Chapter 4

As soon as she woke she looked around seeing that everyone still asleep. She hoped that neither of their temporary roommates had noticed the way she was holding Chloe, or if they had that they didn't pay attention or brushed it off. She reluctantly slipped out bed, placing a discrete kiss on her forehead before she left the cabin.

When she left the hallway she took a deep breath of the windy and slightly salty fresh ocean air. It wasn't long before she spotted Daniel, already hard at work. They met the day before and she hit it off instantly with the sailor, reminding her of her brother. He was already hard at work even in this early hour.

"Beca! Good to see you! How's Chloe? She still struck down with the seasickness?"

"Yeah. I think she's worse, and she was really upset with everything last night. What should I do to make her feel better?"

Daniel was no stranger to dealing with seasick passengers. And even in peacetime, a long treck across an ocean was not usually a joyride. Many of his passengers were leaving their old lives behind forever. "Have her sit at the chairs in the front so she can see the whole ocean out in front of her." He cracked up slightly thinking of a joke. "Get some ginger tea for your ginger." Beca groaned and punched him in the arm for such a terrible joke. "No, but seriously. That helps. Mostly just distract her."

"Okay thanks! I'll try that." She started walking away, and turned back when spoke again, thinking of something else.

"Oh! These things help, on the other hand it honestly might not work. But don't tell her that. The more she thinks it will help, the more it probably will."

"Right. Okay. I'll see you later!"

Beca headed in the direction of the dining hall, but bypassed straight through it in favour of opening the door to the kitchen. She timidly got the attention of the ships jolly head cook. It wasn't too hard to get the items, the kitchen staff had a soft spot for the tiny brunette and her usually-bubbly redheaded traveling companion. Soon she was headed back to their cabin with a steaming cup of ginger tea and even a few pieces of fruit. She carried the fruit close to her, at this point, fruit was a luxury and a treat. And on a ship no less. She hoped the rarity of the fruit would be enticing enough to get Chloe to eat it, despite being sick. She blew into the tea gently so it wouldn't be too hot for Chloe.

Slipping in the room she noticed the other two ladies had gotten up and left in the time she was away. Chloe was still completely out. Her breathing sounded fitful, uneven and pained. Setting the tea and fruit aside, Beca bent down and kissed her forehead, damp from sweat, the hair sticking to it. "Chloe." She said softly, hand brushing her cheek trying to wake her up.

Chloe's nose twitched and she moaned her desire to go back to sleep. The moan soon turned into a groan as the wave of pain and nausea hit her. Her face tightened up in her pain, eyes clenching shut, nose twitching, and mouth hardening to a straight line. "Beca... I feel so sick." She whimpered.

"I know Chloe." Beca whispered, her own stomach twisting seeing Chloe in such pain. "Can you get up for me? We're going to make you feel better."

Chloe opened up one eye and peered at Beca incredulously. "How."

"Well, this special tea is going to take away all your nausea. Daniel said so. It's too hot right now but by the time we get to the bow, sitting at the front of the ship will help too, it'll be just right. And I have some fruit for you."

Chloe blinked towards the bowl raising her eyebrows in mild suprise at the sight of the fruit.

After some more coaxing, Beca had managed to get Chloe down the hall and around to the chairs at the bow of the ship. She had collapsed wearily into the seat, tugging the blanket Beca had pulled from her bed last minute. She was currently sipping on her tea and glaring at the fruit, both desiring to eat it and also repulsed by it at the same time. She had the blanked all wrapped around her, shivering even while she was still sweating slightly.

Beca had taken the seat beside her. Instead of leaning back to rest in it, she sat on the edge posture straight and slightly ridged yet somehow not completely unrelaxed. Chloe looked over to her. Even through her nausea, she couldn't help but notice again Beca's beauty. She ran her eyes over her feautures, drinking the sight in as she was drinking her tea, taking another sip. Ginger, she guessed. She could distinguish a taste of lemon aswell. Not surprising, lemons were still available, particularly on a ship. She even thought she's tasted a hint of honey, but she must be wrong. Many of the farmers or beekeepers had joined the war effort, and those that stayed behind had to convert their efforts into producing food with higher energy turnover, efficiency, and practicality.

Beca was staring intently at the waves. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun at the top of her head, but wisps of hair had escaped because of the salty ocean breeze and were fluttering slightly. She was so beautiful. So adorable, and so hot at the same time. Chloe sighed. She felt her stomach coil in reaction to Beca, and of course the pleasant and yet slightly nervous feeling in her stomach gave way to another wave of nausea.

When Beca first sat down her fingers twitched in her desire to reach out and holding Chloe's hand. Actually, if she had her way they would both be cuddled together on the same deck chair with the blanked wrapped around them. But that was a pipe dream. She would have settled for holding her hand, wishing to at least be connected in some way. Unfortunately the deck was too busy to risk it. So she put her hands on top of her knees and looked outwards to the ocean.

She wondered what subject might best distract Chloe, make her feel better. The one that came to mind, the one that she really wanted to discuss with Chloe, is what they were going to do when they got there. She just didn't know if it was a good time. Only last night she held a weeping Chloe Beale in her arms, stressed and overwhelmed. She didn't want to make Chloe even more upset on top of feeling sick.

She heard Chloe let out a sigh. She couldn't decipher whether it was a good sigh or a bad one.

They only had a few more days before arriving in America. They had to talk about his soon, and she figured now would be as good as a chance as any.

"Hey Chlo?" Beca turned to find Chloe looking softly at her. She still looked a bit sick, but she had a bit more colour in her face and she wore gentle smile.

"Yeah Becs?"

"What are we going to do in New York?"

They had only talked about specifics in their plans briefly. Beca wasn't worried about finding work. The awful depression had ended before the war, and jobs were not as hard to come by. It's not wrong when people say that war is good business. She was pretty sure she would get a job similar to the one she had at her parents bakery. But she did worry about whether what she would make was going to be enough for them to live on at all. She wanted to give Chloe the whole world. She lamented the fact that she would never be able to give Chloe the luxury from her life back in Germany. Her live without Beca. But at least they had to live comfortably.

"I've been thinking about that." Beca leaned back and settled into the chair, turning her body towards Chloe, motioning for her to continue. "I realized... what I really want is to... be a nurse. I think. Remember when you got hurt?" Beca nodded. "I will always want to take care of you. In any way possible. But there was something extra... it just intrigued me. Healing. Medicine. I want to work at a hospital. To work with children, if possible."

Beca smiled.

"Becs, I know that you don't really want me to need to work. But I want to. Honestly, I wouldn't want to sit around all day every day even if I could. It's what I really want to do."

"I love you." Beca whispered, leaning over and grabbing Chloe's hand, pulling it to her mouth she placed a kiss on the knuckles. Immediately she blinked and her eyes darted around. Realizing that no one was paying attention to her she relaxed again.

"I love you too Beca."

A/N: I didn't know what I wanted to have Beca do when she got to New York. Would she find out her passion for music as she had in the movies? Or would she fall back on what she knew for sure from her parents bakery. Would Beca know how to mix, would she know much about music when she didn't have much access to it, living within the early parts of the century? Oh music players existed. But someone like Beca might not have access. In the end I decided to show Beca's undiscovered passion for music as a tribute to all of the intelligence and creativity that was demolished in that war, and in the shackles that were placed on creativity throughout history. Why? Often in the struggle to survive, the lack of technology, or in the limits placed by politics and religion.

In a less somber tone, I just realized that my first fic was literally named "S.S. Bechloe". Can someone tell me, what is it with me and writing Beca and Chloe onto ships?

I adore all of your review guys! Thank you!