A/N - Just a gentle reminder that this story is unbeta'd. All mistakes are unintentional. I still own nothing except a hefty mortgage and a collection of M&M's.
Broken Promises
.o0o. Chapter Twenty - Picking Up The Pieces .o0o.
.o0o.
"Hello?" Chloe repeated, ignoring the car horns behind her as she willed herself to be right about who was on the other end of the phone. "Beca, is that you?"
.o0o.
"Say something." Chloe said after the longest pause.
There was a long hiatus, long enough for Aubrey to check to see if the phone had disconnected itself but the slight crackle on the line was still there; a telltale sign that someone was still hanging on.
"Hello?" Chloe said, determined not to give up.
"You're going to have to move Chloe. We can't block the-" Aubrey began.
"-Enough Bree! Please wait a moment. I need to deal with this."
"Why?" Amy asked, leaning forward and poking her head through the two front car seats. "What did I miss?"
"Amy, quiet ..."Aubrey trailed off, putting her finger to her lips.
There was an unbearable silence which seemed to stretch for an age.
"Chloe?"
The voice was quiet, childlike and anyone who heard it would know that the caller was crying.
"Yes?" Chloe whispered, willing herself to be right.
"It's Beca."
.o0o.
"Has she stopped crying yet?" Beca asked quietly, her hands still shaking as she and Aubrey sat in the small lounge area back in the hotel room. Despite the past few months and all the drama that had come her way, Beca hadn't felt this uncomfortable in forever.
After finally hearing from Beca after so long, Chloe had begged her friend not to hang up the call and meet up so they could just talk. The silence had been deafening until Beca had sobbed out a quiet 'yes' and it quickly became apparent that Chloe was incapable of driving any further after that.
Ignoring the angry horns and gestures from all of the vehicles behind, Amy had jumped out of the backseat in the middle of the road, opened the driver's door and pulled Chloe from the seat. There was a moment or two of panic when the seat belt was caught up but for the second time in as many days, she fireman lifted Chloe into the back seat and slammed the door before jumping in the driver's seat and turning right.
Beca was still on the line but Chloe was in no fit state to talk so Aubrey took over and firstly asked how Beca was. Beca had replied simply and enquired after their wellbeing. There was more silence as Amy made a violent, unwarned about U turn and Chloe, unseatbelted in the back, was thrown against the door. Beca had asked if everyone was okay after the hearty bump and Chloe had squeaked that no, she wasn't okay, in fact she was very not okay.
Aubrey explained that they were in Las Vegas and knew Beca was somewhere close by. Beca couldn't decide if she was shocked or not and Amy had chimed in that she knew she had seen Beca at Caesar's Palace and went into a quiet rant about how no one ever believed her about anything including the alien sighting in 2012. Aubrey had asked to meet up with Beca that afternoon and while it took a little persuasion and a lot of crying from Chloe, they agreed to meet back at the hotel from which the girls had just checked out of but still had the room for the night.
Amy was pulling back into the front of the hotel by this point and stopped in front of the same valet they'd driven away from not ten minutes before. He'd asked if everything was all right and if they'd forgotten something when Amy had wound the window down and Amy, in full Australian wobble, had over explained that they'd forgotten they were staying an extra night.
The valet had looked perplexed but rolled his eyes as Amy got out of the car to fetch the bags from the back. Aubrey remained on the line and managed to get Beca to agree to come and meet them for half an hour to talk. Beca hesitated for a little while and Aubrey could hear muffled voices in the back as Beca made some arrangements. Beca said she would come down to talk and be there within a few minutes. Aubrey gave her the name and address of the hotel and said they'd be in room 8002 and for Beca to come straight up when she got there.
Between Amy and Aubrey, they encouraged Chloe to get out of the car and back up to the hotel suite where she'd have a few minutes to compose herself. Amy had dumped their bags in the corner of the living area and they all sat around looking at each other for twenty minutes.
Even though they were all waiting for Beca to show up, each girl jumped when someone knocked at the door. Aubrey had gone to open the door, leaving Amy and Chloe tucked around the corner of the L shaped room. She'd unlocked and pulled on the door, setting her game face for what she thought would be a difficult encounter. She was surprised as she looked down at Beca at just emotional she felt at seeing her old friend. Aubrey wasn't one for showing copious amounts of emotion but seeing Beca looking so small and scared in the doorway, softened her hardened resolve. Beca wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and nodded a greeting to Aubrey who stood aside to let Beca in.
Beca hesitated before nervously crossing the threshold.
She was two steps in the room before Chloe appeared on wobbly legs. She took one look at Beca, burst into tears and ran to the bathroom where they all heard the door lock and loud sobbing. Amy, after awkwardly bear hugging the life out of Beca, had excused herself to go and get some drinks for everyone. She didn't quite know what to do with herself or what to say so she decided to be busy while Aubrey dealt with it all. Amy didn't expect to feel so out of sorts.
"I don't think Chloe will stop crying for quite some time yet." Aubrey said plainly as they could both hear Chloe blowing her nose loudly in the bathroom.
Beca sighed.
Twice.
"Okay Aubrey. While it's just you and me, let's get this over and done with."
"Excuse me?" Aubrey said haughtily.
"Dude, I pissed you all off. Let's get this outta the way before Chloe comes out of the bathroom."
"If she comes out." Aubrey snapped.
"Why's she so upset?" Beca asked, looking towards the door to the room and willing Amy to come back.
"She has every right to be upset."
"Well, yeah, I mean-"
"-This is not okay Beca." Aubrey said shrilly. Beca almost braced herself in the chair as she knew Aubrey was about to unleash her tirade. She'd been expecting it and knew she deserved it.
"I know." Beca said quietly.
"You can't just up and leave, run away, and expect us all to not be upset about it."
"I know."
"You abandoned your post. We didn't know where you where. We were concerned for your safety all of the time."
"I know."
"You could have called."
"I know."
"You should have called Beca."
"I know."
"Stop saying 'I know' like you actually do know what's going on."
"I'm not looking forward to the conversation with Amy and especially with Chloe anymore than I am enjoying this with you. But I am here. I am taking my lumps. Trust me, I'd rather avoid this, if I could." Beca mumbled, not raising her eyes from the floor. "Perhaps you can tell me why you are so upset?"
"Why am I upset?! Why?! Because you are our friend ..." Aubrey said. The corner of her mouth twitched dangerously before she swallowed hard and softened her tone. "... my friend."
"Okay."
"And it's not been the same without you around annoying the everloving ... crap ... out of me." Aubrey breathed out. Beca risked a half smile, partly at what Aubrey said but partly for the bad word she used.
"I am sorry. I mean it."
"It is quite possibly the most childish thing you have ever done." Aubrey shrieked. "Worse than that appalling night when you overstepped the boundaries and started singing Bulletproof when we were performing at-"
"-I get it."
"I hadn't finished."
"I know."
"I'm so cross with you right now."
"I know."
"I'm not sure I can ever forgive you."
"I know."
"We've all been worried sick."
"I can imagine."
"I thought you were dead."
"Dead? Why would you think that? Oh."
"Yes, oh. And now you are sitting here and ... aca-Gods." Aubrey let out a long sob which, to Beca, sounding like a whale calling for its pod.
Beca looked at her shoes for a minute or so until Aubrey blew her nose, snapping her out of her daydream.
"Can I have a hug?" Beca asked and watched as Aubrey's head snapped up in surprise.
"Of course you can you silly thing. Come here." Aubrey said, standing quickly to sweep up her old friend in a friendly hug.
"I've missed you." Beca said quietly as she wrapped her arms around Aubrey.
"You've lost a lot of weight." Aubrey remarked as they parted. She sat down heavily on the sofa, clearly emotionally exhausted.
"Yeah, well, lack of money and you know?"
"Has it been awful?" Aubrey asked, her hardened resolve now in a puddle around her feet.
"Yeah. I guess."
"Well, you can tell us all about it when you are safely back home with us in Atlanta."
"Home? I didn't say anything about going home with you."
"What? You can't possibly remain out here. There are coyotes who-"
"-I'm baaack!" Amy said as she kicked open the door with her foot, the drinks she was carrying wobbling in their holder. "Whoa, a little help here."
Aubrey jumped up to catch the drinks as Amy barrelled through the door with enthusiasm. Beca was glad of the interruption and watched as Aubrey placed the drinks on the small table by the sofa.
"I wasn't sure what yoos wanted Beca." Amy said. "So I got yoos a tea as yoos used to drink that."
"Thanks." Beca said, realising she shouldn't be drinking too much caffeine in her condition. She'd only drunk water or a little juice for the last few months.
"But they only had decaf. So, it's unleaded. Hope that's okay?"
"Perfect." Beca said.
'Phew!' She thought.
She was about to ask how much she owed for the drink when the bathroom door opened a crack and a flash of ginger hair appeared in the opening.
"Bree?"
"Yes Chloe?"
"Can you come in a moment please?"
"Sure." Aubrey said, getting up and excusing herself from Beca and Amy. The door closed again with an audible pop.
Beca looked around the room properly for the first time, counting the doors off of the main living area. The large windows gave an outlook over The Strip and Beca could see that the street lights were just coming on. She wanted to leave so badly but she also knew she'd come this far and it was just Chloe to deal with.
"Yoos boobs are bigger." Amy broke the silence.
"I've missed you too." Beca said, looking up as Aubrey stepped out of the bathroom, crossed the living area and started routing around in one of the three bags that were tucked into the corner of the room. She pulled something from one of them and headed back to the bathroom without looking at Beca.
Amy cleared her throat and took a long pull on her drink.
"I've really fucked up." Beca mumbled.
"Yeah, yoos have." Amy said. "But it's us. It's not the first time and it won't be the last."
"Um, thanks, I guess."
"Personally, I've enjoyed the adventure to come and find yoos. Yoos are still alive so that's bonzer."
"I can't believe how awkward this is."
"Nah, not really."
"Well, Aubrey can barely look at me. You don't know what to say and Chloe's locked herself in the bathroom. It's not going well so far."
"Red's exhausted. She's spent the last few months travelling around the country looking for yoos skinny ass. Hours and hours of worrying, not sleeping, barely eating and it's taken its toll on her."
"Why has she been so invested in finding me?"
"If yoos haven't figured that out by now, yoos got even more problems than yoos thought." Amy laughed. "Chloe wouldn't spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on finding yoos for no reason dummy. She's yoos friend. She cares about yoos."
Beca looked over to Amy who was smiling back at her. Beca felt something wash over. It felt like a warm blanket had been put around her shoulders and she felt comforted for the first time in such a long time at Amy's words and smile.
"I'm sorry Amy."
"Yoos don't need to be saying anything to me. We're good."
"Then can I have a hug? A proper one, where I can breath at the same time." Beca asked the same of Amy as she had Aubrey.
"I thought yoos was never gonna ask." Amy said, the sheer relief washing over face.
The two girls stood and embraced properly. Beca felt hot tears leak from her eyes and she laid her head on Amy's shoulder. The hug seemed to say everything that they couldn't put into words. Amy tucked her head over the top of Beca's and held her for a few moments before reaching down and giving her ass cheek a quick squeeze.
"Hey!" Beca laughed as they pulled apart.
"Well, the whole thing was getting entirely too serious." Amy laughed.
"I appreciate that." Beca smiled.
"Me squeezing yoos ass? Damn girl, yoos need to get out more!"
"I've missed you." Beca said simply.
"So, whatcha been doing all summer? Or should I ask 'who' yoos been doing?" Amy winked.
"Huh? Oh, no, nothing like that. I've just been hanging out, trying to figure my life out."
"And how did that work out for yoos?" Amy asked but she didn't get the answer she wanted as the bathroom door opened and Aubrey came out.
"Amy." She said quietly.
"Yeppers?"
"Come on, we're going out for pizza."
"Ah right!" Amy yelled, jumping up.
"A little decorum please Amy." Aubrey said. "Beca ... Chloe will be out in a minute. She just needs a minute or two to wash her face."
"Oh, they not coming for pizza too?" Amy asked.
"Amy, get your purse." Aubrey said, ignoring the question. "Hurry along now."
Aubrey took Amy's elbow and guided her out of the hotel room, almost pushing her through the door. Beca gave a half smile as Amy protested but soon quietened down when she heard Aubrey mention mozzarella sticks, just as the heavy door closed. Beca felt comfortable in the silence as she prepared herself to talk to Chloe properly for the first time in months. She found it hard to admit that she was both scared and excited but knew she had to take her lumps with whatever Chloe had to say.
Chloe meant a lot to her.
More than she knew.
.o0o.
A/N - The next coupla chapters will be Beca and Chloe meeting up again and Beca's decision about what she is going to do - please don't hate me too much :D Please read and review if possible xx