THE HEART WANTS WHAT IT WANTS
CHAPTER 4

A/N: Please note that this chapter deals with a character's death.


"Beca, can I see you for a minute?" Aubrey asked.

Beca looked up at her and nodded her head. "Sure," she said and followed Aubrey into the living room. "What's up?"

"Chloe wants to talk to you," Aubrey said.

"She does?" Beca asked, surprised, and somewhat worried. "Why?"

"Well, she apologized to me," Aubrey said. "So, I'm guessing she wants to do the same to you."

"Is she going to Tampa?" Beca asked.

"Ask her," Aubrey said, giving Beca a small push towards the stairs. Beca stopped and stared at Aubrey. "I thought you wanted her to want to talk to you. Well, she wants to talk to you, so, please, go talk to her."

Beca stood for a moment, looking at Aubrey. She finally nodded her head, mumbled 'fine' and made her way upstairs.

Beca stood outside Chloe's bedroom door for at least two minutes before she raised her hand to knock. She stood there with her fist raised for another minute before she finally connected with the door. Then she only softly tapped on it twice.

"It's, um, me. Beca," Beca said through the door. She heard a muffled 'come in' and opened the door. She held onto the doorknob and stood with uncertainty just over the threshold. She saw Chloe sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed. "Aubrey said you wanted to talk to me."

"You can come all the way in you know," Chloe said with a soft smile.

"Oh, um, yeah, okay," Beca said. She entered farther into the room, leaving the door open.

Chloe watched her and patted the bed in front of her, signifying that Beca should sit there. Beca was unsure if she wanted to be that close to Chloe with all that's happened. She hesitated and looked at Chloe.

"Please," Chloe said. "Come sit here."

Beca shuffled over to the bed and got on it, sitting cross-legged like Chloe, facing her.

"Thank you for coming up," Chloe said, looking at her hands which she was clasping in front of her. "I know it wasn't easy for you to do that. Especially after everything that's happened between us; everything I've done."

"I'm glad you finally decided to talk to me," Beca said, trying not to show how nervous she was.

"I'm sorry for all that," Chloe said, looking at Beca and then back down at her hands. "I've been really shitty to you, and I'm sorry. I can't explain why I did what I did, but I am sorry I did it. You deserved better."

"Okay," Beca said. She waited for Chloe to say something else. After a minute or two of uncomfortable silence, Beca gave a heavy sigh and started to get off the bed. "Well, if that's it-" Chloe grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving.

"Please, stay," Chloe said, eyes watery from unshed tears. "Please, just give me a minute. I had all these things in my head I wanted to say to you, but after all that stuff you said, and having you actually in front of me, I don't know what to say."

Beca looked at Chloe and then down at Chloe's hand on her arm. Chloe let go, and Beca sat back down on the bed.

"How about we start with what your plans are," Beca said.

"I'm going back to Tampa with my folks," Chloe said.

"That's good," Beca said with a smile. "It certainly makes me feel better because I know your mom will make sure you're taking care of yourself."

"Yeah," Chloe said.

"So, when are you leaving?," Beca asked.

"Tomorrow," Chloe said. "My dad needs to get back to work."

"That works out well for both us," Beca said. "I was going to ask Amy about flying back to L.A. tomorrow. I want to work on some songs for the album so I can have something to show to Khaled on Thursday."

"I'm sure whatever you come up with will be awesome," Chloe said.

"Yeah, I guess," Beca said. She sat staring at her hand as it plucked at the blanket for a minute before looking at Chloe. "Why did you lie to me, Chlo? About your feelings for Chicago."

Chloe felt tears come to her eyes. "I didn't lie to you." At Beca's look of disbelief, Chloe added, "I swear I didn't have any real feelings for Chicago when I told you that."

"Then why'd you sleep with him?" Beca asked.

Chloe looked down at the bed, not able to meet Beca's eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped at a tear that fell down her cheek. "I don't know. Something changed. He made me feel special. He was saying all the things I needed to hear. He liked me; he wanted me. And, then he kissed me at the party and wanted to go to my room. It felt nice to be wanted like that."

"Why'd you do it with him in our room?" Beca asked softly. "You had to know I was coming back there at some point. Did you want me to see you? As some kind of punishment or something?"

"No," Chloe said as the tears continued to fall. "You were busy with the party and everything; I figured we'd be done and out of there before you came back. In a way, I used Chicago to try and move on, like you and Amy were."

"That's the thing, Chlo," Beca said sadly. "I was moving on, but I was hoping it was on to something better that we'd be sharing. Together."

"I didn't know that," Chloe snapped at Beca. "Everything was happening so fast, and I felt like I was being left behind because I didn't have any real plans. It really hit home that your life was changing when, after your performance, Theo came and you left with him. We barely saw you after that."

"Theo had some interviews set up for me," Beca snapped back, copying Chloe's tone. "It was part of my new job. What was I supposed to do? It wasn't like I went backstage to fuck him or something."

Chloe's eyes shot up, and Beca saw the hurt in them. She knew she had been too harsh, but she couldn't bring herself to apologize.

"I'm," Beca starts to speak and stops. She ran a hand through her hair and looked at Chloe. "I should probably just go."

"I know I messed up, but I do love you, Beca," Chloe said. "And I'll spend the rest of my life proving that to you if you'll let me."

"I don't think," Beca takes a deep breath and pauses. "I don't think I can keep doing this. Every time we do, I walk away even more hurt than before." Beca wiped a tear from her cheek. "We both have a lot going on, and I think we need to take a step back. You need to worry about taking care of yourself and your baby. And I need to get out there and prove to DJ Khaled he didn't make a mistake by choosing to sign me." Beca grabbed Chloe's hand and held onto it. "I still want you in my life, but I don't want to get your hopes up that it will be anything more than friends. So, I think we should just be friends and that's all. Okay?"

Chloe let out a sob. It hurt to hear, but she knew Beca was right. "Okay. Friends it is."

"I'm going to go now," Beca said and let go of Chloe's hand.

"I really am sorry for everything," Chloe said. "For sleeping with Chicago, for pushing you away, for everything. I hope one day you'll be able to forgive me."

"I do forgive you. Friends, remember?" Beca said. "We both made some mistakes. We just have to learn from them."

"Look at you being all grown up," Chloe said with a small laugh.

"Yeah, well, it had to happen sometime," Beca said with a shrug. "Now, can I get a hug? I probably won't see you for a while, and I do miss your hugs."

"You never have to ask," Chloe said and grabbed Beca to her. Beca held Chloe tight, and Chloe held onto Beca until Beca finally pulled out of the hug. "Let me know when you're back in L.A."

"I will," Beca said. She got off the bed and squeezed Chloe's hand. She went to the door and opened it wider to leave when Chloe called her name. She looked back over her shoulder at Chloe.

"I really do love you," Chloe said as tears streamed down her face.

"I know," Beca said and walked out the door, closing it softly behind her.

~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~

Chloe stared at the closed door for several minutes after Beca left. She finally wiped her eyes and got up. She decided to take a few minutes and clean herself up before heading downstairs to let everyone see she was fine; that things were going to be okay. In other words, she was going to put on an Oscar-worthy performance of someone who had their shit together.

Beca took a moment to compose herself before she went downstairs to find everyone still in the kitchen, chatting. All eyes turned to her when she walked in, and she gave them all a small smile.

"Everything's fine," Beca said. "Chloe promised to take care of herself."

"Are you okay?" Aubrey asked.

"What? Me? Pfft, sure," Beca said, a tear falling down her cheek betraying her.

Beca shrugged and blushed, hating to have them see her cry again. She looked over at Amy, who was making faces and playing with Bella.

"Hey, Ames," Beca called out getting the blonde Aussie's attention. "Do you think we can fly back to L.A. tomorrow? I want to get back and work on some songs for my meeting with Theo and DJ Khaled."

"You got it, boss," Amy said. "The pilot will be ready to go whenever I need him to."

"You rented the jet for the entire time we would be here?" Beca asked, incredulous at the thought.

"No," Amy said and smirked. "I bought the jet. The pilot comes with it, so he works for me."

Five jaws dropped when they heard Amy say she bought the jet.

"Are you serious?" Beca asked.

"Yeah," Amy said. "It's a great investment. Plus, it's a smaller, older jet, so it didn't cost that much. Now I can fly anywhere I want, whenever I want."

"Unbelievable," Carl said, shaking his head.

"What's unbelievable?" Chloe asked as she entered the kitchen.

"Oh, not much," Stacie said. "Amy just told us she bought a private jet."

Chloe's eyes widen, and her mouth dropped open. "No shit?"

"Language," Charlotte said chastising the redhead. "I won't have that kind of language used around my grandchild."

"Sorry," Chloe said sheepishly. She turned to Amy and asked, "You really bought a jet?"

"Yeah," Amy said. "So, whenever you want to come to L.A., give me a call and I'll send the jet for you. Wow, that sounds so cool to say."

"I'll keep that in mind," Chloe said, looking at Beca.

No one said anything for a moment, and Chloe looked at Aubrey. "Is there a chance I can get something to eat? We're kind of hungry." She put a hand on her stomach as she spoke.

"Well, breakfast is ruined," Aubrey said. "And, it's already close to lunchtime. How about we order something for delivery."

"Can we get Chinese?" Chloe said excitedly. "I'm really craving something spicy, like General Tso's Chicken or maybe Hunan Spicy Beef."

"Sounds like we're getting Chinese," Beca said with a laugh. "Aubrey if you order it, I'll pay for it."

"You're on," Aubrey said. She found the takeout menu for the place she and Stacie liked and passed it around. Once everyone decided what they want, Aubrey placed the order. Beca is standing next to her so she can give her credit card information.

Once the order was placed, Aubrey gave Beca a smile and went to sit next to Stacie. Mrs. Beale stood up and walked over to Beca and engulfed her in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

"It's just Chinese food," Beca said.

"You know that wasn't what I was talking about," Mrs. Beale said.

"I know," Beca said quietly. "But I really didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did," Mrs. Beale told her. "She's asking for food. I truly believe we would have spent days, or even longer trying to get to this point. And, now we have you to thank for talking some sense into her."

Mrs. Beale let Beca go, and they went to sit back down at the table. The group sat around chatting while waiting for their food. Chloe was a more active participant than she had been earlier.

"Hey, Chlo," Stacie called to get her attention. "Want to help me change Bella? Could be good practice for the real thing."

Chloe smiled and agreed. She followed Stacie up to Bella's room. Once they were there, Stacie laid Bella on the changing table and put a hand on Bella's stomach to gently hold her down.

"So, it looks like your talk with Beca went well," Stacie said, looking at Chloe.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I guess. We're going to stay in touch and be friends."

"You don't want to be friends?" Stacie asked.

"I do," Chloe said. "She said she didn't want to get my hopes up and all we could be was friends. I love being her friend, but, I'm not going to lie. I really want something more with her. I know my actions haven't shown it lately, but I am in love with her. I just messed it all up by being stupid and immature. I should have been happy that she had this great opportunity happening, and all I could do was think of myself. I hope that she can forgive me, and I can show her that I do love her as more than a friend before she finds someone else."

"I understand where you're coming from," Stacie said. "I mean, look at me and Brey. Who knew the two of us would get together? It took a lot for both of us to get over our insecurities about my reputation to even think about being together. We talked, and she assured me that my reputation, and the fact that Bella wasn't planned, didn't make her want or love me any less."

Chloe leaned against the wall by the changing table, chewing her bottom lip in thought.

"Stop worrying, or you'll make yourself sick over it," Stacie said. "Did you know that Brey and I got together after Worlds?"

"What?" Chloe said. "She never told me about that."

"Yeah," Stacie said. "After we won, we both got drunk, and we hooked up. Then when we came back home, we went out a few times. Things were going well, but it seemed like whenever we went out, there was someone I hooked up with making the moves on me. It got to be too much for Brey, and she ended it."

"I'm sorry," Chloe said.

"Don't be," Stacie said. "I never forgot my time with Brey. And, as much as she was unexpected, I wouldn't trade having Bella for anything. When I couldn't do the USO Tour because I was pregnant, Aubrey called me, and we started talking again. When Bella was born, she was the first person I called. We talked more, and when the tour was over, she moved in, and we're talking about making things a little more permanent. Before you get too excited, it's not happening any time soon. But, it will. I love her, and she loves me. I couldn't ask for a better person to raise Bella with."

"She's a keeper," Chloe said and wiped a tear from her eye. She was so happy that her best friend had found someone. "You know Brey's my best friend. So, mom or not, if you hurt her, you will have to answer to me."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Stacie said with a laugh. "Now, I think we should get this one changed and get back downstairs."

Stacie stands back and lets Chloe take charge of changing Bella. When Chloe was done, she picked Bella up and followed Stacie out of the room. Just as they were coming out, Aubrey was there.

"Oh, I was just coming to get you guys," Aubrey said. "The food's here, and Amy and Beca still need to pack so they decided to take theirs with them. They're waiting to say goodbye."

"Okay," Stacie said. "We're done here anyway."

The three women go downstairs to see Beca and Amy standing by the door with Carl and Charlotte. Charlotte was pulling away from a hug with Beca when Beca caught sight of Chloe carrying Bella down the stairs. She gave Chloe a small smile when she found Chloe's eyes on her.

Aubrey hugged Beca and then Amy. Stacie did the same and turned to take Bella from Chloe so she could say goodbye.

"Carrying a baby looks good on you," Beca said when Chloe turned to pull her into a hug. Chloe smiled and pulled Beca tightly to her. "I love you," Beca whispered.

"I know," Chloe whispered back. Beca chuckled and tightened her hold on Chloe. They stood there holding onto each other, neither wanting to let go, but knowing they had to. Beca finally gave a heavy sigh and pulled back from the hug.

"Call me if you need anything," Beca said. "And I mean anything. Okay?"

"I will," Chloe said teary-eyed. "Let me know when your song is coming out. I want to make sure I'm listening."

"Definitely," Beca said.

"Okay, Amy," Chloe said, turning to the Aussie. "Give me a hug but not too tight. I don't want my child to get squished."

"Don't worry, Red," Amy said and hugged the redhead. "I know how to handle precious cargo."

"Take care of her for me," Chloe whispered. "And let me know when it looks like she might be ready for us to be more than friends."

"I will," Amy whispered back.

"Okay," Chloe said, smiling. She pulled out of the hug and stepped back.

A horn sounded from outside, and Amy said, "That's our ride."

Mr. Beale handed the bag with their food in it to Beca. There are more quick hugs and goodbyes. Amy and Beca make their way outside, and Beca waved back at everyone as they pulled away.

~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~

As the driver made his way to the hotel, Beca's phone started ringing. She looked at the caller ID expecting to see Chloe or maybe Aubrey's name; instead, she saw it was an unknown local number. She answered.

"Hello?" Beca said hesitantly. "Yes, this is she." Her hand goes to her mouth, and tears start rolling down her face as she listens to whoever is on the other end of the call. "Um, yeah, okay. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Amy looked at Beca. "What's wrong?"

"That, um. That was the hospital here in Atlanta," Beca said. "My dad and Sheila were in a car accident. They said I should get to the hospital as soon as possible."

Beca started shaking, the emotions of the day overtaking her. Amy asked Beca what hospital and then told the driver, "Max, we need to get to the Atlanta Medical Center and hurry."

Max changed direction and hurried as fast as he could with getting pulled over. They pulled into the Emergency Room entrance.

"I can wait for you if you'd like," Max told Amy.

"That would be good," Amy said. "As a matter of fact, consider yourself hired for another week. We may be here a while longer than planned."

"Yes, ma'am," Max said.

Amy helped Beca out of the car, and they hurried inside. They made their way to the receptionist's desk and stared at the receptionist. Amy took charge and told the receptionist, "This is Beca Mitchell. She received a call about her father and stepmother. They were in a car accident."

"What are their names?" the receptionist asked.

"Ben and Sheila Mitchell," Beca said, finally finding her voice. "Are they-. Are they okay?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I don't have any information on them," the receptionist told her. "The doctor will be out to speak with you in just a moment. Please have a seat in the waiting area."

Beca and Amy found two seats together and sat. Beca is fidgeting, and her leg is bouncing up and down. Amy quietly reached over and took Beca's hand firmly in hers and held it. Beca looked at Amy and then down at their hands.

"Thank you," Beca said softly.

Amy gave her a slight nod, and they sat quietly, waiting for word on Ben and Sheila Mitchell's condition.

~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~

Charlotte was helping Aubrey clean up after everyone was finished with lunch. Chloe was talking quietly with her dad, and Stacie had put Bella down for a nap and was walking back into the kitchen when Aubrey's phone rang. Aubrey looked at the caller ID before answering.

"Hey, Amy," Aubrey said with a smile. "You miss us already?"

Aubrey's smile dropped as she heard sobbing through the phone. "Amy, is that Beca? What happened? Are you guys okay?"

Stacie immediately walked to stand by Aubrey. Charlotte froze and looked at Aubrey. Aubrey's face paled as she looked over at Chloe. Sensing the news was not good, Carl put his arm around Chloe's shoulders.

"What is it, Brey?" Chloe asked. "What's happening?"

Amy was trying to hold a sobbing Beca up while talking to Aubrey on the phone.

"Dr. Mitchell and his wife were in a car accident," Amy said through her tears. "They didn't make it."

Aubrey gasped and put a hand to her chest. Tears fell from her eyes.

"Where, where are you?" Aubrey stammered. "We'll meet you there."

"No," Amy said. "I'm bringing Beca back to yours. She's going to need us all in the next few days."

"Okay," Aubrey said. "Be careful."

Aubrey ended the call and turned to the four anxious and worried faces in front of her.

"Is Beca okay?" Chloe asked, tears already falling from her eyes.

"Um, Beca's dad and stepmom were killed in a car accident," Aubrey said.

"Oh, no," Charlotte said.

"Amy's bringing her back here," Aubrey added as the tears continued to fall. Stacie pulled Aubrey to her. They held each other as tears streamed down both their faces.

Chloe let out a sob, and her father pulled her into his arms and held her. Charlotte moved to hug her husband and daughter.

~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~

Her father's death hit Beca hard. They had formed a loving father/daughter relationship over the years since she had started attending Barden. At Beca's request, Amy had called Theo, and Beca's mother, Sarah, to let them know about her dad and Sheila.

Theo told Amy to let Beca know to take all the time she needed and to keep him updated on the funeral arrangements. He promised to make sure Khaled was kept informed.

Sarah was on a plane out of Portland, Maine, that same evening. Later that night, Aubrey answered the door to Sarah, and Beca immediately ran into her arms and sobbed until there were no more tears.

Everyone pitched in to help Beca make all the necessary funeral arrangements since Sheila didn't really have any family to speak of. The dean had contacted Beca to let them know that Barden's chapel would be made available to them if they wished to use it for the funeral service. Everything was planned, and family and friends were notified.

Sarah and Beca had spent the day after Sarah arrived at Ben and Sheila's house. The house felt so empty as Beca picked out a nice blue suit for him; Sarah chose a dress for Sheila in the same color.

The funeral was held four days after the accident that killed Beca's dad and Sheila. In that time, Beca hadn't wanted to eat or sleep. Everyone was extremely worried about her. Unfortunately, there was only so much anyone could do; except for Chloe.

Chloe was the only one who could get Beca to eat anything, meager though it was. She was also the only who could get Beca to rest by laying with her and holding Beca while she slept for an hour or two, here and there.

The night before the funeral, Beca wanted to spend it in her dad's house because she felt closest to him there. Sarah and Amy stayed with her. Chloe offered but Beca said Chloe needed her rest and she'd be okay sleeping alone.

The house was left to Beca, and she needed to decide what to do about it. After walking through all the rooms and talking to her mom, she decided to put it up for sale. She also decided to wait a bit to give her time to clear everything out. For now, it would sit empty.

The morning of the funeral, Beca was sitting in her dad's home office. She sat and looked at the pictures that her dad had kept on his desk. There was one when she was about three, sitting on his lap and smiling at the camera. Another from a vacation trip they had taken to the Grand Canyon when she was five; it was just four months later that her dad walked out on her and her mom. The next three photos were from Beca's time at Barden. She picked up the first picture of her and her dad and traced his face with her finger. She had a small smile on her face as she stared at the photo.

"We should get going," Sarah said quietly from the doorway.

Beca just nodded and set the picture back down on the desk. She followed her mother and Amy out to the car and sat silently as the driver took them to the Barden Chapel where the services would be held before moving to the cemetery for a short graveside ceremony.

Sarah and Amy stood by Beca's side as she stood at the door, greeting people as they came into the chapel. Professors, some of whom Beca recognized from her time at Barden, and students alike somberly offered their condolences as they entered; Beca thanked them with the same somber tone. DJ Khaled and his wife came, as well as Theo. Beca seemed to perk up a bit when she saw Emily, Benji, and Jesse walk in. She hugged them all, and she clung to Jesse for a minute; she basked in the comfort that his arms provided.

"Thank you for coming," Beca whispered as she let him go.

Jesse gave her a sad smile and kissed her on the top of her head, knowing that no words would make Beca feel better.

All the Bellas came back to support Beca in her time of sorrow, and she was grateful they were there. She hugged them all tightly and thanked them for coming. The girls moved on to find seats.

Aubrey pulled Beca in tight and whispered in Beca's ear, "My folks send their regards."

Beca nodded and moved to hug Stacie. Stacie also pulled Beca into a tight hug and cried with her. They only released the hug when Aubrey shoved tissues at both of them. Beca gave her a grateful smile and wiped her eyes.

Beca looked worried when she saw Chloe and her parents come through the door. Chloe looked a bit pale.

Charlotte took Beca in her arms and hugged her. "If there is anything you need," Charlotte said. "Do not hesitate to ask. I mean it, Beca. Anything."

Beca swallowed and nodded her head. "Thank you."

Carl hugged Beca and kissed her on the side of her head. "Hang in there, kiddo."

Chloe moved up to stand in front of Beca and pulled her into a hug.

"Are you okay?" Beca whispered. "You don't look so good."

"Morning sickness," Chloe whispered back.

Beca chuckled and pulled out of the hug. "Thank you for staying. I don't know how I would have made it without you and your folks."

Chloe nodded and wiped at a tear. Before she could think of anything to say, Amy pulled her into a hug. Chloe then moved on to Sarah, who also pulled her into a tight hug. Sarah had always liked Chloe, and Amy had told her what had happened between Chloe and Beca.

"I know you being here means the world to Beca," Sarah whispered to Chloe. "It's been a hell of a few days for her, and I appreciate the love and support you and everyone else has given her."

"She's family," is all Chloe managed to croak out. She gave Sarah a teary-eyed smile and followed her parents to find seats.

~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~

A stoic Beca sat in the first row as the ceremony went on in front of her. She would not allow tears to fall while she listened to people she didn't know talk about her dad and Sheila. Beca's mind wandered back to her childhood as she thought about her dad. All the good times they had before the divorce. How she wished she hadn't shut him out of her life for as long as she did. This thought brought her mind to the Bellas. And somehow through her grief, she came to the realization that she had done to Chloe and the Bellas exactly what she had done to her dad. Shutting them out of her life because she thought it would hurt less if she didn't see any of them. That hadn't worked well for her so far, and she missed them.

Beca turned and looked through the crowd of people before spotting the Bellas all sitting together. They had tears in their eyes, and she knew that they were hurting for her.

She was startled when Chloe suddenly jumped up and ran down the aisle toward the back of the chapel. Everyone was looking at her as Aubrey and Charlotte both ran after her.

Beca wanted to follow, but Sarah's hand on hers caused her to stop and look at her mother.

"Charlotte and Aubrey have her," Sarah said. "She'll be okay."

Beca nodded and turned back around as the service continued. The dean gave a beautiful eulogy because Beca didn't think she could do it without falling apart.

The service ended, and Beca stood up. Amy stood to the side to walk out with the Bellas. Beca walked with her mother behind the caskets as they were wheeled out of the chapel. The attendees who were going to the cemetery exited the chapel and headed for their cars. Beca saw Chloe standing near the door with Charlotte and Aubrey. Chloe was looking down at the floor and had a hand on her stomach.

Beca walked out and stood just outside the door as the caskets were being placed in the hearse to take them to the cemetery.

"Chlo," Beca said when Chloe walked out of the chapel.

Chloe stepped toward Beca and stopped when they were standing facing each other. Charlotte and Aubrey stood off to the side to give them a little privacy.

"Um, are you okay?" Beca asked, her brow furrowed.

"I'm fine," Chloe said and blushed. "More morning sickness."

"Do you think we can talk again before you head to Tampa?" Beca asked nervously as she stood in front of Chloe.

"I'd like that," Chloe said without hesitation.

Beca swallowed and nodded. She whispered a quiet thank you and turned to walk back to her mother. Beca had only taken two steps when she suddenly whirled around and grabbed Chloe in a tight hug. Chloe was surprised but wrapped her arms around Beca and held on tight.

"I love you," Chloe whispered.

"I know," Beca said and smiled.

The two girls stood there with their arms around each other, only pulling apart when they heard Sarah quietly telling Beca it was time to go.

~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~

The next day, Sarah had to return home. Sarah insisted they say goodbye at Aubrey's. She held Beca, and they cried together before Sarah left for the airport; when Sarah let Beca go, Chloe was right there to pull her into her arms and comfort her.

Shortly after Sarah left for the airport, it was time for Carl and Charlotte to leave; Carl had to get back for work. Chloe cried a bit but knew she was going to be with them in a few days. Aubrey had invited Chloe to stay for a mini-Bellas reunion she and Stacie had planned. Chloe agreed when Amy offered to have the jet make a detour to Tampa when she and Beca left to return to L.A.

The next day, Aubrey and Stacie were getting things ready to have the Bellas over for a min-reunion before everyone left to go back home. Beca and Amy had come early to help out.

"Beca," Chloe said as they were finishing up. "Can we talk now? Before the girls get here."

"Yeah," Beca said. "Do you need me for anything, Stacie?"

"No," Stacie said with a smile. "You go ahead. We're good here."

Beca nodded and followed Chloe up to her room. They both sat on the bed with their backs against the headboard. Beca took Chloe's hand in hers.

"I, um, just wanted to say thank you for everything you did to help me with my dad and stuff," Beca said and looked down at her hand clasped in Chloe's. "I do love you, you know. Very much."

"But?" Chloe asked. "I hear a but coming."

Beca laughed. "You know me so well."

Beca took a moment and looked at Chloe. "But, I am emotionally drained right now. I need to take a step back and get my head together. I don't think I can handle more than one big event in my life, and I need to put all my focus on the album Khaled wants me to do. Theo and Khaled have given me so much time to take care of personal matters, that I owe them one hundred percent commitment to getting the album done. And, I'm going to need my friends now more than ever. And we are friends, right?"

"We are best friends, Beca," Chloe said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "And we will be best friends forever. You're stuck with me for life whether we become something more or not."

"Thank you," Beca said as she reached up and wiped the tear from Chloe's cheek. "Working on the album is going to take up all my time. So, if you don't hear from me, it's because I'm working, not because I'm giving up on us." Beca cleared her throat and turned to face Chloe. "I think I want to amend the friend thing. So, I was thinking that maybe when things are a bit more settled for both of us, we can revisit trying to be something more. If that's okay with you?"

"That's definitely a plan I can get behind," Chloe said with a smile.

The two friends sat quietly for a moment. Chloe turned to look at Beca.

"I need to apologize to you again. I was horrible to you in New York and when you came here. You were being a true friend, and I was being a child. I've matured in the last few days and know that my earlier behavior was unacceptable; especially toward you. And, I sincerely apologize for that. I can't change what I did, but I can change the way I do things moving forward. And, I promise you, I will show you I can also be a true friend and be there for you every step of the way, no matter what our status is or becomes down the road."

"Apology accepted," Beca said and pulled Chloe into a hug. "Just don't let it happen again."

"Never," Chloe said, and they broke the hug.

Before they could say anything more, they heard the doorbell ring. Chloe wiped at her face and said, "Sounds like the Bellas are here."

"Let's go," Beca said as they got off the bed.

~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~

A few hours later, everyone was scattered around the living room, chatting, and having a good time.

"I heard a new song on the radio this morning," Stacie said, looking at Beca. Her words captured everyone's attention. "It's really emotional and raw. And you sounded amazing."

Beca smiled a bittersweet smile. She was excited that her first song was released, but was sad that her dad didn't get a chance to hear her song being played on the radio.

"That was the last version I recorded before I came to Atlanta," Beca said. "I thought they'd want to tweak it a bit, but they didn't. And, I wasn't expecting Khaled to release it before I got back to L.A. It's all so surreal."

"I predict a Grammy in your future," Aubrey said.

"Here's to Beca Effin' Mitchell," Chloe said and raised her water bottle. "Future Grammy winner!"

"Hear, hear," the rest of the Bellas called out. The each took a drink and started talking at once about the song and congratulating Beca. Beca was feeling happy and smiled a real smile for the first time since she walked out of this same house just a week ago.

~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~

Amy, Beca, and Chloe hugged Aubrey and Stacie. Chloe cooed over Bella before handing her off to Stacie.

"Let us know when you get to Tampa," Aubrey said as she hugged Chloe once more.

"We'll send a group text, so everyone knows that baby Beale is safely in Tampa," Amy said.

"Let us know when you two make it to L.A.," Stacie told Beca. "Bella will be waiting on pins and needles to know that her Auntie Amy and Auntie Beca are safe at home."

"No, dude," Beca said, shaking her head. "No way am I going to be called Auntie Beca."

"I think it cute," Chloe said.

"You would, Beale," Beca snickered. Beca then turned serious. "Um, before we go, I want to thank all of you again for helping me get through the past week. I, um, I don't think I could have made it without you guys."

"We love you, Becs," Chloe said as she took Beca's hand.

"I know," Beca said. "I love you, guys, too."