Hi guys, so I used to write these bad boys like six years ago as hollyragsdale, but i stopped doing that. Anyway, here I am again, doing it again.

This is gonna be an AU Bechloe story, let me know if you guys are interested and I'll start working on chapter two!

Thanks!

'What do you say, Bec? Wanna grab a beer with us?"

"No, I'm good, thanks guys," a retreating back answered without pausing for thought. The girl who spoke turned around when she reached the sliding glass door in front of her. "You guys have fun though, I'll see you on Monday." She smiled at the group of men she was leaving behind her, threw her backpack over her shoulder, and pulled open the glass doors before stepping out into the warm San Diego air.

The sky was a brilliant orange, a stunning backdrop for palm trees, buildings and the occasional sea gull. The remaining heat from another sweltering summer day was gratefully welcomed after a long day spent freezing in frigidly conditioned air.

Beca Mitchell let out a heavy sigh as she made her way across the vast, now almost empty, parking lot to her waiting motorcycle. A black Indian Scout Sixty, glinting in the setting sun, one of the only things in her life that truly made her feel free anymore. She slung her leg over the side and slid onto the leather seat before looking back at the building she had just left.

Bryan's Mega Motorsports.

The lights had just flickered out in the glowing sign mounted on the building and the rest of her coworkers were filing out of the front door together, most likely on their way to Winston's where they would no doubt get into a large amount of trouble. She watched as the group of rowdy men disappeared down the block in the direction of a dingy string of bars, not a care in the world as to how much of a living hell they could, and did, make her life.

Beca worked in the finance department at Bryan's, a job she had accidentally landed two years ago with no experience or desire for the position. It was her job to make sure the sales crew had money for the bikes they were selling and she handled every transaction that occurred on the sales floor. It wasn't what she had come to California for, but two years later it was still a good job, with a steady income and a lot of benefits for a 21 year old just beginning her life in Southern California. That didn't mean it didn't have its downsides, and quite honestly the frustration of working with her coworkers was one of the biggest ones.

She pulled out her phone after a few seconds by herself.

My queen 3 missed texts flashed across her screen, she sighed again before tapping on the notification.

5:45pm: ugh worst day ever :(

5:59pm: almost time for you to come home!

6:00pm: come home now.

Beca's eyes flitted to the top corner of her screen and quickly read the time: 6:07pm before pausing to think. It wasn't that she didn't want to go be home with her girlfriend, but before she knew it she had typed out and sent her response.

6:07pm: stuck at work, might be an hour or two :(

Before she could even have time to feel guilty she shoved her phone back in its pocket in her backpack and zipped it up, putting with it any thought of her relationship.

She slid her helmet on and turned the key on the tank of her bike bringing it roaring to life. The familiar rumble beneath her brought with it a wave of relaxation as she urged the bike forward through the parking lot and toward the street. Just as she was about to get on the 8 freeway she pushed the button on the side of her helmet and waited for her bluetooth to power on in her ear.

"Call Stacie,' she commanded while she picked up speed and weaved her way between the cars all headed west together.

After a few seconds the chipper voice she was waiting for answered, "Whats up, Becky?"

Beca smiled to herself as she raced down the 8, the warm wind whipping her denim jacket around her body, "Can I come over?"

"Yeah, love, we just got back from the gym, we might be walking Cooper when you get here, so just let yourself in."

"See you in a bit," she replied before the call ended leaving her to her thoughts as she made her way further down the 8, racing the setting sun to the coast.

It had been a long day at the dealership, she had dealt with more assholes than seemed fair for an 8 hour shift and needed a bit of a destresser before she went home, and there was no better place to go for that than her best friend's house.

Beca wasn't unhappy with her life, at least that was what she was busy telling herself as she rode towards downtown San Diego, it was just that perhaps she wasn't the happiest she could be. After all, this definitely wasn't the life she had expected for herself when she set out for California three years ago from Georgia with big dreams of chasing love, making music and becoming the next big music producer. But here she was at 21, still living in San Diego, with a steady job and steady bills. Not to mention the live in girlfriend and the kid she had inherited; in reality her life had taken a lot of unexpected turns. But that didn't mean she was unhappy, right?

"Right," she mumbled to herself out loud, hoping the audible response would chase away the uneasy thoughts resting in the front of her mind.

Before she knew it she had arrived at Stacie's house, a four story modern townhouse nestled in the shadow of the Coronado Bridge in downtown San Diego. Parking her bike on the street she climbed up the front steps pushing any thoughts of growing unhappiness out of her mind while she pressed the code into the lock pad on the door to let herself in.

She had barely closed the door behind her when she was slammed back into it, her face getting covered in a thick coat of slobber as a big wet tongue licked every inch of her face. "Hi, Cooper," she said happily, finally pushing the massive Doberman off her so she was back on all fours. The dog circled Beca excitedly before racing her up the stairs to the main level of the house, her big ears flopping with every step she took.

"Well hello there," Stacie smiled at Beca who had finally clambered to the top step a few seconds after Cooper, who was happily chewing her bone on the couch, and stepped into the kitchen. "Who died?" she asked, dropping the smile that she had previously worn and tilted her head to the side to closer examine the woman across from her.

Stacie had been Beca's best friend for two years, ever since Beca had first started at Bryan's. She was a few years older than Beca, was the manager of the finance department and was the reason Beca held her current position. Beside being one of the bitchiest people to work with, Stacie was the nicest person Beca knew and one of the most loyal and reliable. The older girl was lean, clearly she worked out every day of her life, was at least a head and a half taller than Beca, and in Beca's words "was too gorgeous for her own damn good." The two of them were practically inseparable and Beca had gratefully accepted her newest form of family all those years ago.

Beca rolled her eyes jokingly in response to Stacie's question. "Just what remained of my soul." She plopped herself into the bar stool across from Stacie and began to pet Cooper who had reappeared, shoving her head into Beca's lap. "Just a long day," she clarified so Stacie would quit frowning at her and resume making the two protein shakes in front of her. "Where's Steve?" she asked nodding to the second shake Stacie was making.

Steve was Stacie's boyfriend. Beca liked to call him Stacie's antidote to being a hoe, but Steve also sufficed for casual conversation. They had met at the height of Stacie's hoe days which came after failed marriage number two, something she owned with so much power that no one dare call her out on it, that is except for Beca. He worked on the oil rigs in South Dakota, so he spent two weeks away at a time before coming home for two weeks. Something that had caused their relationship to struggle for a year before finally taking off successfully. But now after 2 and a half years of on again off again they had decided to try to make it work.

"Upstairs. So what's wrong?" Stacie asked without missing a beat. She waited for Beca to respond, staring her down over the top of her drink.

"They're just all so dumb, Stace," Beca groaned, referencing the salesmen she had dealt with all day at Bryan's.

Stacie laughed in response, "So dumb," she echoed, agreeing that they were in fact some of the most idiotic people on the planet. "But you made money today?" she asked hopefully and pouting when Beca shook her head in response. "Well, you've got two days off, so no stress now, mama," she said soothingly, while reaching over the counter to pat Beca on the arm.

"No stress," Beca rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself as a man stomped down two flights of steps to join them in the kitchen. "Steven!" Beca got up to hug Steve, with some disapproval from Cooper who had been enjoying her head scratches. Steve was a muscular man with more tattoos than skin, while he looked like he wouldn't have a problem if a fight broke out his face was always covered with a crooked grin.

"What's up, B?" he asked after releasing her from a bone crushing hug. "Can I interest you in some killer queen?" He pulled a fresh joint from the pocket of his shorts and wiggled his eyebrows tantalizingly. Trust Steve to always have weed ready to go.

"Yes please," Beca accepted gratefully. The three of them moved together to the balcony off the living room that overlooked the city. Stacie shut the door behind her and nodded to Steve who promptly lit the end of his joint before taking a long drag and passing it to Beca.

The two of them watched her carefully as she pulled from the joint filling her lungs with smoke and puffing it out through her mouth a few seconds later. "What are you two staring at?" She asked passing the joint to Stacie after hitting it once more.

"You're sad Beca tonight," Steve commented lightly, looking to Stacie who was coughing heavily from the smoke, he patted her on the back and turned to face Beca again.

Beca sighed, it felt like she was beginning to sigh more in her day to day life than breathe. "I've just been thinking a lot lately...that I don't really know what I'm doing anymore-"

Stacie interrupted her to fill Steve in on what Beca was referencing, "Beca's not sure if she should remain in her relationship anymore, but she's having a hard time because while she knows that she does in fact love Dany, she's just not sure if she is IN love with her anymore."

Beca nodded her head and Stacie continued on, reciting like she had memorized Beca's predicament from a book. "She's also having a hard time because she's not sure if she is staying with her because she doesn't want to hurt her or because she really wants to make it work."

"But!" Stacie said this with a lot of force and Beca knew where it was going. She rolled her eyes and leaned on the balcony railing, resting her weight on her arms as she took in the city in front of her that was slowly fading into the night sky but was reappearing with lights burning brightly in windows. "I keep saying that if you even remotely feel like you shouldn't be with someone anymore then you just shouldn't be with them anymore."

Stacie stared pointedly at Beca who chose to ignore the comment and continue her staring.

"Well, she's right, Bec," Steve said after a moment, he passed Beca the joint one more time before speaking again. "The two of you have been through a lot together, but I don't think that's good enough reason to stay with her. You need to be happy and you've put a lot into this relationship that you haven't gotten back."

Beca stared at him pointedly for a second, "Okay, Steven," she said slowly. He chuckled at her knowing she was only feigning annoyance. "Look, I know that is true, but a part of me just can't let her go, I can't not wake up beside her, I can't just not have her in my life anymore."

For once Beca looked truly lost so Stacie spoke up, changing the subject to something that hopefully wouldn't cause Beca to go into a downward emotional spiral. "Where's Emily tonight?"

Beca blew a cloud of smoke out of her nose and turned around to fully rejoin the other two, "She's out with her friends tonight, they went to go see a movie so she'll be home later."

Emily was the kid she had taken in a year ago. When she had first moved to San Diego chasing a girl who wasn't really worth her time, Beca had met Emily's mom Katherine at an odd job she was working at the community center. The two of them quickly became friends and with Katherine came Emily her 13 year old daughter. When Beca and her ex split ways, she found herself without a home for a few weeks so Katherine and Emily took her in for a bit.

When she got back on her feet the three of them remained close. Katherine and Emily had no one but each other, and now they had Beca. It had come as a shock when a year and a half ago Katherine was diagnosed with cancer and even more of a surprise when less than six months later she passed away. Beca, not wanting to leave Emily alone with no family and with Katherine's blessing had began the adoption process a few weeks before Katherine passed. A few months later and for all legal purposes Beca was a mom to a teenager at the ripe old age of 20.

"How's all that going anyway:?" Steve asked.

"Pretty good. She's a great kid, honor roll and everything. And she just joined her high school's choir, so you could say I'm pretty proud."

"Proud mom moment," Stacie joked pretending to wipe tears from her eyes. Beca shoved her playfully before going back into the house. "You guys should come to Mt Laguna with us next weekend. Steve wants to try out his new ski helmet. And who knows maybe a mini vacay will be good for the three of you.''

"Yeah, Em, would like that-shit," Beca looked up at the clock and realized the time. "I got to go, I told Dany I was stuck at work a hour and a half ago." The three of them went back into the house, Beca grabbed her bag and her helmet, kissed Stacie on the cheek and hugged Steve. "I'll let you know about next weekend, but I'm sure it'll work out fine. I'll see you guys later," she called from halfway down the stairs, Cooper at her heels.

"Bye, love," she heard Stacie say before the front door closed on Cooper's snout.