Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect or its characters.
A/N: Hi guys! This idea came to my head out of nowhere and demanded to be written down, so here we are. It's a special agent AU and frankly, I don't know much about this stuff so sorry for any inaccuracies.
Warning: Contains depictions of violence, though nothing too graphic. Also, it's gonna punch you in the feels, so prepare yourselves for that.
Present day, 11:00 pm
Numb.
That's how she felt right now.
The emotional storm have finally passed her, leaving a broken shell of Beca Mitchell behind.
The apartment was cold, the only source of light coming from the moon shining through the gaps between the blinds. The silence no longer overwhelmed her. Sitting on the bedroom floor, the only thing she could feel was the black hole, a void filling up the space inside her chest that was once occupied by her heart.
Beca had once had her personal sunshine, lighting up her entire existence.
But they took the sunshine away from her.
And she was left in the darkness, alone.
Three weeks ago, 9:00 pm
"Please tell me it was the last one. I'm hungry." Beca whined. Her stomach seemed to agree with her, as it chose this moment to grumble loudly.
"You' re such a baby." Chloe rolled her eyes – a move she'd picked up from Beca – and smiled fondly at her. "Okay, I think we can call it a day. Let's go home, I'll cook your favourite."
Beca let out an excited 'yes', pulling a chuckling Chloe by her free hand. She didn't understand why the woman needed so many new clothes anyway. It's not like they had many occasions to dress up with their line of work.
"Maybe we should choose the street that doesn't have dead bodies lying on it every Saturday night." Chloe said when Beca led them to the dark alleyway, known as one of the most dangerous places in the city.
"Scared?" Beca grinned at her. "Don't worry babe, I'll protect you."
Chloe only scoffed in response. They've had a relaxing day off so far, she didn't feel like dealing with criminals tonight. They could be really annoying.
They strolled hand in hand, chattering lightly when they saw two figures ahead of them. From what Beca could tell in the dark, one of them was a burly man, and the smaller one was probably a woman, who seemed to be struggling in the man's grasp. Suddenly, a high scream pierced the air, confirming Beca's suspicion.
"I've got this one." She said, hastily handing Chloe her bags and sprinting towards the two people, pulling out her gun in the process.
Just before she reached them, the man pushed the woman at Beca, effectively slowing her down, and then quickly turned on his feet and ran away.
Beca wanted to go after him immediately, but she hesitated for a second, not wanting to leave the woman alone. She looked behind and saw Chloe, who have just caught up to them.
"Go." Was all Chloe said, looking briefly into Beca's eyes, and then turning towards the scared looking blonde.
Beca didn't waste any more time, running as fast as she could along the empty street. She spotted the man not so far ahead of her, and she sped up even more. She was the fastest runner in her team, so she was quickly closing the distance between them. The guy took a sharp turn left, running into what Beca knew to be the dead end. Got you.
"FBI! Freeze!" She shouted, pointing his gun at him.
The man stopped, turning around with his arms spread open. He didn't look scared or even worried.
"Yeah, you've got me." He said, sporting a smirk that made Beca feel sick. Something about the situation was not right. She made a cautious step closer.
"You know, I expected more from you, agent Mitchell," the man continued. "I told them the plan isn't gonna work. But look at you. Falling right into the trap."
"What are you talking about?" She spat, now pressing the gun into his forehead.
The man threw her a wicked grin, clearly not fazed by the action. Beca hadn't realised how unusually silent it was until a loud bang sounded from nearby. She knew the sound all too well – it was a gunshot. A single thought took over her mind right then. Chloe.
She must have said it out loud, as the man started to cackle. She shot him in the knee, preventing him from running away. He yelped in pain, but still managed to scream after her.
"She's already dead!"
No. No! That can't be right. Beca was running faster than she'd ever run, her heart racing a mile a minute. Her feet were pounding on the concrete, adrenaline filling her veins. A few more shots could be heard from a distance. A cold dread was starting to rise within her, but she pushed it back, focusing instead on controlling her breathing. Finally, she turned the last corner and the scene before her almost caused her to trip.
There Chloe was, being attacked by four men at the same time. The sight made Beca's whole being scream with protest. Because even though Chloe was very well trained - she was actually better than Beca at a physical combat - she was heavily outnumbered. Beca was still running when one of the men managed to get past the redhead's defense and punch her hard in the head. Chloe fell limply on the ground, hitting the curb with a resounding crack.
"Chloe!" Beca screamed, still rushing towards them. The men looked at her briefly, assessing that she was too far away to pose a threat. Two of them picked Chloe up and threw her at the back of the truck that stood nearby, got in themselves and drove off with the squeal of tires.
Beca came to an abrupt stop, staring after the speeding vehicle in shock until it disappeared from sight. She was too late. Her mind was racing, her throat closing painfully, but she didn't have time to waste on panicking. She had to do something. Think, Beca. Think. She couldn't go after the truck, so she needed to figure out where they took Chloe.
She looked around. There were bodies strewn about the street, lying lifelessly in puddles of blood. Beca recognised one of them as belonging to the blonde woman they'd been trying to help earlier. The remaining three were men, all dressed in the same uniforms with a familiar red logo sewn on them. Vipers.
That's when she realised it was indeed a set up. A hot wave of hatred washed over her. They may have won this battle, but she was not letting them win the war.
Beca turned on her heel and run back to where she left the man. With his leg shot through he couldn't have gone too far.
She found him resting against the wall, clutching his leg. At the sight of her he started to grin, but she wiped it off of him with a swift kick to his face.
"Where did they take her?!" She shouted, hovering over him threateningly. The only reaction she got was a nasty laughter. "Tell me, you fucker, or I'll cut your balls off!" She kicked him in the ribs, feeling the rest of her self-control leaving her with every passing second.
"The order was to kill. Her body is probably swimming in a river by now."
"Liar! Tell me where she is!" She punched him hard in the face. "Tell me!"
The man gave no further response, so she continued to hit him, channeling all her frustration and fear into the blows. His face soon became a bloody mess. Beca didn't care, though. All she saw was a red haze.
Suddenly, she was enveloped by a pair of strong arms, lifting her up and away from the man.
"That's enough Beca. He's already dead. Come on." She recognised Jesse's voice, talking to her soothingly. She struggled in his grip, but he held her tightly. She finally let herself be led back to the scene, where she saw the rest of her team. Upon seeing her, they all stopped whatever they were doing, looking at her with varying degrees of relief and uncertainty.
"Beca, thank god you're okay." That was Stacie, stepping closer to them with a small smile on her face.
"We got here as soon as we could after we'd gotten the SOS signal from Chloe. Where is she by the way?" CR asked.
" Vipers took her." Beca managed to croak out. "We've got to get her back." The desperation could be heard in her voice. Gasps sounded from the people surrounding her, and soon they all started asking questions.
"Guys, let's head to the HQ now. Boss needs to hear it first." Jesse interrupted them, leading Beca to his car.
"Applebaum, see if you can locate the truck." Ben Mitchell said somberly after Beca had finished recounting the events. "For now, all we can do is wait."
"Wait?!" Beca looked at her dad, who also happened to be her boss, incredulously. "You want me to sit on my ass and do nothing when my wife is in danger?!" She was pacing around the room like a tiger in a cage, shaking with anger.
"There's nothing we can do for now, Beca. We don't know the location of their base." He sighed heavily. "Besides, they would have contacted us by now if they wanted to negotiate."
Beca looked at him sharply, taking a step in his direction. "What are you saying?"
"Beca, I know how incredibly hard it is for you...but I think we both know we've most probably lost her." Her dad said gently, a sympathetic look in his eyes.
"No! She's alive, I know that. You're just a fucking coward who won't take action 'cause he's too scared!" She screamed, feeling the rage overcoming her quickly. "So either you do something right now, or I'm gonna get her back by myself." She spat, turning towards the door. Before she could do more than a few steps, her dad barked the order to stop her. She fought her teammates back, managing to knock one out, but soon they overpowered her, dragging her kicking and screaming to the small interrogation room, locking the door behind them. As she pounded on the hard wood, screaming expletives, she heard her father's voice from the other side.
"I'm sorry Beca, but it's for your own good."
Beca didn't know how long she's been locked up, but after what was probably a few hours the door opened, and her dad walked in, followed closely by Jesse. They were both looking very grim.
"This, um -" Jesse's voice was hoarse as he approached her, not quite meeting her eyes. "This came in the mail just now. You need to see it." He handed her a plain envelope.
Beca took it, noticing the envelope has been opened already. She turned it upside that, the content falling into her open hand. She froze when she realised what it was. Chloe's wedding band, stained with dried blood. And a note, which said: 'So you have something to put in the casket.'
"I'm so sorry." She heard her dad whisper.
Her knees gave out and Beca collapsed to the floor, her scream of anguish bouncing from the walls.
Beca was sobbing uncontrollably, tears running down her cheeks in seemingly endless streams. They left her alone, knowing that nothing could possibly console her at the moment. Her knees were hurting from the hours spent on the hard floor, but she could barely register that. She was rocking slightly back and forth, when Jesse came in and gathered her in his arms, picking her up easily. She didn't fight him when he put her in his car again and drove to her apartment. She didn't care where she was anyway.
The following days were spent in a trance-like state. The only times she left the bed were when she had to go to the bathroom. Her friends were taking turns in taking care of her, forcing her to eat and drink. At first they were trying to talk to her, but when she kept her silence, they eventually gave up, only giving her these worried looks.
She barely slept at night. Every time she closed her eyes, she'd see Chloe's body hitting the ground and being carelessly thrown at the back of the truck. Sometimes, the nightmares were even worse, images of Chloe's dead, battered body playing out behind her closed lids. She'd always wake up covered in a cold sweat, heart beating fast, tears streaming down her face, throat sore from screaming.
It's been a week since Chloe was gone. Instead of slowly getting better, Beca felt worse with each passing day. As she became more aware of her surroundings, the memories of the years she spent with Chloe in their apartment were haunting her at every waking moment. Her scent, which lingered everywhere, her belongings strewn around the place, even the wine stain on the carpet - everything reminded her of her wife. But the worse was probably the silence. It overwhelmed her, the apartment never being so silent when Chloe was around. Beca tried drowning it out with music, but as soon as she turned on the radio and recognised the notes as one of the songs she and Chloe danced to at their wedding, she threw it across the room, smashing it into pieces. There was no music after this episode.
Jesse was now staying with her full time, sleeping on her couch. Beca could tell he was worried about her, probably fearing she could try to take her own life. But Beca hadn't even considered that, not much at least. That would be a blissful escape she didn't think she deserved. The blame was eating her alive. She failed to keep Chloe safe, so she didn't deserve to just end her misery.
Present day, 5:00 am
Beca opened her eyes, the sound of hushed whispers breaking the silence around the apartment. She checked the time, realising she must have fallen asleep. After she had finally moved from her position on the floor, lying on her bed to try and get some rest, she didn't think she'd be able to actually sleep for five uninterrupted hours. She must have been exhausted, her body not getting enough sleep for around three weeks now. Rubbing her eyes, she focused on the voices coming from her living room.
"How is shortstack holding up?" Beca recognised the voice as belonging to Amy.
"As good as expected. Which means, really bad." Jesse sighed tiredly. "You know how much she loved Chloe. Losing her...it practically destroyed her."
Beca felt a sharp pain shooting through her chest at the mention of her wife's name. Her friends avoided saying it around her for fear of upsetting her, so she hasn't heard it in a while.
"Right." She heard Amy muttering sadly. "But we can finally avenge the ginger. Benji managed to find those bastards' hideout."
Beca almost leaped out of the bed upon hearing the news. She willed herself to lie still, needing to hear the rest of what Amy had to say.
"- so I can finally get my hands on them. The kraken will be unleashed!" Amy's voice was getting progressively louder.
"Shh, Amy!" Jesse's harsh whisper stopped the Australian's rant. "Tell me what you know, just let me check if Beca is still asleep."
Beca quickly readjusted her position on the bed, lying still under the covers with her eyes shut, trying to take deep breaths. She heard a slight creak of the door being opened, soft footsteps making their way closer to her. After a few moments of silence, Jesse finally retreated back from her bedroom, closing the door behind him.
"Okay, I think we're good. But keep it down, just in case."
Amy began describing the location, making colourful digressions about what she wanted to do to the assholes that killed their teammate. Beca was listening closely to every word, committing every detail to memory.
"I can't believe they've been hiding right under our noses." Jesse said after Amy had finished her description. "Anyway, what now? What did the boss say?"
"Oh, you know him, he wants to wait and observe them before we take action. Same bullshit as always."
Beca's body was shaking with rage. Now that she finally knew where to find those fuckers, she wasn't going to wait any longer. The cogs were turning in her brain, forming a plan. She was going to make them pay.
Her mental preparations were interrupted by Jesse's head peeking through the door.
"You're awake, good." Jesse said, an anxious smile appearing on his face. " Listen, um, I'm heading to the HQ for a bit. Something came up and I need to talk to the boss. You're gonna be okay by yourself?"
"Jess, I'm a grown ass woman. I don't need a babysitter." Beca grumbled, her voice rough from the lack of use. At the hurt look on her friend's face she sighed, rubbing her face. "Look, I appreciate what you're doing for me. But you don't need to fret over me, I'm gonna be fine." She looked him in the eye, trying to appear genuine.
"I know." Jesse seemed to be a little hesitant, but he sent her a small smile nonetheless. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"
"Sure. Say hi to everyone from me."
When the front door closed after Jesse with a soft click, Beca sprung to action. Taking off her sweaty pajamas, she rushed to the walk-in closet. Ignoring the pang of pain that came with seeing Chloe's clothes, folded neatly in her part of the small room, Beca rummaged through her own clothes, finding a pair of comfortable underwear. Having put them on, she then got her usual black attire she always wore for actions – slacks, belt, t-shirt and a kevlar vest.
After getting dressed, she went to their special locker to retrieve her guns and ammo. She opted for a machine gun and two glocks. She also grabbed a knife to put in her boot, just in case.
Tying her hair in a tight ponytail, she grabbed a blank piece of paper and a pen, scribbling a quick note to Jesse. She didn't have time nor was she in a suitable mental state to write an emotional letter. Buzzing with nervous energy, she simply thanked him for being the best friend she could ever hope for and apologised for the pain she was going to cause. She didn't bother explaining why she was doing what she was going to do. She knew Jesse would understand. He may never accept her decision, but he knew Beca very well. He will understand that for her, there was no other option.
Beca took one last look around the apartment which held so many fond memories. She felt a single tear slowly rolling down her cheek. She wiped it hastily, shaking her head. She couldn't let her emotions overcome her. Right now was the time to act.
She shrugged on her leather jacket, grabbed her car keys and left the apartment, heading towards the elevator. Thankfully, it was empty. She didn't feel like talking to any of her neighbours. While most of them were aware of her line of work, and some of them did actually see her and Chloe walking around armed, she knew they would probably ask questions. Or worse, give her their condolences. She couldn't deal with that shit right now.
She went down to the underground garage and located her car, a silver Chevy Camaro SS. It was her baby, and normally the mere sound of its revving engine would give her a rush. Now, however, as she sat on a leather seat and turned the keys in ignition, all she could focus on was her mission.
Beca drove through the streets, mostly empty at this time of night. She was no longer anxious, coming closer and closer to her destination. Going through the practically automatic motions of driving a car, she let the emotions that have been suppressed for the last three weeks fill her entirely. Then she channeled all this grief, guilt and rage into one thing, a calm sense of purpose. She became an eye of the storm – cold and untouchable.
Having arrived at the described location, Beca stopped the car, looking at the building ahead of her. It was a private mental health clinic, shut down and abandoned nearly ten years ago. Built from a gray stone and three stories high, the clinic was quite a formidable sight. It made for a perfect hideout.
Beca took a few deep breaths, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. Her plan was very simple – kill as many of the fuckers who took her wife's life as possible. No finesse, no intricate scheming. Just a quick and brutal revenge.
She wasn't naïve enough to think that she could possibly get away alive from this. She knew without a shadow of doubt that she was going to die today. Maybe, if she was lucky, she would see Chloe again, in whatever afterlife there was.
Beca retrieved Chloe's wedding band, which she had tucked away in her left breast pocket. She brought the cold metal to her lips, kissing it gently. She then put it back safely and picked up her phone, opening the folder with the pictures of her wife. She looked at Chloe's beautiful face, smiling brightly at her from the screen.
"Please forgive me, my love. I know you wouldn't want me to, but I have to do this. I'm not strong enough to go on without you." Beca whispered in the otherwise silent car, her voice cracking a little. She shut her eyes tightly, fighting the wave of anguish threatening to overcome her. She managed to push it back, refocusing on her goal.
Beca put the phone on the passenger seat. She was not going to need it. She got out of the car and retrieved the guns from the trunk. Holstering the glocks, she loaded the machine gun and headed towards the back door of the building.
The corridor before her was long and narrow, lit by a harsh, white light coming from fluorescent laps. On both sides there were doors with small windows in them. Beca started walking slowly, her footsteps echoing in the empty hall. There was no sign of life, but she was sure it was just a matter of time before she was detected. Sure enough, when she turned the corner, she came face to face with her first victims. She didn't give the two men any time to react before she shot them quickly, one after another. They fell limply to the floor, a pool of blood already starting to form around their bodies.
"Take that, motherfuckers." Beca muttered, stepping over the dead men. It was almost too easy. But now the rest of the gang was probably aware of her presence. Soon, she was going to have a lot of company.
True to her prediction, after a few minutes she heard what seemed to be a group of people running towards her. She knelt on the ground to make herself a smaller target. Seconds later, four men entered the corridor, looking around. She managed to kill two of them before they had even noticed her. The remaining two fired towards her, the bullets flying around her head. Thankfully, they lacked precision and cold blood needed in that kind of situation, and so the both of them soon joined the other two on the floor. Beca stood up, reloading the gun. Amateurs, she thought, looking at the dead gangsters. They all looked young, probably in their mid-twenties. Even though Beca was twenty seven herself, she's had years of intense training behind her. Those fledgelings were no match for her. She suspected that they were sent first on purpose, to tire her. The real challenge was yet to come.
Not sparing another glance towards the bodies, she continued deeper into the building. If the situation was different, she would feel remorse for killing those people. As it was, she felt no qualms about taking their lives in exchange for her wife's. Besides, they were the worst kind of criminals, committing terrible things, terrorizing the whole city. They deserved what they got.
After coming across a few more small groups, Beca began to feel the strain. Running around, eliminating the enemies whilst avoiding getting shot at the same time was definitely draining. Also, she was slowly running out of ammunition. Her time was coming to an end, she knew it.
It was getting tougher, too. Her opponents were noticeably more experienced. The fights went on longer and longer, Beca coming close to death multiple times. Her main goal was to get to their boss, the man responsible for all this nightmare, but chances for that ever happening were becoming slim.
She was in the middle of a fight against three gangsters when she run out of ammo. She cursed, quickly throwing the machine gun aside. Before she managed to get out her glocks, a shot in the chest sent her stumbling to the floor. Her bulletproof vest stopped the bullet from penetrating her body, but the impact still managed to knock her off her feet. She rolled on the floor, tumbling through the nearest door on her left. She knocked the table to the ground to create a barricade. Crawling behind it, she took out her hand guns and loaded them, just before the men barged in after her. She shot two of them, but the third one got to her, kicking her hard in the ribs. Beca hissed in pain, the guns falling out of her hands. The man stood over her, bringing his own gun to her head with a triumphant smirk on his lips.
"Say goodbye, bitch." He rasped before pulling the trigger. Nothing happened though, apparently he too run out of ammo. Taking advantage of his momentary confusion, Beca tackled him to the ground. He struggled in her grip, taking a hold of her neck, trying to strangle her. Beca reached for her boot, taking out the blade she had hidden there earlier, and slit his throat in a one, smooth move.
"Goodbye, bitch." She said, dismounting the now dead body and leaned on the wall, breathing heavily. She was tired, sweat was dripping down her face, and she had a few bleeding wounds where the bullets grazed her skin. She didn't even know when she got them, adrenaline numbing her pain. She dressed the wounds the best she could, using the man's shirt as a makeshift bandage.
Knowing she couldn't sit in one place for a long time, she collected her guns and stood up, continuing her mission determinedly. She was aware that in her current state she was an easy target, but she refused to back down. Avenging Chloe was the only thing that mattered.
Surprisingly, in the next fifteen minutes she spent wandering through the building, she hasn't encountered any more enemies. Was it possible that she killed all of them? She quickly dismissed that thought. She killed many, but surely not all. Perhaps they were regrouping.
Reaching the end of the corridor on the top floor, she stopped before the double door. She had a distinct feeling that she has reached her destination. The mission she started by entering the building will end in the room in front of her. Straightening her back, she pushed the door open and made a few cautious steps inside.
The room was huge. There were floor-to-ceiling windows to her right and left, and in front of her, in the middle of the room, there was some kind of indoor garden, with exotic plants, small fountains and wooden benches. It had probably served as a relaxation place for the patients, back in the day. High above her head there was a glass dome, through which she could see the stars.
"Pretty, isn't it?" A male voice sounded somewhere from her right. Beca looked around, searching for its owner. Finally, a middle aged man in an elegant suit emerged from behind the vegetation. She had never seen the guy in person, but she recognised him immediately. His photo hung in the prime place on the criminal's board in their HQ.
"You!" Beca spat, looking at the man hatefully. Richard Donovan, the head of the Vipers. The man responsible for so many deaths of innocent people. Of Chloe's death.
"Rebeca Mitchell. We finally meet. I was wondering when you are going to pay me a visit."
"Cut the bullshit!" Beca shouted. "Don't pretend you don't know why I'm here."
"Ah, indeed. You want to kill me as a revenge for Chloe, right?"
"Don't say her name you fucking bastard!" Beca was shaking with rage, barely able to control herself. Hearing a shuffling behind her she turned her head, seeing a group of men standing with their guns aimed at her. They were probably waiting for a signal from their boss, but Donovan shook his head lightly. He then turned again towards Beca, smiling at her sickly.
"You and your lovely wife were causing us a lot of troubles, killing the best of my people. I figured it was a high time I did something about it. Now, she won't be a problem anymore, and soon you won't either."
"You won't get to enjoy it." Beca said, raising her gun, pointing it at the man's head.
"Not so fast, little one. First, I have something to show you." Donovan gestured at one of his guards, who then walked off towards the other end of the room. Beca heard a door opening and closing, and then opening again, but she couldn't see what was going on, the garden obstructing her view. She could finish the man off right then and there, and then most probably got killed herself, but she was kind of curious.
A moment later, the guard came back and nodded his head to his boss.
"All ready, sir."
"Excellent!" Donovan grinned widely and then turned his head in the direction the guard came from, calling out, "Come join us, my dear!"
Soft footsteps could be heard from close by, and soon a woman appeared before them. A woman Beca could recognise anywhere. A woman she thought was long gone. Seeing her, Beca sank down to her knees and let out a barely audible whisper.
"Chloe."
Beca was frozen, kneeling on the ground with her jaw hanging loose, gaping at the sight in front of her with disbelief. Maybe she died and was now seeing angels? Or maybe she lost her mind and was seeing things that weren't there. Yeah, that was probably the latter. Because, how was it possible that her wife, who they all thought was dead, who Beca herself saw being abducted by people who wanted nothing more than to kill her, was now standing, living and breathing, a mere few feet away from Beca?
Beca would rub her eyes, but she was so scared that her wife would suddenly vanish, that she didn't even dare to blink.
There was no denying the fact though. Chloe Mitchell was indeed alive. Beca still couldn't move any other part of her body except for her eyeballs, so she drank in the sight, her eyes sweeping anxiously all over her wife. Chloe seemed unharmed, at least physically. She was dressed in jeans and a black tank top, both clean and apparently new. Her beautiful, red hair was falling over her shoulders in delicate waves. Yet, what was decidedly off was Chloe's face. She was looking at Beca, but the warm, loving smile that was always directed at her was gone. Her gorgeous baby blue eyes were cold, regarding Beca with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.
Seeing that, Beca's wildly beating heart clenched painfully.
"Chlo?" She croaked out through her dry throat. Chloe's expression remained impassive, a raised eyebrow serving as the only acknowledgement of her words. "Are you okay?" Beca tried once again.
Chloe looked at Donovan questioningly. The man smiled at her, nodding his head slightly.
"I'm fine. That's none of your business though." Chloe answered, hostility oozing from her words.
"What...what are you talking about?" Beca stuttered incredulously. "Chlo, what's going on? Baby, please talk to me."
"Don't call me that." Chloe's voice was stern, a frown marring her face.
"Why? What's going on?" Beca repeated. She was utterly confused, having no idea why her wife would act the way she acted. "I thought I've lost you. How are you still alive? Baby, I was so scared. Please, tell me you're fine." Beca was growing desperate, wanting nothing more than to take her wife in her arms and never let go. But Chloe acted as if she didn't know her.
"Whatever you're trying to do right now, stop that. Richard has already warned me that you could say something weird like that. It's not gonna work, so don't even bother."
"Not gonna work? Chloe, what are you talking about? And since when are you friends with that scumbag?" Beca's eyes widened at her wife's words. This situation made less sense with every passing minute.
"Don't!" Chloe spat angrily, taking a few steps towards her. "Don't you dare call him names when the only vile person here is you!"
Beca could only stare at her. That was insane! Did they brainwash her or something? Oh god, let it not be true! She moved to stand up, but was violently thrown back down by the guards.
"Disarm her." Donovan ordered and the men behind her quickly took away Beca's guns. "Leave us."
The guards obediently followed the order, walking towards the back room. Donovan took out his own gun, handing it to Chloe.
"You know what to do." He said. Chloe nodded, taking the offered weapon and closing the remaining distance between her and Beca, raising the gun to the brunette's head.
"Chloe? What -what are you doing?" Beca started panicking, the coldness of Chloe's expression paining her immensely. Chloe didn't budge, looking at Beca with determination. "Baby, it's me, Beca. Your wife, remember? I love you, honey, I love you so much. Please, talk to me." Beca's pleading fell on death ears though.
"You're lying. I know who you are. You're Beca Mitchell, a criminal, the woman who killed my dad. And now you're going to pay for your crimes."
"What?! No! That's him, Donovan killed your father! Don't you remember?" Beca slowly stood up, now face to face with her wife. Their close proximity was overwhelming, but she tried her hardest not to let it distract her. "Chloe, look me in the eyes. Focus, baby. Whatever they told you, that's all a lie. That man is the one who killed your father. And I was doing everything in my power to help you avenge him. I promised you that the day we've met. Do you remember?" Beca was looking intensely at Chloe, trying to get through to her. In one second, she was sure that she's seen something familiar in her wife's eyes, but then Chloe took a small step back and raised her gun a little higher.
"Stop, Beca. It's over." And then, before Beca had the time to do anything else, Chloe pulled the trigger.
3 weeks ago, 10:30 pm
Bright blue eyes snapped open, blinking furiously to adjust to the harsh light. A dull ache in her head made Chloe groan quietly in pain. Slowly, she looked around, taking in her surroundings. She was lying on a narrow bed in a small room without windows. The only other furniture was a small bedside table, a chair and a wardrobe. The space did not look familiar at all and Chloe struggled to figure out where she was and how she got there.
The door opening caught her attention, and in came a middle aged man, followed by two guys with guns on their belts. She didn't recognise any of them.
"Ah, I see you're awake, good. Now, we may begin the fun part." The man said jovially.
"Excuse me but, where am I? And who are you?" Chloe asked hesitantly, trying to make sense of the situation. The man looked taken aback for a second, but he quickly schooled his expression into a neutral one.
"I'm Richard Donovan. You're on my property." He said after regarding her closely for a moment. The surname seemed oddly familiar to her, but she couldn't link it to anyone she knew.
"Chloe Beale. Which, um, you probably know? Sorry, I must have hit my head pretty bad, I don't actually remember much of anything." Chloe thought she saw a flicker of confusion and then something akin to a triumph appear on the man's face, but it disappeared so quickly that she couldn't be sure.
"Well, let me ask you a few questions then. What's the last thing you remember?"
Chloe pondered the question for a minute, focusing hard on recalling anything that could help her orient herself in the situation.
"The funeral." She finally whispered. "My father was murdered by a bunch of criminals he was helping to catch. He must have found out something crucial so they silenced him. At his funeral, I swore to catch the people responsible for his death." The memories were painful, but Chloe cleared her dry throat and continued slowly. "So I moved to Atlanta, where the gang was allegedly hiding, and was going to transfer to the local FBI unit. But, I don't know if I ever did. I remember the first few days after arriving to the city, but nothing after that."
"I see. Why don't you rest for a bit Chloe, you got pretty banged up after all. I'll return in a few hours and explain everything." Not waiting for her response, the man sent her a small smile and promptly left the room, leaving Chloe alone with her thoughts.
"I apologise for the poor conditions, my dear. Unfortunately, we're currently in hiding, so it's the best we can provide." Donovan stated upon his returning, a kind smile on his face. He handed Chloe a glass of water and two white pillows. "For headache." He explained.
Chloe accepted the pillows gratefully. Her head was still pounding.
"Let me now explain the situation and refresh your memory a bit. You see, you've been attacked by an organised group of criminals, who are also after us. Thankfully, my boys managed to rescue you just in time ..." Chloe listened closely as Donovan told his tale, proclaiming herself a long time friend of her father. Apparently, they were working together on the Viper's case, and after her dad was assassinated, Donovan and his group went into hiding. He then proceeded to tell her in detail how she was attacked by the aforementioned gang and rescued by his people. The whole story seemed legitimate, but none of the described events rang any bell for Chloe.
"Now, the most important part." Donovan's voice turned grave, the man leaning on his chair to look Chloe in the eyes. "The person responsible for the death of your poor father, and attempt at your own life." The man reached to his pocket, retrieving what seemed to be a photo. Slowly, he turned it towards Chloe. It took everything in her not to gasp, his next words hitting her heart like a sledgehammer. "Beca Mitchell."
Seeing the face of the woman that meant everything to her broke the dam blocking Chloe's memories, images flooding her brain one after another. Beca. Her Beca. How could she forget, even for a moment? Chloe fought hard to keep her emotions at bay, not letting anything show on her face. She suddenly realised just how grave a situation she found herself in. One wrong move and she was dead.
"Have you – um, have you caught her? Is she alive?" She couldn't stop herself from asking, doing everything in her power not to let the fear for her wife show in her voice.
"Sadly, no." She could feel Donovan's eyes oh her, judging her every word and expression. "But I believe it's only a matter of time before she comes to us."
"Then I want to be the one who kills her." The words almost got caught in her throat, but the look in her eyes was determined. The smile on Donovan's face was almost manic.
"I was hoping you would say that."
The following days were a nightmare. Chloe could feel Donovan - or Richard, as he insisted she called him – constantly watching her like a hawk. He natural talent for acting saved her life, as the man hasn't caught on to her charade. It was incredibly hard though, being surrounded by enemies – criminals she was after for almost five years – and not letting the hatred show on her face. She was so close to her dad's killer and instead of giving him what he deserved, she was forced to have polite conversations with him. What's more, she missed Beca terribly. Pretty much since they met they've become inseparable. After they moved in together, there wasn't a night Chloe spent alone. Now, she could barely sleep without her wife by her side. The fear for her own life, and for Beca's gnawed at her every waking moment, making her restless and anxious. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to keep up the façade. She was slowly accepting that sooner or later, they were going to kill her. Her only hope was that Beca wouldn't be stupid enough to come here seeking revenge.
Honestly, she should have known better. Somewhere around her third week in the gangsters' hands, she overheard a conversation between Donovan and one of his men.
"Sir, we have a trespasser. I sent the boys to take care of her, but she's a feisty one."
"You idiot, it must be Mitchell! I want her alive! Call everybody off!"
A cold dread washed over Chloe. Beca was here. She couldn't imagine how that could possibly end well. Chloe swallowed hard through her dry throat, barely managing to school her expression before Donovan appeared in the doorway.
"Ah, I see you're not asleep. I have good news." He smiled at her broadly. Chloe only just fought the urge to gag at the sight, knowing what must have been going through the man's head. She looked at him with a questioning expression, not trusting her voice to remain steady.
"Beca Mitchell has finally decided to pay us a visit. It means you get your chance to avenge your dear father. I hope you're ready?"
"I'm ready." Chloe affirmed with a resolute nod.
Chloe was not ready. Seeing her wife again after so long was exhilarating, but also terrifying. The latter because she didn't know how to get them out of there alive. If it even was possible. What's more, she had to fight really hard not to let her intense emotions show on her face. Everything in her was screaming for Beca, begging her to run, close the distance between them and take her in her arms. That would be the last thing she would get to do in her life though, so she restrained herself. The emotions clearly visible on Beca's face weren't helping the matter. First - disbelief, shock, then overwhelming relief, which made way to confusion and finally panic the longer Chloe put up her act. It had to be done, though, it was their only chance. So despite the pain she felt saying all those nasty things to Beca, she powered through that, eventually bringing the gun to her face. Gazing into her favourite pair of eyes in the entire world, she took a deep, calming breath. And turned on her heel, years of training allowing her to aim and shoot in a one quick move, killing Donovan on the spot.
Chloe spun around, dropping the gun and throwing herself at Beca before Donovan's body has even hit the ground. She hugged her wife tightly to her, one hand around the slim waist, the other stroking soft, chocolate locks soothingly.
"It's okay, Becs. It's okay." She was whispering fervently into Beca's ear. "I missed you so much, baby. I love you."
Beca was stiff at the beginning, understandably shocked, but after a short moment she returned the embrace just as fiercely, wrapping her arms around Chloe and burying her face in the redhead's neck. Soon, Chloe felt wetness on her skin, and she pulled back a bit. Cupping her wife's face in her hands, she wiped off the tears that escaped stormy blue eyes. She looked at Beca lovingly and started leaning in to kiss her, but the sound of the door opening stopped her short.
"C'mon." Chloe grabbed Beca by the hand and pulled her towards the garden, kneeling amidst the thicket of trees and other plants. Seconds later, the guards walked in, gasping at the sight of their boss lying dead on the floor. Chloe fired her gun, taking them by surprise. In a blink of an eye, all three were dead. She walked over to them, collecting their guns and returned to their hideout. Beca hasn't moved an inch. She wasn't even blinking. Worry shot through Chloe, but she knew how to get through to her wife.
"Beca, look at me." Chloe said firmly, her eyes set on Beca's. "You have to pull yourself together. We're going to get out of here, but I need you here with me. I need my partner."
Upon those words, recognition flashed in Beca's eyes. She shook her head lightly, closed her eyes for a second, and opened them again. Beca nodded, taking two guns that Chloe offered her.
"Let's give 'em hell."
The following moments were a blur of motion. Beca's mind switched into a fighting mode, enabling her to act without thinking. Her emotions have been mercifully locked down in the farthest corner of her brain. She was no longer stunned by the crazy events, nor overcome with relief. Instead, she was going on pure instinct and well trained moves.
She and Chloe were like a fine oiled machine, a deadly duet. Standing back to back, they were wreaking havoc among the approaching enemies. They worked together seamlessly, as if reading each other's minds, predicting one another's moves without fail.
However, at the back of her head Beca knew that their situation was still critical. Soon, they were going to run out of ammo. The moment this thought flew through her mind, another group of Vipers barged into the room, aiming at the two of them. Suddenly though, a loud noise from above startled them all, causing Beca to look up. A huge, dark shape was hovering in the air above the dome. Beca instantly recognised it.
In a swift move, she tackled Chloe to the ground, rolling them under one of the benches. Seconds later, the ceiling exploded, a rain of sharp glass pieces falling down, wounding the slowest ones. Then, fully armed FBI agents descended on lines hanging from the helicopter, immediately springing to action. Shots could be heard from somewhere below them, indicating the arrival of another team on the lower levels.
"Beca!" A familiar voice shouted from nearby. Beca crawled out from under the bench, extending her hand to help Chloe stand us as well. That's when Jesse spotted them, running up to them with an utterly dumbstruck expression on his face.
"Chloe?" He stuttered in disbelief.
"Good to see you Jess." Chloe sent him a dazzling smile. Jesse blinked stupidly for a few seconds, but quickly composed himself.
"You guys okay?" He asked, looking over both women.
"Yep. I have no idea how the hell it happened, but we're both okay." Beca looked at her wife in amazement, still not quire believing that she was there with her.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Chloe said, looking at the brunette's bloodied clothes worriedly.
"I'm fine baby. Most of it is not my own." Beca assured her, but Chloe didn't look convinced.
"What were you thinking anyway? Coming here by yourself...It's practically a suicide!" Chloe was getting angry, her jaw clenching visibly. Beca swallowed hard, opening her mouth to try and explain herself.
"Um, guys, hate to interrupt, but we should head back. A lot of people are worried about you." Jesse hedged slowly, as if afraid to have the redhead's wrath redirected to him. Chloe, however, relaxed slightly, a small smile gracing her face.
"You're right. We will talk later." She said, sending Beca a stern look.
"Great. Let's go." Jesse made a first step towards the door. The room has been already cleared, the agents having efficiently took care of the remaining criminals. Two of them remained by the door, seemingly waiting to escort them to the exit. The rest of the team was clearing the rest of the building, judging by the occasional shots echoing in the hallways.
"One moment." Beca called to Jesse, having not moved from her spot. She then turned back to Chloe and in a quick move took her in her arms, pressing their lips in a searing kiss.
The kiss was probably the most powerful one they have ever shared. Fueled with weeks of separation, despair and longing, it was passionate from the very beginning. Their lips moved against each other in a well practiced rhythm, love flowing between them, scorching hot like a raging volcano. Beca slowly licked Chloe's bottom lip, her hand tightening in soft, red locks. Chloe immediately granted her access, both women moaning when their tongues met. Hands were roaming all over bodies, holding each other as close as possible. Beca reveled in the sensation, inhaling her wife's scent, feeling the taste of her lips against her own. When they were eventually forced to break away for air, their embrace didn't loosen. Beca proceeded to pepper small kisses all over Chloe's face, whispering 'I love you' after each one. The feeling of holding her wife in her arms, after three weeks of believing she would never get to do that again, was almost beyond comprehension. As cheesy as it sounded, it was like coming out on the sun after having been stuck in the dark for a long time. Beca felt tears escaping her eyes, but she couldn't care less. With a final sweet kiss to Chloe's delicate lips, Beca reluctantly leaned back a tiny bit.
She was met with a pair of gorgeous blue eyes, looking at her. Any traces of anger were long gone, replaced by a look of pure love and adoration. Beca grinned like an idiot, taking in the beautiful angel in her arms. If she could, she would never let her go again. A dull pain in her chest and limbs brought her back to reality though, so she took Chloe by the hand and turned towards Jesse with a satisfied smirk.
"Now we can go."
As they were walking through the halls, Jesse told them in brief what happened after he left Beca and Chloe's apartment. He's been having a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach as soon as he left Beca alone. They've known each other for years, and something in his friend's behaviour didn't sit right with him. He couldn't pinpoint it though, and so he let it go, rushing to the HQ for a staff meeting. The weird feeling kept preventing him from focusing on what the boss was saying, so he sent a quick text to Bob, who was their mutual friend from the police, to check up on Beca. Soon, he got a call back, Bob frantically reading out the note that their tiny brunette friend has left behind. Then, it was a whirlwind of nervous but well practiced movements, the whole team preparing for a rescue mission. Benji located Beca's phone, and soon after that they had set off to the given location. Using the helicopter was Lily's idea, and as it turned out – a dangerous but very effective one, like the woman herself.
The trio exited the building without any more trouble and approached Jesse's car. Chloe helped Beca get situated in the back seat before taking her place beside her wife. Beca has lost a bit of blood and now as the adrenalin rush has ceased, she was beginning to feel the exhaustion. There were some questions that she couldn't wait to get answers to though, so she looked at Chloe's perfect face, asking the one that was the most pressing.
"How are you still alive?" Her voice was small, but Chloe heard her clearly, what with the minimal distance between them. She squeezed her hand, which she hasn't let go of this whole time, and responded just as quietly, filling Beca in on most important things that have happened to her over the last weeks.
Beca listened without interrupting, only a few sounds of distress leaving her as Chloe recounted briefly the events of that fateful night. Apparently, the whole situation in that alley was a set up, designed to split them, and thus make them easier targets. As soon as Beca disappeared in the distance, chasing after the guy, the woman pulled out a knife and swung it in Chloe's direction. Instinct saved the redhead from a serious injury, the twist of her body making the blade slide lightly along her rib, breaking the skin but not doing anything more serious. After a moment of struggle, Chloe successfully retrieved her gun and killed the woman. Seconds later though, a truck pulled up sharply behind her, a group of armed men spilling out of the back, aiming at her. In a split second she got, she sent an SOS signal to their team before the man surrounded her. She tried to fight them back, but there was only so much she could do, being heavily outnumbered. It quickly became clear that they were trying to take her alive, so she managed to shoot a few of them, but eventually one of the men knocked her out.
"But why go to this length? They could have easily killed you there." Beca wondered out loud, her hold on Chloe's hand tightening reflexively.
"My best bet is that Donovan really wanted to watch us both suffer. A quick shot was too little for him. I guess he wanted to bring me in and break me through tortures, or something." Beca flinched at that, shuffling closer to Chloe and resting her head on her wife's shoulder, taking comfort in her presence. "My memory loss was probably an unexpected convenience. All it took was a clever story to convince me that you are the real enemy – or so he thought. He wanted to watch me kill you, then he would most probably kill me himself. That would be his ultimate revenge for us hunting him down for so long."
"About this memory loss...You really got me worried there." Beca said, turning her head up to look into Chloe's eyes.
"I know. I'm sorry about the things I said by the way."
Beca shook her head. "Don't worry about that, Chlo. I get that. But, at what point did you remember me?"
"I was only temporarily confused, just after I regained consciousness. When he showed me your picture, it instantly cleared my head." Chloe looked into the stormy blue eyes, her voice sweet and affectionate. "Nothing could make me forget you, baby."
Beca laughed lightly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "That was cheesy." She said with a wide grin on her face. She leaned in, whispering the next part, her lips brushing Chloe's with every word, "I loved that. I love you."
Chloe pressed her lips firmly to Beca's, kissing her tenderly for a moment. Pulling back, she brought her hand to Beca's cheek, gazing at her fondly. "I love you too, Bec. So much."
After kissing Chloe one more time, Beca curled into her snugly. She rested her head again on Chloe's shoulder, her wife wrapping her arms gently around her, holding her close. Beca sighed contentedly, gazing through the window at the clear sky above. The sun was slowly rising over the horizon, bathing everything in soft, orange glow. Beside her, Beca's personal sun was sitting peacefully, the steady beating of her heart lulling Beca into sleep.
A/N: And that's basically it! But, I'm planning to add a second chapter with a little of their backstory and a few scenes following the events from this chapter, sort of a prequel and epilogue in one. That will probably take same time though. Leave me a review and let me know your thoughts :)