Title: The Surprise!
Pairing: Aubrey/Beca
Rating: T/M

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Chapter 7

Aubrey and the other's stood frozen in front of the screen as the gun went off then Beca falling to the ground and her father aiming the gun at the detective pulling the trigger once more before the professor was taken down by sniper fire from two different angles.

The blonde didn't take her eyes off of the gruesome scene before her on the television screen of Beca's still form laying on the ground with her blood on the sidewalk. Swat swarmed the area checking that the gunman was down while others ran to the small woman and the detective who had taken the bullet to his vest. Aubrey stood completely still and mesmerized as the detective was able to slowly stand up after his vest was removed, but her Beca wasn't getting up. She watched helpless as paramedics rushed to her wife. Bree couldn't see what was going on, but soon the small DJ was placed on a gurney and loaded up in an ambulance, the news camera staying focused on the flashing lights as it drove away. When the camera once more flashed to the newsman on the scene the blonde's legs gave way and Aubrey sank onto the floor as silent tears coursed down her stunned face. Aubrey's abrupt fall brought the others out of their trance as well.

Chloe, her heart in pieces sank down next to her heartbroken best friend, as bad as the situation was for the redhead it was so much worse for Aubrey as Beca was her wife, Aubrey's one. The redhead wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Brey, let's get to the hospital. Beca must still be hanging on if they took her there. Don't give up on her yet. Beca is a fighter and even more stubborn than you are. Come on sweetheart, let's go find out what is going on." With the help of Stacie they were able to get Aubrey up and out of the apartment and out a backdoor of the complex. Aubrey and Beca's parents were there ready to rush into the building.

Preston pulled his girl into his arms. "I am so glad you are okay, baby. I was so worried about you."

"I am okay daddy. Beca gave herself up to save us all. He aimed the gun at us all and said he was going to shoot us and aimed at Chloe first because she was closest to him because she opened the door for the pizza guy. Beca walked right to him to keep us all safe. Daddy, I can't live without her. Beca's got to be okay." The blonde broke down in her daddy's arms as he held her tight soothing her as if she was a small child.

"That girl of yours is one tough cookie and I know Beca is doing everything she can right now to get back to you. You are her life baby girl and if for no other reason she will fight for you. That girl's got more moxie than anyone I have ever met. Now let's get you to the hospital so we can see how Beca is doing." Preston kept his arms around his little girl as he made his way to his car. He gave Tabitha Burke his keys and climbed in the back with Aubrey and his wife. Chloe climbed into the front seat scooting to the middle and Abigail climbed in beside the redhead, Beca's birth mother wasn't in much better shape than Aubrey was.

Chloe leaned forward to talk with the other girls out the car window. "We will see you all at the hospital, please drive safe."

"We will be there soon, Red." CR assured before leading the other girls towards the parking lot where several of the Bellas had cars.

Chloe was amazed once again at how loving Aubrey's dad was being towards his daughter. It looked like their relationship really had changed. She sure hoped Beca was going to be okay, her small friend had really brightened up Aubrey's life and brought so much happiness to it. Brey wouldn't recover easily if at all if she lost Beca from such a thing. The redhead very clearly remembered seeing Beca mouth I love you to Aubrey before being drug from the room at gun point. Chloe closed her eyes and began to pray for both of her best friends.

Beca's family rushed into the emergency entrance. Abigail rushed to the duty desk. "My daughter was brought in not long ago, Beca Mitchell. She…she was shot in the head." The mother got out around the large lump in her throat. Tabitha rushed to her side as tears once again began to fall down the mother's face.

"Ma'am, your daughter is being seen at this very moment. I don't have much to tell you except that she is alive and that the doctors are doing all they can for her. I will let you know as soon as I know anything. It shouldn't be long before someone comes out to let you all know what is going on." The desk nurse assured.

"Thank you." The distraught mother said as they all moved to the waiting room.

The emergency room entrance doors opened and the Bellas along with Beca's grandparents and Sheila rushed into the room followed by the detective who had been hit in his vest.

"How is our girl?" The grandfather asked. You could see he had been crying, he had just watched his son die after John had tried to kill his granddaughter. The three Mitchells were all devastated by the day's events.

The detective stepped forward. "You should know that Beca was doing all she could to talk her father down. She did get through to him, but it was like he finally realized what he had done and just wanted to end it. Dr. Mitchell also decided to take Beca with him. Beca also realized this and at the end when she heard him cock the gun at the back of her head she threw herself with all her strength forward in an attempt to get away. That is why Beca is still with us now, she fought. You should all be proud of her, that is one brave young woman you've got yourselves and I know she is still fighting now. This may not be the best time, but can any of you tell me what went on up in that apartment and who had Beca's cellphone?"

"I had it. Beca had already contacted you, but she gave it to me because I was hidden and her dad wasn't focused on me. I was the one who kept texting you about what was going on." Lily said in a low yet audible voice.

"It seems Shorty saved us in more ways than one." Fat Amy said as she slumped back in her seat. One by one the girls filled in the blanks about what had happened in the apartment that afternoon before Beca was dragged out the door by her sperm donor.

It took longer than expected for someone to come out and talk with them. It was the same doctor who had taken care Beca before. "Mrs. Aubrey Mitchell, Beca is alive. The bullet did not penetrate her skull, but cut a nearly seven inch gash along her scalp and it was deep enough that it also made a grove in the bone. When she fell forward her forehead hit hard onto the uneven concrete. These two additional blows to the head after so recently suffering from a head injury are causing us some concern. Beca's brain is swelling and fluid is building up around her brain as well. She is currently in surgery getting a shunt put in to relieve some of the pressure. We are also using medications, oxygenation, and positioning to try and get the swelling down without having to resort to actually having to remove some of her rigid skull. We will not know how any of this will affect your wife until she regains consciousness. It also seems that the constant pressure that Beca's already tender ribs sustained during her ordeal was too much. At some point during her struggle three of Beca's ribs were broken and a few others were cracked, however we do not see any internal damage on any of the scans we have run so far. We are also concerned about damage to her right ear since the gun went off so close to it, her eardrum is swelling, but we hope that when is goes down there will be no lasting damage to her hearing." The doctor explained.

"Is she going to live?" Aubrey all but whispered.

"I am optimistic that she will, but she has not regained consciousness since she hit the pavement and is currently in a coma. It all depends on how long it takes her to come out of it. I wish I could tell you more, but it is hard to say with head injuries such as these. Beca should be out of surgery soon and will be taken to ICU after the recovery room. You may go and see her once she is in ICU." He nodded sympathetically to them all before heading out of the waiting room.

Aubrey turned and collapsed into her daddy's arms.

"She's still with us baby. She's not giving up and you won't either." Preston soothed his daughter.

Abigail was also sobbing into her wife's chest. Beca Mitchell had touched many lives for someone who used to push people away and they all wanted their little Beca to be okay.

The worried group all made their way up to the ICU waiting room. It seemed like hours upon hours before a nurse appeared letting them know that two at a time Beca's family could go in and see her.

Aubrey and Abigail went in first. They clung together as they cried at the sight of the tiny woman lying at a 30 degree angle unmoving in a bed that looked too large for her small form with tubes and wires hooked up to the little brunette helping to keep her alive. Beca's head was mostly wrapped in bandages but they could see where the shunt was placed that was draining the excess buildup of fluid from around their girl's brain.

Aubrey finally moved up around to the far side of the bed taking Beca's hand in hers. "Hey baby. It's Bree. I love you and I am going to be right here with you until you are ready to wake up. I know you need to sleep for a while to help heal, but don't take too long or you may end up losing some of those badass points you recently earned. You better be okay, alt-girl or I am going to kick your ass. You hear me? So you better hurry up and get better." Aubrey sat as tears raced down her face resting her forehead on her wife's arm.

Beca's mom took a few moments to talk with her daughter and tell her she loved her before kissing her cheek and kissing Aubrey on the top of her bowed head before moving out of the room to let others visit one by one. No one even thought of asking Aubrey to leave her wife's side.

A nurse came in to check on Beca when Chloe was in the room with Aubrey. "I don't think anyone has told you, but you might want to know that the surgical team was forced to shave Mrs. Mitchell's head before surgery. I don't know how she felt about her hair, but you may want to have some things for her to wear on her head when the bandages come off until her hair starts to grow back in." The nurse paused as she recorded a few things on the chart. "Also they had a very skilled plastic surgeon that was available at the time to close up the gash on her head from the bullet so the scar will be very thin and fine. Her hair will someday easily cover it up."

"Beca's going to hate that they shaved her head." Aubrey whispered.

"Hey! She'll look badass with a buzz cut and a scar and we can always get her some badass hats to wear or something and you know how she already likes to wear hoodies. It will be okay and it won't be long until her hair starts to grow back in. I bet she will look cool with short hair. You can help Beca play with different styles as it grows." Chloe bubbled being as strong and upbeat for her friend as possible even though she too wanted to weep at the heartbreaking scene before her. No one said a word about the possibility of Beca's hearing being damaged, that was to horrific of a thought for someone who had such a love and ear for music as their DJ did.

"Thanks for being here for us Chlo it really means a lot to me and I know it does to Beca too." The blonde stood hugging her best friend while leaving one hand still holding her wife's.

"I will always have your backs, Brey. You two are my best friends and I love you both. Now I am going to go get you an overnight bag packed and bring you back some snacks to help keep your strength up. Do you want me to bring you some of your school books to read so you will be prepared when classes start up? You could always read them aloud to Beca, she would probably wake up just to make you stop." Chloe teased.

The blonde lightly chuckled. "She probably would. Yeah bring me my school books and stuff. Thanks again Chloe and I love you too. You're the best friend I've ever had."

"As you are mine, Brey." The redhead kissed her friend on the head before disappearing out the door.

…..

It was four days later before Beca began coming around, the small woman in the bed thought she heard Aubrey's voice, but couldn't really focus on what she was saying and it sounded distorted. The brunette tried to open her eyes, but it felt like her eyelids were made of lead, her whole body did actually. Beca's mind wandered back to the last thing she remembered. The sound of John cocking the gun at the back of her head and him telling her he loved her and he wasn't going to leave her behind again. The young woman again felt the fear that shot through her when she realized that he meant to die and take her with him. Beca began to panic again as she felt the pain in her head. How bad was she hurt? Why couldn't she open her eyes or move and why did everything sound funny? She heard alarms going off around her as her pulse skyrocketed.

Aubrey jumped up as the alarms sounded. She saw Beca's eyes moving behind her eyelids, but not opening. She tossed her book down in her chair rushing to her wife's side. "Beca, baby you are okay. Stay calm. I'm here sweetheart. You are going to be okay." Aubrey said over and over into her wife's uninjured ear as she held her hand. Doctors and nurses rushed in, one nurse began to push Aubrey away, but Beca's doctor stopped her.

"We need to calm her down without drugs if possible and Beca's wife is our best bet to do that. Aubrey please just keep talking to her reassuring her and letting her know you are here while we get these alarms off and continue to monitor her vitals."

The blonde nodded and went back trying to calm down her love talking to her, holding her hand, stoking her face. Anything she could think of that might work. "Now listen here alt-girl you calm your little butt down now, I am with you and you are going to be alright." Aubrey's tone was very reminiscent of her old Bellas Captain's voice and that seemed to finally get through to the small woman and as she calmed Aubrey's tone went back to loving concerned wife. "That's it baby, calm down. I am with you. You are in the hospital, but you are going to be okay. Now just relax." Again she kept up her reassurances as Beca calmed.

"Good just keep talking with her and holding her hand. Beca is waking, but her eyes aren't yet ready to open and I think that is adding to her stress. Knowing you are here will help her a great deal." The doctor assured.

Aubrey nodded as she did exactly what he said.

It took another 24 hours before Beca was able to wake up enough to open her eyes and speak.

Aubrey had moved to Beca's bedside as soon as the brunette's eyes started fluttering.

When Beca opened her eyes everything seemed a little bleary at first, but slowly things came into clearer focus and she was greeted with one of her favorite sights, that of her lovely wife. "Hey beautiful." Her voice rasped out.

Tears immediately began to cascade down the blonde's face. "Hey sweetheart. It is so wonderful to see those gorgeous eyes of yours and hear your wonderful voice. You have had us all worried. Would you like a few ice chips, baby? You can't have much to drink just yet." Aubrey wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

"Yes." After the wonderful cool wetness slipped down her throat Beca focused once more on her wife. "How long have I been asleep and how bad am I hurt? Did anyone else get hurt?"

Aubrey squeezed her wife's hand and stroked her face. "Stay calm sweetheart. You have been asleep for five days. You were in a coma for the first four, but you began coming out of it yesterday. You have some cracked and broken ribs. You have been having some trouble with swelling in your brain, but they managed to get it under control without having to remove any of your skull or anything. The bullet did cut a gash in your scalp and skull but didn't break through. It seems you really are hardheaded. The doctors had to shave your hair off for the surgery to place a shunt they had to put in to relieve pressure and excess fluid. A top plastic surgeon was on hand and closed up the injury to your head and you are going to only have minimal scarring from everything and your hair will grow back in no time. You have some swelling in your right ear, but that too is responding well to treatment. The Bellas are already shopping for cool and badass hats, caps, and scarves for you." The blonde sighed not looking forward to the next part. "After Dr. Mitchell tried to shoot you and you fell to the ground he turned the gun on the detective and was able to get a shot off seconds before the snipers took the ex-professor down. The detective was okay. The bullet hit him in his vest. Dr. Mitchell died instantly." Aubrey hated having to be the one to deliver that news to her wife, but she knew Beca would be more upset if she tried to put off telling her.

"I figured he was dead. He said he wasn't going to leave me again and was planning on dying and taking me with him. He actually wanted to take Sheila too, but thought it was better that it was just me and him because Sheila and I never really got along." Beca's eyes closed as tears began to fall. "I didn't know the man who took me hostage or the man who hurt me days before that. I think I may actually need therapy after this whole thing. The image of him pointing a gun at you and all of my friends seems to be burned into my brain."

"We can go together because I think I will need it too after watching you being held like that and thinking you had died when that gun went off and you fell." Aubrey leaned forward placing a gently kiss on her wife's lips. "I love you so much Beca Mitchell and I can't live without you. If you scare me like this again I will kick your ass so hard your tiny butt will be up between your ears." The taller woman laid her head gently on her wife's chest listening to the reassuring beat of her heart.

"I understand completely babe. I love you oh so very much, too. I didn't mean to scare you this time and I will do my damnedest to never do so again. I really don't think having my ass between my ears would be a good look for me, though it might make my legs look longer." The DJ joked causing her wife to chuckle a little.

"That was awful Becs."

"What can you expect? I have been in asleep for five days. Give me a little time and I'll be up to my usual witty self in no time." Beca smirked as she closed her eyes.

Aubrey thought the sight of her wife smirking was one of the best she had seen in a very long time and made her heart feel lighter than it had since Beca came through the door of the Bellas practice hall days earlier. "I better let the doctors and nurses know you are awake and I am sure all of our family and friends will want to know too. I will be right back sweetie."

"I will be right here waiting."

Aubrey rolled her eyes kissing her wife once more before heading out the door to alert everyone that Beca was finally awake.

PP/PP/PP/PP/PP

Thanks for all the reviews, faves, and follows. I will update as I can. Life is kind of a roller coaster at the moment. I mentioned a bit about that on my latest profile update. I thought I would get this update out so people won't think I went and pulled a dumba** 100 move. For those of you who also watched the 100, I am Clexa all the way and in my mind the end of 3x07 never happened…Lexa lives on in my world. Okay enough about that. I hope you enjoy this latest update. Until Next Time…Holly