AN: Okay so this is my first shot at writing a complete story. Please be gentle!

I've had this idea floating around in my head for a while now and with OhWhatPun taking lead on "Like I'm Gonna Lose You", I figured I'd try my hand at putting this together. If you haven't read our collaboration, do yourself a favor and go check it out! It's pretty great, if I do say so myself hehe :)

I do want to give a huge shoutout to OhWhatPun for making this presentable and being an awesome beta and for giving me the courage to do this. My life would suck without you homie!

Alright...on with the show. And as always, I own nothing of Pitch Perfect, the characters or the royalties...any and all mistakes are mine!


Beca wasn't sure exactly where she was going. She picked up and peered at the folded up map that was lying on the passenger seat of her Jeep Wrangler.

"Okay, so maybe…ah fuck it" Beca grumbled as she threw the map back down. She was lost, which isn't really surprising, but she hated not knowing where she was going. Beca started up the Jeep again and glanced at the clock. She still had an hour and a half before she had to be at the Beale Ranch, maybe she could luck up and get directions from someone here in town. Spotting a diner up ahead, she pulled into a parking spot and made her way inside.

She was immediately greeted with the smells of French fries and burgers. A smile played on her lips as she made her way over to the bar, finding a seat and she began to browse through the menu. Completely lost in the food she was surveying, Beca failed to recognize the waitress as she approached.

"Hey there!" came a perky voice that caused Beca to glance up over the soiled menu. Immediately, her breath caught in her throat, because standing in front of her was the most stunning individual she has ever laid eyes on. Her mouth was failing to form actual words. It was like the sight of this beautiful girl had made her mute, so she opened and closed her mouth a few times with no success. "Sorry, do you still need a minute?" the waitress asked. Beca just shook her head no and the waitress gave her a smile that seemed to reach past her eyes. "Okay then, what can I get you this afternoon?" she asked.

"Ummm," Beca responded as she looked back down at the menu. "I'll have the Umami burger, but without the roasted tomatoes and can I get the sweet potato tots to go with it?" Beca asked. Her mouth seems to work just fine when food is involved and she wasn't looking at the beautiful redhead.

"Sure…" the waitress began before being interrupted by Beca.

"I'm sorry, can I also get that on a Brioche bun?"

"Of course! Is there anything else I can get for you? A drink perhaps?" the waitress said cheerfully.

"Oh, yeah…ummm," Beca flipped the menu over and glanced to see if they had an alcohol, "I'll take a Bud Light, please. No glass, bottle is fine" she said as she handed the menu back to the waitress.

"Got it," the waitress responded as she took the menu from Beca. "I'll be right back with that," she stated. She turned to leave and abruptly turned over her left shoulder, "Oh, I'm Chloe by the way, just holler if you need anything" she said as she moved over to the beer cooler.

Beca sat and drank her beer as she waited on her food. She couldn't help but watch the redheaded waitress float around the diner as she did her job. She was thankful she didn't have to wait long for her food, because she only had an hour before she had to be out at the ranch and she wasn't sure how long it would take to get there. A tall brunette waitress that Beca hadn't noticed before came up and placed her plate in front of her, her mouth immediately began to salivate at the sight of the burger and tots. She didn't realize how hungry she was until it was in front of her.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" the brunette waitress asked.

"Not in regards to food, this looks delicious" Beca responded as she began to cut her burger in half. Looking up just as the waitress began to walk away, she added, "I do, however, need directions to 723 Creston Way. I've been driving around for the last hour looking for it and for the life of me can't find it." The brunette threw her head back and laughed.

"I think Chloe is better to give you directions than I am, it is her address after all." Beca's eyebrows shot up into her hair.

"Oh, okay. Would you mind having her come over when she gets a moment," she stated hesitantly.

"No problem, cutie" the brunette gave her a wink and sauntered off towards the back. Beca could feel the blush rising on her cheeks and she could have sworn there was a little more sway in her hips as the girl left than was actually necessary. Beca shook her head and began to dig into her burger.

Halfway through her meal the cheery redhead came bouncing up to her spot at the bar, just as Beca got a mouthful of her burger.

"Hey! I hear you were asking for me?" she said as she bit the inside of her cheek and tilted her head sideways. Chloe let out a giggle as Beca threw up her finger as if asking her to hold on a second. "Sorry about that, it never fails that a customer takes a bite as I come up to help them!" Beca quickly chewed and swallowed the bite of food.

"Yeah, no… it's fine… do they teach you to do that when you get hired, by the way? It's like ya'll have this innate ability to walk up as soon as our mouths are full," Beca playfully stated as she wiped her mouth.

"Haha, no" Chloe laughed. "It's just a coincidence, that's all. But Stacie said that you wanted to see me. Is there something wrong with your order?" Chloe's voice had turned from playful to worry as she finished her question.

"Oh, no… not at all, the food is great!" Beca exclaimed shaking her head, trying to ease this beautiful redhead's mind. "It's just that when I asked the other waitress for directions, she said that you would be better off giving them to me. Apparently, I'm heading to your address?" Beca stated with a raised eyebrow and a questioning look on her face. Chloe's eyes lit up at this revelation.

"Oh, really?" she asked as she leaned against the counter. "Why are you headed to the ranch?" curiosity taking over the redhead's tone.

"Well, I was hoping to get that Ranch Hand job that was advertised in the Barden Gazette yesterday," Beca stated. A smile broke out on Chloe's face.

"You want to be the hired help?" she asked as she let out a small laugh. Beca's brows furrowed.

"Yeah, why? Do you think I'm not capable of doing the job? I mean, I know I'm only 5'2', but I'm a lot stronger than I look," Beca said defensively. Chloe threw her hands up in surrender.

"I didn't mean it like that. I guess I just wasn't expecting a female to want to do that type of manual labor, that's all. I meant no disrespect," Chloe said apologetically.

"Well, I'm new around the area, hence the need for directions," Beca said playfully "and in September, I'm heading to Barden University, so I need something to occupy my time for the next 3 and a half months and the cash is always helpful." Beca shrugged as she took the final bite of her burger.

"Ahhh, gotcha" Chloe said. "Well, I get off work in about 15 minutes, so why don't you follow me out there and I'll introduce you to my dad." Beca smiled and finished off her beer.

"That sounds like a plan" she stated.

Beca sat at the counter and chatted with the redhead a little as she finished up her shift. During the conversation, Beca learned that Chloe loves music and her favorite song is "Love Shack" by the B-52s. She found out that Chloe abhors math and is utterly useless when it comes to money matters. Beca laughed at this because she too hates math. She also found out some of the most random things about the redhead, like the fact that her toes make weird noises. Beca laughed at that and Chloe told her she didn't want to know.

"Okay, give me 5 minutes and I'll be right back" Chloe said as she started to walk backwards to the break room where the lockers were. Beca nodded her acknowledgement and started to gather her stuff, walking over to the register to pay for her meal.

"So how was everything", the tall brunette asked, as she rang up Beca's order.

"It was really good. Definitely will have to visit more often now that I know about this place!" Beca responded as she handed over her card. Stacie took the card and read the name on it.

"Beca Mitchell, huh? So you're hanging around a while? I've never seen you in here before, so you must be new," Stacie cooed.

"Uh," Beca said as she scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah, I just got into town yesterday, starting Barden University in the fall."

Stacies eyes lit up as she said, a little too loudly "You are?! I go to Barden! I'll be a sophomore in the fall! I'm Stacie, Stacie Conrad." She held out her hand.

"Umm, nice to meet you Stacie," Beca said as she shook the taller girl's hand.

"We should definitely hang out this summer" Stacie said as she handed Beca back her card and the receipt to sign. Chloe walked up and overheard the exchange.

"Who's hanging out?" she asked when she got to the pair.

"Oh, I was just telling Beca here that since she and I both are going to be at Barden in the fall, that we should hang out to get to know each other. She's new in town," Stacie said as she shot Beca a wink.

"Yeah, she mentioned that. She's actually applying for the job out at the ranch." Chloe responded. Beca wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a hint of irritation in the redhead's voice.

"Oh that's awesome!" Stacie countered, but before the taller brunette could say anything more, Chloe turned to grab Beca's attention.

"So, Beca, you ready to head out. We have 20 minutes to get there before you are set to meet daddy." Beca shook her head.

"Yeah, ready to go. Just lead the way," and with that, both girls said goodbye to Stacie and headed out the door.

Beca found out that she would have never made it to her interview if it hadn't been for the redhead leading the way. She would have never noticed the dirt road that Chloe turned on. It was hidden by two large bushes on each side, and if you didn't know there was a road there, you would easily miss it. Even the big iron "B" that hung over head was covered up by the brush.

As she creeped down the path behind Chloe, she couldn't help the nerves that began to erupt and she suddenly started to feel nauseated. Her nerves didn't settle any when they pulled up to a gorgeous and huge log cabin home.

"Holy shit" she muttered to herself as she shook her head and put the Jeep in park. She looked out the front window and saw Chloe bounce out of her old beat up Ford. Beca wondered why she didn't drive something nicer since, based on the 'house', her family didn't appear to be hurting for money. Chloe made her way to Beca's Jeep and as she made it to the driver side door, Beca slid out of the front seat. "You have a beautiful place here" Beca said as she looked around.

"Thanks" Chloe smiled as she looked back at Beca. "I love living here."

"I bet," Beca responded absentmindedly as she noticed there was a huge barn about 100 yards behind the house and a large open pasture connected to it. She saw a few horses grazing out freely and as she was admiring the beautiful animals, she failed to notice the large German Shepherd and Australian Cattle Dog bounding down the front porch towards them. "OOPMH!" Beca breathed out harshly as she was all but run over by the dogs, stumbling back and falling with a thud.

"Oh my God… Zeus! Maverick! DOWN!" Chloe yelled at the overly friendly dogs. "Sorry about that" Chloe turned to Beca and offered her a hand up. "They really know no boundaries, no matter how many times we teach them not to jump."

"It's okay," Beca said as she brushed off her jeans and bent down to rub behind the dog's ears. "Which one is which?" she asked.

"This is Zeus" Chloe said as she began petting the German Shepherd. "And that little shit over there…" she said giggling and pointing to the smaller dog that had left the group and began peeing on Beca's tire, "…is Maverick." Beca turned to where Chloe was pointing.

"Oh yaaay," Beca breathed out as she shook her head.

"Well," Chloe said looking at her watch, "let me introduce you to daddy so y'all can get down to business." Beca nodded and began to follow one step behind Chloe.

Beca shouldn't have been surprised at how beautiful the inside of the house was, the back wall was nothing but glass looking over the pasture where the horses were grazing. She noticed there was also a pool in the back yard off a huge deck. As she followed Chloe down the hall, she took in the array of photos lining the walls on either side of her. One drew her attention, she didn't realize it, but she stopped when she saw a picture of Chloe and a group of girls on stage. Chloe was dressed in what Beca considered to look like flight attendant outfits and was raising a trophy high above her head. The smile that Chloe was sporting was a smile that took up half of her face. She was flanked by a blonde and the girl from the diner, Stacie she thinks her name was. Beca was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a presence over her left shoulder.

"That's when we won the ICCAs last year," Chloe stated proudly.

"ICCAs?" Beca asked as she turned her head. 'Oh holy shit," Beca thought because Chloe was so close.

"Chlo? Who are you…" said a booming voice from the end of the hall. Beca and Chloe turned to see, who Beca thought must be Chloe's dad, come out of the room on the right. "Oh, you must be Beca?" the man inquired as he walked towards the pair.

"Yeah, sorry daddy, we got distracted. I was just bringing Beca to your office" Chloe stated as she bound into the older redhead's arms.

"No problem, I was just going to grab something to drink" he said as he released his daughter. "Hi, I'm Colton, Chloe's father" the man stated as he extended his hand towards Beca.

"Umm, hey, I'm Beca. Beca Mitchell. I'm sorry I'm a little late for our appointment. I couldn't find the place and when I stopped at the diner, your daughter was nice enough to show me how to get here." Beca rambled. Colton chuckled as he watched the smaller girl fidget around as she spoke.

"It's quite okay, Beca. I know this place can be hard to find, if you don't know what you are looking for" Colton responded as he looked at his daughter, "Chloe, honey, would you mind getting us a few bottles of water. I don't want to keep Beca from any plans she may have after this."

"Sure, daddy! I'll be right back" Chloe said as she started to go down the hall headed in the direction they had come in.

"Okay, Beca, let's get this started" Colton said as he motioned towards the end of the hall.

"Yes, sir" Beca said as she made her way into the man's office.


Beca woke with a start on Monday at 4:30am.

"Oh fuck me…why did I agree to such an early start time?!" Beca muttered as she dismissed the alarm on her phone and rolled over throwing her head under her pillow. She flopped over, knowing that if she stayed under the pillow she wouldn't get up in time to make the trip out to the Beale ranch for her 5:30 start time. Beca rolled off of the dingy couch she was sleeping on. She really needed to find her own place for the summer. Crashing on Luke's couch was a good temporary solution, but she could not…scratch that, she would not spend the next three and a half months there! She was grateful for her friend's willingness to help her out on such short notice, but she was desperate to find her own place.

As Beca made her way to the Ranch, she only drove by the dirt road three times, she had decided to ask Colton if there were any apartments nearby that she could rent for three months before she moved into the dorms.

When Beca pulled up and parked by the barn, she noticed that Chloe was coming out of the house, holding two Styrofoam cups, in cut off jean shorts and a sleeveless plaid button up that was tied just below her breasts. Beca's breath hitched when she saw the redhead.

"Holy fuck" she muttered as she turned to shut the Jeep door, she needed a second to compose herself.

"Hey good morning Beca!" Chloe's chipper voice echoed all around the tiny brunette.

"Good morning Chloe" Beca said as she turned towards the redhead.

"Here, I brought you some coffee. I didn't know how you liked it, so I made it just like mine. Hope that's okay," Chloe said as she handed the cup to Beca.

"Uh, yeah that's fine" Beca said as she took the cup. "It's caffeine and that's all I need."

"Awes! Well, daddy asked me to show you around the barn and give you some things that need to get taken care of. He's got a meeting to go to and he said he'll be back in the afternoon," Chloe said filling Beca in on the discussion she had with her father over breakfast.

"Okay, lead the way," Beca said as she swept her hand towards the barn, allowing Chloe to take the lead.

After a quick introduction of the six horses that are at the ranch, Chloe showed Beca the tack room, grooming stalls, feed and hay storage room, and where they kept all of their emergency supplies for the horses in case one fell ill and the vet wasn't able to make it out.

"So, do you ride?" Chloe asked as Beca was petting the brown thoroughbred horse.

"Never had the opportunity to ride growing up. Not many horses in Seattle," Beca responded as she studied the twitch and curves of the horse. "What's this one's name?" she asked curiously as she patted the side of the horse's neck.

"Oh, that's Tank, he's mine! Daddy got him for me when I was 10." Chloe beamed as she began to rub Tank's side.

"So, I guess you are pretty good at riding, huh?" Beca asked as she turned her head to look at the redhead.

"I wouldn't say that, I just ride for fun. I usually just take him down by the river and ride around out there. But I mainly used him as a way to get away from everything and clear my head," Chloe said contemplatively. She hadn't really ridden Tank much over the past few years, she was always busy with the Bellas when she was at Barden, only returning to the ranch during breaks. She wanted to get the full college experience, so even though Barden was only 25 minutes from the ranch, she decided to stay on campus. Beca hummed a response to the redhead.

"Well, I am guessing your dad didn't leave without leaving a list of things for me to do?" Beca quirked her eyebrow up and a smirk started to play on her lips.

"OH! Yeah, sorry about that" Chloe said as she fished out a piece of paper from her back pocket and handed it over to Beca.

"No problem, well, I guess I should get started" Beca said as she pointed down to the list in her hand.

It was taking everything in her to walk away and leave Beca to do her job. Chloe didn't know what was coming over her, but there was something about this girl that struck her right in the gut. She hadn't stopped thinking about her since she walked into the diner three days ago. It didn't help that when she returned to the diner on Saturday for her evening shift, Stacie wouldn't stop grilling her about the smaller brunette. She didn't know why, but the questions that Stacie asked made her more and more agitated. It wasn't like Chloe didn't share friends with Stacie, they were in the Bellas together after all. It was just the way Stacie was asking them, like she was thinking about trying to be more than friends with Beca. That wasn't something that Chloe was happy about, but who knows, Beca could be totally straight for all she knew.

Chloe was never really one to label her sexuality. She dated both men and women throughout high school and college, but none of them made her insides feel the way just looking at Beca made her feel. That's probably why Chloe was still a virgin, she wasn't one to just go and sleep with anyone that bought her dinner.

Now Stacie, she couldn't really say the same about her. That girl called her vagina 'The Hunter' after all. Chloe thinks that is why she got this sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when Stacie was asking all those questions about Beca. Chloe shook her head as she sat on the couch drinking her coffee, wiping out the images that threatened to overtake her thoughts.

Chloe was about to get up and head into the kitchen and refill her coffee, when the sight of Beca by the barn caught her attention. She walked over to the window and watched the younger girl stop and pull her hair up into a loose ponytail. Beca made her way over to Chloe's truck with her head bobbing up and down, earbuds in her ears, looking at the bales of hay in the back of the Ford. Next thing Chloe knew, Beca was stripping off her plaid button up shirt, tying it around her waist and jerking the tailgate of the truck down, hopping up like she was walking up stairs.

"Holy shit," came from Chloe's lips but she couldn't blink, move or even breathe. It was only 7am and as Beca moved each bale, she started sweating, the light blue tank top the girl was wearing already becoming dark blue between her shoulder blades. As Chloe stood there and watched the brunette work throwing the bales from the back of the truck down to the ground so that they could be stacked in the barn, she couldn't help but notice the muscles flexing in the girl's back. Her shoulders were tone and defined. That was always a part of the body that Chloe found attractive. She has never been able to explain it, but there is something about the area just below the neck that runs from shoulder to shoulder, down through the shoulder blades. It made Chloe shiver, this chick was going to be either the best thing to happen to her or the worst. Chloe didn't know, but she sure was going to find out before the end of the summer, she promised herself.


Around noon, Chloe went out and found Beca cleaning out the horse stalls.

"Hey you," Chloe said as she walked into the stall Beca was working in.

"Hey," Beca said, out of breath, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing, I just wanted to see if you wanted to come in for some lunch? I made spaghetti," Chloe asked, hopefully.

"Yeah, sure. I didn't realize I was hungry until you mentioned food," Beca said as she placed the large head shovel she had been using on the side of the stall.

"Great!" Chloe chirped. "Follow me." As the girls walked up by the pool and up the back deck, into the kitchen area, Beca asked if Chloe's dad was home. "Oh yeah, he got in a few minutes ago. Do you need me to get him?" Chloe responded.

"Is he not eating lunch with us?" Beca asked.

"Nah, he usually just takes it into his office to work." Chloe said nonchalantly.

"Well, I don't want to bother him. I just had a question about possible apartments in the area," Beca said as they grabbed plates to fix their lunch.

"You don't already have a place to stay?" Chloe asked curiously.

"Umm, I do, but I don't" Beca said as she scooped a pile of noodles on her plate and moved to the sauce. "My buddy Luke is letting me crash on his couch until I find a place."

"Oh," was the only thing Chloe could force out. She wondered who this Luke person was and if he was just a 'buddy' as Beca claimed, or if there was more there.

"Yeah, I've known him since I was 10 and he was 13, so when I told him I was going to move down to Georgia, he offered his couch." Beca offered up at the girl's minimal response. She didn't know why she was just offering up all this information. Usually it was like pulling teeth to get Beca to talk, but there was something about Chloe that just made Beca feel like she needed to tell the redhead anything she wanted to know. Especially when it came to Luke, she didn't want the redhead to think Luke was her boyfriend or anything, because gross.

"Well, you can talk to my dad. But I have a better idea," Chloe started to beam at the revelation that just hit her. "We have a room in the barn at the back above the hay storage room and the supply room." Beca stopped eating and looked up and into those bright blue eyes. "It isn't much, but it has its own little kitchenette, bathroom and an entrance in the back so you don't have to go through the barn," Chloe said hopefully.

"Do you think your dad would let me stay there?" Beca asked as she contemplated the offer.

"Stay where?" Colton asked as he came into the kitchen. "Mmm Chloe, this smells amazing!" he leaned down and kissed the top of his daughter's head.

"Daddy, Beca was just telling me that she was going to start looking for apartments so she doesn't have to stay on her friend's couch. I was telling her about the room in the barn. Do you mind if she stayed there?" Chloe put on her best 'I've got my dad wrapped around my finger' voice, batted her eyelashes and started to jut out her bottom lip.

"The room in the barn, huh…" Colton stated as he filled a plate. "That place hasn't been lived in for years, honey. I'm sure Beca would rather stay in something a little, umm… cleaner?"

"But Daddy, it's only until she starts school. She's going to Barden," Chloe began to pout a little more. Colton sighed.

"If Beca is okay with the place, I don't mind." Beca was thoroughly impressed at how quickly this woman was able to get her father to relent.

"Thanks daddy!" Chloe squealed as she jumped up and hugged her dad. "I'll take her up there after lunch and show her around."

"Thanks Mr. Beale, I really appreciate it. And if you want to take the rent out of my pay, I'm okay with that," Beca stated as she stood to shake the man's hand.

"No need for that Beca. It's the least I can do for the help you are giving me around this place," he said as he left the kitchen to head back to his office.

After the girls finished their lunch, as promised, Chloe took Beca to show her the room she would be staying in.

"Here we go" Chloe said as she pushed open the door. "It is a tad dusty, but nothing that can't be fixed up with a little elbow grease."

"Wow, this place is nicer than I thought it would be," Beca said as she took in the vast space. It wasn't really a 'room' per say, because it took up the full length of the barn and about half of the width. It already had a couch, recliner, and TV on the closest end, and a bed with a standalone dresser and a closet on the far end, all of which had been covered in dust cloths to keep the dust off of the actual furniture. In the middle of the space was a small fridge, oven and sink, between the kitchen area and the bedroom a bathroom set off to the side. Beca wasn't really sure what to say, she was expecting a room, maybe double the size of a dorm room, but this space, this was almost like having her own studio apartment. Chloe noticed the look of wonderment in Beca's eyes.

"Daddy had this built thinking that I would stay here when I went to college. But I wanted the full college experience, so I opted for the dorms while I was in school," she filled Beca in.

"So, you go to Barden?" Beca asked.

"Went," Chloe stated. "I just graduated this past spring with a degree in Music Education and Music Theory. I'm actually heading up to New York in a few months to start teaching at a private school for the musically gifted."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive, Chloe" Beca responded as she watched the pride beam off of the redhead.

"What about you?" Chloe asked genuinely curious. "What are you majoring in at Barden?"

"Oh, um… I don't plan on sticking around long enough to declare a major," Beca stated as she leaned against the back of the couch. Chloe raised her brow and bit the inside of her cheek.

"Oh really?" she asked, astonished.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm only going because my dad teaches there and said I had to go for at least a year before I can move to LA to pay my dues. I want to produce music—I want to make music," Beca huffed out, finally taking a breath.

"Huh, that's interesting," Chloe stated absentmindedly. "I wasn't prepared for that." Beca looked at Chloe curiously.

"Well, it's the truth" she stated curtly, "and with that, I guess I should get back to work". With a nod, she left Chloe standing in the middle of her new living room.


When Beca was done with the work that Colton Beale had left for her, it was around 5pm and she knew she needed to get back to Luke's and take a shower and let her friend know that she would be living on the ranch this summer. But before that, she wanted to check with Colton to make sure that it was okay for her to move in tonight.

"Knock knock," she called out through the sliding glass door into the kitchen.

"Beca! Come on in," Chloe called from the living room, where she was sat watching some show on TV.

"Oh hey Chloe, is your dad around?" Beca asked as she walked into where the redhead was.

"Umm, not at the moment, I don't think," she said as she looked at the clock above the fireplace. "Nope, he is at his weekly poker night at Mr. Swanson's place."

"Oh, okay, well do you think he'd mind if I started bringing my stuff over tonight, it isn't much, but I don't know if my back can handle another night on Luke's couch," Beca asked, a pained expression crossing her face as she rubbed her lower back.

"Yeah, sure… I don't think he would care. Do you need any help?" Chloe asked with hope in her voice. Beca scratched at the back of her neck.

"Umm, nah… no thank you. It isn't much, just my bags and a guitar. I think I'll be able to manage. But… but thanks though." Beca wasn't sure why all of a sudden she was nervous. All Chloe was asking was to help her out. Nothing more, nothing less. "Oh, um, until I am able to get to the store, in town, do you think I could borrow some sheets for the bed?" Beca asked hesitantly.

"Oh yeah, yeah, definitely," Chloe said as she got up from the couch. "Let me go get a set of mine and while you go grab your stuff, I'll get the bed set up for you."

"No, you don't have to do that Chloe, really, I can do it when I get back." Beca earnestly stated.

"It really is no big deal. It isn't like I have plans tonight anyway, so this will give me something to do." Chloe said genuinely. "Really Beca, let me do this."

"Okay, I should be back in about an hour or so. Have you had dinner? I was going to pick up something from the diner on my way back. Would you like something?" Beca inquired.

"Sure, I'll have whatever you have. Anything from there is to die for!" Chloe all but squealed as she bounded up the stairs towards her bedroom.

"Well okay then," Beca said as she let herself back out the sliding glass doors and made her way to her Jeep.

An hour later, Beca returned to the room and brought up her big duffle bag that had her clothes in it and the bag that contained dinner.

"Ugh, okay Mitchell, just get the important shit tonight…the rest can wait" she mumbled to herself as she kicked the door behind her.

"Talk to yourself often?" Chloe piped up as she came out of the bathroom and let out a giggle at the fast speed in which Beca turned around.

"DUDE! Holy fuck you scared me," Beca cried, almost dropping the bag of food off the side of the table.

"Sorry!" Chloe said as she tried to get her laughter under control as she walked up to the smaller girl and helped by taking the take out bag out of Beca's hand. Beca glanced around.

"Wow, you really didn't need to do all of this," she said as she took in the space. Each and every dust cloth had been removed from the furniture, the space had been swept and the kitchen had been wiped down. Beca took her duffle to the far end of the room and noticed that the bed was neatly made and the covers had been turned down. There were 4 pillows on the bed that weren't there before and the mirror on the dresser had been wiped clean.

"It's no problem," Chloe said as she walked up behind Beca. "It gave me something to do while you were gone." Beca turned and almost bumped into the redhead. 'Apparently the dogs aren't the only ones with boundary issues' Beca thought as she took a step backwards.

"Well, I appreciate it more than you realize," Beca said sincerely.

The two girls made their way back to the living room and dug into their meals as they chatted away. Beca isn't sure how, but it felt like she has known Chloe forever. The conversation just flowed between the two without much hesitation. And if there was silence, it wasn't the loud deafening type that she is used to experiencing with other people, this silence had a sense of calm to it. One that she could easily get used to. After about two hours of just talking and learning about each other, Beca glanced at her watch.

"I really hate to cut this short, but it is almost 9 and if I'm going to be worth anything in the morning, I should probably call it a night." Beca could see the disappointment cross Chloe's face, but it was soon replaced by that brilliant smile.

"Oh, sure, yeah… wouldn't want you to be late when all you have to do is walk down the stairs," Chloe stated playfully as she shot Beca a wink. "Do you want me to help clean up" she asked.

"No, thanks… I got it. Not like I have any dishes to do," Beca replied as she walked Chloe to the door. "I had a really good time tonight. Thanks for keeping me company," she said as she opened the door for the redhead.

"I had a great time too, we should definitely do it again," Chloe leaned in and gave the shorter girl a hug.

"Yeah, I'd like that" Beca stuttered out.


Three weeks had gone by and things had basically become a ritual for the girls. Chloe would bring Beca coffee in the morning, once the younger girl made her way outside. Beca would get either get her instructions from Colton, or she would finish up whatever she had been working on the day before. She could really see the difference she was making at the ranch. She had already trimmed the bushes by the road, so now you could actually see the iron 'B' that hung above the path to the house. The horse stalls were cleaned daily and she had even reorganized things in the tack room to where it was easier to maneuver around in it, and the fence that held the horses had been fixed. All in all, Beca was pleased with what she was able to accomplish.

Plus, it didn't hurt that the evenings Chloe wasn't working, the pair would have dinner at her place. Some nights Beca cooked, some nights Chloe, and then other nights they would do take out. It felt very domesticated to Beca. Something she wasn't sure of. She wasn't sure of where things with Chloe would go. Hell, she was only here for a few months and then she'd be going to LA and Chloe was leaving soon to go to New York.

Beca sighed as she closed the door behind Chloe as she left for the evening. The more she talked to Chloe, the more she… craved her. Beca had never craved anyone, only food. It was like this girl was becoming a need for Beca, almost like oxygen. She was fascinated by every aspect of her like the way she talked—oh that accent… that wonderfully southern accent. It was like music to Beca's ears. Chloe was beautiful, yes, there was no denying that, but she wasn't just superficially beautiful. Chloe had a beauty to her that radiated from the inside out. Like when she talks about the animals on the farm, or anything to do with music. Beca could tell that she was just so passionate about everything. Beca threw herself onto the bed with a huff.

"Ugh, you really shouldn't get attached…nothing can come of this because you both are going in opposite directions" she said to herself as she threw her arm over her eyes. Beca knew she could say it all she wanted, but that didn't stop the fact that she was falling for the redhead.

Little did Beca know, that at that exact time, Chloe was standing at her bedroom window, looking out at the barn. She could see the end window and knew that Beca was still awake by the light that was still on. Chloe couldn't understand how it happened. How, in three short weeks, she could go from thinking this girl was attractive to realizing just how beautiful she truly was. Yes, Beca had a hard exterior that she showed to the world, but Chloe knew that it was just a defense mechanism she had adopted to overcome her small stature. Somehow, Chloe had gotten through the façade and saw the girl for who she is: a sweet, gentle, passionate and loving creature under it all. And Chloe didn't know what it was about the ear spike or the tattoos that just screamed at her, but holy hell, they were so sexy! Chloe groaned as she saw the light switch out in Beca's place and made her way to her own bed.

"What are you doing Beale… you are leaving in a few months, you shouldn't get attached. For fuck's sake, you two are going to be on the opposite sides of the country soon!" she berated herself as she lay facing the ceiling. Ironically, Hailee Steinfeld's 'Starving' began playing over the Bluetooth speakers in Chloe's bedroom. Yeah, Chloe was in trouble.


Routine. Beca liked routine. She would get up at 5am during the week and share coffee with Chloe and start working around the ranch around 6am. Then around noon, Chloe would come get her for lunch and they either ate in the kitchen of Chloe's place or out on the deck by the pool, when it wasn't too blazing hot to do so. Beca would finally call it a day around 5pm and go shower. Then it would have already been predetermined what dinner plans were for the evening.

It didn't take long for Beca to realize that Chloe had been working less and less at the diner. She would pick up shifts, but they usually were the midday shifts. Chloe would always get Beca earlier than noon for lunch so that she could leave after they had eaten together, but she always returned by the time Beca was finishing up for the day. This had been going on for most of the six weeks that she had been living and working at the ranch. Beca liked it, she didn't realize how much so, until the week that Chloe had to go to New York to finalize some things for her move up there in a few months.

It was mid-July and Beca had offered to take Chloe to the airport on Sunday morning. The two walked from the parking lot to the terminal for Chloe to check in and get her bags checked.

"So, you are going to be gone until Friday afternoon?" Beca inquired as she placed Chloe's bag at her feet while waiting to be called to the counter.

"Yeah, my plane should arrive back around 2pm. Will you be able to pick me up?" Chloe asked as she looked up from her print out of her itinerary. For a second, Chloe stopped breathing when she looked into Beca's stormy eyes. She didn't know what it was, but she felt this pull to Beca that kept getting stronger and stronger as each day passed. She had been fighting an internal battle of self-control for about a month now. A battle that she was slowly starting to lose and she, oddly enough, was okay with that. Beca's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, sure. I will be here, just text me when you have your bags and I'll come around and pick you up." Beca said as walked up with Chloe to the counter.

"Awes" Chloe said over her shoulder as she approached the desk.

"Well, I guess this is it for me," Beca stated as they made their way up to the security line. Chloe sighed.

"Yeah, I guess so." They just stood there for a moment, neither one of them wanting to be the one to walk away first. Chole wasn't sure what prompted her, but she reached out and brought the smaller girl into a warm embrace. It wasn't the first time that they have hugged, Beca quickly found out that Chloe was a very touchy feely person and strangely enough, she was okay with it. So Beca sighed as she wrapped her arms around the taller girl.

"I'm going to miss you, you know," she said into Chloe's neck. Chloe pulled away slightly, eyes darting between Beca's eyes and she saw nothing but sincerity in them.

'It's now or never,' Chloe thought and she glanced down to Beca's lips, ever so slowly started to lean in towards the brunette. Chloe wanted to give Beca a chance to pull away, but to her surprise and satisfaction, Beca did not. She actually closed the distance and their lips crashed together. Chloe's fingers instinctively wrapped themselves into chocolate locks as Beca's hands gripped onto Chloe's hips.

The kiss started out slow, both girls not really wanting to push the other, but then Beca decided that she had enough and ran her tongue across Chloe's bottom lip. Chloe granted Beca entrance and their tongues began a dance that was in perfect sync, like they had been doing this for years. Beca's head was spinning as the need for oxygen became too great. She slowly pulled away and Chloe leaned her forehead on hers.

"I'm going to miss you too," she whispered, breath hot on Beca's face. Beca leaned up and gave her a chaste kiss again.

"I'll be waiting for you on Friday," Beca said as she took Chloe's hands. "Text me when you land and any other time you want. My evenings are pretty much free this week," she said as she smirked at the older girl.

"Deal," Chloe said right before she planted a lingering kiss on Beca's lips, "I'll see you Friday… or maybe sooner," she winked as she turned to head to the security gate. Beca stood there and watched her as she cleared security and headed off towards her gate. She didn't dare move until the redhead was no longer in sight, she didn't want to miss a second of being able to take in all that was Chloe Beale.

Beca made her way back to the ranch with an empty feeling she hadn't felt in many years, not since her dad walked out. Never in a million years did Beca think that she would feel like she needed someone in her life to make herself feel whole. She swore to herself when she was 10 years old, as she listened to her mom cry the night her dad left, that she would never need someone that she would do it on her own and if she was lucky enough to love someone, she wasn't going to make them her world. But, then along came Chloe.

Beca walked into her place and flipped the switch to light up the vast empty space. Empty because it was just her, no bright blue eyes, no smile that could rival the sun, no laughter that sounded like a song, just Beca. Nope, Beca didn't like this, but holy hell, Chloe was only going to be here for another 6 weeks and Beca was going to be starting college soon. How did she end up here? Waking up thinking about Chloe. Chloe invading her mind while working, and Chloe being the last thing on her mind.

"Fuck me, I can't be…" Beca said as she ran her fingers through her hair. Beca walked over to the bean bag that Chloe brought from her room and picked up the guitar. She moved to the table and pulled out a notebook and pen from her messenger bag. Beca was never one to say that speaking was her strongest suit. Sure, she could hold a conversation, joke and be a human, but when it came expressing herself, words just seemed to fail her. That's why when she found music, she found her voice.

She opened up the notebook and began to flip through pages and pages of lyrics that she had jotted down over the years. There were doodles as she would try to come up with the hook or chorus of a song, there were tons of marked out lines. Everything Beca has ever gone through was in this book. From her first kiss with Clint back in 5th grade, to her realizing that she'd rather be kissing Jenny. To the first time she slept with Jenny back in 10th grade. She shook her head of the thoughts of Jenny, she wasn't going to fall down that rabbit hole again. Jenny reminded Beca when she walked away just three months ago, that no matter how much they said "forever," it was only until something better came along. And Jenny's "better" had been in the form of a tall, blonde hair, green eyed boy by the name of Shawn. No, Beca wasn't going to think about that heart break and why she ran so quickly to Georgia after her dad's proposition.

Beca got to the first empty page and placed the pen in the crease of the pages. A tune had been swirling around her head for the past week and she hadn't had time to work on getting it out. So she picked up the guitar and started strumming the chords. She hummed as she played, and then she put the pick between her teeth and picked up pen.

She was so lost in the song she was writing that it barely registered that her phone was ringing. She jumped off the chair and ran to the table where she placed her phone when she came in. She grinned like a fool when she saw Chloe's face on the screen.

"Hey!" she said excitedly when she hit the accept button of the Facetime call.

"Well hey to you too!" Chloe beamed right back at her through the phone. "Everything okay?" Chloe asked when she noticed that Beca seemed to be out of breath.

"Oh yeah, great. I was just at the table writing and the phone startled me out of my thoughts and I ran to pick it up, no biggie," Beca said as she plopped down on the couch. "How was the flight" she asked as she stared into those bright blue eyes she was just thinking about.

"Good, I was able to get some of the paperwork that I've been putting off done on the flight," Chloe said as she sat on her hotel bed. "I miss you," came through Beca's speakers and she almost didn't hear it. She looked at the shyness on Chloe's face as she seemed to find something in her lap awfully interesting.

"Hey, look at me" Beca requested. "I miss you too! This place doesn't feel the same when you aren't in it." Beca smiled as Chloe's smile started to stretch across her face. The two talked for about an hour before Beca's stomach started growling. When Chloe heard the noise she burst into laughter.

"Did you adopt a bear in the time I've been gone?" she playfully inquired.

"No Beale," Beca smirked. "My cook decided to leave me to starve for a week, so I forgot to eat lunch."

"Well, Stacie is working at the diner tonight, why don't you go up there and get something to eat?" Chloe suggested. Stacie knew of Chloe's growing feelings for the smaller brunette, so when the three of them would hang out, Stacie 'kept it in her pants' when it came to Beca. They had actually became good friends.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. I need to run something by her anyway." Beca said as she started gathering her things together. "Do you have plans tonight in the city?"

"Nope, the school is sending a car for me tomorrow at 10am to go over this paperwork, but I'm free until then," Chloe said as she watched Beca pick up something from the table and put it in her bag.

"Oh okay, well do you want me to call you when I get back?" Beca said as she put her messenger bag over her head. "Yeah sure," Chloe sighed. "I wish I was going with you."

"Me too Beale, me too," Beca said before they said their goodbyes.

Beca walked into the diner and as the bell above the door chimed, she caught Stacie's brown eyes from across the establishment. Stacie flashed Beca a wide, bright smile and finished up with the table she was helping. As the taller brunette made her way over to the younger girl's place at the bar.

"So what do I owe this pleasure, B?" Beca rolled her eyes and just as she was about to speak, her stomach growled again. "Ahhh, that's right, Chloe went to New York this afternoon and you need food!" Stacie said playfully feigning hurt. "I see how it is…" Beca shook her head and flipped off the laughing brunette.

"Yeah yeah…so can I get the usual?" she inquired.

"Sure thing," Stacie said as she turned to place Beca's order. "OH!" Stacie exclaimed as she brought Beca her beer, "Since Chloe is out of town, do you want to go to a party with me Friday night?" she asked hopeful.

"Ugh, Stace… you know I don't do parties. Plus, Chloe is getting back Friday afternoon and I promised I'd pick her up from the airport. Why don't you come out to the ranch sometime this week and we can hang out?" Beca all but pleaded with the older girl.

"One day B… one day I am going to get that cute ass of yours to a party," Stacie taunted. "But sure, I'll come hang out at the ranch. I'm off on Wednesday, think old man Beale will give you the afternoon off?"

"I don't see why not, I will talk to him tomorrow when we talk about what needs to get done." Beca said as she took a drink of her beer. "I want to run something by you too." Stacie's eyes lit up.

"Oooo, what's up?" she cooed. Beca took a long draw of her beer.

"I'm writing a song…" she started but the squeal that Stacie let out cut her off. Beca stuck her pinkie in her ear and wiggled it around as she shook her head. "Damn Stace, calm down dude," she said. "Can I finish?" Stacie sobered up and shook her head yes. "Okay, thanks," Beca said as she stuck her tongue out at the stupid grin plastered on Stacie's face. "So, I'm writing this song and I want to play it for you and get your opinion on it," she said tentatively.

"Yes… I'd love hear you sing B. I can't wait to hear what you did. Wait… hold the phones. Is this song for a certain red head?" Stacie's eyebrows shot into her hairline as the realization set in.

"Ummm, depends on if you think it's any good," Beca said embarrassed. Stacie began to bounce on the balls of her feet clapping her hands together.

"I'm sure it will be amazing B," she all but squealed. Luckily for Beca, Marion brought her food over as Stacie acted like a 5 year old, so she was finally able to calm that bear in her stomach.


The next two days were uneventful for Beca, they would drag on because she didn't have a bubbly redhead to occupy her time with, just the thoughts of said redhead. She was able to get the whole day off today from Colton. He told her that she had done more for him than he ever expected, so all she needed to do was ask for time off and it was hers. Beca thanked him and had texted Stacie telling her that she was off the whole day and to come whenever.

It was around 10am when she heard Stacie's Passat pull up to the barn. Beca looked out the window and all she could do was shake her head. Stacie had the top down, hair pulled back in a loose ponytail and she THINKS Stacie had on a pair of shorts under the very sheer top she had on. Stacie pulled a bag out of her back seat and made her way up to Beca's loft. Beca had already cracked the door open, signaling for the girl to just come on in.

"Good morning sunshine," Stacie chirped as she placed her bag on the floor by the door. "I figured since we had the whole day, we could make use of that pool. So go get your suit on and let's get this day started B!" Beca rolled her eyes as she sipped on her coffee.

"You are lucky you are pretty Conrad, because I haven't even finished my coffee yet," she said as a smirk played on her lips. The pair made their way out to the pool a short while later and as they laid on some floats. Stacie perched her sunglasses on top of her head and looked at Beca.

"So, when do I get to hear this song?" she inquired. Beca laughed.

"Well you were the eager beaver to get out here. How about we go up to the loft and get lunch and after we eat, I'll play it for you?"

"Oh that sounds wonderful. I'm starving," Stacie said as she hopped off the float and went over to Beca.

"No… no, no, no, Stacie… don't you…" Beca started to say as Stacie got closer to her and with an evil grin on her face as she put her hands under Beca's float and tipped it on its side, sufficiently dumping the smaller girl into the pool. Beca came up gasping for air. "Fuck you Stace!" Beca laughed as she started pushing water towards her leggy friend. They played around in the water until they were both soaking wet and Beca threw her hands up to form a T. "Okay, time out… let's go eat, I thought you were starving," she huffed, trying to catch her breath, as she turned to exit the pool.

The girls made their way up to Beca's place and prepared their lunch. As they sat on the couch watching Netflix while eating their sandwiches and discussing what they were going to do the rest of the day, Beca's phone rings. She glances at it on the coffee table and as she moves to pick it up, Stacie's face breaks out into a huge grin.

"Hey Chlo," Beca answers as a smile begins to spread across her face. She gets up to move from the couch and Stacie grabs her forearm and shakes her head no. So Beca settles back down on the couch as Stacie pauses the show they were watching.

"Hey Bec," Chloe cheerfully sings into the phone. "We got a break from our orientation, so I thought I'd call to see how things are going. You and Stacie are hanging out this evening correct?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention it last night, but your dad gave me the day off, so Stacie is here now. We were hanging out in the pool earlier and now we are eating some lunch and watching Netflix. She introduced me to this show Wentworth, Chlo… holy crap. You know how much you love Orange is the New Black?" Beca hears Chloe hum an affirmative into the phone. "Well, this is way more intense and just… wow. It's an Australian show, and it is so good!" she states before taking a breath.

"Hmm sounds interesting," Chloe responds. "Don't get too far into it, we can watch it when I get back."

"That won't be a problem at all!" Beca says. Stacie sits beside Beca shaking her head. It was like she was watching a 5th grader talking to her crush. The look on Beca's face as she talked to Chloe was just radiant and if she knew her longtime friend, Chloe had the same look of wonderment on her face as well. There was no doubt in Stacie's mind that these two were falling for each other. She just hoped it would last with their lives soon to be separated by distance.

As the conversation wound down, Stacie cleared their plates and the bag of chips they were eating out of. When Beca hung up the phone, Stacie looked at her with her hands on her hips.

"So, when are you going to tell the ginger that you like her?" Beca's eyes shot up to the woman towering over her.

"Um, yeah… about that," Beca said as she placed her phone on the coffee table. "That's why I wanted to play that song for you. I was thinking about asking Chloe out on a date Saturday when I pick her up Friday from the airport," Beca informed Stacie as the taller girl almost pounced on Beca as she sat back down on the couch.

"Okay, spill munchkin" she insisted.

The two sat on the couch for the next hour as Beca went through her thoughts on how to ask Chloe out and to get Stacie's feedback on what they could do for their date. Most of the time Beca and Chloe just hang out at Beca's place or by the pool, they haven't really be out anywhere over the past six weeks. They were content to just lay on the couch watching Netflix, but Beca wanted to do something special for Chloe. Stacie gave her some suggestions on fun/casual places they could go and also so more upscale places. Beca wasn't sure yet, if she wanted a dress up kind of date or just a date where they could be comfortable and have fun together. Granted, the pool hall/karaoke place that Stacie mentioned did sound enticing to Beca. She's glad she still has a few days to figure out what to do.

"Okay, so those are my suggestions," Stacie says as she saw the overwhelming look on Beca's face, "Don't worry B. No matter what you do, Chloe is going to love it. Now, about this song?" She inquired.

'Ahh, yes, the song,' Beca thought. She got up off the couch and got her guitar off the bean bag. "So, I suck at words when it comes to expressing myself, so I tend to put my thoughts and feelings into song. I've had this melody in my head for the past few weeks and after I dropped Chloe off at the airport, the words just seemed to flow. So I wrote a song about Chloe. Let me know what you think." Beca said as she absent mindedly strummed the guitar. Stacie turned to face Beca as she listened to the beginning of the song come out of the guitar. Stacie could not believe her ears, she had no idea that Beca's voice was so amazing. She knew the girl was into music and that she wanted to produce it in LA, but wow, she could probably have a record deal if the right people heard her voice.

As Beca closed her eyes, really getting into the song, Stacie could tell that she had put her heart and soul into this and that she meant every single word that came out. Stacie sat there, speechless, and beamed as Beca played the final chords of the song.

"So? What did you think," Beca asked tentatively, as she leaned the guitar up on the coffee table.

"Holy shit, B… she's going to love it!"