A/N: And here's chapter 10, in which our favorite skaters compete for the gold in the free skate, and Chloe incites some controversy. She can't help it.

I don't own pitch perfect.

It was game face on. No room or mistakes.

It was just the music, the blades, and the ice.

And the rest of the world whose ice were on her.

Flo heard her name being called. She took a deep breath as she smiled and skated to the center of the stage.

Stacie left it all on the ice with another enticing and seductive performance. If Flo were being honest, her competitor's skate was so hot that the ice beneath her blade looked like they melted. After such an amazing performance, she couldn't crumble now. She had to meet the challenge head on, respond to the amazing gauntlet being thrown by the amazing group of women she were competing against.

Flo had been a little distracted, concerned by her best friend's jittery antics. The pressure was getting to Beca, and in a way it was getting to her too. But she was sure that if anyone could get her to calm down, it would be the five time world champion coach she had.

So Flo took one last deep breath as she waited for her music to start. It wasn't the gold medal she was after, although winning would be nice. It wasn't being the world champion either, that was just a perk. She was here to put Guatemala on the map of the world of figure skating.

As the music started, Flo let her movement on the ice do the talking. She came from a country that didn't boast much on skating rinks, but the videos she had watched growing up had gotten her falling in love with figure skating. She did everything she could, with the support of her parents, to fight for this dream. Now that she's got her chance, she wasn't going to waste it. She was going to show the world her love for the sport, prove that the Russians, and the Americans, and the like weren't the only ones born to rule over the ice. She was here to represent all those who dreamed of skating on one of the biggest stages in competitive figure skating. She was here to prove that with hard work, you can turn your dreams into reality.

Flo's emotions poured into her performance, dazzling the crowd. Her music, her costume, they were all chosen to pay homage to her home country. She wanted to give it her all, make everyone tuning in proud. She'd like to think it would be enough. Even just this once.

She only had two quads in her repertoire and while she did use them in the short program, she nailed them in her free program. She skated cleanly, and when it was all over, she was showered with flowers and stuff toys along with the applause.

She may not be the best of the best, and maybe one day she could reach that top, but skating was her life.

She could only hope to inspire others and make them fall in love with the sport just like she once did.

Because that's what skating was.

Beca looked like a total zombie, and Chloe was beyond worried about her. She hoped that she could get her back on track, shake it all off, and focus before she skated, but she was running out of time.

After the short program, reporters started to clamor for interviews and some of the nastier competitors started to their psychological tirade. It was an exhausting day.

Chloe, being a five time champion for the Grand Prix and the World Championship, was used to this. Skating was no problem. Her love for the sport and her love to surprise the audience always gave her the boost in energy and confidence needed for these competitions. She always had a bubbly personality, quite a natural being the darling of the crowd, so the interviews were easy for her too. She also never gave a damn to other people's thoughts. For as long as she didn't step on anyone's toes, she wasn't going to listen to any snide remarks, comments, or passive-aggressive comments from the people she was competing with, their coaches, hell even their mothers. She wonderful parents who supported her, a great coach, despite being rough around the edges sometimes, and she was friends with most of the people who were her actual competition.

Beca, well, she was not used to it at all.

It started with the barrage of interviews after the first event. Sure, some of the reporters were just doing their jobs at asking both of them a few questions. Chloe hated the fact that she was persistently asked when she was going back to figure skating and for how long did she intend to play the coach, but it was part of the game. She gave firm responses, showing her full support to Beca, all while Beca was asked questions of how she was going to show the world how much she's grown under Chloe as a coach, or about how she's about to start Chloe's new legacy as it was all riding on her now.

Then there were the side comments from the other skaters, comments that Stacie, and thankfully Lilly, was quick to silence. Words have quite the power sometimes, and she was worried that Beca had let them all come in and weigh her down.

She started getting antsy the night of the first event, not being able to rest much at all. She barely ate anything either. Chloe asked for help from Benji in how she could help Beca but even Benji was out of his depth.

"She would get caught up in her head before but not like this. Beca's that much of a glutton that her anxieties couldn't deter her from scarfing anything down. But this, well, Beca's never been the one to beat before," he responded.

Chloe tried a mellow approach after that, understanding that Beca was putting pressure on her own self and believing that her usual blunt and tough love approach – something that had always worked on her and had somewhat worked on Beca used in the right way – she settled for a gentler approach with talking to her that morning. "Don't practice any jumps, not even during warm-up later before you go on. You didn't get much sleep at all last night so it's better to take the relaxed approach here," she had said.

But did Beca listen? No, of course not. It's not that Chloe never listened to her coach once in a while – okay, so maybe that happened a lot – but Beca did, she listened to her. Although, Chloe has noticed a rebellious streak in her too, throwing in unplanned jumps and trying to push herself a little too much more than what they had initially planned.

Because of it, Beca fumbled all her jumps during training.

Chloe insisted she get some rest between from the on until she finally needs to get on. She even managed to have Jesse pass of a cot he had procured from somewhere to help Beca sleep on a bench back in the locker rooms. "Don't worry about it Beca, I'll wake you up before warm up. Just get some rest," Chloe insisted.

But of course Beca didn't listen, the younger woman shifting around and staring awake at the ceiling. Every time Chloe asked what was wrong, she just shrugged it off, and the walls the redhead thought she had crumbled were back up again.

Before she knew it, it was time for their group to warm up, and Beca falls on the ice attempting another jump.

Chloe was out of her depth. She tried calling Jesse for help as Beca started pacing around, her mind deep in thought, looking like an absolute zombie as she walked up and down the halls that lead back to the locker room.

"We usually just talk her down, but no, I've never seen her the way you're describing her now," Jesse replied, sounding worried. "Sometimes, to help her focus and motivate her, we would try to give her something to fight for. That usually works."

So Chloe tried just that. She had a couple more minutes before Beca had to absolutely go on, so she grabbed her hand and marched on to the parking lot, dragging Beca along, to have some moment of privacy.

She had to give Beca something to fight for.

Chloe took a deep breath before regarding a tired and weary-looking Beca. She was shaking, looking as if she was frightened by what was coming up next. It broke her heart to see just how affected Beca had become because of what other people might have said. Chloe could easily play off Aubrey's harsh remarks, besides, she knew that her best friend would never actually tear Beca down for the heck of it. She understood Aubrey's sentiments, how she could see Beca's talents and how it frustrates her to see it wasted because of the fears that held Beca back. But she could never forgive those who got in her head for playing tricks, and Chloe could never forgive herself if she let Beca crumble for such a reason.

She cared a lot about Beca. Despite what other people might have though, she had always seen her ever since the two of them competed on the same stage. A quite little girl who kept to her own, so nervous and seemingly aloof. She would catch her looking, stealing a glance once in a while before shyly and hurriedly looking away. Chloe had always wanted to say hello, but she never knew how to. Over the year, it became a thing of her own, a thought that nudged her whenever the opportunity arose, but a thought she had buried nevertheless. Her main goal was to win, and though Beca Mitchell popped into her mind once in a while, mostly whenever Chloe would see her again, her presence had never been so strong as now. Still, she knew, deep down, that the simple act of saying hello to Beca had to be perfect. For some reason, the younger skater just had that effect on her. There was that want to understand Beca, unravel her mystery. This was her moment to do so.

Perhaps it was with how she showed her heart on her sleeve whenever she was on the ice. The way she connected to the music and lost herself to her own program, doing more than just convey emotions but making you feel it in your heart as you watch her perform. Perhaps that was it the reason why Chloe could not take her eyes of Beca. That kind of freedom and vulnerability, that kind of ability to put a piece of you in someone else's heart, leave an impact, and make it last a lifetime.

As she got to know Beca, she saw just how fragile the heart behind that vulnerability was. She was happy Beca trusted her to catch a glimpse of it. Chloe was happy that she was getting through her. She was proud she could be a part of this journey with setting the real Beca, all the skater that she was and could be. She only wanted her to take flight completely, let go, break free, of all the things that bound and restricted her. If anything, it drew her all the more to the younger woman.

But she wasn't going to let her personal feelings get the best of her now. Her focus was Beca, as a mentee, and being Beca's coach. She had to help her give the best performance she could.

And if winning the gold wasn't enough to motivate her, to keep her focus and shut out the noise of the world, then maybe having something lose would do the trick.

Because if trying to salvage Beca's fragile heart wasn't the answer, if Benji, Jesse, and her friends aren't entirely sure of what to do because Beca might have hidden her incredibly vulnerable self from them, then maybe shattering her heart would be the key.

Chloe cleared her throat. She didn't want to say it, nor does she fully mean it, but she had to snap Beca back to reality somehow. "It is partially my fault if you mess up your program today and don't take a spot on the podium. I'll take responsibility for it and resign as your coach," Chloe went on to say, and more than immediately her words had taken their desired effect.

Well, almost.

Because as much as it did wake Beca up from her own delirium of dark thoughts, the sudden shock had brought about tears in the young skater's eyes. Tears that were falling freely down her cheeks, like a damn had broken and she could no longer hold the bursting water back.

"Chloe," she said in between sobs and sniffles, "why would you say something like that?"

Oh no, it absolutely shattered, Chloe thought to herself, already thinking up a way to dial it back down. She thought at least Beca would be mad or upset. She didn't even consider Beca being brought to tears by it.

"S-sorry, Beca," Chloe started to say, taking a step towards her in an attempt to try and console her. "I wasn't being serious, I only wanted to – "

"I'm used to being blamed for my own failures!" Beca interrupted her short as she went on and continued to cry. Her voice shook, rising a little from being overwhelmed by her emotions. But this time, I'm anxious because it may reflect badly on you! I've been wondering if you secretly wanted to quit because of it!"

"Of course I don't!" Chloe reassured her, reaching out and resting her hands on Beca's shoulder to give her a reaffirming squeeze.

"I know that!" Beca replied, letting her feeling out.

"I…" Chloe started to say, letting her hands fall on her side. She didn't think Beca's sudden outburst would affect her so much. Then again, this was kind of her fault too. "I'm not really sure on what to do," Chloe admitted. "I'm not always god with people crying either. Should I hug you? Tell me Beca, what do you need? Do you want me to call Jesse?"

"NO!" Beca yelled, trying to contain her sobs before looking up to meet Chloe's gaze head on, her stormy blue eyes filled with conviction as she spoke. "Just have more conviction that I'll win than I do, you dummy! You don't have to do anything, just stand by me!"

I really messed this up, didn't I? Chloe asked herself as she watched Beca dry her own tears and start marching towards the exit door to get back inside. Chloe followed sullenly behind her, deep at thought.

I guess I still have a lot to learn too.

She'd been focused on herself for such a long time, perfecting her programs and sharpening her skills to stay on top that she had forgotten what it felt like chasing after something. Some distant dream or a goal to achieve.

Flo was currently on ice, with Beca up next. Chloe wasn't sure if she was enough to cheer Beca on the sidelines. But after having a good cry, she found Beca taking a deep breath to study herself. As Flo finished her routine, Beca got herself ready and looked Chloe straight in the eyes. Determination shone behind them as she reached out a hand to Chloe. She felt Beca give her own hand a gentle squeeze and Chloe smiled. The tables had turned.

Chloe watched as Beca took her place on the ice. She took a deep breath herself, mostly to steady her nerves. She was still worried for Beca. She had little to no rest, with her program difficulty slowly increasing since her last performance at the challenger series. They decided to include three quads this time, Beca having mastered the quad loop, quad toe loop, and quad salchow, all sprinkled in the first half of her performance. They decided to throw in a triple axel in the middle too.

Chloe brought her hand under her chin, her thumbs brushing against her own lips as she kept her eyes on Beca, waiting with baited breath for her music to start. "You still have a lot to learn if the person you're supposed to be mentoring ends up being the one to cheer you up," John had commented as an aside as they passed each other by. He just left the kiss and cry with Lilly, having only wrapped up a few interviews. Chloe paid him no attention but did see Lilly give her a double thumbs up, reassuring her a little.

Once the music finally started, Chloe watched in awe as Beca pulled her performance flawlessly. The first half went without a hitch and she landed all her jumps. She knew, from practice, that Beca's stamina was quite impressive. What had surprised her was that even with little sleep and all the mental blocks that would have caused her to pop her jumps or fumble and fall down, she had managed to fight through the fatigue. Maybe crying your heart out was a good thing after all, it allowed some relief for Beca's heavy heart.

As Beca's routine died down, Chloe notice her making a little change for her final routine. Beca started to assume the position to enter what Chloe would have guessed as a quad flip.

Beca, no! Chloe thought to herself. No, no, don't do it!

Sure, she pulled off the exact same stunt after Chloe lectured her about the importance of acknowledging her past and whatever her fans may see in that, failure or not, back in the challenger series. But to try and attempt it towards the end of her skate, with little sleep and tired legs, was just completely insane. She messed up her landing the last time and ended up hitting her nose. Chloe feared for the worst. If she couldn't pull this off, Beca could seriously get hurt.

As Beca took off, Chloe felt her heart stop beating, holding onto her breath as she saw Beca spin up in the air four times. She only found herself breathing again once Beca safely landed the jump as neatly as she could. The landing could do some work, as she wobbled a little and started the next part of her routine in an awkward position that could earn her some deductions from her grade of execution, but she did it.

Beca was skating to the last few seconds of her program and the crowd was already going wild. She had left Chloe stunned along the way too, pulling off the exact same jump Chloe used to end her program last year.

But more than that, more than drawing Chloe into her program, more than mesmerizing her with an incredible performance considering the state she was in coming into it, Chloe found that something she was looking for.

That something that was missing.

The reason behind her intrigue of Beca, of wanting to make a great first impression.

She had found the feeling she had buried upon stumbling upon its seeds in her pursuit of glory. The one staring her right in her face as she found herself inexplicably drawn to Beca, the one dancing around her thoughts in her attempts to get to know her.

Feelings she had found one night not so long ago, confronting her once more, giving her the courage to try and strike up a conversation the next day with her own version of a simple hello.

Overwhelmed, Chloe watched as Beca took a bow. She was greeted with a thundering applause that put the most beautiful smile on her face. As soon as Beca turned to face Chloe however, she ran towards the edge of the rink where Beca would make her exit.

Beca, on a high, skated as fast as she could towards Chloe's direction, beaming. "Chloe, I did great right?"

Chloe stopped on her tracks and smiled. Just as Beca was near to reaching her, she jumped forward, towards the rink, wrapping her arms around Beca's head to cushion her from the inevitable fall. Her lips had found Beca's own as she expressed all what she could not say, all that she could not find any words for, with a sweet and chaste kiss.

The audience was stunned silent, followed by a collective gasp that could be heard from all around the arena. As soon as they landed, Chloe pulled away from the kiss and briefly rested her head on Beca's shoulder.

The crowd cheered – although to be honest, what else could they really do? – with the brazen show of affection. Chloe lifted her head and smiled shyly at Beca whose cheeks were a deep crimson. "This is the only thing I could think of to surprise you more than you surprised me," she admitted. Although she would be lying if she said there weren't any other reason behind it.

A/N Pt 2: I nearly named this chapter "Breaking Free"… but anyways, who saw that coming? Chloe's full of surprises, eh? Next chapter's an OG chapter for this fic. I figure our gals who are most definitely just pals need some break from the figure skating action 3

Also, we'll find out who won next chapter ;)