Amy huffed, still seemingly stuck on the debacle that had taken place twelve weeks earlier. "Why did you find it so hard to name one of them Amy? You had four to choose from, and you couldn't even name one after me. After all that we've been through together -"

"Are you done?" Aubrey interrupted.

"All I'm saying is that you better watch out, Posen". Fat Amy pointed a finger at the pregnant blonde. "I think that, after everything, I should have a niece- or nephew- named after me. I mean, really, it's the least you can do".

"So let's break down the stats for the real life Brady Bucnh", Stacie said (choosing to ignore Fat Amy- if they were going to name a baby after anyone, it should be after fun Aunt Stacie), laying her hands flat on the table. "Eight kids, two years together, a dog… an aquarium".

The Brady Bunch references had failed to cease, and Beca hated it more than they knew. But they didn't care- they would bring it up, and Beca and Jesse would love it.

"That is the last time I ever let them go and sleep over at my father's place", Beca groaned, pointing a finger at Michael. "I bet you orchestrated that. That is your fault; you're going to get the blame for the rest of eternity".

"You suck as a person", he informed her, and she bristled.

"I suck?" he said incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"Michael for the love of God", Aubrey told him. "Stop taunting your sister".

"Oh sure, you defend her when you aren't involved", he grumbled. "Pass me that baby. I need to have a chat to my nephew".

"What, so you're going to corrupt all my children?"

"Five minutes ago you told me that you had 'plans' for that baby", Michael reminded her, pointing to Aubrey's protruding stomach. "You're corrupting them and they're not even born! This kid is three months old, and he loves his Uncle Michael".

Beca reluctantly handed Noah over and Michael grinned, sitting the infant up in his lap.

Chloe gasped suddenly, pointing accusingly at Beca and Jesse. "Oh my God!"

"Oh my God, what?" Beca's eyes widened.

Chloe's arms were flapping and Stacie snatched the baby away from her before little Claire went flying. Cradling her gently, she glared at Chloe.

"What the hell is so important?" Uni questioned.

"They are so not honeymoon babies! Oh my God! You were knocked up at the wedding!" Chloe's arms flew, as she thumped Aubrey on the shoulder in realisation. "You were knocked up at the wedding! That's why you kept going to the bathroom! That's why you puked! Holy shit, you didn't drink! Holy shit! Holy shit!"

Beca looked guiltily at Jesse, who refused to meet any of their eyes.

It was then that it dawned on them. Beca hadn't had anything to drink at the wedding. Not even a sip of champagne while toasting. Michael's face went from red to white in a matter of seconds, and Beca knew that she would have laughed, had there been any other circumstance.

(He was only her stepbrother, but he was the best one around.)

"Oh my God!" Benji pointed, laughing. "It was the hens and bucks night, wasn't it?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that statement", Beca mumbled, colour rushing to her cheeks. "I have no recollection past nine o'clock".

(Although if they had to pinpoint a time, they would have settled on that. waking up naked with no recollection of the night before would have done it- they were careful.)

"No secrets in this place", Hat chuckled, grinning at little Claire who smiled gummily back.

It was late afternoon, with the last of the sun streaming through the window, and Beca and Jesse's first anniversary was drawing to a close.

"She is so happy", Chloe said quietly to Stacie, who nodded.

"Look at him", Benji said softly to Donald. "Jesse was never like this before".

Beca was tucked into Jesse's side, his arm around her protectively, their eyes darting around the room to find their kids. Ben and Courtney were at the table in the corner, the former piecing together a Lego creation while the latter coloured. Dean was lying on the floor with a magazine, Bumper's head on his stomach. Rosie and Brody were sitting together with a big book between them, and Natalie was sitting on the couch with Noah in her arms. Little Claire was lying on the rug, her wide eyes observing the people around her, her friends and family and brothers and sisters that she'd grow up with.

They had made it a full year.

But Beca and Jesse knew they had a lifetime to go. A lifetime of obnoxiously loud, off-key renditions of 'happy birthday', five a.m Christmas mornings and lazy Sunday afternoons. A lifetime of kids in and out of their house, with the noise and laughter that followed.

Beca and Jesse knew that there was a wild ride ahead of them. But unlike their past selves- heading into the unknown with only small children as company- that ride was different. That was one they were taking on as a team, together.

THE EXTRA, EXTENDED AUTHOR'S NOTE AND TRIVIA (not necessary to read, just the ramblings of an author who's sad that her story has ended)

- His Boys, Her Girls came to me when working one morning while working. As I was in the middle of making sandwiches for school lunches, I scribbled 3 main points on the paper that I had just unwrapped the ham from. Mr 6 looked at me like I had lost my mind.

- The 6 kids were named after other Anna Kendrick and Skylar Astin characters. Also, the girls' surname (Ryerson) was the surname of AK's character in Rocket Science. The boys' names were originally Zachary, William and Timothy, and the girls were Melody, Zoe and Alice.

- The character of Michael was named after both Anna Kendrick's brother and Anna Camp's ex-husband

- While babysitting in one of the earliest chapters, Chloe shows the girls The Pacifier, in which Brittany Snow stars

- Courtney is based off my young goddaughter

- I have taken dialogue from Instagram and Twitter accounts of the Pitch Perfect cast- including but not limited to, Stacie calling Courtney 'punchkin' (Alexis Knapp calls her young daughter that), Beca's PB&J habit (AK dumped a guy for slamming a sandwich together without having PB&J all the way to the crust), AK's love for dogs.

- Some of the things that the kids' say are direct quotes from the children that I work with (I work in childcare) and what the Bellas' and the Trebles' say are often what my friends say (they're hilarious). Also, Fat Amy's rant about Jesse naming Ben after Benji and Beca not naming any of the girls' after her is something that my best friend has said to me. "Listen, I'll be very very cranky if you don't name your kid after me". "I'm not planning on having kids any time in the near future". "Irrelevant. I will be pissed".

- I struggled writing chapter 19 the most

- The chapter in which Jesse proposed was the easiest to write.

- I had the wedding chapter written in August last year

- I have had the ending planned out since I started and written since the end of last year.

- The chapter you have just read was originally almost 5000 words. I cut it down dramatically, including taking out a scene in which Beca and Jesse chose baby names (Jesse wanted Noah and Allie, and Beca agreed until she realised where those names were from), a scene from their Florida road trip and a scene where the kids are meeting their baby siblings for the first time. I felt it was too long.

This story has been written in 2 different states and been taken with me basically wherever I have gone (some was written in my uni breaks, some while I was at work, some while I was lazing by my pool in the summer)

A sequel has been requested (you know who you are) and despite everything on my plate right now, I am seriously considering it, even if it is just a one shot. If I do, I'll be making an announcement on my Twitter page (RhyleighGrace)

This has been so much fun, and I can't thank everyone who's read this enough. It means so much to me!

Hoping to hear from you again!

Love Rhyleigh