A/N: Alright, as most of my regular readers know I try to stay to cannon timelines, etc. as much as possible. I do change things sometimes to fit the story (usually it's along the lines of Aubrey going to graduate school instead of the Lodge, but whatever). I'm just letting you know in advance that I'm changing the timeline just a touch here, you'll know when you see it (and no, it's not in this chapter). Also, we're using my (and a number of other people's head cannon that Stacie is smart and a science major.
Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate them (and thanks for reading this everyone). I won't always address them individually in my A/N, but doing it tonight helped cheer me up a little …
Malexfaith, thanks for the words of support and don't worry, there's at least a couple of chapters in this one (although some are going to be a little angsty).
Kimmania: As always, thanks for the wonderful review and I've already mentioned about the comment on them getting together in my earlier response
Southamerica5: Thanks for your kind words and thanks for understanding what I was trying to get at – she should have known, which means there is a chance the two of them can get together (and I think it was one of the reasons that Beca ended up in NY and Jesse ended up in LA in the actual movie).
Guest – thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this universe, unfortunately.
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The four girls laughed as they moved the meager belongings into Amy, Chloe and Beca's one bedroom apartment. How Amy talked the other two into giving her the bedroom baffled Stacie, plus she couldn't help but feel a little jealous that the bubbly redhead would be sharing a bed with Beca. Not that she was still harboring feelings for the badass DJ or anything.
After they unloaded the girls' belongings, they drove the U-Haul the two miles to Stacie's new apartment and finished unloading the truck. Stacie looked around her new apartment, vowing that she was starting over in her new home. No more Hunter, no more pining over Beca, no more using sex as a way to hide her true feelings. She looked at Beca as the smaller brunette brought up a pair of boxes stacked on top of each other and gave her a soft smile. Beca caught her gaze and gave a soft smile back.
The girls fell into an easy routine. Work, dinners out occasionally with each other and movie nights at least every other weekend. Stacie crashed down on the couch next to Beca on one of these movie nights after about nine months in New York. She smiled over at her friend, "So how're things with Jesse?"
Beca sighed, "I don't really know. He's been getting a little more distant when we Skype. I know this long distance thing isn't ideal but I just need to get a year or three under my belt working for one of the smaller studios here before I can get my foot in the door somewhere in L.A."
Stacie wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, rubbing her hands up and down her arms, "I know Becs and he knows that too. He probably just misses you."
Beca gave a weak smile, "You're probably right. Enough of my pitiful love life, how's things going with Jenna?"
Stacie dropped her hands to her lap, a frown gracing her lips, "Same way it went with Michael….and Johnathan…and Susan."
Now it was Beca's turn to take the other girl into a hug, pulling her head to her shoulder and softly stroking her hair. She gave a little huff, "If they can't wait for you, then they don't deserve to be with you."
Stacie mimicked Beca's huff, "I'm not being stupid with my two month rule? Right?"
Beca continued to stroke her hair, "Stacie, if they aren't willing to wait two months to sleep with you then they definitely don't deserve you."
Stacie wrapped her arms around Beca's waist and leaned more into the smaller girl, "But nobody wants to wait, they just keep ghosting me after I tell them."
Beca kissed the top of her head, "You'll find someone Stacie."
Stacie smiled against Beca's chest, "You promise?"
Beca smiled against the top of Stacie's head, "I promise."
Chloe picked that moment to burst through the door, "Sorry I'm late. But I picked up pizza on the way."
Stacie jumped out of Beca's arms, "Pizza, awesome!" Beca just laughed at the antics of her friends.
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Three months later Beca was sitting on the edge of Stacie's bed, crying into her shoulder, "I don't know why I'm so upset. I saw this coming. He's been pulling away for months now."
Stacie gave small, comforting noises as she stroked Beca's hair, trying to console her distraught friend. She mumbled into her hair, "Shhh, I'm so sorry Becs. I know you wanted this to work."
Beca pulled Stacie tighter against her, her hands desperately clinging to the taller girl's back, "He already had a new girlfriend. He's been dating her for weeks. That's what hurts the most, the fact that he couldn't even man up and break up with me before he started dating someone. They already have a cat Stacie, a cat."
Stacie continued to console her friend, even though this new news set her blood boiling. She'd have to get with Chloe and Amy to see if there was any way they could get even with the damned Treble. Her hands continued to move slowly up and down Beca's back, "Shhh, you'll be alright. You have me, Chloe and Amy, we'll take care of you."
Beca sniffled against her chest, "I don't want to be a third wheel with any of you. I mean there's no way I'd ever hang with Amy and Bumper and Chloe just started seeing Kurt.." Beca pulled out of the embrace and grabbed Stacie's hands, excited for the first time since she got to the apartment, "..and how's things going with David?"
Stacie's face bloomed into an excited smile, "Oh my God Beca, he's so great. He didn't even balk when I told him we couldn't sleep together for two months. Then he's been taking me all over town for dates the past month. I'm even thinking of breaking down and not waiting the full two months."
Beca squeezed her hands, "Don't you dare. You set the two month date for a reason and don't you even think of changing it. If he really wants you, he'll wait and it will be so much better for you to know that he actually cared enough to wait."
Stacie smiled at her friend, "Fine, I'll wait."
Beca squeezed her hands again, giving her a look to make sure she was being serious, "Good."
Then she collapsed back against Stacie's side, "Now just hold me and feed me ice cream so I can mope."
Beca woke in the morning wrapped up in Stacie's arms. She smiled as she looked at the peaceful face lying next to her and couldn't help the surge of emotions it brought out in her. She could never deny the fact that she found the taller girl attractive and that there was something almost tangible between them, but she didn't realize it until after she started dating Jesse. She sighed at her luck, now that she was free to explore those feelings, her friend had found someone that made her excited…like Jesse used to do for her when they had first started dating. She sighed to herself, the mixture of feelings threatening to bring tears again and she could only deal with crying for so long. She still hurt over Jesse's betrayal, but to be honest she had been preparing herself for the breakup for weeks. She had this overwhelming desire to kiss Stacie, just to see what it would be like, but that wouldn't be fair to the poor girl. She deserved to be happy and explore whatever it was that she had with David.
Stacie picked that moment to wake up and look at her. She saw the look in Beca's eyes and gave a soft, "Morning, everything alright?"
Beca smiled back at her, "It will be. Thanks for everything Stace."
Stacie pulled her tighter against her body, giving her forehead a small kiss, "Anything for you Becs."
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It was barely a month later and the two girls were sitting in almost the exact same position. The only difference was that Beca was cradling a crying Stacie in her arms, her hands working soothing circles over the taller girl's back while trying to restrain herself enough to not get up and do some serious damage to someone, a particular someone named David.
Stacie sobbed against Beca's chest, "This is why I had the Hunter, I couldn't get hurt that way."
Beca continued rubbing her back, "But then you'd never find actual love Stace."
Stacie squeezed the smaller girl tighter, "Why would I want that when it hurts like this? He didn't just ghost me after sleeping with me, he actually smirked when he saw me outside his office before he turned around and walked the opposite direction."
Beca leaned her head against the taller girl's, "I'm so sorry Stacie, but you are worth it. So that asshat couldn't see what he was giving up and if I ever see him again I'll kick his ass for what he did. Don't give up just because some dumb ass just wanted to get laid."
Stacie sniffled, "But what if nobody sees me like that?"
Beca reached down and lifted Stacie's chin with her finger, "I see it Stace."
Stacie gave her a weak smile, "I know you do Becs."
Beca gave a small sigh, "It's late. Let's just curl up and get some sleep. I'll take you out tomorrow and try to take your mind off of everything."
Stacie climbed up into the bed, waiting until Beca slid under the covers next to her before she curled up with her back against the smaller girl and sighed when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, trying to protect her from the world.
Beca woke the next morning to a pair of warm brown eyes looking at her. She gave a small smile before speaking, "Morning."
Stacie responded with a bright "Morning," before her brow furrowed in concentration.
Beca noticed the change in the brunette and moved to brush a strand of hair off of Stacie's face, tucking it behind her ear, "What's wrong?"
Stacie's forehead relaxed as a small smile crossed her lips, "Remember when I said we were inevitable?"
Beca just nodded, not trusting herself to speak at the moment. She watched as Stacie slowly moved towards her, her gaze never leaving Beca's. Beca licked her lips in response to Stacie licking hers. Stacie moved in slowly enough that Beca would have time to move away if this wasn't what she wanted. She gave a small smile as Beca slowly moved towards her in response.
Stacie stopped just before their lips touched. She whispered, "Are you sure?" When she got the barest of nods from the nervous girl holding her, she moved the last few centimeters forward and brushed her lips slowly over Beca's. She pulled back a fraction of an inch after the first brief kiss and both girls let out the breath they were holding in almost identical small satisfied sighs, their breath mixing between them. Stacie brought her lips back to Beca's, moving them slowly over them, molding them to the smaller girl's.
The two girls kissed for a few minutes; slow, languid kisses that left the girls breathless and wanting more. Beca tugged Stacie's bottom lip between her teeth, pulling slightly as the taller girl let out a small moan. Stacie's hands slid down, cupping Beca's ass and squeezing firmly, pulling Beca tighter her body as her tongue teased Beca's out.
Beca pulled back suddenly, pushing two hands against Stacie's chest. The taller girl panicked slightly, "What's wrong Beca? I'm sorry, I thought you…I mean you nodded…I'm so sorry."
Beca leaned in and kissed the babbling girl into silence. She pulled back and stroked the back of her fingers along Stacie's cheek, "Shhh, there's nothing wrong Stace. I promise."
Stacie calmed a little, "Then why did you stop us?", a small smirk gracing her lips as she leaned forward again.
Beca kept her hands firmly on Stacie's chest, holding the woman back, "Because if we keep that up we are both going to get too excited and I don't know if I'll be able to make it two months if you do."
Stacie groaned, "I've been waiting over four years for this, it's alright Becs."
Beca leaned in and brushed a quick kiss over Stacie's lips before resting her forehead against Stacie's, "Then two more months won't kill us."
Stacie groaned, "Why? I already know you won't hurt me."
Beca used her hands to help Stacie turn around, pulling her back against her, nuzzling into her neck from behind, "I know Stacie, but you deserve someone willing to show you that you're worth waiting for."
Stacie gave a small smile, her head moving to indicate that Beca should continue what she was doing to her neck, "Do I have to remind you…four years."
Beca nuzzled her neck again, "Mmmhmm…we may have been dancing around each other for four years, but it's only been a couple of hours since we've been able to actually show our feelings for each other."
Stacie sighed, "I can still kiss you, right?"
Beca nipped her ear, "You damn well better."
