Chapter 20

"Thank you for coming back, Midnight,"

The words Chloe had whispered so sincerely into her ear yesterday night, repeats like a broken record in Beca's head as she leans against a tree, arms crossed in front of her chest as she patiently waits. As a matter of fact, she has been in the same spot for at least half an hour, her presence perfectly concealed behind the trees, which Victor Barden is abundant with, waiting patiently. Unconsciously, in between wasted time, thoughts about the lovely Vanderbilt begin to consume her mind and it's nothing new. These days Beca's thoughts seemed to be only occupied with Chloe and Chloe alone. She also finds out that her resolve to push away these thoughts aren't as strong as they once were. By now, she's given up in doing so. Instead, she welcomes them, letting herself get lost in the thought of big baby blues, sunny smiles and soft touches.

If Beca had always looked down a cliff, wanting nothing more but spread her arms and fly, now it has changed into looking at beautiful baby blues and wanting nothing more than to drown herself in them forever.

And it's pathetic she knows but she's also accepted that it's just beyond her control.

Control doesn't exist when it comes to Chloe.

The faint sound of leaves crunching as footsteps seem to come closer, straight to where Beca awaits. It breaks her thoughts as she looks up. Finally. It's about time.

Beca could hear the sudden hesitation as the footsteps start to slow down, clearly becoming more conscious of Beca's foreboding presence. At this point, she's already contemplating on revealing herself but she opts to wait a few moments more. Beca perfected good timing after all, a trait all assassins need to have.

A second later, a body passes by the small path a couple of feet from where she stands.

"How sweet," she breaks the silence with just the right amount of sarcasm.

The footsteps stop completely before they slowly turn towards her.

Scott Vanderbilt looks back at her with apprehension but that's natural and Beca's used to it. You get that from the younger Vanderbilts. To them the older Du Ponts are like monsters that human children dread about hiding in the closet or under the bed. In Scott's case, it's worse as Beca is not only a Du Pont but also happens to be Corvinn Castle's queen.

Scott doesn't say a word so she continues. In a distance, Beca could hear lighter footsteps from afar and even without any soul binding spells she could tell that her beloved younger cousin, Emily is walking the opposite direction from where they are.

"Do you usually go to secluded areas to hand candies to pretty young girls and draw flowers on their wrists?" she asks and this time her sarcasm is plain obvious even to a child.

Scott seems to be at a total loss of words but he struggles against it and Beca has to give him credit for his bravery. Most people would've been down on their knees, apologizing profusely and begging her to spare their lives.

"Emily and I are friends," he defends and the look in his eyes stirs something inside of her. It's a very familiar look. One which she wore eight years ago. "She's my best friend and will all due respect I don't think I've broken any laws, your highness,"

He swallows hard and Beca straightens herself from the lazy position she has held for the past few minutes. She steps towards him, his grip on the straps of his laptop bag tightening as she comes closer.

"No, you didn't," she says, voice lowering as she stops next to him, her eyes looking over the soccer field up ahead the clearing. "The law has got nothing to do with this. Because I'm not here as a queen. I am here as Emily's sister. She's more like a sister to me than a cousin," she says as she turns her head to look at him in the eye.

Scott looks back at her with the same intensity. There's fear in his eyes, Beca recognizes it very well but then there's something else there and she's only seen them in the battlefield. In opponents she's deemed worthy of putting up a great fight with.

"I'd never hurt Emily. You can't make me stop seeing her just because my last name is Vanderbilt," he firmly states. He releases his grip on the strap of his bag, both hands now on his sides, fists balled up.

"This thing between our families is nonsense! All the fighting and the useless competition, Emily and I don't want to be a part of it. You can go all day chewing each other's heads off but leave us out of it! We don't want any of it!" he continues, chest heaving.

"Leave you out of it?" Beca sneers. "And what do you think shall happen if ever your family finds out about this? Whose head are they going to chew off? Yours? Or Emily's?" she asks, giving him a rough push right at the chest at every question, making him stumble back a couple of steps.

"Because I'm certain that between the two of you, it's your head they are going to spare. Then what? You're just gonna' stand there at the side and watch them burn Emily alive? Are you gonna' run away with your tail behind your legs? That's probably the kind of man you are, am I right?" she provokes even further as he fumbles for balance.

"Whether you're going to admit it or not, we both know the truth. You can't protect her. Not from them. In the end, this thing between you and her it's going to fade and the last thing I want in this world is for her to get hurt. And mark my words, I will not hesitate on killing anyone who even as much tries to do so," she says before giving him one final shove at the chest, his back hitting the tree behind him. The look on his face, a mixture of shock, realization, fear and hurt, not from anything physical but something deep down within him.

"You are just like the rest of your family. All talk but when it comes down to it, you just turn your back and walk away," she sneers, adjusting her military jacket as she backs away from him.

"Stay away from her or things are going to get real ugly,"

She begins to walk out into the open when he finally speaks up.

"I can't,"

Beca pauses, a quiet sigh of relief escaping her but it vanishes as soon as she then turns back towards him. She'd hate to go plan B on him.

"I love her," he breathes out, shoulders sagging as he confesses the secret of his heart.

"I love Emily," he repeats, this time louder and clearer as he looks at her, eyes bearing the sincerity of his words.

"Please don't take her away from me," he pleads softly.

"I may not know how I'm going to do it because you're right, I have nothing against them or you. I don't have the power or the influence. I'm just a guy, an elite, a Vanderbilt but still, just a guy. I don't know anything, only that… I can't lose her,"

She walks back towards him, staring at him hard. "Then don't you fucking let go. You stand your god damn ground and hold on. Don't know what to do? Well, let me tell you what to do. You stay. You stay and you fight even if you end up losing. Just stay right by her side, no matter what happens," she says, her tone softening while he looks back at her in shock before the realization dawns upon him.

She continues, "They are going to find out eventually. When that happens, their going to do everything to pull you apart. They are going to say lies and you are not going to believe any of it. There's only two ways this could go, you either continue being a Vanderbilt or be a man without regrets. If you don't think you can do it then end whatever this is and spare Emily from the much more pain,"

He slowly starts nodding but then Beca suddenly grabs on to the collar of his shirt, making him stumble forward, "But if you continue with this and still make the mistake of hurting her. You better run as fast as you can because I am going to cut whatever part of your body I get my hands on," she threatens in a tone that can kill.

"I would never. Besides," he averts his eyes downwards. "She might not even think of me more than a friend anyway," he admits and Beca lets go of him.

"Well, that's not my problem," she mutters before heading off to the open field. Although a part of her already knows that there's a very small chance of that happening. There's no way she's going to tell him that though. He's going to have to work hard for it.

"You did great on that race," he suddenly says behind her and she turns to look at him questioningly.

"Constantine Albert. The annual race relay. That was an awesome strategy. You would've won," he says and this was the last thing Beca would ever expect him to say or that he even noticed her 'awesome' game play. But when she gets past that only does his words start to make sense. Suddenly, she spots the hidden meaning behind it. The words incomplete as the rest of his sentence hangs silently in the air.

So she simply ignores him and continues on her way.

"Tom's going to ask her to marry him" he abruptly says and that makes her stop in her tracks for the third time tonight. "He's going to propose later tonight,"

Moving her head to the side without facing him, she finally gives her reply, "That's what happens if you mess things up," she smiles at that, a smile that tries to cover the sadness in her heart.

"I'm about to give you a way out of this bloodline mess, an opportunity. So you better not waste it like I did," she pauses as the years before pour out in her head. A particular memory from almost three years ago burning at the center of her chest. Her stupid seventeen year old self walking away from the other half of her soul out of pride and anger.

"Or you'll end up losing her," she finally says before walking away, this time for real, shielding the broken pieces of her heart by going as far as her legs can take her.

She only stops when she finally spots her precious car. Taking out her phone, she begins typing a message. One that contains a change of plans. Instead of actually heading to her first class—which would've been an absolute shocker—she decides to work at Club Dusk. Anything to make her stop thinking of things that would lead to her doing something irrational and then suffering the consequences later.

Consequences like seeking out that familiar heartbeat and following that familiar scent which just seems to be getting stronger by the second.

"Becs?"

It's no secret that the universe loves to torture her.

"I think you're class just started 10 minutes ago,"

And Beca is a masochist for accepting it with her arms wide open.

So, like a moth obsessed with the flame, she dances around fire no matter how painful it's getting. Or how much it's starting to kill her. Especially when it's just so easy to pretend.

That everything is real.

It's easy to be so caught up in the moment. The two of them in a world of their own just like before. It's all so easy, especially now that this would be the last time Beca could let herself lose control.

So she doesn't bother stopping herself. She lets herself genuinely smile, her walls lowering down to let the Vanderbilt in. Her hand becomes attached to Chloe's like it was an extension of her body. In a sea of people it only gives her the excuse to bring Chloe closer to her. Never wanting to part from her. The time is ticking and she has only a few hours left. Beca doesn't want to waste any second of it. And even as she is called to DJ up on stage, she makes sure that Chloe gets to be near to her as possible, pulling her over to the front so she could keep an eye on her—also because people in clubs tend to get handsy.

So it pisses her off when she is forced to leave the Vanderbilt alone as Paige brings her over to where the overall manager of the club, Theo, who waits impatiently for her. Turns out he has this music producer friend who has been asking about some potential talent among his DJs and Beca just happens to be Theo's top suggestion. Tonight's performance was sort of her 'audition' and it is impressive enough to get her an offer that could make her famous—which is the last thing she wants to happen because of obvious reasons.

Music is her passion.

Fame is a different story.

Rejecting the offer, she quickly makes her way back to Chloe. Frustrated that it took her so long because they spent so much time going back and forth with his million reasons why she should go to L.A., she returns only to have her eyes almost turn dark red with what she sees. Some drunk bastard harassing her sunshine.

So she breaks his ribs as he writhes down the ground in pain.

But because this world is just filled with filthy bastards like him, they bump into two more of these bastards and to her absolute irritation, they all want the woman next to her. For the second time that night, Beca's dark side is again on the verge of breaking loose. It's actually amazing how well she is doing compared to four years ago when it only takes seconds for her to unleash hell on earth.

But what else is new? Beca will always be connected to danger and death.

Beca is violence herself.

And violence is one of the biggest triggers to Chloe's nightmares. It is after all, violence that created them and that's something Beca vows to keep away from her. Even if it requires her to leave.

Which is why when Chloe wasn't looking, she quickly breaks both their ribs—also because the bastards asked for a race re-match with Chloe as the price and that's just insulting, especially the last one.

Fortunately, they've reached the quota for encountering bastards in one night and as the evening deepens, Beca succumbs further to the cries of her heart. She'd find herself holding her love in her arms, pressed tightly against Chloe, filling up her lungs with the scent of her hair and burning her skin from the warmth of her embrace.

But it's not enough.

Beca wants more.

So she sinks even deeper, holding on as if she'd lose her any moment. Even alcohol couldn't give her this kind of high. So she puts everything into memory, keeping every single detail of tonight locked in her brain and every single feeling engraved in her heart.

And at some point, she thinks that this is it for her. How could she even possibly be with someone else? How can she ever feel this sort of feeling again with anyone else? She's got more than a hundred years to live but at this moment she thinks that there's just no one else that could replace the woman in her arms.

She will always love Chloe. Until the end.

Even death failed to separate her from Chloe.

That realization makes it even harder for her to let go. Even more so, when Chloe starts telling her how she likes being with her.

The Vanderbilt looks at her and Beca, for the first time, doesn't know what to do. Chloe touches her cheek and it sparks a flame in the center of her chest before spreading all over her body. When those baby blues gaze down on her lips, she's ready to throw everything out the window. Her mind tempting her to just make Chloe hers. It kept telling her how easy it would be to use her power and turn Chloe into a Du Pont. That she just forget the consequences and go.

"I'm happy when I'm with you and… I want to be happy," Chloe whispers and Beca's just gone.

Chloe's lips seek out hers and nothing else could taste as bittersweet as this.

It's strawberry and cookies and mint mixed together in what is now Beca's favourite poison. Beca presses further, Chloe's bottom lip in between her lips, her hands desperately holding her tight. But all good things must come to an end and Beca knows that. So she stops. She stops even as her heart shatters.

Because the truth is, Beca's love would only bring disarray. The crown, the bloodlines and the violence. There are so many vampires after her head, powerful forces she has pissed off through the years. It's a fact that she's the crowned royalty who has probably the most death threats in the history of their race.

Chloe deserves more than that.

So Beca embraces the pain as she takes Chloe back home. Sending her off into somebody else's arms but not before planting a soft kiss on her. A kiss filled with the promise that no matter where and when, Beca would always be there. That no matter what happens, she will always be watching over her and that no harm will ever come upon her as long as she lives.

And she really means it. Already planning on assigning some of her best soldiers to work, swearing oath to secrecy and are bound to follow strict orders of guarding the Vanderbilt at all times.

Years from now, Beca could easily see herself making sure that her protection extends to Chloe's future offspring. Looking after young Vanderbilts that would surely have Chloe's mesmerizing baby blue eyes from a distance, making sure that they are safe. It's how it's always been anyway. Because when Beca promises forever, she means forever.

The door of her car closes and Beca is now left with nothing but memories. She drives back to the manor but instead of heading inside, she walks the familiar path leading to the place where she can be alone.

She always says she's used to endings by now.

She was wrong.

And as the dawn breaks, the first rays of sunshine peeking through the trees are the only witness to her tears.

"Enemy at the door!" Jesse cries out at her as Beca walks in the manor through the back of the house. The panic and aghast look in her cousin's face almost makes her laugh as he points over to the door accusingly where an awkward looking Scott Vanderbilt currently stands. Next to him, a very surprised Emily which probably meant that this visit was definitely un-announced.

Without a word, she walks over to where Stacie stands, the taller Du Pont handing her a mug of coffee like clockwork without even looking at her, eyes glued to the sight of both Emily and Scott standing by the doorway. Beca could already tell that Stacie isn't as appalled as her other cousins, a smirk painting her lips as she subtly nods agreeably.

Beca's not surprised.

"What do you want us to do about this?" Nick asks in between gritted teeth, already in aggressive mode as Nate cracks his knuckles, eyeing Scott with pure hatred.

Humming as an initial response, Beca takes a sip first before finally speaking, "Does he have a weapon with him?"

Nick frowns at the question, Nate, Jesse and Stella looking curiously at her, "I… don't think so" Nick answers.

"Has he burned anything yet?" she asks again.

"No, but—"

"Is he hurting her?" Beca asks once more, watching as Emily nervously looks back their way then at Scott, whispering words like, 'What are you doing here?'

"Well, he might try—"

"So, it's a no," Beca quickly cuts in before taking one final sip from her mug. "I've got nothing against him then. I'm heading upstairs," she dismisses before passing by both Emily and Scott like it was any normal lazy day.

"Beca," Emily calls after her, making her stop and turn around. The younger Du Pont looks at her anxiously like she's done something really wrong, fingers fidgeting as she begins.

"I-I can explain, Scott and I, we…" she trails off, seemingly at a loss for words so Beca finally speaks.

"Why are you here again?" she asks, question directed right at Scott who quickly clears his throat.

"There's this book fair going on at the Karnstein building and I was wondering if I could take Emily there?" he slowly says.

"And do you want to go with him?" she asks, looking at her younger cousin.

"I-I… yes," Emily admits, looking like she's close to tears.

Sighing, she turns back her focus to Scott, "Well then why are you still standing there? Do I need to sign a waiver or something? Go," she waves off before continuing her ascent as she grumbles, "I hate fairs. So, cliché,"

Somewhere downstairs Jesse's horrified gasps echoes in the whole house.

"Did she just? What's happening? Oh god, it's the end of the world again!"

"Shut up!" Stacie complains followed by a resounding smack, probably one directed at the back of Jesse's head.

Rolling her eyes, Beca makes her way to her room, stripping off her military jacket, catching herself in the mirror as she passes by and frowns at her tired eyes. It's like she partied at a club for two days straight. She pauses to eye the papers on her desk, the important one's tucked neatly in a corner. They were all a part of her grand plan, the end of the Du Pont-Vanderbilt war and it does involve Scott and Emily, that is if the Vanderbilt doesn't cowardly shrivel up into a ball and change his mind.

Casting those aside for now, she's about to head to the bathroom when her door opens as Stacie enters her room. Beca gives her a murderous look which the taller brunette easily shrugs off. Lazily, her cousin drops down on her sofa, crossing her legs as she gives her a scrutinizing look.

"You didn't come home all day but you're not drunk. You look tired but you don't look like you've been through hours of pleasurable bliss," Stacie looks at her carefully. "And now Scott Vanderbilt is walking with our dear cousin to some book fair,"

Seemingly contemplating on the issue in front of her, specifically Beca's face, Stacie lets out a puff of air, "Shit, you've been crying,"

"Get out of my room," Beca mutters as she sorts through her clothes, taking out her black bomber jacket, shirt and jeans. She throws them all unto her bed before grabbing her towel.

"Is it a girl?" Stacie presses on, now standing up to corner Beca.

"It fucking is, isn't it?" Stacie exclaims as she tries to decipher her look of annoyance. "Your sudden approval of the little lovebirds going out on a 'frate' or whatever it is, is totally because of whoever this is. Now spill, are we going to finally meet the queen's lover? Because this is going to be news,"

Pushing her away, Beca lets out a sigh at the irritating grin on Stacie's face. "There's no one," she replies, hoping to shut her cousin down.

"I know what heartbreak looks like, Beca. This is it, right here," she says motioning at her face with her finger. "And don't you dare question my knowledge of love and everything connected to it. If there was a subject about it, I would have graduated with flying colours two years ago,"

Beca shakes her head, looking down.

"I'm leaving for France by the end of the school year," she quietly admits.

"So are we. Have you even asked her if she wants to come with you?" Stacie replies.

"That's not even the problem yet,"

"Would you care to tell me what it is then?" her cousin questions and even if Beca isn't looking at her she knows that Stacie is giving her that look that makes anyone confess.

"I don't know Stace, ah wait, maybe because I carry death with me," she sarcastically answers.

"Hey," Stacie says in a softer tone and Beca avoids her eyes. She was never good with these kinds of things. "You know what, I also think that you of all people deserve love, the universe exploding kind of love. And don't tell me otherwise, it's useless. Even death can't stop love,"

Beca finally looks at her cousin, a confused look etched on her features.

Stacie smiles lightly, "Has your father ever stopped loving your mother all those years without her?" she asks and Beca looks far away. Memories of soft music spilling out of his room whenever she walks by early in the morning. Music which her mother used to love, her favourite songs. She remembers the wedding ring that he never took off his finger even once and her mother's camera next to his bed.

"No he hasn't but look at what her death brought upon him. I can't become like him. I don't want to, Stace,"

"You won't," Stacie confidently assures her. "Love is constant. It doesn't exactly mean that you're going to both live happily in eternity. It just means that what you feel right here," she places a hand above Beca's heart. "Those beautiful memories and everything good that fills up right inside your heart. That's forever. Nobody can take that away from you,"

"Look at me," Stacie orders and Beca contemplates on it for a moment before doing just that. "You also have to know that not everything you touch dies, okay? Unfortunate things happened around you, not the other way around. And it doesn't mean that it's never going to end or that it's going to happen again. You deserve to be happy too and don't let all that nonsense stop you. You're a Du Pont, even death is afraid of us," Stacie continues before giving her a light tap on the shoulder and then turning away to head for the door.

"Now, if you're done sulking, let's go out and have fun, okay?" Stacie yells out as she pauses by the door. Beca gives her a nod, appreciating the fact that Stacie knows her well enough to know when to push and pull.

The door closes and Beca heads to the bathroom. Half an hour later, she's heading out again into the forest bringing her laptop and headphones. She needs to make some new beats. And for the first time, she decides that alcohol cannot help her right now. Music is a better choice. So she settles down her favourite spot and gets to work. From time to time she pauses, hanging her headphones on her neck to listen to the gentle rustling of the leaves when the wind blows. It's getting colder these past few days as the winter season fast approaches. Which is perfect for the dampened mood she'll probably be sporting for a while.

When the sky starts to lighten, she leans her head against the tree as she closes her eyes. She didn't exactly get much sleep yesterday and now her body is finally protesting to the abuse. After hours of working on mixes she breathes in deep hoping to clear her head when her eyes open abruptly at the scent that engulfs her lungs.

She straightens up, preparing herself as she slowly lifts her walls back up. It wasn't as high as before, just high enough to hide the desires she's tried to quell down for so long. She could hear the slow and careful footsteps. It's enough to take her back to the time whenever she'd be reading quietly in her corner until Chloe sneaks from behind to rest her head on Beca's shoulder, peeking on what she's reading or doing. A small smile curves at the corner of Beca's lips because honestly, that tactic really doesn't work on making her heart jump anymore. Not when she can already feel her from a far.

"Skipping classes becoming a habit of yours now?" she says without even looking as Chloe does exactly what she thought she would.

"Your making music," Chloe replies in a delighted tone.

"I am. What's your excuse?" Beca asks as she saves the last mix she had created. Fully aware that their cheeks are almost brushing.

"I think I'm acquiring a bad habit," she answers and Beca can feel something different from the Vanderbilt. There's a messy swirl of emotions floating around and Beca is starting to get worried.

"What, that you eat too much sweets? That's not new, idiot," she says as she closes her laptop. She can feel Chloe smile from behind her before standing up to walk in front of Beca and with the sun light glowing around the weeping willow, it creates a beautiful effect. Chloe's beauty is ethereal.

"I'm acquiring a lot of bad habits because of you," she simply says and Beca scoffs.

"So, it's my fault now?" Beca playfully says as she stands up, laptop securely tucked in her bag. "Well, I'm flattered to be responsible for luring the Vanderbilt princess into the dark side," she smirks but it fades as she sees the look in Chloe's eyes.

"Something wrong?" she finally says, unable to hold it in. By now, she's already planning on breaking someone's bones. Chloe just has to give a name and it's all done.

However, Chloe looked uneasy at the question, her fingers fidgeting and Beca was familiar with all the signs of her anxiousness.

"Becs, can we talk? Like really talk," Chloe blurts out, those big baby blue eyes imploring at her to say yes.

Beca's heart almost palpitates at the million ways this might go, a sinking feeling in her gut as she tries not to let it show.

"Is this about last night?" she slowly asks prepared to explain that Chloe didn't need to worry about anything. There was alcohol involved and even if Beca was completely sober she could still push that reason. Chloe reaches out for her hand and whatever Beca was about to say quickly disappears. The Vanderbilt then squeezes her hand lightly, pressing it close to her as if trying to borrow courage from holding on to her.

"Just listen to me first. That's part of it but I," Chloe stops, seemingly choosing her words carefully as she runs a hand through her hair.

"I need to tell you something," she lets out and Beca thinks that punching a wall is a billion times better than this.

Anything but this.

Author's Note:

It's too early, I know. But I'll be busy tomorrow and surely some of you guys would be worried that I might've given up on this story, which I'm so, so close to doing-Nah, just kidding. I'm not...yet. No, really, I'm not. I'm going to finish this with an ending that had already been decided since chapter 1. Thank you for the suggestions though, it's just some of them are just not going to happen. Some of them are though. Of which, I'm not telling. That'd be a bore if you already know what's going to happen next. That's no fun.

I'll announce the poll winner next week by the way.

Also, thank you for sticking with me until now. You've all been lovely. Some, a little irritating sometimes but still lovely because you're still reading this shit I pooped out. So, thanks.

Keep reading, idiot.