AN: This is inspired by the relationship between Glee's Santana and Brittany, especially in Season 5 Episode 12 titled "100." I recently started watching the show and this idea popped into my head for Stacie and Aubrey.
Stacie furiously typed on her iPad as she spoke into the device attached to her ear and recorded her findings. She was exhausted and knew she would need to take a break soon if she planned on pulling another long night, but the feeling of accomplishment when she proved a hypothesis right was exhilarating.
"Prototype 4 provides even more stability and rehabilitation than the previous methods. Vitality is no longer an issue. Moving on to stage 3 and will check back in 2 days. I predict a relapse and breakdown in tissue before revitalization sets in completely."
"Only Stacie Conrad can make nerd talk sexy." Every nerve-ending in Stacie's body responded to the voice that became a constant source of comfort in her life since she was eighteen years old and she spun around to see Aubrey leaning against the doorframe with an adoring smile. Stacie didn't realize she was running over to her until Aubrey took two long strides toward her to scoop her up into a tight hug. Neither knew how long they stayed that way, immersed in one another's embrace, but Aubrey was the first to pull back to gaze into Stacie's eyes.
"I missed you so much," whispered Aubrey with tears in her eyes and Stacie quickly wiped her eyes as well.
"Me too, but what are you doing here? Atlanta isn't exactly down the street from Cambridge."
"I am in town for a meeting with some potential investors. I tried calling but you haven't been taking my calls," said Aubrey with an arched eyebrow and accusatory tone that made Stacie look down.
"I know and I'm sorry. I have just been busy with school and my research. I will do better."
"You don't owe me an explanation, Stace. We both agreed to move on. I just wish you would have told me that meant you needed space from talking too."
"Hey, that's not it. I am not giving you the run around. I have been MIA with everyone lately, not just you. I know I have been a shitty friend," she grumbled and noticed the way Aubrey winced at her new label. Stacie wasn't exactly a fan of it either, but they agreed.
They were each other's first real love and had been together for four years. While their relationship started as random hookups Stacie's freshman year, mainly due to Aubrey's concern about her position as the captain of the Bellas, it did not take either of them long to realize that they were more than just a fling. Even after Aubrey graduated and began working at the Lodge at Fallen Leaves, they continued their relationship and spent every moment they could together, but when Stacie graduated and decided to accept MIT's offer for graduate school, neither could deny how the distance would take its toll. They'd spent most of their relationship with distance in between them and while a couple of hours were manageable, being thousands of miles apart was too much. It was the most painful decision either ever had to make, which was saying something since Aubrey came out to her father months after she realized she was in love with Stacie.
It was a strangely amicable breakup. There was no screaming or arguing, just tears, sadness, and one last night of making love. They'd spent the summer together in Aubrey's cabin and Stacie still remembered how unbearable the pain in her heart was as she found the strength to drive away and head for the airport to catch her flight to Boston. Aubrey cupped her cheek and gazed lovingly into her eyes.
"You aren't a shitty friend. We are just still trying to get our sea legs with this whole only friends thing," assured Aubrey, but Stacie smirked.
"Well tell that to Beca. She yelled at me on the phone the other day. She of all people should know what it is like to be busy."
"She is just worried about you."
"And how would you know that? What are you really doing here, Bree? You have never been the type to just drop everything and we both know you don't have to fly up to meet with investors. You used to be on conference calls all the time. I know you better than that." Aubrey sighed.
"I know you do because you know everything about me, the only person that does, so why do you think I am here, Stace," asked Aubrey as she wrapped her arms around Stacie's waist and pulled her closer. Stacie shivered at the contact and took in a deep breath.
"Because maybe you miss me as much as I miss you," she whispered as tears filled her eyes and Aubrey nodded. Stacie wasn't sure who initiated it. All she knew was that she was finally kissing the love of her life again.
Hours later, Stacie woke up in her apartment tangled in the sheets with Aubrey, who was stroking her hair. She glanced over at the clock on her nightstand and groaned.
"How is it already past midnight? Only you can make me lose all sense of time and space," she mumbled and Aubrey giggled as she kissed her neck.
"While I will take that and the fact I can still give you multiple orgasms as a compliment, I think we both know you are exhausted. I thought MIT would be nerdvana for you. Why do I get the feeling it isn't?" Stacie sighed and shrugged as she rested against her elbow on her pillow.
"It's fine. I am just constantly working. I am fine though. I probably just coasted too long at Barden and now that people expect for me to act like the genius I technically am, my brain and body are trying to adjust."
"You have always been a genius, Stace. I guess I just figured you would be happier here."
"Why, because this is what everyone kept telling me I should want? MIT should be perfect for me because I am a Brainiac and these should be my people? God, you sound like my father," Stacie practically growled as she sat up and rolled out of bed. Aubrey grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto it.
"Hey, that is not what I am saying and I think we both know better than that. I never once asked you to go to MIT."
"You never once asked me not to either," reminded Stacie and Aubrey flinched at the words.
"Stacie…."
"I can't do this, Bree. I thought I could and yea, the sex was amazing. It always is with us, but I can't just have you showing up whenever. My heart can't take this." Tears filled Aubrey's eyes as she nodded.
"You are right and I am sorry I ambushed you. I will leave." She rolled out of bed and quickly gathered her clothes as Stacie cursed under her breath.
"Damn it, wait," she called as Aubrey headed for the bathroom to change. Stacie crossed the room and pulled her into her arms to passionately kiss her. Aubrey melted into the kiss and tossed her clothes back into the chair as Stacie peppered kisses on her neck.
"I love you. I am so fucking in love with you, but we can't keep doing this to each other."
"I know. I'm sorry. I just can't stay away," confessed Aubrey and Stacie groaned.
"I can't either," she admitted and Aubrey sighed in relief as they fell back onto the bed.
Stacie eyes fluttered open as she felt someone shake her shoulder. She was disoriented as she looked around the private jet and saw her mother sitting beside her.
"Mom, what the….how are you here…how did we get to Atlanta so fast," she questioned in confusion as she rubbed her eyes and tried to get her brain to function. The fog began to clear, but the memories remained. She often dreamed of Aubrey, but rarely of their last night together a couple of months ago. After that night, Aubrey left once again. The two spoke every day for a week, but then the distance and frustration got the best of Stacie. She'd just pulled a long day in the laboratory and was in a bad mood, so she was not exactly surprised by the argument. She was tired mentally and physically and didn't want to talk about Aubrey's day. She didn't want to act as if they had their relationship figured out and the conversation ended in the way they promised each other they would never end things, with harsh truths, resentment, and heartbreak. Her mother's voice snapped her out of her thoughts again.
"It is worse than I thought. Here, drink some tea, it will not cure your broken heart, but may wake you up enough to have an actual conversation."
"Care to tell me how and why you hijacked my plane," asked Stacie before taking a sip of the black tea.
"First off, it is our plane. Second, I did not hijack it. I asked the crew to stop in New York so I could speak with you before you head to Atlanta. The crew told me they tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't budge. You aren't sleeping enough, my love."
"I am fine, mom."
"Yes, fine, and that is the problem. I suppose I am to blame for that. After all, you get that coping mechanism from me. We bury ourselves in our work when we are hurting. Luckily, your father never lets me push him away and get too immersed in things. You remember your father, tries to call you daily, the reason you have those gorgeous green eyes." Stacie smiled sheepishly.
"I have been busy, mom. I am not trying to dodge dad."
"Oh please, my love, we know each other better than that. I told him not to take it personally though. You seem to be pushing everyone in your life away at the moment."
"What are you talking about? I am on the way to see my friends right now. If you didn't request this detour, I would be halfway there by now."
"We need to talk."
"There is nothing to talk about. I am doing research that will make the family proud and fear not, the Conrad Legacy is intact, now can you please leave so I can get some sleep," asked Stacie as she stood up and headed for the bedroom in the back of the plane.
"Anastacia Marie Conrad, sit your butt back in this seat or this plane will be headed back to Oregon with you on it," warned her mother and Stacie groaned. She wanted to point out that she wasn't a child anymore and her mother could not send her up to her room, but not even she was bold enough to test that theory. She plopped back down in her chair and crossed her arms in a pout as her mother spoke.
"When you were born, your father and I were ecstatic. I got my baby girl to go along with my two beautiful sons and your father practically melted on the spot the moment he saw you. I always knew you would be a daddy's girl, but that doesn't mean you have to follow in his footsteps completely. MIT was your father's dream and he attributes a lot of the best parts of his life to it, his career path, our research, and to this day he believes he would have never met me in Portland if not for the conference on that fateful day we met. Being from Manhattan, he assures me there was no other way he would have been in the Pacific Northwest. All he wants for you is the happiness he and I have, but his mistake is assuming that just because he found his path in Cambridge, that is where you need to be for yours. We raised you to be an independent thinker though and you have surpassed our wildest dreams in that regard. Not many brilliant minds would choose Barden over Ivy League or the prestige of the top engineering schools in the world. While I love my alma mater, it is not exactly Princeton." Stacie giggled and shook her head.
"I still remember dad's face when I told him. I was pretty sure I gave him a heart attack."
"And yet it was the best decision for you. You met your friends. You still found time to focus on your research and you even met the love of your life along the way, so tell me why you are doing everything in your power to not stay on the path that is right for you?" Stacie shook her head in disbelief.
"I am not the one that wanted to break up with Bree."
"Come now, you are a genius, Stacie. Did you really think moving to Massachusetts would strengthen your relationship?"
"She is the one that gave up on us and she didn't exactly beg for me to stay."
"Did you ever think that maybe she shouldn't have had to? What exactly did you expect her to say? Aubrey has always wanted you happy and she knows how important your work is to you. You chose MIT, not her, so what did you expect?"
"I don't know, mom! Maybe for her to ask me to choose us instead or maybe to suggest moving up there with me!"
"Would you have dropped your career to move for her?"
"Yes! I would have, but she didn't even try," argued Stacie as she angrily wiped a tear from her cheek. Helen slowly nodded.
"So that's the problem, you entered into that conversation with her like it was meant to be a negotiation and she entered into it like it was a sacrifice. Well, you certainly do not get that from me. Your passion, your wit, even that smile that we both know can bring a person to their knees, but your need to control and treat conversations with the person you love like it is a business venture? That is your father through and through, especially when we were younger. He had to learn what you are learning now though. Stacie, you cannot leverage your heart. If you wanted to be with Aubrey, you should have spoken with her about your futures before you even applied for graduate school, something I know for a fact you did not do."
"She told me to follow my dreams."
"And you didn't see that as an opportunity to broach the topic then? Who are you really mad at right now? Me, your father, Aubrey, hell even Beca, or is it you? After all, you are the one that got scared of putting your heart on the line and you took the easy way out." Stacie scoffed.
"I wouldn't call MIT the easy way out, mom. Besides, Bree and I didn't have some messy breakup and that was far harder than I ever thought it would be. A painful, but completely severed tie from her would be much easier than whatever the hell we are now."
"And yet you didn't do the one thing you secretly hoped she would. You didn't put yourself out there and say what you wanted. You didn't tell her that you could thrive at any grad school in the world and would decline any and every other offer as long as it meant you two being together. You didn't tell her that she was it for you and that you wanted to make plans for the long-term. You didn't fight and that is why you are upset, Stacie. You got scared that she wouldn't want the same things, which is why you two did the most infuriating thing by ending the best relationship you had in order to be what you called mature adults. There is no maturity or honor in refusing to fight for love."
"Well, it happened so I guess hindsight is 20/20. Now, if you will excuse me, I am officially behind. I have to meet Beca for dinner, a BFF date of sorts. Are we done?" Helen sighed and stood up.
"I will leave you to it then. Try to get some more sleep. You look horrible."
"Love you too," grumbled Stacie.
"You are my one and only daughter and one of the four most powerful loves in my life. Loving you is effortless. Watching you sabotage yourself is difficult though. By the way, I sent you an article. You should read it. Your research could be greatly impacted by the findings. It is quite brilliant. Safe travels, my love," said Helen before kissing Stacie's cheek and exiting the plane. Stacie stared out the window and watched her mother get into the car waiting for her by the stairs. She wanted to go back to sleep but her mind was racing. The words nagged at her and she opened her iPad to access the email her mother sent. She opened the link to the article in hopes of at least getting something productive done that day and sighed. She kept telling herself that she could just be friends with Aubrey, but she knew it was a futile effort. Aubrey Posen was the love of her life and there had never been a time when they could be in the same room and not need to be more than just friends.
Beca smiled at her as Stacie continued speaking about her research and the article her mother sent. The best friends were sitting at the bar in their hotel and catching up.
"I mean it is almost perfect. Sure, Dr. Rasheer's work doesn't exactly line up with mine in theory, but her work with tissue reconfiguration is far more fascinating than anything Dr. Allen is doing right now."
"We hate Dr. Allen, right? He is the one that seems to care more about you being a chick and not a dude than your actual research?"
"He isn't a misogynist or anything, just a prick that thinks my place is in a lab where he can control and contain me until he wants to take credit for something I find."
"Yep, still hate the dude. I think you should work your freaky genius magic and woo this Dr. Rasheer, see if she is willing to work with you. Is she at MIT too?"
"No, Georgia Tech," said Stacie with a sigh and Beca's eyes widened.
"Wait, so your mom sent you an article she knew you would love written by a brilliant scientist that works in the same state as the girl you love? Is the entire Conrad Family full of diabolic geniuses or is it just the females?" Stacie smirked and rolled her eyes.
"She wasn't exactly subtle by highlighting the university in bright yellow. I know it would work, but I don't know, Bec. Transferring would be the easy part. With my grades and stellar reputation in the field, Georgia Tech would accept me. They did before."
"Yea, still not clear why you didn't just take that offer in the first place, so care to explain that to those of us that aren't able to read an entire textbook in a day?"
"If Aubrey wanted me here, I would have been here," she informed before popping a hors d'oeuvre in her mouth and Beca groaned.
"Wow, Chlo is right. You two are totes tragic."
"Totes….really?"
"She's rubbed off on me, shut up. Look, I have been there, remember? There was a time when all of our friends could see what we didn't. Chloe is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She doesn't just make me better. She makes me want to be myself and not be afraid to embrace everything that makes me…well…me. I fought it for so long and we both missed the obvious signs because we were too stuck in our own damn heads to get out of our own way. Since I am your best friend and Chloe is Aubrey's, I know way more about your relationship than I ever wanted to, which is why I am ready to slap the hell out of both of you. So it is time for some tough love. You are both idiots. You two practically pat yourselves on the back after you broke up because you said the breakup wasn't messy, but it was….it is! You are still in love with one another. You both have regrets and if you two were as okay as you keep telling yourselves you will be, the rest of us wouldn't be so damn worried about all the sexual tension we know is going to be rolling off the two of you the moment you are in the same room."
"Aubrey and I can control ourselves. We are here to support Emily, not make it about ourselves."
"Yea, and Chloe and I told ourselves we would be better off not being more than friends because it would be better for the Bellas, but it was utter bullshit. You are in love with her and she loves you. She flew up to Boston just to see you because she missed you."
"Yea and she probably missed the sex, which was phenomenal by the way…"
"Gross."
"But it doesn't change our problem."
"Okay, I know love can blind you, but you are the dumbest smart person I have ever met."
"Excuse me?"
"Let's try this again, but slower. You hate MIT. You love Aubrey. You love your science stuff I rarely ever understand. There is science stuff going on in Georgia. Aubrey is in Georgia. Move back to Georgia!"
"I can't!"
"Why not," Beca practically growled and Stacie ran a hand through her hair.
"Because I am scared. You don't think I know that everyone wants us back together, including my parents? I love her. I am painfully, absurdly in love with that woman but I can't be hurt by her again. I have busted my ass this past year to get to a place where I can even exist without wanting to crawl in a hole and die. Do you know how insane that is, Beca? I am a scientist, one of the brightest minds in the world…not the state, not even the fucking country, the world….and yet she can cripple me with one damn smile. I love her. I am so in love with her, but I can't survive having my heart broken by her again."
"You broke each other and I hate to break it to you, but you are the only ones that can put each other back together again. There is no science that can save you from this, Stace, so I am going to tell you what you told me when I had my head up my ass about Chloe. Don't make this rocket science." Stacie sighed and thanked the bartender when he gave her another glass of wine.
"I hear you and I know you are right. It isn't rocket science, but it isn't exactly easy either. Bree has a business here and even if I postpone the inevitable, I do plan on being on the west coast after I graduate. Conrad Industries is in Portland and my parents are looking to expand, but not in Georgia."
"I guess you and I really haven't spoken about it that much since the future has been a bit bleak this past year. Even though I have Chlo, leaving Barden to head to L.A. was much harder for us than we planned. Leaving the Bellas and having all of the people we love and lived with for years suddenly just gone in an instant was really hard. I missed you a lot, Stace."
"I missed you too," said Stacie as she hugged her best friend.
"So after this MIT debacle is over, what do you want to do?"
"Well, EJ and Derek plan on staying in Portland to run things once my parents retire and I was looking to expand into California. I could run a branch in L.A., especially if my famous music producer of a best friend and her sexy business executive of a girlfriend plan to stay out there."
"Wait, seriously, you might end up in L.A.? That would be amazing!"
"Nothing is set in stone, but there are a lot of companies out there that would love to work with Conrad Industries. I am still looking at the Pacific Northwest though too. I miss it, especially Portland, and I could start my own branch of the company there. I don't know for sure where I will be in five years, but location has always been an issue for me and Bree. Georgia was never meant to be home. I guess that's what I get for falling in love with someone in the South."
"Especially, Posen, I still cannot believe she is the love of your life. If you would have told me freshman year that we would even be having this conversation, I wouldn't have believed you. You and CR seemed like more of a possibility."
"Aw yes, Cynthia Rose, she is up in Seattle now, so you never know," teased Stacie with a wink and Beca scoffed.
"Yea right, you and CR are not compatible. You are both alphas."
"Aubrey is definitely an alpha."
"Yea….I still don't know how the hell you two work so well." Stacie slapped her shoulder and Beca pouted.
"Watch it, we may not be together anymore but she is still the only person in the world to ever make me feel special…and not in a genius way."
"You are special, Stace. Alright, enough with this sappy shit. Let's get another drink."
"Oh no, you aren't off the hook yet. We haven't even gotten to the epic love story that is Bechloe."
"I hate that name. I hate Emily for coming up with it. I hate Amy for Bhloe and now I officially hate you."
"So much hate in such a tiny body." Beca flipped her off as Stacie laughed and hugged her best friend. She'd definitely missed her.
Aubrey was nervous as she parked in front of the upscale rooftop karaoke bar and grill that Chloe insisted everyone meet up at that Friday night. All the Bellas were reuniting in Atlanta to support Emily. It was her first year as captain of the new Bellas and she was nervous about Regionals. After many talks through the group chat, the Bellas decided to fly back into town to cheer for their younger friend and Emily was relieved and ecstatic. It took a few pep talks from Chloe during dinner, but Aubrey finally had the courage to face Stacie again. They hadn't seen each other since she flew up to Boston to check in on her and their last phone conversation left them in limbo. Aubrey always knew their break-up was not as mutual on her end as she made it seem, but hearing the hurt and pain in Stacie's voice made her realize that they were both hurting over how things ended. Now they had to see each other again in the place they fell in love and she was nervous. So nervous that she even called her father for advice. While General Posen was not initially accepting of his daughter's sexuality and assured her it was a "strange phase," all it took was meeting Stacie once to realize why his daughter was in love with her. Aubrey was surprised by the words of encouragement from her father just an hour before she left her apartment.
"She is to you what your mother was to me. I lost your mother due to circumstances beyond our control. The Lord had other plans for her, but you control your circumstances here, Aubrey. If you lose her, it will be because of your actions and you will regret it for the rest of your life."
Aubrey knew her father was right, but she didn't know how to go about fixing things or what it meant for her future with Stacie. Their lives just seemed to go in separate directions, but it never stopped her heart from fluttering every time she saw her, especially when Stacie was singing. She could hear the sultry voice as the elevator doors opened onto the rooftop. It was a cool night in Atlanta and the city lights were picturesque as the bar overlooked downtown. Aubrey gulped when she saw Stacie onstage being cheered on by the rest of the Bellas. She was wearing heels that showed off the legs Aubrey spent many nights dragging her lips over and she tried to focus on her breathing as her eyes trailed up to the short black shorts and green blouse that accentuated Stacie's curvaceous body. It had been two months since the last time they'd been together, which meant it had been two months since Aubrey had been with anyone. She never admitted it to Stacie, but even after their breakup she never planned on dating. It was never something Aubrey felt like she was good at and Stacie was the only one she truly opened up to.
Aubrey tried to tell herself to stay composed and not make the night about her need for the love of her life, but the leggy brunette was making it difficult as her sultry voice belted out Ariana Grande's "Dangerous Woman." Stacie smiled mischievously as Aubrey approached the tables the rest of the Bellas were at and Chloe pulled out a chair for her best friend. Aubrey hugged Emily in greeting before her attention was brought back to Stacie, who was no longer on the stage.
"All that you got, skin to skin, oh my God. Don't ya stop, girl," sang Stacie as the crowd cheered and Stacie pulled Aubrey onto the stage with her. Aubrey blushed, but she couldn't hide her smile as Stacie danced and grinding their hips together. Soon, they were dancing and singing together to the seductive song as the crowd whistled and cheered them on. Desire and want surged through her as she let her hands roam over Stacie's hips and thighs. When the song ended, all the Bellas jumped to their feet to applaud the performance and Stacie hugged Aubrey before whispering into her ear.
"Pretty strong performance there, Captain Posen," she said with a wink before kissing her cheek and sauntering off the stage to leave a stunned Aubrey behind her. Cynthia Rose laughed as Aubrey finally made it to her seat, which was by Stacie and Chloe.
"Damn Posen, you still breathing? I know I wouldn't be," said Cynthia Rose and Aubrey cleared her throat. She gave a thumbs up, not trusting her voice to answer back and Stacie smiled smugly at her. Chloe leaned in to whisper to her.
"Here, I ordered your favorite since I figured you would need it."
"How long have you all been here? I wasn't exactly late," said Aubrey before taking a sip of her cranberry juice and vodka. Chloe shrugged.
"Becs and I got here early and I guess the others were just as excited as we were to see everyone. We have only been here for half an hour though," assured Chloe.
"Yea, Bree, don't worry. You didn't miss anything. The show didn't start until you got here," said Stacie with a wink and Aubrey smiled slyly. She placed her hand on Stacie's thigh and drew invisible circles on the bare skin as she spoke.
"Oh I know it didn't. I just didn't expect that type of show until later tonight. You know, after a few drinks loosened you up," whispered Aubrey in Stacie's ear. Stacie tried to hide her blush as Aubrey giggled.
"I think we both know you have never had to loosen me up," Stacie whispered back as their eyes locked.
"Alright, it's been ten minutes and they already look like they are about to hump on the table. Who had Staubrey at 15," asked Amy and Emily happily raised her hand. Stacie and Aubrey's jaws dropped as the rest of the Bellas handed Emily twenty dollar bills.
"What the hell," asked Aubrey, but Amy brushed her off.
"Just a friendly wager, nothing to see here, continue eye fucking one another," said Amy and Stacie smirked.
"And what type of wager was that," questioned Stacie.
"We bet how long it would take you two to go back to flirting and starting the foreplay," said Cynthia Rose. Aubrey blushed, but Stacie laughed.
"Seriously, what time did you say, CR?"
"An hour, I figured Posen would need more drinks first," admitted Cynthia Rose and Aubrey glared at her before turning to Chloe.
"Please tell me you were not in on this," said Aubrey, but Chloe's sheepish smile gave her away.
"Chloe!"
"Beca and I had you down for two hours, but I don't think we took into account all the pent up sexual frustration," confessed Chloe and it was Stacie's turn to glare at her best friend.
"Really, Beca!"
"To be fair, you two used to hump like bunnies and the Hunter has never been shy about that. I figured we could at least make some money off of it."
"Yea because you and Chlo are just hurting for money at the moment," pouted Aubrey.
"Hey, money is money and you of all people should know that since you are venturing into new regions," reminded Chloe, but the look Aubrey gave her made her take a sip of her wine. Stacie saw the exchange and frowned.
"What new regions? Are you taking over another resort close to Atlanta," asked Stacie and Aubrey cleared her throat.
"I don't want tonight to be about me. We are here to celebrate with Emily."
"Then answer the question, so we can drop it," challenged Stacie and Emily nodded.
"Now I am curious too. After I graduate I could use a job. Where's it all going to happen, captain….well former captain….you were never my captain," said Emily and Aubrey sighed as the rest of the Bellas nodded in agreement. Chloe mouthed "sorry" knowing that Aubrey wasn't exactly planning to have the conversation.
"Nothing is final or anything and it is in the preliminary stages of planning, but the resort is doing really well. I have some new investors that want to have resorts in different landscapes and locations for their clients, so we are looking at places on the West Coast."
"Where on the West Coast," asked Ashley.
"Yea, we loved visiting California to see Beca and Chloe and it would be cool to visit one of your resorts out there too," added Jessica. Aubrey could feel Stacie's eyes trained on her as she answered.
"We are looking at some places in Malibu by the beach and also some spots in the Pacific Northwest."
"Where specifically in the Pacific Northwest," questioned Stacie and Aubrey locked eyes with her.
"West of Portland," she confessed and Stacie gulped as the rest of the Bellas began congratulating Aubrey.
"So this is like your thing now? You aren't just owning the resort to renovate and sell it to someone else," asked Cynthia Rose and Aubrey nodded.
"Yea I am actually really good at this and companies love having places to take their employees. We are moving away from team-building and more toward vacation spots and company getaways. It is more profitable."
"So when you came to Boston to meet with investors, that's what you were doing, wasn't it? Why didn't you just tell me," asked Stacie and Aubrey sighed.
"Stace…."
"You should have told me," she said before getting up from the table and heading over to the bar. Aubrey groaned and followed her as the rest of the Bellas pulled back out their wallets.
"Who had Staubrey fighting within the first hour," asked Amy and Lilly raised her hand. Aubrey waited for Stacie to order her drink before sitting down on the barstool beside her.
"I am sorry."
"Did you ever plan on telling me?"
"Stace, we haven't even been here for thirty minutes. Of course I planned on telling you, but after our last conversation, I needed to work up my courage a bit. I didn't expect my bestie to let it slip. Besides, I wasn't even sure if it would matter. You have been clear that you plan on being at MIT for the next few years and I wasn't sure where your research would take you after that. I didn't want to be presumptuous and everything just kind of fell into place. I always knew I wanted more than just the lodge. It was never really mine in the first place, not my design or setup, I just fixed it and I love it, but now that the staff can manage on their own I don't have to be there as much. These investors can help me expand into two new, wealthier regions that are great vacation spots. Malibu allows me to be close to Chloe and Beca and you know how much I love Portland."
"So it has nothing to do with me?" Aubrey ran a hand through her hair.
"Of course it has to do with you but I don't even know what you want from me anymore, Stacie. I am not sure you do either."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I flew up to see you and you treated me like a fuck buddy. That's what I mean." Aubrey walked away, leaving Stacie speechless and hurt by the words. Aubrey had never been a fling to her, not even in the beginning, but to protect her heart, she did let Aubrey think she was only there for fun at first. She never knew how much that affected Aubrey until she saw the look in her eyes in that moment. She took in a deep breath, downed her drink, and walked back over to join their friends.
Stacie and Aubrey kept their distance the rest of the night and tried to focus on catching up with their friends. In true Bella style, the group went wherever the night took them and after a couple of clubs for dancing, they ended up back at the hotel and were sitting outside on the terrace around the fire pit listening to music and catching up.
"So Legacy, where are the rest of your girls? I figured we would meet them tonight and get to hang out, show them how we do things," asked Amy and Emily shrugged.
"We don't hang out that much and they all wanted to get their rest for Regionals. Don't get me wrong. They are cool. It is just different. With you guys, we are a family, but they are all about the competition. It isn't even about tradition anymore. Now that acapella is such a big thing and people can actually break into the music industry through it, a lot of the girls are really focused on appearance and perfection. I get it and it definitely makes it easy to keep everyone motivated, but it isn't the same vibe," explained Emily as the rest of the Bellas nodded in understanding. Chloe wrapped an arm around Emily.
"Well, we were always rare. The group before us had a lot of issues and drama and they hated me and Bree."
"Yea that's what my mom said too. She said I got lucky, which is totally true. I mean I got Moms and Pops and all you crazy ladies to be my family. I just wish I got it for more than a year, you know? It was an amazing year, but I miss it. I miss the inside jokes and constant laughter. I miss teasing each other and getting into trouble because we are too loud or having too much fun, but I think it is a good thing. It reminds me not to take it for granted. I saw it happen with some of my high school friends too, especially me and my best friend, Senna. All throughout high school, we were inseparable, but as soon as college came, we just grew apart. The older I get, the more I appreciate true friendships and relationships, not the ones out of convenience. When they are convenient, the moment there is not enough time or too much distance, everything falls apart, but we aren't like that. Sure there are days when we don't talk but we always catch back up and I always know no matter where all of you are, you'll always be here for me. It doesn't matter if it becomes inconvenient. When it is worth it, you always find a way back to the people that are important to you, you know?" They all nodded in agreement and Aubrey glanced over at Stacie who had tears in her eyes. Beca wrapped an arm around Emily.
"When did you get so smart, kid," asked Beca.
"I had a pretty good group of mentors," assured Emily as she hugged Beca.
"Alright, enough of this mushy crap, how about we go up to Chloe and Beca's fancy suite, order some room service, and crush this party, Bella Style," suggested Amy and they all cheered. As the others headed inside, Stacie stayed behind to regain her composure. Listening to Emily talk about relationships and not taking things for granted struck a nerve she wasn't expecting it to.
"You okay," asked Aubrey, causing Stacie to jump.
"I thought you already left," said Stacie as she looked up to see they were the only two that stayed behind.
"Stace, I am sorry I didn't tell you. I wasn't trying to keep it from you and I did plan on telling you while you were here," said Aubrey as she sat down on the couch beside her.
"I am sorry for overreacting and getting so upset at the bar. It just caught me off guard. This past year has been really hard on me, Bree. Trying to get over you….it has just been hard."
"It has been hard on me too," confessed Aubrey before leaning in to brush their lips together. Stacie tenderly kissed her, but then pulled away as she shook her head.
"We have to stop. This is a bad idea."
"Why?"
"Please don't do this. I have worked my ass off to get over you."
"But I don't want you to get over me, Stace, and I will never be over you. I really want to be with you. We tried being apart and you know what? It sucks. It all sucks and it is hard and all I end up doing is waiting anyways. I wait until I get to hear your voice again or when I get to see you and I don't care if it is months because I know being with you is worth it and no one else could even come close. Look, I don't know if you have someone in Boston and thinking about it now, it was presumptuous of me to think that you didn't, but I don't care. Whoever you meet up there could be great, but they will never be you and me. We will never be able to recreate what we have with other people because you and I are different. My father is right. He lost my mother because she was taken from him because of circumstances none of us had any control over, but you and I control this, Stacie. I know loss and pain and heartbreak and I am so tired of us standing in our own way. It's your choice, but if you want me, I am here." She kissed Stacie's cheek before heading inside, leaving Stacie with her thoughts.
Chloe's jaw dropped in disbelief as she and Aubrey sat in the bedroom of her and Beca's suite talking. As soon as Aubrey made it upstairs, she made a beeline for her best friend hoping the optimistic ginger could give her much needed words of encouragement.
"So that was it? You just put it all out there, kissed her cheek, and then left? What did she say?"
"I think she needs time."
"You two have been in different parts of the country for almost a year. She's had plenty of time. You know I love Stacie, but she is starting to piss me off. No one plays with your heart, Bree, not even her. I have watched you grow into such an amazing person and I know what it took for you to put your heart on the line tonight. If she doesn't see that, then she doesn't deserve you."
"But I only want her," whined Aubrey as she placed her head in Chloe's lap. Chloe sighed.
"I know and trust me, I am totes rooting for the two of you. I finally have my happy ending with Beca and I want that for you. Marrying her is going to be…." Aubrey's head darted up and her eyes widened.
"Wait, you and Beca are engaged," she shrieked and Chloe shushed her. She quickly walked to the bedroom door and cracked it open to see if anyone heard them. She sighed in relief when she saw the rest of the Bellas singing, dancing, and laughing.
"Good, Becs would not be happy if I let that get out yet. No more drinking for me. I am having way too hard of a time keeping secrets tonight!"
"What the hell, Chlo?! I am your best friend. When did this happen?" Chloe beamed with happiness and walked over to her purse to pull out a sparking diamond ring from a pouch. Aubrey gasped when she saw it.
"Chloe, it is absolutely stunning. Why are you two keeping this a secret?"
"Because we like to keep a low profile and announcing an engagement is not keeping a low profile. Ever since Beca became known to the rest of the world as Beca Mitchell, famous music producer, the two of us have become this power couple and role models, which is amazing, don't get me wrong. It is just a lot too and while Beca has always been a private person, I never realized how private I like to be until suddenly there were fans greeting us at airports and pictures of us on dates plastered all over the internet. There are some things that I want to just be mine and this is one of them. We know we can't keep it a secret forever and we definitely planned on telling you and the others before the rest of the world but it just happened a couple of weeks ago when she got back from Spain."
"I get that and I am so happy for you. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me and I will be sure to act surprised when you do announce it to all of us."
"I am going to let Beca know that you know. That way she can finally tell Stacie. Our best friends should definitely know. Now back to a certain leggy brunette that is about to be on my shit list…"
"If she needs time, I can give her time. I just…." They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Crap, what if they did hear us," whispered Chloe and Aubrey sighed in relief when she saw Stacie at the door.
"Can we talk," asked Stacie as she held out her hand to Aubrey. She smiled when Aubrey took it and Stacie led them out of the suite and down to hers. They entered the living room and Stacie took in a deep breath before speaking.
"Are you aware of the concept of infinity?" Aubrey slowly shook her head.
"Not really, it is about infinite time and space or something….right," she asked confused and Stacie giggled as she led her over to the couch.
"The concept of infinity is based on the theory that some things are unlimited and endless. They have no bounds and there are different types of infinity, but I will save that nerdy lesson for another day. The truth is that I hesitated because you scare me. It scares me to think there is another human in this world that holds so much power over me. After our breakup, I tried to tell myself that we did the right thing and that we were being adults by stopping things before they got too complicated and we got hurt even more, but that was utter bullshit. I realize that now and us being apart just made me realize how much I need you in my life. I never stopped loving you. There has never been anyone else but you since the day we first kissed and I have never and will never think of you as a fuck buddy. You are the love of my life, Aubrey. You are infinity to me and, as a genius, I am one of the few people who truly understands the concept of infinity. I will love you until infinity and I am so done trying to find reasons for why we can't make this work."
"I love you too. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone else in this world, Stacie. I know we have both been worried about the distance and time apart and there have been times in our relationship where it felt like we had to make more of an effort just to be together than other people do, but there has never been a time when I have questioned how much I love you. Our relationship has never been about convenience." Stacie hugged her and Aubrey cried as she buried her face in the crook of her neck.
"I love you so much, Stace."
"I love you too so no more acting like idiots, okay? It is bad for my reputation." Aubrey laughed.
"Deal, so what happens now?"
"Well, now we take advantage of the cozy bed and all that pent up sexual frustration we have. Then, we enjoy our weekend with our friends and support Em."
"And after the hot love making and fun with our friends?"
"I'm not happy at MIT and my meddling, but brilliant mother knows that as well, so she pointed me in the direction of a scientist at Georgia Tech I would love to work with," admitted Stacie and Aubrey took in a shaky breath as she tried not to get her hopes up.
"So, if you did decide to do that, what are the chances you would get in to their program?" Stacie grinned.
"Did you know that at some universities, if you are accepted into their program, you have a year to accept or decline the offer? I never declined Georgia Tech's offer and I could transfer for the fall semester. I would want to finish out this semester at MIT and then would need a place to stay during the summer. Hmmm, where could I stay? I am hoping for some place scenic."
"Maybe a cabin by a lake?"
"That sounds intriguing."
"With a hot blonde for a roommate."
"How hot?"
"I think you'll like her," giggled Aubrey before tenderly kissing her. She moaned when Stacie grabbed her backside and hoisted her into her arms. Aubrey wrapped her legs around her as their lips meshed together and Stacie carried her into the bedroom.
"I missed Atlanta," mumbled Stacie in between kisses as Aubrey laughed, knowing the next day they would spend time with their friends, but for the rest of that night, they only planned on focusing on one another and their future together.
AN: I hope you enjoyed and let me know what you think! Should there be an epilogue or sequel?