Beca stood nervous, laptop bag slung across her, a cup holder full of caffeinated beverages outside the Bella house. She looked up at the big door. The one she had practically ran through the night before.

Still.

So deadly still, because almost every fibre of her being wanted to, was screaming at her with harsh acidity in her limbs to turn and leave and if she even just shuffled on the spot, like she could feel her legs begging, aching to do, she would flee. So yeah she stood there, outside, still, for like a creepy amount of time. Gingerly, a roll of her eyes, she knocked.

Nothing.

Another slightly louder knock and the feeling like she was waiting for a very long time, most likely she knew she wasn't but the beat of her heart was way too loud in her ears that time passed slow as she tried to concentrate on ignoring her pounding chest and focused on the time. The door opened. It opened to two bright smiles. Smiles betrayed by their eyes. Groggy, blood shot, hair ruffled. Jessica and Ashley. But still smiles. Genuine.

They took the coffee's as they welcomed Beca into their house.

"Hmmm try this one."

"What is it?"

"Dunno but it's sweet, so yeah its nice."

"Hmmm yeah that's lovely."

"How about this?"

"Nope too bitter, Aubrey can have that one."

Beca followed them as they tasted the coffee's and settled on sharing the caramel latte. Beca had literally no clue what any of them drank so got a bit of everything. She watched with amusement. A small shake of her head. Playful.

It took a while, with the nursing of everyone's hangovers but with the addition of the coffee's Beca had brought and Jessica and Ashley seemingly already having started making breakfast before Beca had arrived, most of them congregated happily in the kitchen. A bit of a scuffle to be around the laptop.

"I, umm, thought about what Aubrey said last night and yeah just, umm, give this a listen." Beca pressed play. A sharp in take of breath. Now or never.

Beca's eyes stayed firmly on her laptop screen. Too nervous to look, to see their reactions.

"Wow."

Beca looked across, a small glance, to CR. She found CR with her brows raised, impressed.

"No, I mean... what?" A smug little smirk. Beca didn't remotely feel smug, but she knew she pulled off the look. It hid how terrified she really was.

"Really Mitchell, that's... you did this?" Cynthia continued.

"It's nothing really."

"Yeah, I'm with Cynthia," Stacie smiled. Bright. She couldn't believe it had happened this fast. "When did you even have the time to do this?" Beca shrugged in response.

Like it was no big deal.

But she knew it was.

Aubrey was stubborn. So for her to have reached out like that, well yeah, Beca kinda admired how much that had taken out of her. So she was willing to give a little back. Only a little though, and yeah maybe that would score her points with Chloe. Points she may need after the way it had ended the previous night. She was hoping upon hope it wouldn't be weird, but she was feeling awkward and weird enough for more than one person so yeah it was probably really going to be weird.

Not that she knew. Yet. Because there was no Chloe. Yet.

She had left the party last night and worked on the mix all through the night up until she woke an hour ago, laptop on, headphones round her head. Askew. And she had hit play, sluggishly, and listened to her own mix. Liked it. Not loved it. It was all right, a good attempt, not great or spectacular but an attempt, and she had swelled with the need to see Chloe again and hello excuse. Half of her, no not half, a third, maybe felt like she should never have left in the first place. That she should have stayed last night, and just took a chance. The odds on her and Chloe were damn good. Right? Everything she had felt and had let loose within herself and then ran from she had put into the mix. Too much. Too personal. So one quick tinker, a few edits before she had headed over, back to where she belonged. She didn't really belong anywhere. But this was becoming close. A few more generic choices she figured Aubrey would like and she'd saved it.

"Just whapped it together. It needs a lot of work but, umm, yeah it's something new, well you know what I mean..."

"Yeah totally...it's got elements that are old enough for Aub's taste," Aubrey rolled her eyes, her small smile gave away her playfulness "but it's got something new, different, a really cool sound."

"Umm, it needs a lot of work but I... well you reached out to us last night," Beca rubbed the back of her neck, eyes flickering over each woman there, and the floor. "And I umm, yeah, that meant a lot," Beca's eyes followed Chloe as she joined the group. "So yeah this is me..." Beca told herslef to stop speaking because she could feel herself rambling and really needed to stop. "...helping..." Stop. "and yeah just...ummm" Stop. "that's it, I guess."

"Hmmm what did I miss?"

"Beca." Jessica and Ashley said in unison. "Just listen."

"Hmmm so that's why," Chloe lent over Beca, close, on purpose, and pressed play on the mix, taking it back to the beginning. "You left so early?"

"Uhh..." Beca's eyes tried to find Chloe's, Chloe's mostly avoided but she saw from the corner of her own the pleading look in Beca's. "Yeah." The word drawn out. Long. So much said with one word. Don't mention why I really left last night was begged, dripped into her tone. Into her eyes. Not said at all. She tried to keep the weirdness between them at bay. Was it? Weird?

"It's..." Chloe was nodding along to the beat. "It's damn good." Nope no weirdness. A little, but not a lot. She was too impressed with Beca turning up with this mix to poke at anything from the night before. Yeah Beca had ran from the potential of so much the previous night, but she had returned. To them. To her. With like an total awesome gift. "Bree? You like?"

"Yeah, I really," Her gaze moved from Stacie to Chloe then. "I really do."

"Drinks?" Jessica smiled at Ashley.

"Celebration tonight?" Ashley replied quickly. "Huh? Guys?" Practically bouncing on the spot.

"Yeah," She went to say one of their names, and still was not sure which was which, something she made a mental note to work on. "Good idea," Aubrey turned from her gaze on them to Chloe. "Great idea, you guys go out... have fun, call it mandatory bonding, me and Chloe will stay here and work on the mix," Then her eyes moved over to Beca. Beca looked a little surprised, maybe happy, yeah Aubrey saw a shine in those eyes and she for a small moment Aubrey softened to the annoying little hobbit, "Becky," Yeah Aubrey said it on purpose, hoping Beca didn't like that reiteration of her name. Aubrey was right, she saw a shift in Beca's eyes and a slight clench of her jaw. "You should stay in with us, you know how to use this program so..."

"Sure," A slow blink. Beca strained to stop herself biting at Aubrey because yeah she hated, really fucking detested being called Becky. "Love to."

"Awes!" Chloe did a little clap beside her.

"Awes." Aubrey repeated. Clipped.

"Awes." Beca muttered in a tone that dripped sarcasm.

Aubrey watched from the door way, the green liquid from her #1 cup warming her hands, as Stacie fixed her already perfect hair, looking appreciatively at her own reflection. And so she should. Aubrey mused. Aubrey soaked up this small moment between Stacie and her own self. Aubrey found it hard to breathe, as her eyes roamed over her girlfriends body. A small smile that pulled to grow wider but she kept it tight lipped more in astonishment that she had found someone so fucking perfect as Stacie Conrad.

Stacie, who made her a better person. She knew she was a pain in the ass. But yeah so what. How she was raised. Perfection. Nothing less. But Stacie was showing her a different way to achieve greatness. Not pushing her, or forcing her to change, but drawing out the better side of her. The facet that was always there. She supposed. Maybe. Whatever. It was there now. Because of Stacie.

"You sure you don't want me to stay and help?"

Aubrey was caught, her eyes jumped from Stacie's calves that were just, fuck, popping and toned and looking so fucking good and up to where Stacie's smirk, given and reserved for her only, over her shoulder made Aubrey walk towards her.

Fast.

She placed her tea down beside them. Her hands still felt clammy, the tea? Perhaps, or how she still felt nervous around Stacie somewhat. Maybe.

She was so at ease with her, felt like she could really just be herself with her, but also like she didn't know her at all and wanted to know every little detail about her, and how much she did made her nervous. Put her on the back foot a little sometimes. Out of control. Maybe she liked that a little. A lot. The needing. The wanting.

Needing her. Wanting her.

Aubrey notes that there's a difference but she does need her, and even if she didn't its her she wants. Only. No matter how many times Uni had been facebooking her to hook up or go out or sending dick picks again, not that she would tell Stacie. It's not like she's hiding it, it just isn't worth bringing up. He means nothing to her now. He wasn't even worth blocking. He wasn't worth anything to her. Stacie was fast becoming her everything.

"No," Aubrey placed a small kiss on Stacie's lips. Stacie turned back to the mirror, as Aubrey slid her arms around her waist, head leaning against her bare shoulder. A light kiss. "Thank you for asking," Aubrey spoke to Stacie's reflection as Stacie put ear rings in, motioned to Aubrey to give an opinion on them, with Aubrey's slight nod, Stacie smiled widely in return. "but since you're asking and like have spent an hour getting ready to go out, and look so..." Aubrey sighed, knowing any word she said didn't sum up Stacie. "I know that means you really want to go out." Another small kiss to Stacies shoulder. Stacie relaxed into her arms, a smile. "Nothing like asking me to go out instead though."

"I know how much this means to you," their eyes met in the mirror and Aubrey's, although looked disappointed that she wasn't going out with them, she smiled, a sadness in it, but Stacie was right. If they wanted to kick ass at the semi's they really had to put work in. "...so," Stacie turned "...nope." And it was her turn to place a small kiss on Aubrey's waiting lips. "Plus you know I prefer you sober." Another light kiss, that Aubrey tried to deepen, then another light kiss that Stacie allowed Aubrey to deepen, allowed Aubrey to slip hers over and round and over and under hers over and over until the last thing that was on her mind was heading out.

"I think you should let Beca come out with us instead." Stacie spoke slow, a hopeful grin on her face. Aubrey melted and needed to kiss her again instead of actually replying. She nodded and hummed an affirmative into Stacie's lips. Aubrey's brows knitted as she tried to and failed, to keep in a moan. "She already put in so much work last night."

"I agree."

"You do?" Stacie looked disappointed. "I mean yeah," Bolder now in tone. "Of course you agree." Aubrey cocked her head at Stacie. Questioningly. "I was hoping you'd take some more convincing though." Stacie waggled her eye brows playfully.

"Then no she can't go." Aubrey said dead fucking seriously. "Not until..." She took Stacie's hand, brought it straight to where her dress met her thigh, pushed Stacies hand underneath, up, not that it needed pushing, but Stacie liked the feeling of Aubrey taking charge, showing her what she wanted. "You..." Aubrey gasped, her chest rising and falling as she lent in and kissed Stacie. Any words Aubrey was about to say were swallowed by Stacies mouth as she pushed Stacie's hand up her inner thigh.

"Not until I-" Aubrey swallowed Stacies question, tongues playfully battled as Stacie traced the rest of her question into Aubrey's mouth until all that filled their ears was the sweet sound of each others strangled moans.

"I guess the dictators not joining us anytime soon?" Beca put her feet up, curled underneath her, the laptop to the side of her, tired after a shift at the station but she wasn't gonna give up a chance to spend time with Chloe, even if it had meant spending time with Aubrey too.

"Guess n-Hey!" Chloe shot a look over at her, peeking out from behind the refrigerator. Yeah she liked when Beca stood up to Aubrey, when Bree deserved it, but to just be saying shit about her behind her back was uncalled for. She wasn't playing. "Stop that Dictator stuff." Lips pursed as she tried to gauge Beca's reaction. Beca didn't really have one, just shrugged. Chloe's hands came round the door too, as she waved two bottled at Beca. Beca shrugged again. Chloe took that as a yes and smiled, trying to get back the ease they had before she had maybe sort of snapped a little as she came back over to the couch. "Show me how to work this program..."

"Umm yeah I-"

"-while we wait for Bree?"

"Umm, sure," A smile passed between them. "Sure, I'll give it a go."

She felt Chloe's eyes on her as she worked. Eyes on her hands, her fingers as she used the keyboard and tried to go through the basics of the program. They sat in relative silence. Beca enjoying it, after having Jesse talking her ear off the entire night at the station. She relaxed as Chloe curled into her side, that playful kitten part of Chloe appearing again. Beca really fucking liked it. Really fucking liked how they could sit in relative silence, and ease and feel so tense and so on edge but somehow it was so relaxing.

"Is this?" Chloe's slowly rested her hand on Beca.

"Umm..." Chloe felt Beca's leg tense under her touch. Had she went too far? Beca was so into her at the party, but had fled, but it was just the two of them. Now. Beca seemed to be at ease when it was just them.

"Ok?" A nod off of Beca in response. Beca's mind went blank and she had no clue what she had currently been trying to get Chloe to get a grasp of since Chloe literally had a grasp of her thigh.

"You wanna, umm, I'll just..." Her fingers moved and she saved the current mix. "Do that and here..." She opened a new, clean file. "You wanna go?"

"Totally."

Beca rested the laptop on Chloe's knees.

"Open that there," Beca pointed on the screen. "Yeah and just scroll through my music, find something you wanna work on and it'll drop straight in there as the main track."

"Cool." Chloe scrolled, and Beca winced, as Chloe scrolled past some of her own mixes, she hoped Chloe hadn't picked them out as there was a lot of music so it would be easy to miss a lot when scrolling, but tracks that she had mixed jumped out off the screen at Beca. 'That Damn Red Head' and 'CB1' through 'CB4' were leaping out the screen at her. Beca made a mental note to move them to a folder. A hidden folder. A folder just for mixes that Chloe inspired in her. Or maybe she could stop doing the mixes, but nights at the radio station were long and boring so she'd work on them there. Purely for fun. Fun? It was painful but she had to get her passion for the damn red head out somehow. "Show me how to..." Chloe saw Beca's panicked expression out the corner of her eye. She tried to hide her smile. Maybe succeeded but her tone gave it away. "Bec you ok?"

"Yeah," A long stuttered breath. "Great." She moved her fingers over the track Chloe had selected, over Chloe's fingers and clicked. "Let's hear what you've...Secret Smile. Nice if a little... Sappy?"

"Sappy? How so?"

"It's like Closing Time or Good Riddance being used at a Graduation. Some, umm, sense of like falseness."

"Its in your music library." Chloe moved her fingers, flexed them under Becas. Beca realised she still had hers on top of Chloe's and moved her hand off.

"You seem..." Chloe shifted her legs, a little away, a little off Beca. "Distracted."

"Umm." Beca instantly missed the contact.

"Sorry?"

"Don't be, here." She leant over and with a few keyboard strokes she dropped another track, she almost stopped herself choosing it but she just couldn't help it as she clicked on Sunshine by Childish Gambino. Beca thought it would work well with what Chloe had picked as the main track, and she'd used it plenty in her own mixes, just something happy, optimistic and what a beat. "Like this."

"Just that easy huh?"

"Nope just how I make it look." Beca chanced a click of her mouth, and a small wink, and was rewarded by a small laugh from Chloe. Beca couldn't help feeling warm, warm and tired but mostly warm from Chloe's presence. Beca slid some bars around and did some things with the program Chloe was utterly clueless about. "See when the drums kick in during Secret Smile, I'll layer in the bass of Sunshine."

Chloe smiled as their tracks, Secret Smile and Sunshine melded.

"Is this like your song for me Bec?"

Beca wasn't sure she had heard Chloe and let the answer linger between them. It wasn't until Chloe let out a high airy sigh that she knew Chloe was actually was waiting on a response.

"Does yours remind you of me?" Beca countered, looking up shly at Chloe, but in her head she thought she sounded bold.

"Nope," Chloe meant nothing bad by it, just being honest. "it's one of mine and Brees songs-" Chloe choked on her words, choked at the hurt in Becas face. Though Beca clearly tried to hide it. "Hey uh... you wanna save it and we can like watch a movie or something until Bree comes down?"

"Sure," Chloe chose to ignore the clipped tone. "I mean, umm, if you think we've got time for a movie." Chloe smiled at hearing the nervous sounding Beca return. She had chased away the bolder one that was rearing its head but at least the nervous one was nervous because of her and not sounding so hurt like she just had.

Chloe untangled herself from Beca as Beca took the laptop, saved it and put it down the side of the couch.

"Oh yeah, they'lll be a fair while. Say Anything?"

"Ummm huh what now?"

"The movie? You seen it?" Chloe returned with the DVD and bent over placing it in the tray. She looked slowly behind her expecting Becas eyes on her but Beca's were downcast. Chloe shrugged it off, made her way back to the couch, picking up a blanket from the other couch and draped it over them as she snuggled back down into Beca. Beca held in, for a smidge, a yawn that slowly escaped.

"Hmmmmmm nope."

"Good its one of my favs-"

"You have a lot of those?"

"Like you don't have a lot of fav songs I bet."

"Damn right I do." Beca stretched, Chloe smiled as the more playful tone returned to Beca's voice. Chloe took the opportunity to move to lie down on Beca's shoulder as Beca smirked, her arm having no where else to go but around Chloe. "Guess this is another first for me?" Chloe hummed in approval. "The ugh movie I mean."

"Totally."