Chapter Nine
Farewell and Goodnight
Matt looked at Chloe and Beca with a wide grin on his face. "I know it's not happening for a long time, but I can't wait to give my sister away."
He, Aubrey, Chloe, and Beca stepped off the plane and were standing in the concourse after landing at LAX. The flight back was somewhat of a sad affair for him. He would miss his sister, and he would miss Beca as well. She managed to get into his heart on the very first day, and he couldn't figure out how. Perhaps she had that effect on anyone named Beale.
Chloe went to him and gave him a bear hug. "You're so old fashioned."
Matt returned the embrace with the same enthusiasm. The week was more than fantastic. Aubrey finally admitted her feelings, and he was going to get an apartment close to hers in Baltimore. It would mean a bit more of a commute for him, but he was willing to make the drive if it meant being closer to her. He wanted them to work more than anything, and he felt they had a very good chance to do so.
Then there was Chloe. The little sister he thought would never recover from their mother's death and would never find real love. Yet as he stood there, holding his sister and looking at Beca with love in his eyes, his fears were gone. Chloe finally found someone, and she was someone who was perfect for her.
"Of course I am, and you aren't getting out of it. Don't even try eloping in Vegas like Gamma did," he said before kissing the top of her head and releasing her.
"We wouldn't dream of it," Chloe looked over at Beca, "would we?"
Beca shook her head vigorously. "Oh no. Not with Aubrey involved."
Aubrey punched the petite woman in the arm. "I'm not that scary."
Beca's eyebrows shot up. "When it comes to Chloe you are. You're like mama bear or something."
Everyone laughed, with the exception of Beca, who was still rubbing her arm a bit. Aubrey went to her and put an arm around Beca's shoulders. "No more mama bear. I promise. Maybe. I'll try."
Matt smiled, thankful Aubrey finally truly accepted that Beca was there to stay. It made him feel the four of them were bonded more than most blood relatives. They were all damaged in some way by their families they were born into, and that, along with mutual respect and love, brought them closer than most people would ever expect. He was just amazed it happened in only a week. Then again, their time in Tahoe was rather eventful.
"What are you smiling about?" Chloe asked, leaning into him.
"Us. How everything's changed."
"Thanks, beanpole. Your idea to come here was one of the best ones you've ever had," Chloe said with a nudge.
"Chloe," he said, turning to her, "it was Aubrey's idea. All of it. She wanted to see us before she started med school, and I thought it would be good for all of us. So if you're going to thank someone, thank the woman who seems to be hugging your girlfriend," he finished with a wide smile.
Chloe laughed when she looked over to the two women. "I should probably rescue Beca," she said as she left Matt's side.
Within seconds, all three women came back to him, and Aubrey wrapped her arms around his waist. "So we'll do this next summer?" Aubrey asked happily.
"Maybe we should go someplace else, just to see everything we can," Chloe suggested.
Beca hugged Chloe to her. "Aubrey's going to laugh at this, but I kind of want to spend your birthday in Tahoe. It's special."
Matt looked down at his girlfriend, who was smiling. "I'm not going to laugh. I think it's wonderful," she said. "We can go someplace different for Christmas every year."
"Then I vote for anywhere warm," Chloe suggested. "What about the Keys or something?"
Matt laughed. "We have plenty of time to talk about Christmas, ladies. You two," he motioned to Chloe and Beca, "need to get home, and Aubrey's plane leaves in thirty."
Chloe and Beca gathered their carry-on bags. "We'll see you soon, Matty. I love both of you," Chloe said as she gave both Matt and Aubrey a hug.
"Come on, Bec. You don't escape the brother hug," he said, pulling her to him.
"No respect for personal space," Beca said even as she laughed.
"Nope. Don't you forget it," he said before releasing her.
They said their goodbyes, and Matt and Aubrey went down to her gate. He held her hand the entire way, not wanting to let go for a second. Even though they would be in the same city in less than a month he knew he would miss her, and he knew she would do the same.
"I wish we were both going to Baltimore today," Aubrey said softly, mirroring his own thoughts. "Portland is so far away."
They stopped outside her gate, and he took her in his arms. "Soon, Bree. Then we'll get so comfortable around each other we won't have to speak at breakfast."
"Are you telling me we'll be like one of those old couples at a diner reading their papers?" she asked in a playful tone.
"Maybe. Who knows?"
Aubrey pulled back a bit and looked at him. "I love you, and I'll miss you."
The woman at the ticket counter announced they would be boarding the plane, and with true regret he let her go. "I love you, too. You're taking a piece of me with you, okay?"
A tear fell down her face, and he quickly wiped it away. "Don't. This isn't forever."
Aubrey took a deep breath and smiled. "And there's Skype. I'll be fine. We'll be fine."
"We will," he replied with utter conviction. "I'll see you soon."
She nodded and got in line to board the plane. Matt stayed where he was, watching her until she walked down the gangway. With a heavy heart, he went to his own gate to wait. He needed to keep reminding himself of the words he just said to Aubrey, but it was difficult. He finally found her, and he hated letting her go, even if only for a month. He had faith everything would be fine in the end, though. Their love was strong.
Beca set her bags on the bed before going to get Chloe's from the foyer. She smiled as she walked down the hall, absently playing with the ring on her finger. Instead of being a weight, the symbol made her feel lighter. It was the most natural thing in the world to love Chloe, and Beca wouldn't trade it for anything. The physical representation of their love sealed any doubts – even though she never had any – which might be running around the recesses of her mind. Chloe was stuck with her forever, but Beca figured her love was just fine with it.
"We don't have much," Chloe said as Beca picked up the luggage. "We do have frozen leftovers though."
"I'm good with leftovers."
The rest of the trip was great, with an easiness settling in among the four of them after the admissions on Chloe's birthday. Remarkably, Chloe needed no time to adapt to her brother and her best friend dating. It actually seemed as though she was half expecting it. Chloe denied it, of course, but Beca thought she suspected something beforehand.
Still, Beca was happy for both Matt and Aubrey. They were good for each other from what Beca could tell. There was that, and the unbelievable way she and Aubrey were getting along. Whether it was from being with Matt or Beca's commitment to Chloe, Beca couldn't be sure. As she started unpacking, she reasoned it didn't really matter. All that mattered was they swiftly became a family.
She stuck the clothes in the hamper and started in on the toiletries, grinning when she saw the strap-on lying at the bottom of the case. Ordering it was something she never thought she would do, but there were a lot of things she never thought were within her realm of reality. So much changed for her since the beginning of the summer, and Beca knew her and Chloe's wonderful, adventurous sex life was only a small part of it.
Beca no longer felt alone in the world. Chloe was by her side in every way possible, and Beca never expected feeling so incredibly loved. She was finally safe enough to explore feelings in her she never thought possible, but also a sexual side of herself she didn't expect. Beca stopped worrying about being laughed at for an idea after the night of their first date. She stopped worrying about a lot that night, and she wouldn't trade that night for all the gold in the world.
"Hey there," Chloe said from the doorway, causing Beca to jump a little. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Beca leaned back when Chloe wrapped her arms around her from behind. "As long as you follow it with this, scare away."
Chloe pulled Beca's hair back and pressed her lips to Beca's neck. "I'll think about it," she murmured.
"Did you decide what we're having for dinner?" Beca whispered as Chloe's hand moved up under her shirt.
"Stew. I managed to find some frozen bread in there, so we'll have something to sop up what's left."
Beca breathed in sharply as Chloe's hand cupped her breast. "If you keep doing that, we'll never eat."
"Mm," Chloe said, sucking Beca's sensitive skin. "Maybe I don't care."
"Oh god," Beca moaned when Chloe's other hand started undoing her jeans. When she tried to turn around, Chloe stopped her.
"Stay there."
The sound of her zipper going down made Beca's breath come in shallow gasps, and with Chloe's hand on her breast and her lips and teeth caressing her neck, Beca was in heaven. It didn't compare to how she felt when Chloe's fingers found her clit. Beca pushed down on Chloe's hand, longing for more contact. Chloe didn't waste any time, and Beca felt two fingers enter her swiftly, thrusting as Chloe's thumb circled Beca's nub. Beca moved against Chloe, her ass grinding against Chloe's center.
Chloe began pumping her fingers harder and faster, and Beca felt herself go on overload. Her legs started to give way, but Chloe held her close. Beca turned her head, finding Chloe's lips and crushing them with her own. Beca tore her mouth away even as she cried out, feeling waves of pleasure wash over her.
Soon her breathing returned to normal, and Chloe pulled out of her, but not away. "Welcome home," she said softly, turning Beca around and kissing her gently.
"Will I get this welcome every time we come home?"
"Of course. How could I deny you?"
"I am pretty lovable," Beca said, grinning and pulling Chloe down for a kiss.
The microwave began beeping, but Beca didn't release Chloe. Their touches grew in passion, but Chloe pulled away. "Dinner. I'm starving."
Beca laughed and zipped up her jeans. "You are ruled by your stomach, woman."
As they walked down the hall, Chloe followed Beca. "I'm ruled by other things, too."
With a laugh, Beca turned around and walked backwards, tugging Chloe closer to her. "Oh yeah. I forgot the hot sex."
"Yep. It's totes amazing."
"Ugh. I think I prefer aca-amazing."
"What's wrong with totes?" Chloe asked as they reached the kitchen. She took the food out of the microwave as Beca got the bowls out after they released each other.
"Do you really need me to explain the massacre of the English language?"
"Do you really want to get into a debate with me right now?" Chloe shot back, smiling the entire time.
"Tomorrow, when I'm not exhausted. Then you're in so much trouble. I'll have notes and everything," Beca replied, dishing out the food.
"And here I thought we'd watch a movie before we went to bed."
Beca sighed. Over the past couple of months she began to enjoy some films, but she still had little interest most of them. At least Chloe didn't usually stick to rom-coms. It was definitely a relief she wouldn't have to put up with those for the rest of her life.
"What did you want to watch?"
They sat down, and Chloe looked like she was thinking in earnest. Beca was fairly certain her girlfriend was pretending, since most of the time she knew exactly what she wanted to watch. It was actually fun to see Chloe 'ponder' things. Beca loved the way Chloe's brow furrowed and she bit her lip. It was downright sexy.
"I thought we could watch Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?"
"And that's about…" Beca prompted.
"It's a wacky martial arts romp with a doomed love story. You'll love it."
Beca laughed. "Sounds perfect."
They resumed eating, and as usual, Chloe's hand found hers and laced their fingers together. There was no conversation, and Beca found it was an easy silence, but then it usually was between them. She loved the way neither one of them felt the need to fill every moment with words, instead content just to be in each other's company.
"Grab the popcorn and I'll get the dishes," Beca said when they were finished.
It didn't take long for them to settle in front of the large TV, and Beca curled into Chloe, getting as close as she could to her. Chloe rested her arm around Beca's shoulders, while her free hand held Beca's arm. It felt like home, which was something Beca thought she lost forever when her parents divorced.
"At least it isn't a scary film," Beca said.
"I won't freak out in the middle of the night again. I learned my lesson with Jaws."
"I still don't see how you thought a shark was going to come out of the tub," Beca chuckled.
"It was a dream. Dreams aren't supposed to be rational. Now shush. The movie's starting."
Beca quieted and wrapped her arm tighter around Chloe, who returned the gesture. A few minutes into the movie, Beca felt her exhaustion leave her as she became engrossed in it. Just the physicality of the action alone was incredible, and though she almost hated to admit it, the love story was deeply moving.
Before she knew it, the credits began to roll. Beca was a little surprised to find she was crying for the loss the film so eloquently portrayed, and she wiped her tears away as the closing song played.
"I love this song, even if it's a little poppy for the movie."
Beca listened to the tune. "The words are amazing though."
Chloe squeezed her a little tighter. "It is. I always wanted a love like it."
"The one in the song, or the movie?"
"The song, silly. I never thought I would have it."
"And now?" Beca asked.
"Now I know I have it," Chloe shifted them and brought Beca's lips to hers in a tender kiss. "I love you," she said quietly.
"Always."
Chloe smiled serenely. "Come on, sleepy girl. To bed you go."
"I'm not going to argue with sleep," Beca said, yawning as she stretched.
Chloe stood and held out her hand, and Beca took it. "I shouldn't have kept you up so late."
Beca got up and into Chloe's arms. "It's fine. I had fun. But bed now."
Chloe laughed and pressed her lips to Beca's temple. "Go on. I'll be in soon. I just want to get everything cleaned up."
"'K."
Beca went back to their bedroom, stripping off her clothes along the way. By the time she made it to the bed, she was completely naked. She slipped between the sheets, only to hear Chloe's laughter as she came down the hallway.
Chloe came in with a handful of clothes and put them, plus her own, in the hamper before joining Beca in bed. Beca gravitated to her, loving the feel of their entwined bodies.
"You feel good," Beca whispered, kissing Chloe's chest.
"So do you. Sleep now."
"Mm."
Knowing she was loved was the last thing Beca thought before she slipped into a deep slumber, where she dreamed of Chloe's beautiful face.
"So you talked to your dad? He knows you're coming?" Chloe said nervously as they packed up their things.
They still had two weeks before they needed to be in Georgia, but both Chloe and Beca felt the need to begin their new life, even if it was going to be a bit of a holding pattern for both of them. Beca had second thoughts, reasoning the Bellas could do without her, but Chloe insisted since Beca committed to her friends. Beca acquiesced finally, acknowledging she should keep her word.
It didn't take them long to pack what needed to be shipped, and Chloe was thankful she didn't start on the sculpture she was thinking of creating. The project would to need to wait until they got back to Georgia. Even without it, she was surprised at how much she accumulated in such a short time. Beca didn't ship much, choosing to keep her mixing equipment with her. She stuck a few books in with Chloe's things, but there was little else.
"He knows. My mom talked to him, too. I'm not sure how much it helped, but we'll deal with it either way," Beca said, seemingly unfazed.
Chloe looked at the living room, where Beca was packing the movies. "You don't care."
Beca shrugged. "I do, but not enough to obsess over it. He'll either accept my decisions or he won't. There's not much I can do about it." She went into the kitchen, pulled Chloe close. " Besides, I have you and our weird family. That's all I need."
"I love you," Chloe said, kissing her softly, feeling Beca smile into the touch.
"Always," Beca whispered when they parted.
They stayed there, and Chloe felt happy and safe in the embrace. After a moment, she reluctantly acknowledged they needed to finish their task if they were going to get on the road in time to avoid rush hour.
"We have to go back to packing."
Beca rested her head on Chloe's chest and sighed. "Can't we stay one more day?"
"The cleaners are going to be here early in the morning, and they're showing it later. We can relax in the hotel tonight and sleep late tomorrow. We're not in any rush. And I want to see some of the country anyway."
"You and the tourist thing."
Chloe laughed. "You love it and you know it."
"Maybe a little."
"Uh-huh. I'll let that one go. Let's finish up."
Beca groaned, but went back to the living room. It wasn't long until they were both done with their respective jobs, and they started carrying the boxes to the car.
"Are you sure this is going to fit?" Chloe asked, looking at the enormous mound of their belongings sitting beside the car.
"If it doesn't, we'll drop stuff off at UPS," Beca said as she opened the trunk.
Chloe went to the back door and put down the seats, giving them more room for things. It took a lot of moving around, but they managed to get everything in. Chloe wasn't sure how they would be able to get their suitcases out without taking everything apart. Hotel stays were going to be interesting.
They went back inside to walk through one last time and make sure they didn't leave anything. Chloe looked in the kitchen, while Beca checked the bedrooms. When Chloe was finished she went searching for Beca, finding her in the master bedroom.
"It's kind of sad to leave this place."
Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca. "Are you being sentimental?"
"A little. This was our first home."
"It was where you dared me to kiss you."
"I'll never forget that night," Beca said, nuzzling Chloe's chest.
"Neither will I. We'll make new memories though, and they should be interesting ones, especially with Amy in the house," Chloe said with a laugh.
"I'm glad she's okay with you moving in."
"Me too," Chloe breathed in Beca's scent and tried to control herself. The combination of raspberry and vanilla, along with Beca's own scent drove Chloe insane with need most of the time. "We should go," she finally said after she managed to get her breathing back to normal.
Beca nodded, and they went hand-in-hand down the hall one last time. When they were outside, Chloe left the key where the realtor could find it, and they got into the car. Chloe started the engine, and with one last look, they left the house knowing they would likely never see it again.
It didn't bother Chloe. It was a place filled with joy, but a new road stretched out before them. When Beca's hand found hers, Chloe smiled at her lover. She didn't need anything else. Just one look and Chloe found peace.
