Okay, so, hey :) This is a DonaldxOC. It takes place in Beca's second year, but everyone is still at Barden. There are eleven aca-people in each group.
Summary: Donald and Leslie are secretly dating. But when Leslie falls ill for a few days, who will they have to tell? And what will happen when Bumper gets fed up, and Donald leaves? What sacrifices will be made to keep Donald and Leslie together? Will true love be truly stopped? Or will Donald and Leslie be separated in the place where she was most at peace, and he was most at war?
Rated M for a few darker themes, and language. No sex, guys, sorry.
Barden Bellas: Aubrey, Beca, Chloe, Ashley, Denise, Fat Amy, Stacie, Lilly, Cynthia Rose, Jessica, and Leslie (my OC)
Treblemakers: Bumper, Jesse, Donald, Benji, Unicycle, Kolio, Steven, Michael, Greg, Hat, and Brian
There will be various other pairings in this fanfiction, but not too solely focused on. One is Jeca / JessexBeca
Various other characters who are pointless to explain: Bree-Marie, Leslie's roommate.
Jesse was late. Again. Bumper wasn't usually to buggy about this, since Jesse was such an amazing singer, but this was one too many times. Or it would be. Treblemaker practice started in four minutes, and if Jesse didn't show, Bumper would blow a gasket. Probably several. Donald sighed. He really didn't want to see any gaskets blown today. Regionals was next week, and they needed to rehearse, not hear Bumper yell at Jesse for an hour.
Bumper seemed to be counting the seconds, staring harshly at the clock as the four minutes slowly passed. Right before the four minutes were up, Jesse burst through the door, panting.
"Sorry I'm late. I was comforting Beca." He said, regaining his breath. All the Trebles sat up, waiting for him to tell them why Beca Mitchell, his girlfriend, needed comforting. She wasn't a person to openly show feelings or accept comfort from another living thing. Maybe she accepted comfort from Death or something. The Trebles didn't really know. Even Bumper seemed to want to hear it. Jesse noticed this, and used it as a way to get him out of trouble with the leader of the Trebles, and began to explain.
"See, Beca was upset because Leslie didn't show to Bella rehearsal. Well, not because Leslie didn't show, but why Leslie didn't show." He said. Donald, who'd been looking at Bumper to see if his friend had changed, turned quickly to Jesse.
"Why didn't Leslie show up to rehearsal?" he asked. Jesse looked at Donald.
"She was still in her room, with a really bad fever. Dr Mitchell checked over her. He doesn't think it's too bad, but you know Bree-Marie keeps that room cold, even in winter. She's probably half-froze." Jesse said. Donald jumped up from his chair.
"What?" he cried. Jesse nodded.
"Yeah, dude, sorry." He said. No one looked at Donald. He had managed to become close friends with most of the Bellas, but Leslie was his best friend as far as Bellas went. Some people all over campus had speculated that he and Leslie were going out, but that idea was thrown out quickly to the fact that Bellas weren't allowed to date Trebles. The only reason Beca and Jesse could date was because Beca was a big factor to the Bellas, and Jesse never came anywhere near the Bellas's rehearsal room. Aubrey was still her traditional, stubborn self.
Jesse sighed. "Dr Mitchell said he can drive Leslie to the hospital on Monday, but he hasn't the time now. Beca was really upset. All the Bellas were. Their rehearsal was cancelled for today." Jesse said. Donald turned from Jesse to Bumper, who sighed.
"You've got ten minutes to see her, and come back. Then we have to rehearse the entire set." He said, and Donald and Jesse left the room quickly. Behind them, Bumper began to shout for warm-ups at the others.
Even though Leslie's dorm hall was across campus from the rehearsal rooms, Jesse and Donald were there in under a minute. Beca and Chloe were in Leslie's room, talking. Leslie was asleep, very pale, and shivering slightly. It was a strange contrast to her normal bright, sunny self. Surprising also to Donald and Jesse, her short blonde hair wasn't messed up with sleep. Beca and Chloe looked up as Donald and Jesse walked into the room. Both boys could tell Beca had been crying again. Chloe half-smiled.
"I was just saying how long it would take you to get here." She said quietly. Donald ignored her, and knelt beside Leslie's bed. Silently, he pushed her hair from her face, and put his hand against her forehead. She was burning up.
Jesse pulled Beca and Chloe out of the room, then rubbed his friend's shoulder, and followed the two girls out. Donald, though thankful, didn't react until the door was closed. He gently shook Leslie, and she woke up, sleepily looking at him with stormy-blue eyes. As exhausted as she looked, she offered him a crooked half-smile, which he half-returned.
"Leslie, are you really not okay?" he asked. She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just really tired, I guess. And I'm kinda dizzy. I've felt like this since last Tuesday: tired, and dizzy some." She said. Donald looked at her.
"You've felt like this for ten days? Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her, brushing her bangs from her face again. She closed her eyes.
"Your hand is warm. It feels good." She said. He let his hand rest there.
"You're burning up, actually." He said. She nodded.
"That's what Dr Mitchell said. I think. And I didn't think me being tired meant anything. Other people have more important issues than me being tired." She said. He looked at her.
"Leslie, you're important to me." He said. She gave him a half-smile.
"Well, hope I get better." she said, closing her eyes. He smiled.
"That I will, that I will." He said, leaning over and kissing her cheek. Then he rubbed her shoulder, and tucked the blanket over her.
"Sleep, Leslie." He said, and she nodded. He left the room, closing it quietly behind him. Jesse was standing there in the hallway. Beca and Chloe had disappeared. Jesse looked at Donald.
"Donald, are you and Leslie, you know, a thing?" he asked. Donald glanced down the hallway, then nodded.
"Yeah." He said. Jesse was about to ask another question, it seemed, but Donald shook his head.
"Later. We've got about a minute to get back to rehearsals before Bumper murders the both of us." He said. Jesse nodded, and both waited for a moment, before they shot down the hallway, and back across the campus.
After a tedious rehearsal that was at least an hour longer than usual, the Trebles finally finished. Bumper told them the time to meet tomorrow, and what to work on a little, then dismissed them. Donald and Jesse stayed behind a little, waiting for the others to leave. But before they could leave themselves, so they could talk, Bumper called them over.
"I've got something for each of you to hear. One, Jesse, if you're late one more time, we'll have issues. I know Beca is important to you, but I want Regionals to be important to you too. Please try harder tomorrow to be on time." He said. Jesse nodded, and Bumper turned to Donald.
"Donald, why are you so worried about Leslie? It's just a fever." he said. Donald looked away, and didn't respond. Bumper nodded.
"Alright, then I'll just ask Aubrey. She's better at this whole social stuff." Bumper said, a slightly threateningly tone in his voice. Donald still didn't respond. Donald, knowing Bumper was never very serious about anything, wasn't quite worried. Bumper didn't usually talk to Aubrey of his own free-will, either. But Bumper nodded, and pushed past the two boys.
"Aubrey's dorm is this way, right?" he called, looking over his shoulder. Jesse nodded. Donald jumped into action, running in front of Bumper, holding Bumper back by his shoulders.
"No, Bumper, please, don't. Aubrey would kick Leslie out of the Bellas first word she got of me and Leslie." He said, not thinking first. Bumper raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"So you are with her?" he said. Donald shook his head.
"No." Bumper gave him a look. "Yes," Donald admitted. "We are. We've been dating since Semi-Finals last year. Please don't tell anyone." He pleaded. Bumper nodded.
"Of course. My lips are sealed." He said, holding up both hands. Donald knew his friend was sincere, which was a rare thing in Bumper.
"Okay." Donald said, taking his hands from Bumper's shoulders. Bumper nodded at the two, then left, going the opposite direction out of the room. Donald and Jesse looked at each other.
"So, tell me about you and Leslie." Jesse said, "We're alone. No one is here. No one will be here until tomorrow." He said. Donald nodded, and sat in one of the chairs.
"Well, as I said, she and I started dating after Semi-Finals last year. When Aubrey was shouting at Beca and Beca was frustrated with you, and Leslie was everyone's friend, and all the shouting and frustration made her upset. Leslie left, disappearing out of the building. I had seen her leave, and you know her. She'd get lost in a straight hallway with a GPS and a compass. I didn't want her to get lost in the city, so I ran after her. Good thing, too, because she'd already gotten into trouble.
"A gang of about six guys had surrounded her. I interrupted them, trying to pull her out of their circle. One of the guys stopped me. They all looked ready to beat me up. They probably could have, too. It was obviously the leader, and he started off by slapping me. Leslie, being the protective friend she is, tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around, she gave him a small smile, then socked him in the gut. It actually knocked him back some. Before anyone could react to it, she had waved politely at each of the guys, then pulled me down the sidewalk, running. I followed her, and we ended up in a park somewhere.
"She asked me if I was okay, but I was more worried about her. When I asked if she was all right, she nodded, but sat down under a tree. We talked for a few minutes, and she began to cry, just being so upset about everything.
"You know me, never knowing what to do when someone cries. And, well, I'd kind of had a crush on her before then. So, well, I kind of just didn't know what else to do, and I kissed her. It took her by surprise, but she kissed back. After that, we talked for a few more minutes, and I then asked her out on a proper date. She agreed, and we kissed again, then I stood up and helped her to her feet, and called a cab to bring us back to Barden.
"On the cab ride, we talked about us. She said she'd love if we were together, but didn't want to get kicked out of the Bellas. I told her I'd leave the Trebles for her, but she didn't want me to have to do that, so we kept it a secret. We've had dates once a week, sometimes twice, and we try to hang out a lot. Everyone thinks we're best friends, but we're a little more." Donald finished, smiling to himself. Jesse grinned.
"That's pretty adorable, but I thought you liked Lilly? Or Stacie?" he asked, and Donald shook his head.
"Nope, sorry, I've got eyes only for Leslie." Donald said. Jesse grinned.
"Cool. Well, I guess we should leave. It's late, and I have a paper to write for Philosophy." Jesse said, and Donald nodded. The two left the rehearsal room, flipping the lights off as they left. Jesse turned to the left, heading towards his room, while Donald turned right, heading towards Leslie's room again. Beca and Chloe and Aubrey were waiting outside. The door was closed. Donald pointed towards it as he walked up.
"What?" he asked. Beca gave him a half-smile.
"Oh, Dad is checking on Leslie again. He doesn't want everyone crowded in the room. She's supposed to be calm, and relax. Apparently, answering questions while you're surrounded by people isn't calm." Beca said, and Donald nodded. They stood for a few moments in silence, then Dr Mitchell opened the door, and left the room.
"No longer than twenty minutes, guys. She really does need to sleep. On Sunday, I can take her to the hospital, so until then, she needs to rest." He said. They all nodded, then the four of them walked into the room. For the first fifteen minutes, they four and Leslie talked. After that, Dr Mitchell came in.
"Okay, I lied, everyone should leave now. Leslie is exhausted. Come on, let's go. Out, out." He said. Beca made to argue, but Dr Mitchell shook his head at his daughter.
"Don't fight me, Beca, out. Now!" he said. Beca closed her mouth, and huffed. She quickly hugged Leslie then pushed past her dad. Aubrey and Chloe did the same then also left. Donald offered his girl a smile, and a side hug. He was about to leave as well, when Leslie spoke up.
"Wait, may I talk to Donald? I've got a question about our project in GD." She said. Dr Mitchell nodded, and Donald smiled. He walked over, and sat in the desk chair. The two of them immediately began talking nonsense about what they'd last agreed on in the project quietly. Dr Mitchell looked at them funny. Leslie looked at him.
"It's a secret project. We're not supposed to know about anyone else's projects, and they're not supposed to know about ours." She said, and Dr Mitchell nodded. He pulled the door to a crack. Leslie turned back to Donald. He smiled.
"You get cleverer the more you breathe." He said. She blushed a little. He pulled her face to his, and kissed her quickly. She smiled as they drew back.
"You rest, okay? Because you need to get better for me." Donald said, cupping her chin with his hand. She nodded.
"I'd love to." She said. Her voice, he noticed, was gradually becoming quieter. He smiled.
"Go to sleep, Leslie." He said, and then kissed her again quickly, then he stood up.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He said, then left the room. Dr Mitchell nodded as Donald walked out.
"All good?" he asked, and Donald nodded.
"Yup. She was just wondering how we were going to set up one of the bosses, is all. And those two are in the same class." He said, pointing at Beca and Chloe. Both girls gave devious smiles.
"Don't worry, Donald, Beca and I will dazzle you and Leslie with our project. You don't need to try too hard." Chloe said. Donald held up a fix, pretending to fight her. Chloe made a competitive face at him, but he just reached over, and picked her up, squishing her in a hug.
"It's okay, Chloe, I forgive you for insulting me and Leslie." He said, smushing her. She pushed away from him.
"Kidding, Donald, I was kidding. Please put me down." She said. He grinned, and set her down. Dr Mitchell rolled his eyes at their childish antics.
"Go on, guys. It's late." He said, ushering them down the hallway. The four friends nodded, and exchanged goodnights, then parted. The three girls headed to their respective rooms in the dorm hall, while Donald left the building entirely, and headed towards his dorm hall, pulling his hood up in the early night air.
The next morning, a Saturday, was a drab, stormy morning. Already, thunder shook the air, and lightning was flittering across the sky. Donald woke up sleepily around ten. Something told him today was going to be an extremely lazy day. He'd probably do nothing until four later, when Bumper had said to meet for rehearsal. Donald sighed, stretching in his bed, effectively kicking his blankets to the floor. He stood up, and threw the blankets back onto the bed.
He stood in the middle of the room, debating whether or not to put a shirt, or just stay in his jeans that he'd slept in. Then Unicycle, in the bed across the room stirred, and threw a pillow at him.
"Just stay shirtless, bro. No one cares." Unicycle mumbled. Unicycle had a name, but he'd requested that when he and Donald met, that everyone just call him Unicycle. Donald threw the pillow back.
"What if I want to go hang out with Jesse and Benji? Or if I want to go to the library? Or out to the football field?" he asked smartly. Unicycle's short temper must still function in his half-sleep, because he reached over, and grabbed a shoe off the floor and threw it at him.
"Get out if you're gonna be a smartass." He said. Donald grinned, and quickly got ready for the day. Maybe he'd go hang with Leslie for a while, then see if the guys wanted a game of thunderstorm football. He quickly left the room, saying bye to Unicycle by throwing the shoe back at him.
Donald put up his hood again as he ran across campus, taking a few shortcuts to stay out of the rain. When he got to Leslie's dorm hall, he went straight up to her room. Beca was standing outside it, crying, and Jesse was comforting her. The door was shut again.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Donald asked. Jesse tried to give him a comforting smile in advance.
"We were talking to Leslie, and she fainted. She's not waking up, either. Dr Mitchell is trying, but he isn't doing much I don't think, and he has to leave in five minutes. He's got an important meeting that will last most of the day." Jesse said. Donald felt a mix of feelings. He nodded, sadness taking over first.
Beca smiled, and moved over, giving him a hug.
"Leslie's your girlfriend, isn't she?" she asked. Donald nodded.
"That doesn't surprise me." Beca said. Donald didn't say anything. Leslie's door opened. Dr Mitchell appeared.
"I'm sorry guys. I have to go to this meeting. She's not awake, but she's alive. As soon as my meeting is over today, I'll take her to the ER." He said. Donald looked up.
"We'll do it. We'll take her." Donald said. Jesse and Beca immediately both nodded their agreeance.
Dr Mitchell pondered it for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright, go on. I want updates often, though. And all three of you are to be back here before midnight, even if Leslie isn't." he said. The three college sophomores nodded, and Dr Mitchell left, hurrying to his meeting.
Donald, Beca, and Jesse walked into the room. Leslie was laid carefully on her bed, not showing much signs of life save her slow breathing. Donald took off his jacket, and then turned to Jesse.
"Jesse, you know where my truck is?" he asked, and Jesse nodded.
"Good. Pull it around to the front of Barden." He said, tossing his friend the keys. Jesse nodded, and left the room. Beca watched as Donald gently set Leslie up, and wrapped his jacket around her. Then he picked her up.
"C'mon, Beca." He said. Beca followed him out of the room, and down to the front entrance of Barden. Before stepping out into the rain, Donald looked to make sure Jesse had gotten around.
Jesse had, in fact, gotten around, and he was sitting in the driver's seat of Donald's black truck. Beca ran carefully down the steps, with Donald behind her, trying to keep the rain off Leslie. Beca opened the door for Donald, and he climbed in, sliding over. Beca climbed in behind him, and shut the door.
"Take exit 24 once on Main Street, then take Dixie south. You should come out by the hospital." Donald said, remembering a shorter way to the hospital than the interstate. Jesse nodded, and pulled away from Barden.
It was only about twenty minutes to the hospital, even though it felt like an hour, and Jesse ran about three stop signs, and sped dangerously through a yellow light.
"I can't control your truck as good as my car," was his only explanation, followed by Donald telling him how to balance the drift between the skid and the clutch between the shift. Beca sat, quietly talking to Leslie, who was still out of it. When they got to the hospital, Jesse and Donald both got out, while Beca took the driver's seat, and said she'd park in the back.
Jesse walked ahead of Donald, who carried Leslie again. Jesse knew his way around to the ER, so he led. The ER front room was empty, so Donald and Jesse just walked up to the counter. The nurse behind it gave them a friendly smile.
"Hello, welcome to the ER, how can we help you today?" she asked. Jesse smiled back.
"Hi. I'm Jesse and this is Donald, and Leslie. We're from Barden. Leslie has had a really bad fever lately, and about an hour and a half ago she passed out. She's not woken up since. We were given permission to bring her here." Jesse said. The nurse nodded, looking concerned.
"Okay, well, can you carry her back here? I'll have someone come take a look at her." she said, and Donald nodded. He and Jesse waited for the nurse to come out from behind the counter, then followed her through a door. The nurse led them to an empty room.
"Just lay her down. Someone will be with you in a moment." The nurse said, then left. Donald gently laid Leslie down on the bed, throwing his jacket to Jesse, and then sat in one of the chairs in the room. Jesse sat beside him, handing Donald his jacket. Jesse texted Beca to tell her where they were. She appeared a minute later, and sat in Jesse's lap. He put his arm around her. They sat like that in silence until a doctor walked into the room.
"Good morning, I am Dr Trent. This is Leslie?" he asked, sitting in the doctor chair beside the bed. Donald and Jesse nodded.
"Okay, can you tell me what happened?" Dr Trent asked. Donald and Jesse looked at each other, then Donald nodded.
"Yeah. Uh, yesterday, she didn't go to her Bella rehearsal, so they went to check on her, and she'd been sleeping. Beca asked her dad to check on Leslie. Dr Mitchell-Beca's dad- said Leslie just had a really high fever, and needed to rest some. He teaches comparative literature at Barden, where we're in college. I think he's had some doctoring background, a little, though, so we all just trusted him.
"Later, when I was talking to Leslie, she said she'd felt tired, and kind of dizzy since last Tuesday. She hadn't really thought it was anything, so she hadn't said anything. Then, this morning-" Donald said, and Jesse cut in,
"Around nine-forty-five," he said, and Donald nodded, then continued.
"Around nine-forty-five, Les was talking to Beca and Jesse and she fainted. They couldn't wake her, so they went and got Dr Mitchell again. He couldn't wake her up either, so we offered to bring her here." Donald finished. Dr Trent nodded. He'd been doing various doctor things as Donald talked.
"Okay. Well, her fever is really high. Much too high for comfort, actually. I'm going to hook her up to an I-V. Other than that, it seems dehydration played a part in her passing out. Do you know how well she stays hydrated?" he asked, beginning to mess with the I-V. Beca nodded.
"Not really well. If we remind her to drink water during rehearsal, she does. Leslie is normally pretty scatter-brained, and it wouldn't occur to her to drink anything. I'd say she drinks one bottle of water a day, maybe, and a can of coke or something. Not much more than that. And she stays pretty busy. It's not like she sits around all day." Beca said. Dr Trent nodded.
"Okay," he said, "Well, I'm going to take a quick blood sample. If she's up before this afternoon, she'll probably be able to go home, but don't count on it. I can give you numbers if you'll give me a little time." He began to pierce Leslie's arm with a needle and draw blood as he spoke. Donald tensed up slightly, but not too noticeably. Jesse and Beca both nodded.
"Yes sir, go ahead." Jesse said. Dr Trent finished drawing blood, nodded, and left the room, closing the door behind him. Donald got up, and sat on the bed beside Leslie, and took her hand in his. Beca got up, and sat in the seat he just vacated. She looked at him.
"Donald, I can kind of guess how you and Leslie started. From Semi-Finals last year, both your faces seemed to light up whenever one of you heard the other's name. And you both seemed happier in each other's presence." She said. Donald looked up at her, kind of surprised.
"That's probably the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say." He said, half-teasingly. She smiled.
"But you know," she said thoughtfully, "Aubrey would murder you both if she ever found out." Donald nodded.
"Yeah, we know. That's why it's a secret." he said. Beca looked at him.
"It may not stay a secret, though, now. Aubrey's not stupid. I won't be surprised if she calls you two out." Beca said. Donald nodded, but didn't say anything. Beca sighed.
"Donald, what are you and Leslie gonna do if Aubrey does find out. Bellas and Trebles can't date." She said. Donald looked at Leslie's face, which looked to him like a perfect china doll.
"I'll be leaving the Trebles." He said. Beca's jaw dropped. Donald didn't notice.
"I love Leslie, and I'd do anything for her." Donald said.
It was a little bit before Dr Trent returned to the room. According to the clock on the wall, it was one. Three hours until Jesse and Donald would have to be at Treble rehearsal, or face Bumper's wrath.
Dr Trent sat in his doctor chair, comparing a few things, then looked up. He was surprised for a moment to see Donald sitting on the bed beside Leslie, holding her hand. But Dr Trent just shook his head, ignoring it.
"Okay, well, she seems to be a little better off than I assumed before. She could wake up in the next hour, I expect. I'd like to have a thorough check-up done, but she should be able to return to Barden today." He said. Donald and Beca nodded, but Jesse asked something on his mind.
"Will Donald and I be able to make it to Barden before four?" he asked. Dr Trent shrugged, beginning to unhook the I-V from Leslie's hand.
"I have no idea. Don't bet on it." he said. Then he stood up, and left the room, promising to be back soon. Donald and Jesse looked at each other, identical looks of worry on their faces. Beca looked between them.
"Was ist los?" she asked, "Why do you need to be at Barden by four?" Donald and Jesse looked at her, confused.
"I'm sorry, what was that first part?" Donald asked. Beca shook her head.
"Sorry, it's German. I said, what's up? Why do you need to be at Barden by four?" she repeated. Donald nodded, and Jesse answered.
"Well, Bumper said we have rehearsal today starting at four, and it'll probably go until ten or so tonight. I've been late a lot recently, and if I'm late today, he'll probably kick me out of the Treblemakers. And Donald will go down with me, because Bumper found out about Donald and Leslie yesterday. Bumper tolerates you and me because Aubrey does. They have a mutual agreement about it or something. Bumper doesn't want to sink to Aubrey's level, I think. But if Leslie makes Donald late, Bumper will sink to Aubrey's level, no second thought." Jesse explained. Beca nodded.
"So what are you two going to do?" she asked. Donald immediately answered.
"I'm not leaving Leslie. If Bumper makes a scene because I was late or I didn't show because of my girlfriend, then he can suck my dick." He said. Beca and Jesse both nodded approvingly.
"Good on you, Donald," Jesse said, "But Leslie won't be enough of an excuse for Bumper. We do need some way to get out of this." Donald nodded.
"Call Benji," Beca said, "Benji's a thinker. He'll have the best answer. If he thinks telling Bumper the truth or an elaborate story is best, you'd best listen to him." Donald looked at her.
"You know, that's not a bad idea. Call up Benji, Jesse." He said. Jesse took out his phone, and dialed Benji's number. After four rings, Benji picked up. Jesse put it on speaker.
"Hey, Jesse, what's up?"
"Hi Benji. Beca, Donald, and I are at the hospital with Leslie. She fainted this morning."
"Oh, I know. Dr Mitchell told Chloe that Leslie and Beca probably won't make it to Bella rehearsal today. She told me to ask you and Donald about Treble rehearsal." Donald cut in.
"Yeah, Benji. We might not make it. We'd prefer not to get our heads ripped off by Bumper. What should we do?"
"Ah, that's a predicament. Well, I don't think lying is good right now. He's pissed at Unicycle and Kolio for hiding his tuner. I say wait until you're absolutely sure you won't make it, then call and tell him the entire truth. Don't leave anything out."
"Thanks, Benji, we'll do that."
"No problem, guys. Say, how is Leslie? She any better? The Bellas have been begging me to call and ask."
"Dr Trent says she'll be mostly okay probably. He expects her to wake up soon. He won't be able to tell us much until she wakes up though." Jesse said. Donald interrupted again.
"Wait, the Bellas? Have you spent the day with the Bellas, Benji?" Donald asked. In the background, they heard a few giggles, and a thud.
"What? No, I've not spent the day with the Bellas. I've been with Greg and –Shut up!" Donald, Jesse, and Beca exchanged grins. Beca leaned toward the phone a little.
"Hey, Chloe, whatcha doin'?" she asked. They heard Chloe respond.
"Nothing. Why do ask, Beca?"
"Did you spend the day with Benji?"
"Not all of it. The Bellas and the Trebles hung out this morning at the Treble House. Then Bumper got mad at Unicycle and Kolio, and so the Bellas left, and half the Trebles. Last we heard, Bumper was wrestling both Kolio and Unicycle at the same time. Benji decided to spend the rest of his afternoon with me, because everyone else left me."
"Okay, well, be careful. We'll talk to you later. Don't make Aubrey mad!" Jesse said, then hung up. Donald grinned.
"You know, it'd be cute if Chloe and Benji got together. I'm not saying they need to disobey Aubrey even more than already with what's going on, but they'd be seriously cute. For serious." Donald said, quoting Aubrey. Beca and Jesse laughed.
"Now, if only we convinced Aubrey that Trebles and Bellas were cute together, we wouldn't have any issues whatsoever. Sadly, Aubrey just doesn't want any chance that us Trebles will see the Bellas's set, and out-do them." Jesse said. Donald and Beca shrugged.
"I know. We all know that the only reason Aubrey doesn't like us Trebles is because we've beaten her before." Donald said. Beca nodded.
"That and you guys are all dicks to her. No one is really polite to her often." Beca said. Donald shrugged.
"It's not like she's very polite to them, either, though."
Donald turned to look at Leslie. She looked exhausted, but smiled at him.
"Hi, Donald. I've not the slightest idea where I am. Or why." She said. Donald grinned, and immediately helped her sit up, then pulled her into his lap.
"You fainted this morning, Leslie," Jesse said, "We brought you to the hospital. Don't you remember?" he asked. Leslie thought a moment, then shook her head.
"Not really, sorry." She said sheepishly. Jesse nodded. Donald kissed her cheek.
"Its okay, Les." He said. She smiled, and leaned her head on his chest.
"I'm tired, though, Donald." She said. Beca smiled, and stood up.
"I'm going to go find Dr Trent." She said, leaving the room. Donald nodded. Jesse grinned. "I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier, Leslie, but you and Donald are adorable." He said. Leslie blushed a little. Donald grinned.
"We better be. I'm only dating the most adorable woman to walk the universe." He said. Leslie blushed even harder. Beca then returned with Dr Trent. The doctor smiled as he walked in.
"Hello, Leslie. Glad to see you awake. I'm Dr Trent. Now, if you'd please get off Donald's lap, I'd like to give you a proper check-up." he said. Leslie smiled, and nodded. Donald carefully set her back on the bed. Dr Trent doctorly went through all the check-up processes. When he finished, he scribbled things on a piece of paper, and seemed to be calculating something.
"Okay," Dr Trent said finally, "Leslie, you are pretty dehydrated. Other than that, you've pushed yourself too hard lately. You need to rest a little bit. How much sleep do you get on a normal day?" he asked. Leslie shrugged.
"Four, maybe five hours a night." She said. Not only was Dr Trent surprised, so were Jesse, Beca, and Donald.
"Four or five hours? Leslie, that's not healthy. I could understand six hours, but not four or five. Could you work on getting at least seven hours of sleep for the next few weeks?" Dr Trent asked. Leslie shrugged.
"I could try. I can't say I'd succeed. But I'll try." She promised. Dr Trent nodded.
"Good. Okay, other than that, your breathing is also a little off. Partially irregular, you see. That could be a problem later if you don't work on that now. Whenever you feel particularly out of breath, try to breath to the tick of a clock." He said. Leslie nodded.
She continued to listen to Dr Trent, and nod when she needed to nod. Finally, after about twenty minutes, Dr Trent concluded himself.
"That's pretty much it. I can't tell you much else on the matter. Well, since I think that's all, you may leave. Just take it easy, okay?" he said. Leslie nodded. He smiled.
"Good. Please come back if you feel the need. And don't drive yourself back to Barden today." He said, then left the room. Leslie rolled her eyes as Donald helped her to her feet.
"What kind of a doctor is he? Like, damn." She said. Donald, Jesse, and Beca just smiled, and didn't respond. The four of them walked out of the hospital. It was still raining. Donald put his jacket over Leslie's shoulders, then took her hand. His truck was parked a little ways out, but it was one of the only vehicles in the parking lot.
They all ran out to the truck. Even though Beca had given the keys to Donald, Donald tossed them to Jesse as they ran. Jesse ran around to the driver's seat, and when everyone was in, he pulled out of the parking lot.
"I'm going to take the interstate, I think, because I don't really want to run another stop sign. Its two-twenty, and the interstate will take us forty minutes. We'll have a little less than an hour once we're back at Barden, Donald." He said, taking a left.
Donald and Leslie sat together in the back seat, holding hands. Leslie leaned into Donald's chest, completely content. Donald put his arm around her, and drew patterns on her hand with his finger. Beca, from the passenger seat, kept turning around to look at them, smiling. After the fifteenth or sixteenth time, Donald raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Beca, do you need something?" he asked, and she shook her head.
"No, it's just that you two are so adorable. Like, it's making me feel melty inside." Beca turned back around to face the front, then asked a good question.
"Is this how Chloe feels all the time around me and Jesse?" she asked.
The rest of the drive was filled with an easy chatter. Leslie, about halfway back to Barden, fell asleep, cuddled into Donald. When they got back to Barden, Donald gently nudged her, waking her sweetly.
"Hey, Les, we're back. Do you wanna keep sleeping?" he asked. She nodded, a half-smile gracing her face. He grinned, and carried her into Barden. Jesse and Beca told him they'd drive his truck back to its original place, and he nodded.
Donald carried Leslie up to her room. Beca had texted around updates to people who mattered, so Aubrey, Chloe, and Lilly were waiting outside the door. Donald nodded 'sup' as he walked towards them.
"Get the door?" he asked, and Chloe opened it for him. He nodded.
"Thanks." He said, walking in, and gently putting Leslie down the bed. Chloe smiled.
"Is she alright?" she asked, and Donald nodded.
"Yup. Dr Trent said she just needs to take it a little easier for a while, and she should be fine. She fell asleep on the way here, so I just brought her up. Beca and Jesse should be here in a moment, they went to park my truck." He said. Chloe, Lilly, and Aubrey all smiled.
"That's great. Will she be good for rehearsals tomorrow?" Aubrey asked. Donald nodded.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Maybe even today, if you wanted her to. I can't see her sleeping more than a few more minutes." Donald said. Aubrey smiled, and nodded. At that moment, Beca and Jesse appeared. The door slammed open. The suddenness woke Leslie, who quickly sat up.
"Hey, Chloe, Aubrey, Lilly," Beca said. Jesse nodded to each of them, but looked up at Donald.
"Donald, Bumper is going to murder us. I'm not kidding." He said quickly, a little out of breath. Beca turned to him.
"I thought you said rehearsals were at four." She said, and Jesse nodded.
"Yeah, they still are. But somehow Bumper found out how we might've been late. He's raging because we put Leslie before the Treblemakers. Seriously, we're both going to get killed." Jesse said. Donald's eyes widened. He quickly gave Leslie a hug, then pushed past the girls, and followed Jesse out. Leslie grinned.
"You wouldn't think they'd be this worried. Bumper isn't all that terrifying." Leslie said. Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, and Lilly all sat down in various places around the room.
"You know," Beca said, "Bumper threatened to throw them both out if Jesse was late again." Leslie nodded.
"I know. Bumper visited this morning around six-ish. Threatened me as well. I don't know what his problem is. Us Bellas are going to win anyway with Beca's brilliant sets, I don't see why he's still trying." Leslie said. Beca grinned, and Lilly and Chloe laughed. Aubrey just offered a smile. It was kind of a sad, disappointed smile. Leslie looked at Aubrey.
"Aubrey, are you okay? Is something wrong? Did Bumper threaten you too?" she asked. Beca, Chloe, and Lilly grinned. Aubrey snorted, and shook her head.
"No, Bumper didn't threaten me too. It's just, I feel like I'm losing reign over the Bellas. You just said 'Beca's brilliant sets'." Aubrey took a breath, and Leslie nodded, cutting in.
"Yes, I know. It was decided before the season even started. You were in charge, but Beca made the sets. That's what's said at least once a rehearsal. You sound like you haven't been here all year." Leslie said. Aubrey grinned.
"Leslie, really? Yeah, I've literally been here the whole time." She said, remembering something Ashley had said last year. Lilly erupted into giggles, falling back onto Bree-Marie's bed. Beca and Chloe laughed. Leslie pretended to be annoyed.
"Okay, well, you're still in charge, Aubrey. I promise." Leslie said. Aubrey nodded.
Jesse and Donald ran as fast as they could to the Treble House. The rain was nothing now, they couldn't worry about it. As they ran up the small incline that was the Treble House driveway, they sped up a little. Once at the door, they kicked off their muddy converse quickly, and left them on the step. They hurried inside, slipping into dry shoes that had been sitting inside the door that belonged to them. Bumper was in the living room, pacing in his drill sergeant mode, and yelling at whoever happened to be in the room. Which happened to be all the Trebles.
"Nothing! Nothing is more important than the Trebles, do you guys hear me! Jesse and Donald need to figure that out quick enough. Do you-" Bumper was stopped mid-rant when he saw Donald and Jesse.
"You two were almost late again! You can't just be taking people to the ER!" Bumper scolded. Donald and Jesse stepped into the room. It was obvious that Donald was unaffected by the yelling.
"Bumper, surely you'd put any of us before you put the Treblemakers. We're your friends, we're not just the Treblemakers. That's what friends do for each other. They take care of each other. That's what we were doing for Leslie."
"She's got other friends, Donald!" Bumper exclaimed. Donald shook his head.
"Well Jesse and I happened to be right there. We didn't have to waste time. You would've done the same if you were us."
"No, Donald, I wouldn't! Because I care about this group! I actually care about the Treblemakers!"
"So do Jesse and I! But we care about other things as well."
"No, I'm done with you two. Jesse's always late, and you always put Leslie first! I told you guys that this was your last chance! You didn't take it! Get out!" Bumper shouted.
Silence. Donald stood there, frozen. His before expression of slight annoyance mixed with explanation had morphed into one of shock.
"Bumper," he said, his voice soft, "You don't mean that." His eyes looked hurt. Bumper nodded.
"I do mean that. Get out. Turn in your jackets. And get out." Bumper said, crossing his arms over his chest. More silence. Then Jesse spoke up for the first time. His expression was an angry one that none of them had ever seen before.
"Bumper!" Jesse shouted. Everyone jumped. Jesse never shouted. Ever. At anyone. "You're being unreasonable to him! I understand me, but Donald? He's been your best friend for years. He's stood in your shadow during all that time, and never complained. He always was on time, and did exactly what you said. Just once, he puts someone else first, and you kick him out. What kind of a friend are you! Leslie is his girlfriend for fuck's sake!" Jesse suddenly covered his mouth.
Everyone's surprised faces turned from Jesse to Donald. He'd never kept one girl before. Or cared enough to put her before the Treblemakers. Donald looked shocked at his friend.
"Oh my god, I'm sorry, Donald. I didn't think." Jesse said. Donald nodded.
"It's fine. It doesn't matter now." He said. He went and yanked his Treble jacket off the hook on the wall, and threw it at Bumper.
"I quit. Bumper knew, and if he can't respect my girl, then I don't need him as a friend." Donald said, then turned, and walked back out into the rain.
The ten Trebles sat –or stood in Jesse and Bumper's case- in shock. No one had ever quit before, and Donald loved being a Treble. Anyways, he was the voice that made them better. He had the rapping, the beatboxing, the wind, and the cool sound effects.
"Bumper?" Kolio asked. Bumper didn't respond. Unicycle stood up, and ran past Bumper and Jesse.
"Donald! Get back here!" he shouted, running after his friend out of the house. Jesse hurried after Unicycle. The rest of the Trebles just sat, still in shock. No one, though, was more shocked than Bumper. He collapsed onto the couch beside Greg, and put his head in his hands. Greg put his arm around Bumper. Bumper accepted the small try at comfort, but made a pitiful, hopeless sound.
"What did I just do?"
Donald could hear Unicycle and Jesse calling behind him. He didn't speed up, but continued walking. He knew exactly where he was headed, and he wasn't stopping. Unicycle and Jesse caught up with him easily.
"Donald!" Unicycle said, running around, and standing in Donald's way.
"Where are you going? You can't just quit. We need you. Bumper needs you." Unicycle said. Donald shook his head.
"No he doesn't. Obviously he doesn't. It's too late now. I'm tired of Bumper treating me like shit. I'm not a Treble anymore, so Leslie and I don't need to be a secret. I feel better already." Donald said, shoving Unicycle away, then continuing his walk. Unicycle and Jesse looked at each other, and when they turned to look at Donald, he'd disappeared.
Donald thundered up the stairs to Leslie's room. The door was open, and he could hear giggling inside. Once in the doorway, he saw all the Bellas. He nodded 'sup' at them. Leslie looked at him.
"Donald, you're soaked. What are you doing?" she asked, standing up, and walking over to him, handing him a towel from her closet. He dried his face and hands quickly, then tossed the towel on the bed.
"I'm going on break for a little while, Les, I just wanted to say good-bye to you." He said, and kissing her sweetly. A collective gasp filled the room. Then he backed away, smiling.
"I'll see you later, Les. Save a kiss for me." He said, waving, then taking off down the hall. Leslie ran to the door.
"Donald, what did you do?" she called after him, but he was already gone. The Bellas could hear more thundering up the stairs again. Aubrey looked at Leslie in disbelief.
"Leslie, are you dating a Treble?" she asked. Leslie shook her head, suddenly very pale again. She looked like she was going to cry.
"No." she said quietly. Aubrey gave her a look.
"Donald's a Treble though-" Leslie cut her off.
"No he's not. He just quit. Dammit." She said, collapsing onto her bed. Jesse and Unicycle appeared in the doorway.
"I'm gonna guess Donald was by here?" Unicycle asked, pointing at Leslie, who was leaning on Beca's shoulder, with Beca's arm around her. The Bellas nodded. Even though both Jesse and Unicycle were just as soaked as Donald, Jesse walked into the room, and knelt in front of Leslie.
"Leslie, where did he go?" he asked. Leslie didn't respond. Jesse shook his head.
"No, Leslie, you have to tell me. We need to bring him back. Is he going off Barden grounds?" he asked. Leslie nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek.
"Yeah. And he's not coming back, either."
Five minutes later, all the Bellas and the Trebles minus Donald were crowded into the Treble House living room. Leslie's voice had pretty much stopped working; she couldn't make it go above a whisper. Donald leaving was already taking its toll. She was in a sad sort of shock. Jesse and Bumper had laid out a map of the surrounding area, and Leslie was talking in her quiet sad voice to them. Everyone else was sitting patiently. Finally, Jesse and Bumper seemed to know where Leslie was sure Donald had gone to. They both looked at Leslie in disbelief.
"Are you sure, Leslie? It's a pretty dangerous place to stay. That place could collapse at any time." Bumper said. Leslie nodded.
"I'm positive. And he knows that. That's why he goes there. It's a message to me. A bold one." She said, her voice suddenly turning back normal. Jesse nodded.
"Okay. Let's go." He said, standing up from the coffee table. He grabbed the keys to the Treble Bus, and tossed them to Aubrey.
"You can drive." He said as she caught them.
"What?" she asked. No one ever let Aubrey drive anything bigger than her bug, which is why Fat Amy drove the bus the Bellas rented.
Everyone looked shocked, but moments later, they were sitting on the Treble Bus, with Aubrey in the driver's seat.
"We're all gonna die." Unicycle said. Aubrey glared at him in the rearview.
"Oh, shut up, Unicycle. I've not got any four-wheel drive to work with here like in my bug." She said. He nodded.
"That's why I'm worried." He said. Jesse cut Aubrey off before she could retort back.
"Okay, I'll give you directions. You have to listen to me exactly as I tell them. No short-cuts." He said. Aubrey nodded, then pulled out. She'd never driven a bus before, but she'd driven just about every other kind of vehicle possible, including a boat, and a bi-plane. She'd never driven any of them more than once, though. Aubrey was not that great of a driver, so she preferred to use four-wheel drive in her bug instead of waiting.
The bus ride was silent for the first fifteen minutes, before Leslie sighed.
"Jeez, you guys are a-cappella beasts, sing something for insanity's sake." She said. The Trebles all shook their heads, and everyone braced themselves as Aubrey took a sharp turn.
"Sorry, I've not driven a bus before." She apologized. Greg shook his head.
"We can't sing. Donald always starts us off with a beat. Haven't you noticed? He's almost always the first of us to make a sound." Greg said. Leslie nodded, and glanced at Bumper.
"Well, if Bumper wasn't such a dirtball, maybe you wouldn't have this issue." She said coldly. Bumper looked at his hands. Jesse grinned.
"Okay, Aubrey, go straight for about four miles. I'd say you can speed up a little. There's no actual speed set for this road, and no one else is around. Police don't come back here much. Especially not in the rain." He said. Leslie nodded, and sped up some.
"Leslie's got a point. Someone needs to sing something. I think that's what keeps all of us sane." Chloe said. The Trebles just shook their head again. Leslie rolled her eyes.
"No one here can beatbox? How are you guys Trebles?" she scolded. None of the Trebles looked at her. Beca smiled.
"You beatbox, Leslie." She said. Even though most people thought Lilly was the Bella beatboxer, it was really Leslie, though Leslie and Lilly enjoyed beatboxing together. Anyways, Lilly's singing voice had a certain high-point that the others couldn't reach. Everyone nodded in agreeance. Leslie just shook her head.
"I can't." she said, her voice small. It occurred to everyone that she couldn't bring herself to beatbox; beatboxing was one of Donald's favourite things to do, and he did it constantly. Jesse gave her a comforting smile.
"Go ahead." He said encouragingly. Leslie sat still for a moment, before starting a rhythm, nodding her head slightly to count beats. Everyone immediately recognized it. It was one of Donald's favourites. Greg and Chloe made a base line out of it, while Ashley and Denise took up a count. Leslie smiled a little, and within moments, a song was started.
With Leslie on the beat, the ride wasn't quite as long. For the first time ever, the Bellas and the Trebles collaborated in their music. Secretly, they all thought it sounded amazing. No one said it aloud, of course. But finally, they got to their destination. None of them really recognized the place, except for Leslie.
"This is it, and if you go any farther forward, you're sending us down a hill." She called, and Aubrey slammed the brakes. Everyone fell forward.
"Sorry." Aubrey apologized. Leslie smiled. The rainy sky made it a little hard to see, but,
"Is that a house?" Bumper asked. Leslie rolled her eyes.
"No, it's a mansion. It's about three-hundred years old. I discovered it some time back. Donald and I have known each other for about that long. We've been friends for longer than everyone expects. One day, I left on my own. He found me here. He took one look at what I was doing, and pulled me out. He said if I ever returned here, he'd make me leave, and stay on his own. He was trying to show me how dangerous it is. Now he's using it as a way-point." She explained. They all looked at her.
"What were you doing?" Unicycle asked. Leslie shook her head.
"About to make a dumb decision. He saved me. In several ways." She said.
"Open the bus door, Aubrey. I've not been here a while." Leslie said. Aubrey opened the door, and Leslie walked out, heading towards the house. Everyone followed, not wanting to get left behind. Bumper made sure Aubrey locked the bus after she got out, and then the two of them also went up. Leslie led the group up to the mansion, then waited for everyone to be there.
"So how do we get in?" Bumper asked. Leslie smiled. "Come here, Bumper." She said, pulling on his arm. He followed her up the front steps of the mansion, and over to one side.
"You know how I used to get in?" she asked, and he shook his head. She gave him a sweet smile.
"I punched the windows out." She said, and turned, slamming a fist into the window. The old glass shattered into several thousand tiny pieces. He looked at her, surprised.
"I hope I get the chance to show you how that feels. Because you are a dick." She said. She punched the thin window glass again. There was a big enough hole for her to climb through, so she did. A few moments later, the front door opened.
"Okay, come on." Leslie said. The Bellas and Trebles all walked in. Leslie smiled.
"Damn, it's good to be back in here. Okay, so, there are electrical lights, 'cause this used to be actually usable as a house, but the wires are extremely faulty. That's why no one lives here. I used to cut wires and flip the lights just to see the sparks. So, let's see, here." Leslie turned into a room, and before anyone could follow her, she returned. She had four flashlights.
"These should still work. I rarely used them. Here." She handed one to Jesse, one to Unicycle, one to Beca, and one to Chloe.
"Everyone stay with someone with a flashlight. Unicycle, you stay on this level. Beca, you go up to the third floor. Chloe, you go to the fourth. Jesse, you go the second. Watch the floors, they're not too tough anymore. Some ceilings sag a little, so watch for that too. Also, most of the windows have good escape routes out of them, so if you need one, check the windows." She said. They all nodded.
"Where are you going?" Beca asked. Leslie shrugged.
"I think I'm going to go up to the attic for a few minutes. Then I'll probably go to the fourth floor with Chloe. Stairs are down this hall. You can't miss 'em. Be careful, some aren't too strong anymore. " She said, then turned, and disappeared into the dark.
"How can she see where she's going?" Brian asked. Chloe flipped on her flashlight, and pointed it at him.
"She's can't. She's probably been here enough to memorize everything. Or echolocation. Anyways, I say that four people should join each of us with the flashlights. So, Aubrey, Greg, Benji, and Ashley, you guys come with me." She said. The four followed her down the hall.
"Oh, look, stairs!" was what the others heard, before creaks of steps. Unicycle nodded.
"Okay, let's see. Fat Amy, Bumper, Kolio, and Cynthia Rose, you guys come with me, since I'm on the first floor here." He said. Then that group also went into the darkness, calling softly for Donald, and listening to Fat Amy's jokes.
Jesse smiled. "Beca, you can take the girls, and I can take the boys, if you'd like." He said, and Beca nodded. The rest of them also separated, then went to their respective floors.
Leslie smiled went she got up to the attic.
Man, it's been forever. Good times were spent up here. Damn. She thought, stepping over to the shelf. There sat a box she had put up there herself.
She listened closely, and could hear the others on the floors below calling for Donald. She also heard various creaking noises, some jumbled words, and some laughter. She smiled, and turned back to her box. Carefully, she went through all the stuff she'd put in it.
Donald could hear everyone in the house. He smirked. Leslie was so smart. But she hadn't joined one of the groups. She'd probably gone off on her own to relive a few memories. He could hear that Chloe was probably closest to him. She wasn't the quietest searcher. He grinned, and ducked through the shadows. He couldn't really see them, but he saw the beam of the light as it swiped the wall he just passed.
Well, they're closer than I thought. The others are probably on the other floors. Well. Les is probably in the den or back bedroom or something. I don't think she's above the first floor. I'll go up to the attic. He thought. Quietly, he ducked down another hall, and to the ladder that led to the attic. Donald quietly went up, not making a sound. It was dark as night, and darker, but he didn't stop. At the other end of the attic was a small window, and he could see the rainy-daylight flowing in, and he headed towards it. Slowly, he crossed the attic, careful not to let the floor creak.
He had successfully made it mostly across the attic when he could hear something. He looked up, and slowly let his eyes adjust. A figure stood beside a shelf, going through a box. The figure moved suddenly, and he backed into the shadows near the wall. The person walked into the gray light coming from the window.
It was Leslie. What was she holding? Was that a rock? No, probably not. Leslie didn't carry rocks around. Donald crept closer through the shadows. She seemed too engrossed in what she was doing to notice him, so he moved a little closer still, until he was right behind her.
Leslie smiled to herself. This was the first time in a long time she'd gotten her hands on a bit of obsidian. It felt good to feel the cool smoothness again. She carefully dragged her thumb against the edge. The slender edge pressed into her thumb. Not enough to bleed, but it still felt pretty good. Hands suddenly held onto her wrists, with a strong, gentle grip. The right one slowly pressed down, making her drop the obsidian. The left entwined its fingers into hers.
"I thought you were going to stop?"
Leslie recognized his voice, and smiled.
"I thought you'd stay with the Trebles." She responded.
"This is serious, Les." She turned to face him. Donald's face –which she could see just barely- was outlined in worry, and a rainy kind of sadness. Her smile fell at his look.
"I just-" she started, but couldn't finish. He leaned down, until his nose touched hers.
"Why are you guys here?" he whispered.
"I-" she couldn't think of a way to put it. He shook his head slightly.
"That's not a reason, Les. Why are you guys here? It's not safe. You promised me you wouldn't come back." He said. She shook a little bit as he ran his hand down her arm.
"You just left."
"I know. That's why I said good-bye."
"You wouldn't have come back."
"I know that too. I'd have stayed here a while, though. You could've come on your own."
"I don't know my way on my own from Barden."
"That wouldn't have stopped you."
"You left."
"We just determined that."
"You left me."
"I would've come back eventually."
"Not to Barden."
"But to you." He said, capturing her lips with his.
It was possibly the greatest kiss Leslie had ever experienced. It was a little unexpected, but she saw it coming. It was sweet, but also rough. Donald let his hands rest on her lower back, pulling her towards him.
When he drew back, he looked into her eyes. She could see a bit of hurt in his eyes. She couldn't tell if it was his hurt, or the hurt reflecting from her eyes.
"Please come back to Barden?" she asked. He shook his head.
"I can't. No point. I'm not a Treble anymore, and there are better colleges I can go to for my degree. Barden was just my choice because you and Bumper decided to go." He said, leaning to her ear to whisper the next part.
"Anyways, it'll be worth it even more to love you if I have to break rules to get to you."
She shivered a little.
"But, Donald," she said quietly, a sadness taking over her. He smiled, and kissed her cheek.
"It'll be okay," he whispered in her ear. "We'll still be with each other. I'm not leaving you, just Barden." She shook her head.
"Please don't." she begged him quietly. He kissed her again quickly, then pulled her away from the window.
"Let's go back down to the others. You guys need to get back to Barden before someone notices twenty-one students are missing." He said, leading her to back to the ladder.
He urged her down the ladder. Quietly, he led her away down the stairs, going back to the foyer. He had a hold of her hand as he called out.
"Come back downstairs, guys! You can stop searching!" he called loudly. Within seconds, everyone had rushed there. Unicycle and Jesse both grinned when they saw Donald. Bumper's face lit up.
"Donald, dude," Bumper said, walking over and hugging the beatboxer. Donald stood stiff, and shook his head back.
"Don't. Bumper, stop." He said, pushing Bumper back. Bumper looked at him.
"What? Aren't you coming back to Barden with us?" he asked. Donald shook his head.
"No. I don't belong there if I'm not a Treble." He said. Before he continue, all the Trebles began talking loudly. Jesse and Unicycle were loudest.
"We'll take you back, Donald! We want you as a Treblemaker!" they said. Donald shook his head.
"Even if I came back to the Treblemakers, I still wouldn't enjoy myself at Barden." He said, pulling Leslie to closer to him. Everyone immediately turned to Aubrey. She looked like she felt a little trapped.
"No, I can't! I can't break tradition!" she said, shaking her head. Beca and Jesse looked at her in disbelief.
"You let me and Jesse date!" Beca cried. Aubrey gave a defeated look, but still shook her head, ignoring Beca.
"Absolutely not." She said. Unicycle, his short temper taking over, walked over to her, and pushed her up against a wall.
"Dammit, Aubrey! Why are you so stuck on tradition?" he said. She looked absolutely shocked.
"Oh my god! For serious, put me down!" she said. He shook his head.
"Why are you so against us Trebles? Why hate on us? What did we do to you? The other Bellas like us!" he cried. Everyone stood in their spots. No one wanted to fight Unicycle. The only one who could've taken him was Donald, and Donald was obviously not going to fight him.
Aubrey's lower lip quivered a bit.
"It's what you didn't do." She said quietly. Unicycle looked at her, surprised. He carefully set her down.
"What?"
"You guys always were after the other Bellas. Either to screw them, or as a friend or whatever. None of you ever tried to befriend me. You were always mean to me, for no fucking reason. Why would I like you guys?" she asked. All the Trebles looked at her.
"Well, do you want to be our friend?" Greg asked. Aubrey shrugged.
"I don't know." She said. Kolio smiled.
"If we were your friend, would you stop hating on us?" he asked. Aubrey shrugged.
"I don't know." She said. Beca could see Aubrey's will deteriorating, and she grinned.
"Well, even if you don't know, would you let Donald and Leslie date? Donald's never been mean to you. At least not on purpose." She said, poking Aubrey's side. Chloe nodded.
"Yeah, and Donald and Leslie are adorable." Chloe said. Aubrey looked around at everyone's faces. She sighed.
"Would Donald come back and stay at Barden if I let them date?" she asked. Everyone turned to Donald, who just grinned.
"I'd love to stay, Aubrey." He said simply. Aubrey nodded.
"Okay! Fine! Bellas can date Trebles! But, if Trebles get in the way of our rehearsals, we'll have issues." She said. Donald grinned, and leaned down to kiss Leslie again. Wolf-whistles shot around the room as she kissed back. Bumper grinned.
"Guess who's in Treble?" Bumper asked loudly, and as Leslie and Donald's kiss broke, Donald raised his hand. Grins and cheers flashed across the room. Suddenly thunder shook the entire mansion. A scream echoed through the air, then stopped. Everyone turned to the sound of it.
Aubrey stood there, looking absolutely terrified. She was too scared even to blush, because she just looked around at the others looking terrified. Unicycle, who was still standing near her, turned to her, a slightly amused look on his face.
"Is little Miss the Aubrey Posen scared of thunder?" he asked, emphasizing 'the'. Aubrey didn't try to be prideful about it, and nodded. Unicycle smiled kindly.
"Awh, you're adorable." He said, scooping her into his arms. Thunder crashed again, and Aubrey squeaked, and buried her head into Unicycle's chest. He grinned, and held onto her.
"You're cute, Aubrey." Unicycle said. Aubrey didn't respond. Leslie smiled.
"Okay, guys, well this place really isn't safe during thunderstorms, and I'm getting tired, and one of the Trebles is hungry, I can hear their stomach, so I think we should leave. Anyways, I'm sure someone has noticed our disappearance, and we'll get in Treble for leaving campus, so." She said. The others nodded, some of them smiling at her mock of Bumper. He rolled his eyes.
"Shut up. And Kolio can drive the bus back." He said, tossing the keys to Kolio. They all left the mansion, and headed towards the bus. They all got in. Kolio started it up, and pulled away. Jesse was giving directions back to Barden, while everyone else chattered.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn't crowded. Leslie was sitting in Donald's lap, Beca was in Jesse's lap, Aubrey was in Unicycle's lap, Chloe was in Benji's lap, and Bumper and Greg shared the hammock chair. They lasted about ten minutes before they felt the need to sing something again.
Unicycle, who had been successful in distracting Aubrey from the thunder, grinned, and sat a little straighter.
"I've got a perfect song. I need a beat and a bass line." He said, looking at Donald and Leslie. Leslie and Donald looked at each other, and Donald whispered something in her ear. She nodded, smiling.
Since they sang the entire time, the ride back to Barden didn't take long. When they got there, Kolio pulled up to the Treble House. He parked, and cut the engine off.
"Okay, everyone out. I'm hungry, so we should order pizza to celebrate." He said. They filed off the bus, and walked up to the Treble House. Once inside, Bumper ordered pizza, and they all hung out. After everyone had eaten, Bumper went over to the kitchen counter, and picked up the maroon Treble jacket he'd set there earlier.
Throwing it at Donald, he said, "I believe this is yours." He said. Donald caught it, and grinned.
"Hell yeah!" he said, pulling it on, and pushing up the sleeves. Everyone grinned. Donald smiled, and stood up. He offered his hand to Leslie.
"Join me for a moment?" he asked, and she nodded, smiling. She took his hand, and he led her up the stairs, down to the room he'd claimed as his. Behind them, Beca called after the two.
"Make good choices!"
Even though all the Trebles had dorm rooms, a lot of them had rooms in the Treble House as well, just so they could spend weekends there, or if rehearsals lasted too long, or parties lasted too long, no one would have to go back to the dorms. Donald's room was probably the best in the house, which was partially due to his design skills. He smiled as he led her in.
"Hey, I just wanted us to get a chance alone for a few minutes. C'mere." He said, sitting on his bed, and pulling her onto his lap.
"You know I would've left if Aubrey didn't want me dating you." He whispered. Leslie nodded.
"Yeah, I know. I'm glad you didn't, though. I would miss you. So fucking much." She said. He grinned, and kissed her briefly. When he pulled back, he thought of something.
"Were you really going to cut again?" he asked her, reminding her of her visit to the attic. She shrugged.
"I don't know. I think I might've if you hadn't stopped me. It just felt like an amazing relief when I felt the obsidian again." She said. He shook his head.
"No, I'm your amazing relief." He said, laying on his back, pulling her with him. She smiled.
"That's good. I love you, Donald." She said. He nodded.
"I love you too, Leslie." He said, then kissed her again.
It was the second best kiss she'd ever experienced.