"I left a note" Chloe said as she pulled the door of Beca's jeep closed behind her.

"You didn't see them" Beca asked with an unpleasant look on her face.

"See?" Chloe asked. "No."

Beca nodded.

"Hear?" Chloe smiled knowing it was grossing Beca out. "Totes."

Beca's eyes closed. "Nasty." She mumbled as she started her Jeep and began to back out of Chloe's driveway.

"It's not. They like it each other. Of course they're going to enjoy each other." Chloe said reaching over to pat Beca's thigh. "We do." She teased with a wink.

"Yeah but you don't know Jesse like I do." Beca replied as she drove through Hidden Hills Thursday morning.

"Oh?" Chloe asked her eyebrows raised high. "How exactly do you know Jesse?"

"Gross. No." Beca laughed. "Never like that."

Chloe looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"We live together most of the time so I know his bad habits and how gross he can be. His room is next to mine at the fire house and that dude can be gross. Like how he never wears shower shoes in the showers. Which he totally admitted to me that he's peed in. And I've been in the men's locker room before and I would never ever walk barefoot in there." Beca shivered at the thought. "He clips his toe nails on his bed, which is just so nasty. Like who does that?" She asked. "And he blows his nose in shirts that he pulls out of his dirty close hamper."

"He sounds like a guy babe." Chloe giggled. "And don't worry, Aubrey will fix all those things."

"He's like the annoying nasty brother I never asked for." Beca mumbled.

Chloe smiled. She knew Beca loved Jesse. They were family. She suddenly sat up straighter with her last thought. Beca saw her posture change out of the corner of her eye.

"What?" She asked the redhead.

"Does Jesse have any family?" She asked. "I've never heard you or him speak of them."

"Um." Beca squinted her eyes together. "He does. His father moved to Utah about 5 years ago and his little brother is in the Navy. He's been stationed in New Orleans for the last few years." Beca answered.

"Are they close?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean closer than me and my mom that's for sure." She answered.

"What about Jesse's mother?" Chloe asked.

"She died when he was a kid. 7 I think." Beca replied. "Cancer" She answered before Chloe had a chance to ask.

"I'm glad that you two have each other." Chloe smiled and Beca mimicked it.

"Okay" Beca said as she pulled the Jeep over to the shoulder on the side of Highway 27. "Do you want to go north" Beca pointed to the left "or south?" She asked pointing to the right and turning towards the redhead.

Chloe looked in both directions trying to decide.

"Left." Chloe said with a nervous yet excited smile on her face.

"NorCal it is." Beca smiled and pulled back on the road turning left.

A few hours later Beca found herself walking through the sand after having left a beach side taco stand. With lunch in her hand a Corona sticking out of the back pocket of her jeans she pushed out her butt towards the seated redhead. Chloe pulled the ice cold bottle from Beca's back pocket and sat it in the sand between them. Beca planted her feet and then gently plopped down next to Chloe who sat overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

"Thanks" Chloe said as she took the offered taco.

"So" Beca said as she took a bite of the fresh fish taco. She chewed quickly. "We're like 3 more hours from San Francisco." She said then swallowed.

Chloe nodded her head as she ate and listened to the brunette.

"Cool if we stop there tonight?" Beca asked.

"Of course baby." Chloe replied quickly. "I already told you. I'm up for whatever, just as long as I with you I don't really care."

Beca smiled brilliantly and Chloe took the opportunity to lean in for a gentle kiss. The three words she said the day before were on her lips and she knew they would more than likely spill out again during this trip but she decided to hold them back for now because she still wasn't sure if Beca had heard her before or if the call was disconnected to soon.

After the kiss they each turned their attention back to their lunch and the ocean momentarily before Chloe spoke. "If you weren't a firefighter, what would you be?" She asked curiously. She watched Beca's brow furrow.

"I've never thought of being anything else." Beca answered honestly.

"Never?" Chloe asked skeptically.

Beca took a bite and shook her head. "No." She mumbled with a full mouth.

"I always wished I was a famous ballerina." Chloe said shyly.

Beca's head turned quickly towards her girlfriend. She reached for the bottle and twisted off the cap quickly. She took a long pull and sat it back in the sand between them.

"My parent's indulged me for like 2 years." She giggled at the memory. "I was horrible. And my feet always hurt so I quit. I was like" Chloe thought back, "11." She blushed at the childhood fantasy.

"I bet you were precious." Beca teased.

Chloe's face lit up. "Oh I was."

"Childhood fantasies aside?" Beca asked with a shoulder bump. "What made you become a teacher?"

Chloe shrugged. "I kind of fell into it. There was this community center not too far from campus. Bree and I would both volunteer on weekends and they were looking for an art teacher." Chloe smiled. "I've been painting since I was a freshman in high school and so when I saw the posting I asked if I could lead it. It was amazing so I figured, why not get paid for something that I love doing."

"I know exactly what you mean." Beca agreed.

"Okay, I'm sorry" Chloe said quickly with a raised eyebrow. She reached for the bottle and took a swig of the amber liquid. "How can you love what you do?" She asked. "I mean, please don't misunderstand me babe. But it is just so dangerous. I can understand that you were called to it but how can you love it?" Chloe asked seriously.

Beca knew what she was asking. Chloe wasn't meaning to be mean or condescending in any way. "I just want to help people. I don't need to be a 'hero'" she said using air quotes, "I think lots of people are heroes so I don't really think of myself like that. And I'm not afraid of fire. I don't know why but I've never been. Maybe it's because of my dad." Beca said thinking. "I don't know but the danger part" Beca repeated, "is a huge part of why I love it." Beca admitted. "I love the adrenaline rush. The way I feel when I enter the building. I know that nothing is going to stop me from helping the people inside. Jesse would probably answer this question differently because it's different for everyone but when that heat hits me and I can barely see but I know there are people you need me, I feel unbeatable, unstoppable. I feel like I could fly." Beca said gently. She was nervous for Chloe's reaction.

Chloe turned her head to look back over the ocean. They sat quietly until they'd finished their shared beer. Chloe thinking about why Beca loved being a firefighter. It scared her that Beca wasn't scared.

"Travel photographer." Beca answered.

"What?" Chloe asked turning toward Beca who finished off the last of the beer.

"If I had to do something else, I'd be a travel photographer." Beca clarified. Chloe sat looking at her waiting for an explanation. "I don't really travel a whole lot. Well at all actually but sometimes at night at the firehouse when I can't sleep, I look through pictures online of all these amazing places that people go to. I've never been there and I probably never will be but I always thought it would be cool to take pictures of amazing beautiful places to maybe inspire people to go there for themselves. So" Beca mumbled, "I think that would be a cool job." She admitted while her hands played in the sand.

Chloe couldn't contain her smile. Listening to Beca talk about anything was quickly becoming one of her favorite things to do. "Do you have a camera?" Chloe asked. "Like one for photography?"

Beca shook her head. "No."

Chloe nodded. She'd packed her camera like she'd always done when going on trips. She made a plan to surprise Beca with it later. Chloe smiled. "I think you'd make an amazing travel photographer." She cooed.

XxXxXx

"Hello?" Jesse said tiredly after hanging off the bed and pulling his phone from the pocket of his jeans that were discarded on the floor. He rolled back over looking over at Aubrey who was still asleep.

"Jesse hey it's Stacie" the EMT greeted.

"Yeah. Hi. Stace. What's up?" He asked. He felt a hand move across his chest and turned to meet Aubrey's blue green eyes.

"Beca won't pick up her phone." Stacie said quickly. "Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, she's um" Jesse said trying to wake himself up. "She went out of town."

"Out of town?" Stacie questioned.

"Yeah, she and Chloe went a way for a few days." Jesse supplied. "What's up?" He asked.

"Oh." Stacie tried to hide the sadness. She was happy for her friend but she still hadn't resolved her feelings for the brunette. "Amy just told me something interesting and I wanted to pass it on to her."

"What did Amy tell you?" Jesse asked suddenly finding himself wide away.

"She said the PD had been going through the surveillance cameras in the hospital and she thought it was interesting that Luke had been there every day. The camera showed him going into Tom's ICU room every day for like 45 minutes." Stacie answered.

"Okay. So?" Jesse questioned.

"It's just kind of weird don't you think?" Stacie asked. "I mean Amy and I've been living next door to Jessica for like 2 years and we've never seen Tom over there. I had no idea they knew each other."

"I don't know Stace" Jesse replied quietly.

"Don't you think that's kind of weird?" Stacie asked. "What would he be doing in Tom's room?"

"Did you ask Jessica?" Jesse asked.

"No. She's not home. I think she's working but as soon as she gets home I'm gonna ask her." Stacie replied. "Do you think Chloe would know if they know each other?"

"I guess Chloe would know." Jesse replied. Aubrey lifted her head at the sound of her best friend's name. She was silently asking Jesse what he was talking about. "I mean maybe? I don't know."

"Well if Beca calls you can you tell her to call me?" Stacie asked.

"Yeah sure." Jesse replied.

"Do you think she's avoiding me Jesse?" Stacie asked in a small voice.

"No, why would you ask that?" He asked.

"Don't know. It's just" Stacie paused. "She's got Chloe now so, I kind of feel" She paused again "alone I guess."

Jesse's heart broke slightly for his friend. "You're not alone Stacie. I'm sure Beca's not avoiding you but if I hear from her I'll tell her to call you. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks Jess" Stacie replied.

XxXxXx

"Can I get you ladies a drink?" The waiter asked.

Beca was on her tip toes working on sliding the large red disk into the right slot so she wasn't paying attention to the young man behind them. Winning the game of jumbo connect four was more important.

"I'll have a mojito and she'll have a Corona." Chloe answered for the both of them.

Beca smiled as she watched the disk settle to the bottom blocking Chloe's path to four in a row and a victory.

"You are having too much fun with this game." Chloe teased as she picked up her yellow disk and easily slid it in already planning hers and Beca's next move in her head.

"Whatever." Beca replied as she eyed the board again.

"This is such a cool hotel." Chloe said looking around them. The large outdoor space had tons of seating. Loads of different games. Outdoor heaters and fire pits. And an amazing few of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. "How'd you find it?" She asked.

"Yelp." Beca answered quickly. "While we were driving in."

"So, I was thinking." Chloe said quickly watching the waiter approach them with their drinks. "I propose the winner of this game gets to decide what we do next." She said quickly.

"Interesting wager" Beca said still looking at the board.

"Because I'm pretty sure I'm going to win." Chloe teased.

Beca's shoulders slumped as she looked up at the board. It was inevitable. Chloe was going to win. Again.

"Here baby" She said offering the cold beer to her as a consolation.

"Thanks" Beca took it. She threw her head back taking a long drink admitting defeat. "So, go ahead. Officially kick my ass."

Chloe smiled as she released the straw from between her teeth. She sat her drink on a small table slapping Beca on the ass as she past her. She picked up the yellow disk and let it fall into place. Officially winning. Again.

Beca rolled her eyes. "So. Winner picks."

"I was thinking." Chloe said softly as she approached Beca. Wrapping her arms around Beca's neck and pulling her body flush to the firefighters. "This hotel is really cool on the outside but we haven't really seen the inside yet." Chloe teased a soft kiss to Beca's neck. "Maybe we could spend some time in the room?" She asked softly.

"Sounds like a fucking great plan." Beca agreed. She met Chloe's lips gently at first but then when she felt Chloe's soft tongue on her lip she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss. Chloe jumped slightly when the cold bottle in Beca's left hand brush against the skin of her lower back.

"Sorry" Beca replied with a smirk. "You needed to cool off a bit."

"Oh I'm just getting started baby." Chloe whispered in Beca's ear.

"I'll settle the bill. Be right back." Beca said quickly before releasing Chloe and heading towards the bar.

Chloe watched Beca walk away. Her words from earlier on the beach rolled through her head again. She was in love with this girl and maybe it hadn't been a long time since they'd known each other but it didn't matter to the art teacher. She knew. She knew that with Beca she could be herself. She knew that with Beca she wouldn't be pushed to do something she didn't want to do. She knew that with Beca she was safe. She was protected and maybe the brunette hadn't said it yet and she probably didn't realize it herself but she looked at Chloe with love in her eyes. She heard Beca's voice pull her from her thoughts.

"Babe?" Beca asked. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Chloe said snapping back to reality.

"You still want to go up to the room?" Beca asked worry written all over her face from Chloe's sudden change in demeanor.

Chloe smiled. "Yes." She was absolutely sure she wanted that. She wanted all of Beca and she wanted Beca to have all of her.

Beca held her hand and led them through the growing crowd into the hotel and towards the elevator. They rode up to the 8th floor in comfortable silence. Chloe held Beca's hand with both of hers as she stood slightly behind the firefighter resting her chin comfortably on Beca's shoulder. She wanted to say it so badly. At this point she was fighting herself to keep the words in. She needed to tell Beca that she loved her and she so desperately wanted to hear them said back to her. Her mouth opened just as the elevator doors began to part and she felt her arm being pulled forward but her feet didn't move. She saw Beca turn back towards her with a questioning look on her face. She needed to tell Beca she loved her but that's not what came out in a small voice. "Baby, you know you can't fly right?"


AN: What's up guys... ya'll still out there? Let me know what your thinking and any theories you may have.