I'm a terrible person...time has just flown by and I let myself neglect this story! But, good news! I GOT INTO GRAD SCHOOL (and have now graduated!) So my summer has officially started and, with the exception of a family vacation, I am free to continue writing! Hopefully I'll remember to update more frequently :)


Chloe relaxed as the auditorium emptied out, stretching out and lowering herself to the ground with her hands behind her head and a long sigh. All of the Bellas had belted out the door before Aubrey could finish the words 'practice is over', desperate for freedom (and food) as they'd been working for hours without a break. Though they successfully managed to get Aubrey to loosen the reins, she would always be the perfectionist they knew and loved, and if that meant practicing like crazy until the day of finals arrived, then they decided to just deal with it. Even if they were all exhausted, it was worth the effort. Each and every Bella was sure they would beat the Trebles this year, all thanks to Beca. If only this revelation had occurred to Aubrey much sooner.

Their routine was coming together nicely, there was no doubting that, and Chloe couldn't be more proud of the way the girls had worked together to create it. After waving the flash drive in front of Aubrey's face, all it took to convince her to listen was the quick reacting Bella who ripped out her laptop from a nearby bag and placed it on top of the piano the group had been standing around. They all stood behind Chloe as she plugged in the flash drive, leaning forward when a folder packed with files popped up on the screen so that they could get a better look at them and yell out ideas. Chloe scrolled through the list slowly, despite the anxious groans behind her, so that she could read each name carefully. Though she didn't say it out loud, she was searching for a song she would recognize, but as Chloe reached the bottom of the list it became clear there wouldn't be. She scrolled through the list twice more to make sure, surprised that Beca had enough time to make all these mixes in addition to those Chloe had heard. This rarely happened, if at all, since they'd known each other. Afternoon were spent, when both girls happened to be free, holed up in Beca's room while Chloe studied, and Beca played around on her laptop. It was almost a game to her now, Chloe would refuse to leave until Beca proved she was actually doing something productive; and even though it was usually only the first minute that the brunette was willing to show off, it made Chloe happy to have broken down those walls the girl had build up.

One song stuck out to Chloe as she scrolled back up, and opening the file, she turned around to watch the faces of her fellow Bellas as the intro began. It amused Chloe, even now at the memory, as the girls listened carefully to the song. The slow build had everyone leaning even closer to the laptop, trapping Chloe and Aubrey in the middle with their elbows squished to their sides until it finally grew louder and most jumped back in surprise. When it was obvious that the Bellas were enjoying the song, Chloe turned to her best friend with a smile with the intent of gauging her reaction. Aubrey smiled back, clearly enjoying it as much as everyone else as she tapped her foot to the beat and only stopped, in what had to be amazement judging by the look on her face, when one song transitioned effortlessly into another. In total, it took four song for Aubrey to pick the one they would use for finals. The Bellas had been debating which of the three should be 'it' when Aubrey reached over the laptop and chose one for herself. As the first few seconds played out there was something in Aubrey that had finally clicked; a spark that Chloe could see before her friend had. They listened to the whole song, even though Aubrey was clearly going to pick it, and when it ended everyone was in agreement. After that, everything else went smoothly. The girls immediately started collaborating on the dance moves, laughter rising as each Bella bounced around ideas; some ridiculous just for the sake of it, and others more serious suggestions.

There had been even better news outside of the Bellas that had Chloe feeling antsy through practice. That morning she crossed paths with Dr. Mitchell outside of his classroom and with a huge smile on his face, he announced that Beca was finally being released from the hospital. Had she not been running to her next class, Chloe would have stopped to talk about the exciting news, but she was already running late and Sebastian was clearly in a rush as well. By the time practice rolled around, Chloe wasn't thinking about anything else. Luke had texted her, literally, right before she stepped into the auditorium letting her know that they were leaving to pick up Beca. It was all she could do not to turn on her heels and run to the parking lot, but Luke insisted that she stay for the Bellas as they prepared for finals. Aubrey's wrath was famous, even to those lucky students not subjected to it everyday during practice, and he didn't want to face it when the blonde found out he agree to let Chloe skip. That and they didn't want to overwhelm Beca; the argument that ultimately convinced the redhead to stay behind. Instead, a big family dinner had been arranged by Sebastian to welcome Beca home, and Chloe was supposed to be meeting them at the Mitchell household in a little while.

With a long sigh, Chloe picked herself up from the floor so that she was sitting. Eventually, she realized she'd have to get ready, but the combination of exhaustion and worry was not a big motivation. A giant, colorful 'Get Well Soon" card sat by her bag in the corner, ready for Chloe to carry with her. The Bellas gave it to her that afternoon after she couldn't hold the news in any longer and told them all Beca was coming home. All the girls had written words of encouragement and cheer, the white spaces filled with doodles that would surely make Beca laugh. It was heartwarming, yet the main source of her worry. Chloe hadn't told the brunette that everyone knew the reason behind her absence, but it seemed that it was now or never at this point. If Beca were healthy, Chloe would have slipped news like this into their conversation, a coffee and muffin stretched out towards her as an offering. Now, it was hard to gauge how Beca would react to anything. Sure, she'd improved since first entering the hospital, but her speech was nowhere near where it should have been.

A cheerful, high pitched ding from her phone distracted Chloe from her thoughts, and before she was able to reach over to grab the phone, two more followed. Judging by the time it was most likely Luke giving her news on Beca, so the redhead forced herself to push up off the floor and fished around in her jacket pocket. The screen lit up with a preview of the text, and Chloe only had to read that much to get the gist. She unlocked her phone with a smile, revealing a funny picture of Beca sitting on her living couch engulfed in several layers of blankets that climbed up past her neck. The selfie had been taken by an evidently delighted Luke, who, in the midst of a laugh, somehow managed to lie across her in such a way that the brunette's lopsided smile and sharply raised eyebrow were barely visible.

All settled in, Luke commented below the photo. We have a surprise for you once you get here.

Chloe perked up, quickly typing in her response. What?

Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it?

You're no fun. She would get him back for this later.

I don't care. Be patient. Come over when you're ready, Beca's dying to see you!

Momentarily forgetting about her worries, Chloe walked to the other side of the auditorium to grab the rest of her things. There was more than her usual backpack today; in addition to her own rehearsal gear, there was a huge duffle bag that contained every piece of clothing and jewelry she had tucked away for rainy day dress-up with her nieces in hopes that it would give the Bellas ideas for new uniforms to wear at finals. It would all, unfortunately, have to be dropped off at the apartment before heading to the Mitchell's house, but hopefully that wouldn't take long. Throwing the bag over her shoulder first, Chloe paused at the card, running her fingers over the edges in thought. Surely the Bellas would know if she hadn't, and she didn't know how to explain herself out of that if they happened to confront her about it.

While she mulled it over the walk home, Chloe was still undecided as she reached her apartment door. As she opened the door and dumped everything on the floor Chloe couldn't help but think about how easy it would be to leave it somewhere and forget about it. Half expecting Aubrey to be spread out on the couch surrounded by books, yet finding nothing, the idea seemed even better.

"Hey, what are you doing home? I thought you'd be halfway to Beca's house by now. " Aubrey's head poked around the corner of her bedroom door just as Chloe was about to sneak into her room to get changed.

"Those are words I never thought would come out of Aubrey Posen's mouth," The blonde's face fell into a stare, and Chloe couldn't help laughing at her friend. "Yeah, I'm heading that way in a minute. I just need to change first."

"Mhm, okay. Well, seeing as I nearly required a leash to keep you from running out of practice this afternoon, do you want to tell me what's really stopping you?"

"Nothing." Chloe was suddenly defensive. "I'm sweaty from practice and I don't want to look disgusting for dinner."

"You look fine. I'm sure they've all seen worse."

"I had all those bags to being home." Chloe offered another excuse, although Aubrey could see right through it.

"Could have given them to me. Try again."

"Aubrey..." Chloe groaned, shifting from foot to foot impatiently waiting for her chance to escape this conversation.

But Aubrey stood firm, "Chloe."

"Why does something always have to be wrong?"

The blonde stared at her, an eyebrow cocked, before she answered, "I know you. I saw the look on your face when the girls gave you that card. Chlo, this is Beca we're talking about, she's not going to hate you. Quite the opposite, I'm sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She paused for a second, considering the consequences of blurting out what was on her mind. "Beca's incapable of hating you, in fact she'd probably find some way to blame it all on me. Chloe you are my best friend and I love you, but hiding your feelings is not your strong suit. For gods sake, just tell her how you feel."

"This is not a conversation we're having right before I leave to celebrate the incredible progress Beca's made after the life threatening stroke she had at eighteen! You're like a dog with a bone, you never give up. There always has to be something you can stick your nose into, and that's completely disregarding the fact that it's the last thing Beca needs to worry about. We're trying to help her get better, not throw more shit on top of the pile."

Aubrey was, at first, taken aback by Chloe's language. The normally sweet and excitable redhead was never one for swearing as it didn't fit into the positive mindset she tried to have about everything in her life. But, it was understandable given the circumstances. The last few months had been a stressful for her, and Aubrey could see that she was really still trying to process all that had happened. She had been talked into registering for several psychology classes a few semesters ago by the overly enthusiastic Chloe who, as a double major, arrived home after her first day in intro to psychology with a play-by-play of her day. It certainly gave the blonde more insight into moments like these, although the two friends made promises not to analyze each other. Until now, Aubrey had gladly kept that promise, but she was worried. She studied the way Chloe moved around the apartment, clearly exhausted, but knew better than to say anything about it. Since finding out about Beca, the redhead was running around non-stop; going from class, to the hospital, then library to study, and finally, most nights, falling into her bed sometime after 2am. There were no doubts that it was all in good intention, but Chloe was obviously stretching herself thin. After several attempts to sit Chloe down for a heart-to-heart, Aubrey resigned; the redhead was not only hard to catch, but refused cooperate once she found out what her friend was up to. She had a theory that the redhead was trying hard, and unsuccessfully, to push away her emotions, particularly if it related in anyway to Beca's condition, so as to focus on what she does best: helping. The only problem was that the downfall would to hit Chloe hard, and all Aubrey could do was wait around until it happened.

"Chlo," Aubrey tried to reach out to the redhead before she closed the door to her bedroom and completely shut her out. She stood by the door watching her friend shift through a pile of clothing on her dresser, all but acknowledging her presence. "Are you sure you're okay?" Her voice was considerable softer now in an attempt to pacify any unresolved conflicts.

"Don't start with that again," Chloe groaned, stopping with a few shirts clutched in her hands to throw a bright, yet entirely fake, smile at Aubrey in order to prove her next point. "I'm fine."

"Okay, okay, I'll drop it. Please try to remember that we made plans with the girls tonight."

The redhead nodded, finding a clean sweater amongst her mess and turned around as she pulled it over her head. "I won't forget. If you'll recall, I was there when we made these plans."

"7:30."

"I know. Now I really need to get going, I'll see you later."

With one last concerned glance at her best friend, Aubrey finally conceded. The doorway she had been, unintentionally, blocking was now wide open, leaving enough room for Chloe to rush past her. She stood in the same spot for a few minutes after Chloe had left, the soft click of the front entrance letting her know that she was alone again. With the intention of moving her books out into the kitchen to accompany her for dinner, Aubrey spun around and immediately came face-to-face with the oversized piece of construction paper that Chloe had conveniently left behind. It was too late to call out to her now, Chloe was probably down the stairs and halfway across the quad, so she settled for putting it somewhere she wouldn't have an excuse for forgetting it next time. She wasn't stupid, she knew exactly why Chloe made the choice not to bring the card with her, and that's why she had brought it up moments ago. But there was no convincing her when it came to telling Beca everything. The redhead was endlessly trying to avoid confrontation with Beca; tiptoeing around delicate subjects such as these for fear that she would stop speaking to her. It had happened once, sure, but that lasted all of one hour, but Chloe was the most overly cautious person she had ever met.

Admittedly, it was nice to see Chloe get excited about something. Aubrey worried that she was stretching herself thin nowadays, never leaving time for the things she used to enjoy. Albeit, that often involved Beca in someway or another. She missed her best friend's smile; it was infectious, just like everything else about her, so Aubrey found herself feeling the same excitement. Not that she wasn't thrilled to hear that Beca's hard work and progress had allowed her to finally come home. As far as anyone was concerned, this was a huge step in the right direction; one they'd all been waiting for since finding out Beca was sick. But it would be a long road back to normal, whatever normal was at this point. Truth be told, Aubrey was beginning to miss the rebellious brunette, even her constant need to comment about how practice should be run. She wished Beca could see the girls now, and know how much they had changed because of her ideas. She wanted to apologize to her for all the times she dismissed them without a second thought, and wondered whether none of this would have happened if she had. She wished that Beca could, at least, experience the excitement of going to finals with them instead of being struck by yet another complication landing her in the hospital again. At the thought, Aubrey stopped what she was doing; there had to be some way she could help Beca be a part of it.

Chloe couldn't help but laugh at herself as she made her way to the Mitchell household with an extra bounce in her step. It was cheesy, but the anticipation of going to see Beca couldn't be contained. Not only that, but this surprise Luke was (unfairly) keeping from her until she arrived was starting to make her mind race. She was never one for surprises, mostly because no one was ever able to get one part her. For each birthday, despite her family's attempt to distract her, surprise parties were spoiled beforehand. Her dad always said that, if medical school didn't work out, she should look into detective work. Yet, this she couldn't pinpoint. No matter how many thoughts ran through her mind. Beca was constantly surprising them now, even the little things were celebrated; so that did little to narrow it down. As she reached the house, the Chloe had to stop herself from knocking down the door in the rush to see her friends, and luckily, Sebastian answered the door before she had that chance; pointing her in the right direction with a quick, "Hello Chloe," as she passed over the threshold.

She had been inside Beca's house several times before now, so it was no trouble finding the back room where it was obvious the brunette and Luke were hanging out. That, and anyone who knew Luke, even on a fairly personal basis, could identify him by only laugh. She opened the door with a wide smile, and the intent of surprising them, but they were already both facing her as she snuck into the room.

"Nice try," Luke smirked, stopping his hand mid-air before it could land on the stack of cards in front of him. "We heard you come through the front door. You're not exactly quiet, you know.."

Hitting his shoulder lightly, Chloe stuck her tongue out and flopped down on the couch with her legs crossed. "Maybe you just have big ears, ever think of that? What're we playing?"

Luke explained but Chloe couldn't help but zone out as she watched Beca instead and moved closer to her as they continued to play. As soon as she reached her, Chloe wrapped her arms all the way around Beca with her fingers laced together, effectively trapping her in the embrace that the redhead has little intention of releasing any time soon. She honestly couldn't help herself, not when Beca was finally right in front of her. Being out of the hospital was already suiting her; she was more comfortable, lounging in a noticeably loose pair of leggings and a long shirt, and seemed more alert than she had a few days ago when Chloe visited.

"I'm playing winner," She announced, muffled by the arm she was pressed against. They just so happened to be playing her favourite game; a game they'd made up after exhausting all the options suitable for Beca. "Luke, how are you still terrible at this? We've been playing it for weeks!"

"Thanks, Chloe. Always so supportive."

"Kick his ass, Becs," Chloe told the brunette intentionally loud enough for Luke to hear.

The redhead, accustomed to having no response from Beca, was surprised when two simple words slipped out of her mouth. "Yes, Chloe."

They were easily missed and, in fact, Chloe wouldn't have heard them if it were not for her noticing Luke stopping to watch her reaction. She glanced over at him, a broad smile on his face, and her eyes surely wide with excitement. "Wait until you hear what else she has in store for you. Classic Beca."

It took a second for Chloe to recover from the shock of it all, but when she did, she squeezed Beca harder than she already was. Nothing could be better than Beca using her name for the first time since the stroke, but she wondered what he meant by his last statement. Chloe raised an eyebrow, curious about the apparent part two of the surprise.

"When did this happen?"

Luke shrugged, "I have no idea. It just sort of slipped out on the car ride home. Right, Becs?"

"Yes."

"Figures she'd say yours before mine. You obviously spent too much time with her." Luke added with a smirk.

"Beca just likes me better, isn't that right Becs?" She nodded, clearly enjoying the conversation.

"How are the Bellas doing with that new routine?" Luke interrupted, placing a card on the coffee table.

"Fine. We have a lot of work to do if we're gonna be ready, but it's coming together nicely," She turned her head towards Beca to tell her the latest gossip about the girls and found that the brunette was already facing her. "I have so much to tell you."