Three days later...

Aubrey left the rehearsal space, a scowl on her face. Chloe hadn't spoken to her since the fight, and Beca hadn't shown up for practice since. No one had seen or heard from her. Chloe had stopped by but no one answered. She left a note under the door, unaware that it had been left unread.

She went to the radio station, to find out she hadn't been there either. Needless to say. Chloe was worried. As well as angry.

The redhead watched Aubrey storm out of the auditorium after calling an end to practice.

She walked over and picked up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder as Stacie approached her.

"Hey, Chloe..." She started. She looked up to see the brunette standing next to her.

"Hey Stacie what's up?" She asked as she made her way toward the door.

"I was just wondering if you had heard from Beca yet?"

Chloe stopped with a sigh. "No, no I haven't heard from her, or seen her."

She nodded and looked down. Chloe looked at her curiously, sensing she had something to say but was having trouble voicing it.

"Have you?" She asked glancing around, to make sure Aubrey was truly gone.

She looked up. "I saw her yesterday."

Chloe perked up. "You did? Where? Did she look okay?"

Stacie shook her head. "I know we don't really know each other, and I don't know her at all, but she didn't look that great. She looked really tired, and...I don't know, unwell." She said.

"Where did you see her?"

"At the campus book store. She was buying something."

Chloe nodded. "Did you speak with her?"

"I didn't know if I should. I didn't want to freak her out, I mean she doesn't know me."

"Thank you for telling me Stacie. I really appreciate it. She is...important to me, I just need to know that she is okay. I'm going to go check on her again now, maybe she will open the door." She said hopefully.

They began walking toward the exit, being the only ones left in the practice hall.

"Can I come with you this time? I want her to know that I'm here too, if she ever needs someone to talk to." She explained. Chloe smiled at her. Stacie might be the most inappropriate, sexual person she had ever met, but she had a good heart.

"That's very sweet, of course. " she said as they walked out and onto the quad.

"So tell me about yourself." Chloe said as they walked toward Baker hall.

Stacie nodded. "Okay, Uh, other than what you already know, I'm majoring in in Social services, and one day hope to work in New York with Children."

Chloe smiled, she didn't expect this. Stacie seeing her face, nodded with a laugh. "I know, that is not what you would expect someone like me to be majoring in." She said.

Thinking she had offended her, Chloe shook her head quickly, about to apologize when Stacie cut her off.

"It's okay." She said. "When I was four my parents were arrested, and I became a ward of the State in California. I had this social worker, who worked miracles with me, while I bounced around foster homes. I was her only case, for a long time, and she worked tooth and nail, until I finally got adopted when I was eight. We still have contact, we talk frequently, and I want to be able to help, even one child the way she helped me." She said.

Chloe didn't realize she had tears in her eyes. " That's amazing Stacie. You will be great." She smiled. "That's a very honorable career choice."

Stacie nodded. "Thank you." She said. "I guess, maybe it's why I feel a bit drawn to Beca. I feel like she maybe needs people that-"

"Care for her?" Chloe asked.

Stacie nodded. "You too?"

"Yep. Since initiation night."

Stacie nodded. "That was an interesting night." She said. They were nearing Baker hall now.

"Yes it was." Chloe agreed.

"Aubrey doesn't like her." Stacie said.

Chloe nodded. "This I know." She sighed. Stacie looked as though she were about to ask her another question when she suddenly pointed.

"Hey, look there she is." She said. Chloes eyes shot up to see that it was indeed Beca, leaving Baker hall. She had her hands in the front pouch of her hoodie, and her head down. She seemed rushed as she hurried in the opposite direction of them.

Stacie looked at Chloe curiously. Chloe however still had her eyes on Becas retreating form. She stepped forward just as another person exited Baker hall.

Chloe stopped, her eyes widening. "Shit!" She hissed and began walking briskly in the same direction as Beca.

Stacie caught up to Chloe easily. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Chloe kept her eyes on the man that was following behind Beca. "That man is Becas father."

Stacie looked up. "That's my lit professor." She said.

"Yeah, he was mine too. We can't let him catch up to her." She said and took of at a jog, as they were catching up quickly. Stacie wanted to ask why but her unasked question was answered when they heard him call after Beca and the smaller girl halted. Only to have him grab her by the arm a second later and flip her around, pulling her around the corner of the building. Chloe had taken off at a full run by this point, Stacie right behind her.

She didn't know what she was about to see, abut chloe didn't care as she rounded the corner in time to see him shove her against the wall roughly, gripping both of her arms.

"Hey!" She yelled, completely ignoring the fact that interfering could be dangerous to her, and Beca. All she knew was she needed to get Beca out of his grasp.

Stacie had stopped, pulling out her cell phone as Chloe approached.

Beca wouldn't look up, her head down.

"Mind your business, Miss Beale. This is between my daughter and-"

"It's going to be between you and the police if you don't let her go now." She growled stepping up to them.

He glared at her. "Beca, you and I will finish this later." He threatened releasing her arms. She fell a bit, and Chloe realized he had practically lifted her off the ground. She instantly stepped in front of her blocking her from him.

"Mr. Mitchell, I would strongly advise you to never come near her again. You lost the privilege of calling her your daughter when you gave up parental rights. Now get out of here, before I turn your life upside down."

He backed up. "You have no idea what you are talking about. You should get all your facts right, before you open your mouth, young lady." He growled as he turned to leave. Stacie who had dialed the police, hadn't hit call yet and kept eye contact with him as he walked passed her and away from the building.

Chloe took a breath and turned around to face Beca who still hadn't looked up, she had her arms wrapped around her, like she had the day on the quad when she told Chloe to forget about her.

"Beca, are you hurt?" She asked softly, not even moving to touch her.

She shook her head.

"Will you look at me, please?" She asked. Stacie had begun to make her way over.

She shook her head again.

"I told you...I'm not worth it. You should just have listened. You shouldn't have done that." She said and stepped to the side to walk away, but by reflex, Chloe shot her arm out and stopped her. Knowing as soon as she did it, Beca flinch away from her. And she did. Only this time, it wasn't only Chloe there. Stacie's brow furrowed and she stepped forward.

"Beca, do you remember me?" She asked carefully. Her blue eyes flashed up momentarily to look at Stacie, and Chloe could see the panic on her face.

She nodded. "Please, I want to go." She said softly.

Stacie shook her head. "You can go, but we are coming with you." She said.

Beca looked up, "Why won't you just leave me alone?" She asked sounding genuinely confused. Chloes eyes grew, as she took in Becas face, seeing it fully. She was paler than usual, she had dark circles under her eyes, chapped lips, and to add fuel to the fire. A black eye.

"Beca you said you weren't hurt, who did this to you?" She demanded reaching out and taking the younger girls chin in her hand, forcing her to look up so Chloe could examine her face.

She looked at Stacie, then back at Chloe, and her bottom lip began to tremble. Her eyes filling with tears.

"Why do you care so much?" She asked.

Stacie, who couldn't take her eyes off of the younger girl, spoke instantly.

"Why not?"

Chloe released her chin, and she blinked, her tears falling and she looked down. "You don't even know me. I'm not worth your time. You really don't need to burden yourselves with this. Please just let me go."

Stacie again, shook her head. "No. That's not true. You are worth my time. Our time. I'm sorry, but you look like hell. Your sickly thin, and you have a black eye. You are coming with me, back to my apartment."

Beca looked up at her, and Chloe looked over at her. "You don't live in a dorm?" The redhead asked.

She shook her head. "No, I have an apartment on campus."

Beca shook her head. "Please don't." She almost begged. Chloe, knowing from experience, gently took her hand and squeezed it.

"Becs, please. Let us help you? You were gonna let me. I thought you trusted me, I promise, I'm not going to leave you. I've been worried sick over you, and if it weren't for Stacie, I wouldn't even know you were okay. Well, as okay as you can be." Beca looked up.

"I-I do trust you, but you don't-"

"I swear if you say I don't need the burden, I'm going to scream." Chloe cut her off.

Stacie looked at her.

"Sorry." She said looking down.

Stacie sighed and reached out. "Beca, please. Come with me." She said.

Beca looked at her offered hand, then at Chloe. "Will...will you come too?" She asked shyly.

Chloe nodded. "Yes, of course." She said. The smaller girl looked down, then after a moment of thought, and releasing a breath, she slowly nodded, but didn't take Stacie's hand.

"It's a short walk." Stacie said. She took Becas left side, while Chloe took her right and they walked away from Baker hall. The walk was short and Chloe laughed when they arrived.

"We live in the same building." She said as they approached. Stacie looked over.

"Yeah, with Aubrey." She felt Beca stiffen beside her.

"What floor?" Stacie asked.

"Third."

Stacie nodded. "I'm on six." She said as they entered the building and went to the elevator. Beca was visibly nervous as they waited, and even more so as they rode the elevator up to the sixth floor. By the time they were in Stacie's exceptionally clean and nicely decorated apartment, she was almost in tears.

"Beca, why don't you take a seat in the living room with Chloe, and I will get us something to drink?"

She didn't have to answer, as Chloe was already leading her over to the couch.

Once she was seated, she pulled her arms against her again.

"Beca, I am so sorry, for whatever it was Aubrey said to you. I've told her to not speak to you again, if she is going to be rude. I was really worried about you, Becs."

Beca looked up, hearing that same sincerity in Chloes voice that she always and. And the hurt that followed.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. "I thought she was looking out for you, I didn't want to get in the way."

"You are not in the way. I promise you that, I...missed you these last few days." She said.

The brunette looked up, her eyes tearing up again. "You missed me?" She asked.

Chloe nodded. "Yes, Beca, I did." She said. Feeling a slight pain in her chest that it was so hard to believe.

"Don't...please don't shut me out again? I know we haven't known each other long, but, Beca I really like you, I think you a good and beautiful person, who has been hurt terribly, but it makes me want to be here for you and with you even more. I care for you, Becs, so Please don't disappear like that again, okay?" She asked, tears streaming silently down her cheeks.

Beca looked at her and nodded slowly. This wasn't something she knew how to verbally accept. No one had ever done this, Chloe was fighting for her, and she couldn't understand why, or what she saw that made her worth it. But, the look on the girls face, the pain in her voice, made Becas heart hurt. She was to kind, to beautiful to have anyone make her feel like that. No one should, including her useless self, should ever make Chloe cry.

"I-I promise Chloe." She said softly.

Chloes trembling lips lifted into a small smile. "Can I hug you?" She asked. Beca slowly nodded and let Chloe close the distance between them, wrapping her arms around her. She smelled lovely, like a sweet melon, mixed with fresh picked flowers. She was warm, and held her gently. Once again, in Chloes arms, for reasons she couldn't explain or understand, she felt safe.

She was only going to hurt her though. Not physically. Never like that. But, The last few days, had been rough, and she had done things, she shouldn't have, but couldn't stop. She was empty, she was lost. Afraid and feeling helpless. Even now, she could feel the unmistakable sting in her arms, as she wrapped them around Chloes waist and held on. The sting of the dozens of angry slices along the porcelain skin of her wrists. She didn't even think when she did it. Didn't feel the pain. Not until now, when her mind was clearing. Chloe had a way of doing that, she noticed, making her see a little clearer. Only now, she could see, and feel what she had done, and she was angry with herself. Chloe would probably flee the room of she knew what Beca had done. What she still planned to do. She could faintly hear Stacie in the kitchen, but Her head was now resting against Chloes chest, Chloe had leaned back, pulling the smaller girl to rest against her. She was so tired. Tired, and hungry. And Chloe was warm, and comfortable, her hand was running softly up and down her back, and she began to doze off. She shouldn't, it would be incredibly rude, but she couldn't focus on anything other than the beating heart just below her and the soft hand on her back. Soft hands, not something she was accustomed too. It felt nice. Nothing hurting her, nothing threatening her. Just being held comfortingly. She knew when she woke, she would have to answer questions. But, as long as Chloe was with her, she could maybe, do it. Maybe, she could tell the truth. Maybe, just maybe...she could be saved.