Forever and Always, My Love

by RidiculouslyOverObsessed

Sequel to As Long As I'm With You. Their physical wounds might have healed, but there's more to all of this than meets the eye. Chloe, Beca and the Bellas are all battling with the effects of the Cayman Islands. Can Chloe save Beca from herself? Will Beca ever be able to find out what is the root of Chloe's pain? Will their secrets destroy their relationship before it's even begun?

7. Chapter 7

The Bellas had been overjoyed at the new that 'Bhloe' were back together (the couple less enthused by the nickname they had given them), and a reunion was somehow miraculously thrown together in the space of a couple of days, thanks largely to Aubrey's organisational skills. The day before, Beca and Chloe were curled up on the sofa, Beca having collapsed her bed so they could have a movie night and a takeout after a long week.

"I think I'm going to tell them." Chloe mumbled, head on Beca's shoulder, eyes on the tv even though she wasn't really paying the film any attention.

Beca turned her head to look at Chloe, a look of shock on her face, "Really?!" She asked.

"Yeah." Chloe lifted her head from Beca's shoulder, taking strength from the look of love and wonder in her eyes, "I was talking to my therapist about it. They're my family, I want to be able to be honest with them. And she thinks it will help me process it to say it out loud in a safe environment, verbalise that it wasn't my fault."

"It wasn't." Beca smiled softly, tucking a lock of Chloe's hair behind her ear.

"I know… sort of. I'm working on it." Chloe smiled back, her fingers interlaced with Beca's. She was feeling stronger now than she ever had, and even more so now that she had Beca back.

"I think that's amazing Chloe, I'm so proud of you." Beca leant in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, grinning as she pulled back.

"Is that my reward?" Chloe giggled, "Because it's a great incentive."

Beca rolled her eyes, a grin on her face, "Noted. I really am proud of you though Chlo, this a huge step."

"I wouldn't be able to do it without you Becs." Chloe put her head back on Beca's shoulder, snuggling closer, "It's going to be hard though… Aubrey is going to find out that I didn't tell her everything… she's gonna be so hurt."

"No." Beca kissed the top of her head, her arm around her shoulders and giving her a gentle squeeze, "She'll totally understand, it's a really difficult thing to tell people about and you were in such a state that night, for good reason. And I'll be right there to help you through it, to hold your hand, whatever you need Chloe."

"I love you Beca." Chloe pressed a kiss to Beca's jaw, "I was thinking, you know the ten minute rule that we were using? I think we could still use that, when we're having a really bad day and we just need a time out?"

"I think that's a great idea." Beca smiled, gently trailing her fingertips up and down Chloe's spine.

"Because I think that's what I might need tomorrow, before I do it, before everyone's here, I think I'm gonna need ten minutes of just being in your arms to give me the strength I need." Chloe breathed, closing her eyes as she soaked in the feeling of having Beca's arm around her.

"I can do that. If it's too difficult for you to do this tomorrow Chloe then you can back out. I won't think any less of you y'know?" Beca looked at the beautiful woman in her arms, a soft smile on her lips.

"Thanks Beca." Chloe lifted her head again to press a soft kiss on her lips, "I love you."

"I love you too." Beca grinned.

---

The next day, Beca was up earlier than she had meant to be, but relieved to see that Chloe was still snoring softly in her bed. Smiling softly, she got up to put a pot of coffee on, rubbing her eyes as she grabbed her phone, leaning against the edge of the counter as she opened the group chat.

BELLAS 4 LYFE

FLO: I'm so excited for today! I miss you girls!

AMY: IT'S THE POWER OF BHLOE, IT BRINGS US ALL TOGETHER!

AMY: They're the ultimate aca-power couple.

THE ACA-DICTATOR: Excuse me?

STACIE: Yeah, what?

JESSICA: We've been here the entire time!

ASHLEY: We've been here the entire time!

AMY: … I stand by what I said.

EM: I really can't wait to see all of you xx

CR: Yeah, it's going to be so much fun!

LILLY: It'll be nice to be around people that aren't dead

Beca grinned. She was really looking forward to seeing her friends too. But she couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive, none of them knew what they were walking into today and it was going to be difficult. The Bellas would understand and be supportive, but that didn't mean that it was going to be easy. Still, she was incredibly proud that Chloe had decided to tell them; it was a huge step for her and was a clear indicator of how far Chloe had come since December.

Pouring herself a cup of coffee, Beca watched Chloe sleep for a few minutes, a loving smile on her face as she looked at the way Chloe was tangled in her sheets, her red hair splayed across her pillow as she lay on her stomach, mouth slightly open. There was no more beautiful sight in the word than a sleeping Chloe, especially when she had such a look of peace on her sleeping face. Beca loved her so much.

"If you're gonna watch me sleep, you could at least make me a coffee too." Chloe grumbled sleepily, Beca's smile only widening as she got another mug out of the cupboard.

"You got it." Beca winked, bringing the coffee to Chloe who sat up a little, still squinting a little as she smiled gratefully.

"Thanks. You wanna come and cuddle for a few minutes?" Chloe asked, Beca not needing to be asked twice as she clambered under the covers next to her, Chloe resting her head on Beca's chest with a happy sigh.

"You okay there?" Beca chuckled, an arm around her shoulders.

"Mmhmm." Chloe hummed, starting to doze off again, "Never better." She said sincerely.

They stayed like that until Beca's alarm went off at the correct time for them to get up.

"No…" Chloe whined, arms tightening around Beca's waist as the brunette went to get out of Chloe's bed, "Five more minutes…"

"We have to get up and get ready for the Bellas!" Beca giggled, rolling her eyes.

"But I'm comfy…" Chloe pouted, "We can do it from the bed, it's the Bellas, they've seen weirder!"

Beca simply laughed as she kissed Chloe's forehead, "Alright, five minutes." She conceded, "But then we really do have to get up alright?"

"Fine." Chloe sighed, unable to keep the grin of her face.

It was twenty minutes later when Beca and Chloe finally got out of bed, Chloe heading for a shower and to change as Beca took the bedding off her bed and folded it away so the Bellas would have more room when they got here. Once both were washed and dressed and the apartment ready for visitors, Chloe turned to Beca.

"Ten minutes?" She asked, her face a little pale, heart pounding with nerves.

"Ten minutes." Beca nodded, setting the timer on her phone before wrapping her arms around Chloe's waist, Chloe letting her head rest on Beca's shoulder.

Nothing was said for the whole ten minutes, Chloe calming herself by listening to the steady breathing of the brunette in her arms. Once the alarm went off, Beca gently pulled back, pressing a soft kiss on Chloe's lips.

"I'm so proud of you baby." She whispered, a soft smile on her face.

"I haven't even done anything yet." Chloe smiled back.

"I know." Beca grinned, "But you're thinking about it, and that's huge."

"I love you, dork." Chloe shook her head.

"I love you too, weirdo." Beca planted a kiss on her lips, sighing softly as there was a knock at the door, "Ugh, they always had the worst timing…" Beca sighed as she went to open the door.

To everyone's surprise, Amy was the first to arrive, a wide grin on her face as enveloped the short brunette in a hug.

"Short stack! I missed you!" Amy cried as Beca protested a little but hugged her back all the same, "I love what you've done with the place… although the bear lurking in the corner is all little unnerving…"

"Oh yeah, you sorta stop noticing it after a while." Chloe laughed as she hugged Amy tightly, "I'm really glad you're here Amy, the apartment hasn't quite been the same without you."

"Yeah, we've always had food in and there's actually room to move, it's wild!" Beca grinned.

Amy scoffed, about to respond with something snarky when there was another knock at the door. Beca winked at her as she went to answer it, almost knocked off her feet by an enthusiastic Emily.

"BECA!" She cried, the brunette just about recovering herself as she hugged her back

"Hey Em." Beca laughed, "I know you missed me dude, but can you not crush my spine?"

"Sorry!" Emily pulled back, a wide grin on her face going to give Chloe a tight hug too.

The Bellas arrived one after the other in the space of ten minutes, the biggest surprise of all being that Stacie and (more surprisingly) Aubrey were the last to arrive.

"The aca-dictator late to the party? Is this the apocalypse?" Amy frowned as Aubrey rolled her eyes.

"Not our fault. The nanny was late." Aubrey smiled as she hugged Beca and then Chloe.

"Sure. The nanny." Amy winked as Stacie laughed.

The Bellas were overjoyed to be reunited with each other, needing very little excuse to want to get together like this, but always glad to celebrate the highs in each other's lives as well as be there for the lows. It was the first time they'd been together as a group since Beca's intervention, but many of them had seen some of the others in smaller groups in-between.

Beca had her arm around Chloe's waist and gave it a tight squeeze, knowing exactly what she was thinking. The redhead had a forced smile on her face, a little pale as she thought about the prospect of telling them everything.

"I'm so glad you could all come." Chloe's smile was tight but her words were sincere, "I've really missed you."

"Are you kidding? Bella reunion and you guys getting back together? This is the highlight of my year!" Emily grinned broadly, her arm around Benji's waist (being an honorary Bella meant that he automatically got invited to these events), the two of them having flown down from Boston after visiting Benji's parents earlier that week.

"Should I be offended?" He chuckled as Emily blushed a little, kissing his cheek.

"You know I love you." Emily chuckled.

Chloe felt a knot form in her stomach as she saw how happy they all were. She knew what she had to say was going to lower the tone, and she hated that.

"Guys… I- I need to tell you something." Chloe sighed. She knew that if she didn't say something now, right at the start then she'd let the opportunity pass. There was never going to be a right moment for this. Beca gently pressed a kiss to her cheek, it being the reassurance that she needed that things were okay.

"What is it?" Jessica asked, a worried smile on her face as she looked at Chloe.

"Are you okay?" Ashley asked, an identical frown of concern on everyone's faces.

"Yeah, I- it's something I should have told you all a long time ago…" Chloe untangled herself from Beca's arms with a soft smile, taking her hand instead as she went to sit on the sofa, her friends taking seats around her, Beca sat on one side of her, Aubrey the other as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure about this Chloe?" The tall blonde asked, a look of concern on her face.

"It's time Bree. I need to stop running from it." Chloe gave her a sad smile as the Bellas exchanged confused and concerned looks.

Chloe took a deep breath, looking one last time to Beca who gave her a warm smile, softly squeezing her hand. She turned to the Bellas, a soft smile on her face, "Alright. This isn't easy, but here goes…"

Chloe told them everything. About Jenny, about her father, about the purity agreement, about escaping to Barden and the incident in her first year. She spent most of the time looking at the floor, drawing strength from the feeling of Beca's hand in hers, or her head resting on her shoulder. Once she had finished, Chloe wiped away the tears on her cheeks with her free hand. Telling the story of her past hadn't filled her with the shame she had expected it too, as it had done before, but the fear of seeing their reactions to it was still there. The apartment was silent for a few moments as everyone tried to process what Chloe was telling them, the redhead unable to take her eyes off the floor. It was only when she heard the sound of a chair shift that she looked up, Emily kneeling in front of her as she wrapped her arms around her.

"I love you Chloe. I can't imagine how hard it's been for you to have to carry that around with you," She whispered as she pulled her close, the other Bellas getting to their feet to envelope Chloe in a group hug.

Chloe cried softly into Emily's shoulder, overwhelmed at the outpouring of support from her family. It was a good ten minutes before anyone moved or spoke again, all of them to concerned with showing Chloe how loved she was. Eventually they broke apart, Chloe smiling softly as the Bellas sat close, some on the back of the sofa, others on the floor, not a dry eye amongst them.

"I um… I never thought I'd be strong enough to tell any of you that." Chloe sniffed.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that we're really proud of you Chlo. You're the strongest person we know." Jessica smiled warmly as the others nodded, the blonde reaching over to give Chloe's hand a squeeze.

"I'm not." Chloe shook her head, "I'm really not… I- I almost did something really stupid before Christmas. It just got too much. If it hadn't had been for Stacie, I might not be here."

"It was all you Chloe." Stacie gently stroked Chloe's hair as she smiled softly, Aubrey's hand gently resting on her wife's thigh as she gave her a proud smile, "You talked yourself down, you got the help you needed. That takes some serious strength honey."

There were murmurs of agreement from everyone as they all smiled at Chloe. She looked around at her friends, in awe of just how supportive they all were. She still didn't quite know what she'd done to deserve them in her life, but she was never more grateful for them than she was right now.

"I'm feeling better now. Stronger." Chloe sniffed, a small smile on her face, "A lot of it's thanks to Beca…" Chloe turned to her with a smile.

"It's because of you that I'm able to." Beca grinned, lifting Chloe's hand to her lips and kissing her knuckles.

Chloe tilted her head, a watery smile on her face, "I love you." She said to Beca before turning to face the rest of them, "I love all of you. You guys are my family, have been since the moment we met. I don't know where I'd be without any of you."

"Can I ask a question?" Flo tilted her head, a soft look of concern on her face. Chloe nodded, "Is that why you stayed at Barden so long? For the Bellas?"

Chloe smiled softly, "I didn't know what else to do. In my head, it was either throw my Russian Lit exam or go home to Portland. So I stayed way longer than I should've, but I don't regret the extra years I got to spend with you guys." She clarified.

"I'm glad you stayed." Jessica grinned.

"Me too." Amy nodded, "Who knows, maybe Bhloe wouldn't have happened if you hadn't spent extra years pining over each other!"

There was a ripple of laughter through the assembled group as both Chloe and Beca blushed, the brunette rolling her eyes.

"Alright." Chloe smiled, "Can we talk about anything else?" She sat back, resting her head on Beca's shoulder, "I love you guys, I would much rather talk about what's going on with you than this."

Jessica turned to Ashley with a grin, "Can I tell them now?" She asked, a wide grin on her face.

"I don't see why not." Ashley intertwined her fingers with hers as she kissed her cheek.

"We eloped!" Jessica grinned, holding out her left hand to show off the rings.

"What?!" The sounds of excitement and disbelief spread amongst the assembled group as they crowed in, both Jessica and Ashley grinning broadly as their friends congratulated them.

"When did this happen?" Flo grinned.

"Valentine's Day. We were in New Jersey visiting Ashley's parents and we just thought, why not? We've been together longer than Stacie and Aubrey, and they're married with a kid, what are we waiting for?" Jessica couldn't keep the grin off her face, "So we went to Atlantic City, got a marriage licence, and got married."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Cynthia-Rose was beaming from ear to ear.

"And overshadow Beca and Chloe getting back together? Not likely." Ashley laughed, "Besides, once we organised the reunion, we figured it would be way more fun to tell you in person."

Chloe smiled warmly as the attention shifted to the details of Ashley and Jessica's impromptu wedding, her head snuggling closer to the nape of Beca's neck as the brunette wrapped her arms around her. She felt happier, lighter, more at peace than she thought she ever had.

---

All too soon, the reunion drew to a close, no-one really wanting to go but all of them unfortunately having lives to return too. Jessica and Ashley were going to be in New Jersey for another week, and had enthusiastically insisted on a couple's dinner with Stacie, Aubrey, Beca and Chloe for the end of that time, Emily sulking at the fact that both she and Benji had to return to Atlanta for their lives at Barden (Benji taught an Intro to Musical Theatre class whilst Emily was still studying). They filtered out one by one, heading for the airport in dribs and drabs, knowing that it would only be a few months before they were together again for a surprise celebration that Chloe had planned. It was only Aubrey, Stacie, and Amy left, all three of them living in New York. Amy was the first to leave, about an hour after the last of out of state Bellas had left.

"Alright, I gotta go. Can't leave Toby alone all day!" She sighed, getting up from the sofa.

"Toby?" Beca asked, a frown on her face as she got up from her spot in Chloe's arms to hug Amy goodbye.

"My tortoise! God, do you even read my emails?" Amy rolled her eyes, hugging Beca tightly.

"Honestly? After the overly graphic one about that sex party you went to, they go straight into my spam folder…" Beca laughed.

"Jeez, I was just trying to keep you guys in the loop, I thought we were supposed to be there for the big moments?" Amy sighed dramatically, "And it was REALLY big…"

"Am I the only one suddenly glad that Bella isn't here?" Stacie laughed as Aubrey shook her head.

"Look after your girl Shawshank." Amy grinned as she ignored Stacie's comment, "She really is the best of us. Even if she is a ginger." Amy winked at Chloe who giggled before hugging her friend goodbye.

"Thanks Amy. I'm really glad you came." Chloe smiled as she pulled away.

"Yeah. The place really isn't the same without you." Beca grinned.

"Of course it isn't. But I'm glad you guys had the space you needed to work through stuff." Amy nodded, "Besides, my new place in Manhattan? The bathroom is bigger than this place." She winked as she left the apartment, the remaining inhabitants laughing as she did.

"We should get going too." Stacie smiled, her and Aubrey getting to their feet, "It's nearly Bella's bedtime and I wanna kiss her goodnight."

Stacie wrapped her arms tightly around Chloe first, "I'm so proud of you Chlo. That was so brave, I know it must have been tough on you." She pulled back and cupped her face in her hands, "You really are the best of us."

Chloe sniffed, tears forming at the corner of her eyes, "Thanks Stace. For everything. You were right about that therapist, she is great."

"I know." Stacie winked as Chloe giggled. Stacie let her hands drop, walking the three steps to Beca before whispering softly to her, "I think we should give them a minute." Beca nodded, quietly following Stacie into the hall.

Aubrey and Chloe stood opposite each other for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry…" Chloe whispered, looking at her feet.

Aubrey frowned softly, "What for?"

"For not telling you all of it." Chloe's voice was so quiet, Aubrey almost missed the response.

"No." Aubrey pulled Chloe into her arms, "You have nothing to apologise for, you hear me? It is your story to tell as much or as little as you want."

"I'm still sorry." Chloe mumbled into her shoulder, arms around her friend, "You're the first person I ever trusted with any of it. I feel like I should have told you beforehand."

"You told me what you were ready too." Aubrey reassured her, "I am so honoured that I'm the person you chose to trust with any of it." There was a long pause, neither one of them pulling away from the hug, "I'm sorry I told Stacie before you had a chance to." She eventually managed to mumble, still feeling disproportionately guilty about it.

"You don't have to apologise for that." Chloe gently shook her head, "She's your wife Bree, your soulmate. I get it. Long term, it saved my life. The fact that she already knew meant I could talk it through as I needed to, without worrying about telling her everything."

They stood in an embrace for five minutes, both women feeling absolved of the things that arguably they need not be, but both of them comfortable in the knowledge that it was given anyway. Eventually, they broke apart, Aubrey quickly wiping away the tears on her cheeks.

"I love you sis." Aubrey smiled, squeezing Chloe's hands tight as she headed to the door, the red-head in tow.

"I love you too." Chloe grinned, giving her one more hug before she left.

Beca smiled at Aubrey as the door opened, making small talk with Stacie outside whilst the two of them talked, "Everything okay?" She asked.

"Yeah." Aubrey nodded, "Take care of her Mitchell. And yourself." Aubrey intertwined her fingers with Stacie's, resting her head on her shoulder.

"Of course." Beca grinned as Chloe stepped into the hall and wrapped her arms around her waist from behind, "We'll see you guys at dinner next week?"

"Definitely." Stacie nodded, the two women waving one last goodbye as they headed to the elevator, hand in hand.

Chloe and Beca re-entered their apartment, Chloe not once removing the arms that were wound tightly around Beca's middle. Once inside, Beca turned around in her arms so that she was facing her, draping her arms around her neck as the two of them swayed slightly to music only they could hear.

"I am so proud of you today Chloe Beale." Beca mumbled, her forehead resting on Chloe's.

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without you here Beca. I'm serious. You are my strength, my rock, my guiding light in a storm. I love you so much." Chloe gently pressed her lips against Beca's, a soft smile on her lips.

"I love you too Chloe." Beca grinned as they swayed gently. Things were starting to break their way.

---

A week later, Chloe and Beca were getting ready for dinner with their friends. Chloe was slipping on a pair of heels as she curled her hair, wearing her favourite dark green dress and the necklace that Beca had gotten her for her birthday their final year at Barden.

"You almost ready Becs?" She called over her shoulder, Beca changing in the bathroom.

As well as not sharing a bed, the couple took it in turns to change in the bathroom, there being very little room to change in privacy anywhere else. For any other couple, Beca would question it, but with Chloe she knew it was something that made her feel comfortable, and that was okay by her.

"Yeah, one sec!" Came Beca's reply as she opened the bathroom door, straightening out her shirt, "Is the suit jacket too much?" She asked with a frown, Chloe turning to look at her.

Beca was wearing a pair of plaid pants, an open coloured white shirt, and a suit jacket that matched her pants. On her feet were the boots her mother had bought her for her birthday, and hair was down and loose, it's natural curly spring to it. Chloe grinned broadly.

"No. You look beautiful, as usual." She turned off her curling iron and stood up, smoothing the creases out if her dress as Beca blushed.

"Dude… you look incredible…" She breathed, her mouth suddenly dry as Chloe giggled.

"Thank you sweetie." Chloe leant in and put a soft kiss on Beca's lips as she reached her, wrapping her arms around her waist.

Beca bit back the things she wanted to say, knowing that Chloe wasn't ready for her to say those things yet, instead she simply returned the kiss, a smile on her face as she pulled back.

"Come on. If we stand here admiring how beautiful you are we're gonna miss dinner." Beca stroked Chloe's cheek gently as she took her hand in hers, heading outside to hail a cab.

Twenty minutes later, the cab pulled up outside a nice restaurant, Beca getting out quickly to open Chloe's door for her and holding out her arm for her girlfriend. Chloe giggled as she took Beca's arm, the two of them standing arm in arm outside the restaurant.

"You're such a gentlewoman Beca." Chloe beamed, kissing her cheek.

"Anything for my favourite girl." Beca grinned back, leading them into the well lit restaurant, "Reservation for six, under the name Conrad?" Beca smiled at the maître d who looked through his book.

"Ah oui, the rest of your party is yet to arrive, I will show you to your table and get you a drink whilst you wait." The couple followed the maître d to their table and ordered their drinks; a Shirley Temple for Beca, a glass of white wine for Chloe.

"Are you sure you're okay with me drinking?" Chloe asked once the drinks had arrived.

"Yeah." Beca nodded, "I'm doing really well, it's been nearly a year since I've had a drink, I'm in control now."

"I'm so proud of you." Chloe smiled as she gently gave Beca's hand a squeeze under the table.

Beca just grinned at her girlfriend, knowing that Chloe wasn't really ready for overtly affectionate displays in public just yet, and despite wanting nothing more than to pull her into a kiss, the brunette settled for the feeling of her hand in Chloe's under the table.

"Hey guys!" Stacie grinned, arm around Aubrey's waist as the two of them approached the table, "I can't believe you beat us here."

"Yeah, you're really losing your edge Posen." Beca grinned mischievously as Aubrey rolled her eyes, pulling out a chair for Stacie before sitting down herself.

"I have a toddler, I'm allowed to not be the timekeeper I used to be." Aubrey raised an eyebrow, ordering a glass of red for Stacie and a Glenmorangie on the rocks for herself.

"Yeah, yeah, you can't always use Bella as an excuse for everything. Just admit it Cap, you're getting slow in your old age." Beca grinned, sipping her drink.

Aubrey simply rolled her eyes again as Stacie chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to her wife's cheek, "It's okay baby, I love you wrinkles and all."

Aubrey scoffed as she turned to look at her wife, "Wrinkles? Do you want to sleep on the couch?"

"Honey, you'd miss me way too much." Stacie pressed a kiss to her wife's lips as she grinned, Aubrey knowing she wasn't able to stay mad at her for long.

Jessica and Ashley joined them at that moment, hand in hand, blissful smiles on their faces as they joined their friends.

"Hey!" Jessica grinned as they sat down with their friends, a glass of white wine each soon appearing in front of them.

"Hey, there they are!" Chloe smiled broadly, "The newlyweds!"

Ashley giggled as she picked up her menu, head gently resting on Ashley's shoulder, "I'm glad you guys were all free for dinner before we had to go back to our jobs."

"Are you guys still doing long distance?" Beca asked, one eye on her friends, the other on the menu.

"Yeah, but not for long hopefully!" Jessica grinned, "I'm looking at hospital jobs in DC, I've almost finished my residency."

"Top of her programme naturally." Ashley beamed proudly, "She's got her choice of programmes wherever she wants, they're falling over themselves to get her to come to their hospitals."

"Ash…" Jessica blushed, nudging her gently with her shoulder, "Anyway, it shouldn't be too long before we can live together like a proper married couple."

"That's great!" Chloe smiled, "About the med programme and about you guys living together."

"Thanks Chloe." Ashley beamed.

The six of them ordered what was bound to be a delicious meal, talking happily about life and work. As their food arrived they continued to chat happily, glad to be in each other's company in such a relaxed way.

"I can't believe that you're the head of your division Stace!" Jessica beamed, one hand intertwined with Ashley's, the other holding a small fork as she tucked into her lava cake.

"Oh yeah, she's a regular Einstein." Aubrey rested her head on Stacie's shoulder as she smiled proudly, the two of them sharing a crème brulee.

"Nah I just work hard." Stacie blushed slightly, "I am smart, but make no mistake, you're the big brain of this outfit."

Aubrey lifted her head to kiss her wife's cheek, "I love you."

Chloe watched her friends cuddle together, saw the domestic comfort of Stacie and Aubrey, the newlywed buzz that Jessica and Ashley had, and she felt a small ache inside her. She wanted that. The ability to be comfortable anywhere with the woman she loved, to be able to do the sort of things that 'normal' couples did. Because as much as she loved kissing Beca, there was so much more she wanted to be ready for beyond chaste kisses. She hated that she wasn't ready for it yet, hated that Beca had to be so patient. Yet as she turned her head to look at the short brunette who was grinning and laughing with their friends, she felt her heart swell. She couldn't believe how patient she was being with her, how much she'd been through to get here. God she loved her… maybe she was ready for another step.

Once dinner had been had and paid for (Beca and Stacie split the cheque, the highest earners of the group and excluding Jessica and Ashley as this was to celebrate their new marriage), the couples split up outside the restaurant, bidding fond farewells as they went their separate ways. On the cab ride home, Chloe rested her head on Beca's shoulder, a tired happy smile on her face. Beca wrapped an arm around her shoulders, her heart pounding a little at the unexpected PDA but not for a moment complaining about it.

The walk back up to their apartment was short, done hand in hand as Chloe pressed herself gently against Beca's side. Neither of them had said a word since they'd said goodbye to their friends, but then again words were rarely needed between them. Once inside, Chloe planted a soft kiss on Beca's lips, a contented smile on her lips.

"Why don't you go and get changed? Get into your sweats whilst I make us some hot chocolate?" Chloe grinned.

"Hm… that does sound appealing." Beca hummed thoughtfully, "You sure you don't wanna change first?"

"Yeah. I'm sure." Chloe paused for a second before going to heat the milk up, making them both a hot chocolate, passing one to Beca as she emerged from the bathroom in her sweats, face clean of makeup as she smiled gratefully.

"Thanks Chlo… are you okay?" Beca asked, noticing the look on Chloe's face.

"Yeah." Chloe smiled softly, taking Beca's free hand in hers, "I have a proposition for you."

"Oh?" Beca frowned softly.

"I… I want us to share a bed. I've been thinking about it for a little while now, and tonight at dinner, watching our friends, watching 'normal' couples be so content with each other… I want us to get that point Beca. I know it's slow going Beca, you have no idea how grateful I am that you're being so patient." Chloe set her hot chocolate down with a soft sigh, winding her arms around Beca's waist.

"I miss you in my bed. I'm not saying that we fall asleep in each other's arms, or do anything beyond sleeping, but I wanna wake up and see your face, to have you just an arm's reach away. I know it's not much, but-" Chloe was starting to ramble as Beca cupped her cheek with her free hand, setting her hot chocolate down as well.

"Chloe. It's a huge step for you, don't devalue that. I'm ready for this if you are. I never want to push you too far, or make you do anything you're uncomfortable with, I want to do this right this time. So give me the word, and I will fold away that sofa bed faster than you can blink." Beca cupped Chloe's face in her hands, smiling warmly, "But please don't do this because you think we should… do it because you want to."

"I do want to." Chloe smiled, a tear slipping down her cheek, "Even it's just opposite sides of the bed right now, I want us to be normal…"

"Hate to break it you dude, but we're not normal…" Beca chuckled, "There's no such thing as normal, as a normal couple. We're doing this at our pace because that's what works for us, because nobody else can tell us what is right for us."

"I love you…" Chloe whispered, "Come to bed with me? Sleep on the other side of the bed with your hand in mine so I can wake up knowing that you're right by my side where I need you the most."

"I would be honoured." Beca grinned, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, "Do you ever think we're too sappy for own good sometimes?" She laughed, blushing a little.

"Maybe… but after a year and a half of misery I feel like we've earned some overly sappy moments along the way." Chloe chuckled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Go change." Beca smiled, "I'm gonna pack the sofa bed away, we can figure out what to do with the extra bedding tomorrow."

"Sounds great." Chloe beamed, "Are you sure you're ready for this? I'm not pushing you too hard?"

"I'm ready." Beca nodded, planting a soft kiss on Chloe's lips.

As Chloe disappeared into the bathroom, Beca enthusiastically yanked her bedding off the bed as she folded it up, a small smile on her lips as she looked at the sofa that was now returned to its primary purpose. A pair of arms wound around her waist, soft kisses on her neck as she rested her arms on top of Chloe's.

"Come to bed?" Chloe asked as Beca turned her head to kiss her cheek.

"Okay." Beca grinned.

She followed Chloe to the bed, hesitating for a moment before she got under the covers, lying so she was facing Chloe, a gap between them as they both smiled. Chloe slowly reached out and took Beca's hand, stroking her thumb over Beca's knuckles.

"Hi." She whispered.

"Hi." Beca whispered back, her eyes on Chloe's as they both grinned like idiots.

"I love you Becs." Chloe mumbled, eyes starting to flutter shut.

"I love you too Chloe." Beca smiled, "Get some sleep baby, I'm right here."

"M'kay." Chloe smiled as she slipped off to sleep, Beca's hand in hers reassuring her that she had everything she needed.

This was how Chloe and Beca spent every night over the next few weeks, hand in hand, the gap between them getting smaller and smaller. It was a month and a half later and Beca was already in bed, half asleep when Chloe came in through the front door.

"Ugh." She groaned, dropping her bag unceremoniously by the door, shrugging her jacket off and letting it hit the floor too as she pulled the hair tie from her hair.

"Chlo? What happened, it's like one am…" Beca mumbled as she clambered out of bed, going to wrap her arms around the redhead who let her head drop onto her shoulder.

"Stupid vet school. Stupid exams. Stupid graveyard shifts at the rescue clinic." Chloe grumbled with a heavy sigh.

"Baby, can I ask you something?" Beca pressed a kiss to Chloe's temple, "Do you really want to be a vet?"

Chloe sniffed slightly as she lifted her head off Beca's shoulder, "What?"

Beca took her hand in hers and lead her to the sofa, sitting down next to her as she smiled softly, "Vet school makes you miserable, the clinic is downright depressing, and all these long hours are killing you… is it really what you want to do?"

"I-" Chloe started, running a hand through her hair, "I don't know… I don't know what I want to do…" She lifted her head to look at Beca, biting her lip, "Would you hate me if I dropped out? If I didn't know what to do with my life?"

"Oh sweetie of course not!" Beca tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, "If you're this unhappy Chlo and it's not what you want, then we'll figure out what it is you do want to do. You deserve to be happy Chloe."

Chloe sniffed as she wiped a few tears from her eyes with her free hand, the other still in Beca's which she squeezed softly, "Will we be okay though? I know that my income from the clinic isn't great, but-"

"We'll be absolutely fine." Beca grinned, "I um… so technically we could afford a nicer place on just my salary, but whilst we're both still a little fragile I figured it was better that we stayed here." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

Chloe chuckled, "Of course, I don't why that didn't occur to me Miss Senior Producer." She rested her head on Beca's shoulder again as she sighed, "I'm dropping out Beca. I hate it there, and honestly it's not what I want to do… I don't know what I want to do but it isn't that."

"That's okay baby. We'll figure it out." Beca ran a hand through Chloe's hair, "But right now, we're gonna go to sleep okay?"

Chloe nodded, letting Beca lead her to the bed as she kicked off her shoes. Yawning loudly, she clambered in next to Beca, resting her head on the brunette's shoulder as she splayed her hand across her stomach. Beca froze for a second, the feeling of having Chloe's head on her chest making her heart skip. A small smile crept onto her lips as she rested her arm on top of Chloe's, the other around her shoulders.

"Thanks Beca." Chloe mumbled, snuggling closer, "I love you."

"I love you too Chloe." Beca kissed the top of her head as both of them began to doze, neither of them saying a word, but both of them revelling in how big a step this was for them.

---

Chloe dropped out of vet school the next day and put all her focus for the following week into planning Beca's surprise party. The brunette was almost a year sober, a whole year since the emotional intervention that had seen Beca at her lowest point, but instead of focusing on the sadness and the pain of it all, Chloe wanted to celebrate how far Beca had come.

All the Bellas had arrived whilst Beca was at work, and her parents had all managed to get time off for it as well. Ellie grinned at Chloe as the redhead straightened the colourful streamers.

"It looks great in here Chloe!" She placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder, giving it an affectionate squeeze.

"Yeah? Not too much?" Chloe bit her lip nervously as she looked around the apartment at the balloons and the 'Congratulations!' banner, the Bellas happily chatting and catching up with each other and with Hank and Shelia.

"It's very you honey, she's gonna love it." Ellie laughed as Chloe blushed a little.

"What time is she finishing work?" Hank asked, smiling warmly.

"Five pm. Hopefully…" Chloe frowned a little, "If she isn't working late that is… but she usually texts me before now if she is."

"Trust Shawshank to be late to her own party!" Amy rolled her eyes.

"A party she doesn't know she's having…" Aubrey countered, an eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Still! It's rude!" Amy protested, arms crossed across her chest as the Bellas all shared bemused looks.

Before anyone could respond, there was the sound of keys in the door lock. Chloe grinned as she gestured for everyone to be quiet, knowing that there was no way to hide all of them in their tiny studio apartment. Beca yawned slightly as she entered her apartment, running a sleepy hand through her hair before jumping out of her skin as she saw the assembled group in her apartment.

"What the-" She started, clutching her chest.

"Surprise!" They yelled, Chloe walking over to her girlfriend and wrapping her into a hug, kissing her temple.

"Why does this feel like déjà vu?" Beca chuckled weakly, leaning her head against Chloe's shoulder as she got her breathing back under control.

Chloe laughed as she held her tight, "Sorry for scaring you baby… but we wanted to throw you a surprise party."

"Chloe was the one who wanted the surprise element." Amy clarified, an eyebrow raised as Chloe shot her a look.

"I love it honey." Beca reassured her, "Now that I'm not having a heart attack anymore it's really sweet…"

Chloe beamed as the Bellas and Beca's parents joined them, each of them hugging Beca tight as she pulled herself reluctantly away from the redhead. Normally, Beca hates hugging anyone that isn't Chloe, but today of all days she was just grateful that they'd all come her to support her and celebrate a year sober.

"You guys really all came all the way here for this?" Beca asked tearily, as Chloe put her arm around her waist.

"Of course we did honey." Ellie grinned, all of the assembled group wiping tears from their eyes, "We're all so proud of you, you've come so far."

"Thanks mom. I couldn't have done it without you, without any of you." Beca smiled at her family, "Especially you." She turned to look at Aubrey, a dumb grin on her face, "You were there when I needed you the most, when I almost slipped, when I thought I wasn't strong enough to see it through."

"It's what family's for Beca." Aubrey smiled softly.

"And you…" Beca turned to look at Chloe, arms draped around her neck, "My Chloe. I'd be nowhere without you, even when you're struggling you're the greatest person in my life, always have been."

Chloe blushed a little as she pulled Beca closer, biting her lip a little, "I'll always have your back Becs, no matter what." She pressed a soft kiss to her lips, momentarily forgetting that the Bellas and Beca's parents were all there looking on. It was only when Ellie coughed pointedly that the two broke apart with a deep blush on both their faces.

"Ha, sorry…" Beca chuckled as she turned back to the rest of her family.

"It's fine." Ellie chuckled, "We're just glad you guys are happy… though we'd rather not see that again!" She grimaced as she gestured her hand at the couple.

"Okay, let's get this party started shall we!" Chloe grinned, desperate to change the subject as she moved to start handing out glasses of sparkling cider to everyone, "A toast. To Beca and how far she's come in the last year."

"To family." Beca countered, unwilling to be centre of attention, even now, "And the things you can achieve when people have your back."

"To family!" They cheered, glasses raised before they all took a large sip.

And so they celebrated. Celebrated Beca's year of sobriety. Celebrated the happiness in their lives after so much sadness. Celebrated having a reunion all together that wasn't coloured by something painful.

Beca made her way over to Cynthia-Rose, a soft smile on her face as she passed her a soft drink, "Hey, how's the air force treating you?"

"Pretty well! I'm being promoted next week!" Cynthia-Rose grinned.

"Dude that's awesome!" Beca punched her arm gently, a beaming smile on her face.

"Thanks! They all know, before you ask. Lilly and Flo are gonna come to the ceremony which will be great! And my folks too." Cynthia-Rose leant back against the wall with a proud look on her face.

There was a comfortable pause for a moment before Beca looked to her friend again. "Can I ask you something?" She asked, a worried look on her face.

"Sure! What's up?" Cynthia-Rose frowned slightly as her and Beca sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Does it ever get completely better?" Beca mumbled, running a hand through her hair, "Like… will the hollow feeling in my chest ever disappear completely? That want to drink? I know gambling is different, but you're the only person I can ask, I feel stupid about even the idea of asking the question in a meeting…" She grinned sheepishly.

"It's absolutely fine Beca, it's what I'm here for." Cynthia-Rose grinned, "Honestly? It never completely goes away. There's always going to be that voice in the back of your head that wants you to drink, that tells you that you can just do it once and it will be okay. You are going to have to fight every day for the rest of your life, and some days it's going to be really hard, but that doesn't mean you can't do it."

"I just…" Beca sighed softly, "I'm sick of having to fight all the time y'know?"

"I know. And you've had to fight so much, and so hard." Cynthia-Rose put an arm around Beca's shoulders, "But I know you. You've got this Becs. And that voice in your head gets quieter over time. Easier to ignore. Hell, there are days where I don't hear it at all."

"Yeah?" Beca asked with a watery smile.

"Yeah. You can do this Beca, you've done the hardest part, the first year. All you have to do is maintain it. And look around you, you've got the greatest support system in the world." Cynthia- Rose grinned as Beca chuckled, wiping a few tears away with the back of her hand, "Especially Chloe. I'm glad you crazy kids figured everything out, you guys are made for each other. I know we take the mick out of you guys a lot, but we're all really rooting for you guys."

Beca grinned as she blushed a little, "Me too… I'm mad that it's taken us so long to figure this out, but god am I glad we did." She looked over at Chloe who was laughing with her mom about something, "I really love her y'know?"

"Yeah, I kinda figured that when you guys started sucking face in front of us without a second thought." Cynthia-Rose laughed as Beca gave her a playful shove.

The party was in full swing, the Bellas enjoying being together for any reason at all and Beca's parents blending into the dynamic with surprising ease. It was the easiest gathering they'd had in a long time. So when a loud knock came at the door, it went unheard by the happy crowd, the laughter and the music drowning out the harsh knocking. It was only when the door was thrust open, practically knocking it off its hinges that anyone noticed what was going on.

"Chloe Beale!" The menacing figure in the doorway yelled, all the colour draining from Chloe's face as the glass she was holding slipping from her fingers.

"D-dad… what're you doing here?" Chloe gasped, trembling as her mouth went dry.

Beca stiffened, stepping protectively in front of Chloe, jaw tight, eyes narrow as she stared him down, "You're not welcome here."

"Shut up. This does not concern you." Jack growled, stepping further into the apartment. Chloe was frozen to the spot, her whole body tense. What the hell was he doing here? How did he even know where she lived?

Unnoticed by Chloe at that moment, the Bellas stepped closer to Chloe, forming something of a protective bubble around her as Beca's parents moved so that Chloe's father could see them, Hank especially. Hopefully the presence of another male in the room might dissuade potential violence.

"Where is he?" Jack demanded, taking a menacing step towards Chloe as the bubble around her tightened, Stacie's hand on her shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Where's who?" Chloe asked, her voice shaking a little, but as she looked around her and saw her family so close to her, not flinching or running away, strengthened her.

"Your brother. I know you know where he is, this has your heathenous stench all over it." He spat, fists clenched tight.

"Luke? What happened to Luke?" Chloe frowned. Growing up had been hell for both of them, and although Chloe had bore the brunt of it, she knew that he hadn't escaped the brunt of their father's wrath.

"You know full well. He ran off to join you here. Left a note saying he was going to New York to follow his dreams like you did. It's not enough that you condemn yourself, you have to drag everyone else down as well?!" The vein in the side of his head was pulsating as he went red with rage.

"I haven't seen Luke. I didn't know he'd left Portland." Chloe shook her head, her chest pounding, but somehow, stood here with her family she felt safe. Even with her father towering over most of the assembled group, despite the fear that was coursing through her she was able to stand strong.

"He's not here." Beca confirmed, arms crossed across her chest, eyes steely as she continued to stare him down. She wanted to wrap her arms around Chloe to really rub it in her father's face but she wasn't going to push anything.

"You're a liar Chloe Beale!" Jack Beale growled, going to take another menacing step towards his daughter, get right in her face, bit a certain blonde former a cappella captain had stomached as much as she could.

Aubrey stepped forward, fists clenched, Stacie feeling her breath catch in her throat as she watched her wife step directly into the violent man's path. Aubrey's eyes were aflame with rage as years of swallowed rage rose to the surface.

"Back off asshole." She spat, "You don't get to show up here and treat her like this. She isn't your property, your plaything, she's a human being. She's more amazing than you could ever understand you piece of shit."

"How dare you-" Jack started, vein pulsating violently in the side of his head.

"I'm not finished!" Aubrey cut him off, eyes narrowed to slits, "How dare I? How dare I what? Stand up for my friend? Have the audacity to tell you to your face exactly what I think of you, you sick fuck? You might have got by in life intimidating people into doing what you want, but you don't scare me asshole. You're just a frightened little man who's overcompensating for his inadequacies."

Her eyes flitted down as she watched his clenched fist rise a couple of inches and then fall back to his side. She smirked, shaking her head mockingly, "Go ahead. I dare you. Hit me in this room full of witnesses, in front of an Air Force officer and a federal agent. In front of my Krav Maga trained wife. I fucking dare you big guy. Do it, and I'll sue your ass into the ground."

Stacie really wished in that moment that she'd brought her softball bat (even though it was a party and she had no need to). Her heart pounded as she watched her wife stand up to a man who surpassed every nightmare she could possibly concoct. And yet, as she watched her wife stand tall and unwavering, she couldn't help but feel a swell of pride; that was her badass wife.

"But before you swing your fists around like the ape you are, know this. Chloe Beale is perhaps the most incredible person in the whole world. She's kind, and smart, and funny, and loyal, and so full of love. She is beautiful inside and out, and if your God ever created anything it's Chloe."

Tears began to fall down Chloe's cheeks as she smiled softly. Watching Aubrey stand up for her like this was overwhelming, and not something she thought she ever deserved. But watching it happen, Chloe felt more love than she ever had.

"How dare you come here. How dare you show your face after what you did. You took a beautiful, smart girl and twisted your religion to fit the sick ideas in your head. And look at her, she's still standing, she's still fighting, she's still incredible because you. Can't. Break her. She is more amazing than you have ever deserved, and if anyone here is a damned heathen then it's you." The anger in Aubrey was causing her to shake a little, steadied by Stacie who stepped forward to wrap an arm around her waist, having no intention of leaving Aubrey standing up against him any longer.

"You have no ties to her anymore, you gave up that right when you did what you did. You gave her a choice and she made it. She chose Beca. She chose us. So take your fist swinging, your tiny dick syndrome, and your bullshit and leave her the fuck alone."

"She doesn't need you." Stacie cut in, "We're her family."

"Damn right." Cynthia-Rose came and stood next to the couple.

"The Bellas are forever." Jessica and Ashley stepped forward hand in hand, Ashley doing the talking for both of them, "Chloe taught us that."

"She gave us a family when some of us had none." Lilly practically shouted (for her at least).

"Gave us a home when we had none." Flo nodded, turning her head to smile at the redhead.

"Made us feel like we could be anything we wanted to be." Emily smiled warmly, a determined look in her eyes.

"Put up with us living on top of each other with barely a complaint." Amy grinned.

"Chloe's amazing." Beca nodded, "I don't care what you or your god thinks. I love her, I couldn't love anyone else like I love her. She's my whole world."

Chloe was crying as she watched the Bellas stand up for her like this. She'd always called them her family, but a part of her hadn't entirely believed it until just now. What she'd done to be loved like this she would never be quite sure, but it was the best thing in the world.

"Do you really think you children are enough to be any kind of family?" He sneered.

"Yeah they are." Ellie smirked nastily, an eyebrow raised, "They're grown ass women. You know they're in their 30s yeah? Successful business owners. Medical professionals. Leaders in their fields. And even if they weren't, she's got us. We raised Beca really well, me, Sheila and Hank. She definitely doesn't need an asshole like you."

Jack Beale stood in the middle of the apartment, looking at the group of people in front of him incredulously, before his eyes settled on his tear stained daughter's face again, his jaw tight, vein throbbing in his forehead, scarlet with rage.

"I'm giving you one last chance Chloe Beale. You either come home right now, leave these heathens behind forever, or you stay here and never hear from your mother again, which means no more secret letters or emails either."

That was how he knew Chloe realised. God only knew the state her mother was in back home. Taking a deep breath, Chloe stepped forward, winding her arms around Beca's waist, turning her around so that she was facing her as she planted a soft kiss on her lips. Her heart pounded as she did so, but as Beca returned the kiss, sliding her hands up her back to pull her close, she knew that there was never any other choice to make but this one. Pulling away, she turned to look at her father who looked as though he might have an aneurysm.

"Get out Jack. Don't ever come here again." Her voice was hard as Beca squeezed her hand, leaning softly against her, "And leave Luke alone. You've done enough damage."

"You're making a huge mistake-" He growled.

"She said get out." Aubrey narrowed her eyes again, speaking through gritted teeth.

Jack simply shook his head, leaving the apartment, the door slamming shut behind him. Chloe let out the breath she didn't realise she'd been holding as Beca pulled her as close as she could, head buried in her neck as she pressed soft kisses on her shoulder. The brunette could feel Chloe trembling as she held her tightly.

"I'm so proud of you." Beca whispered, "I'm so, so proud of you baby."

Chloe said nothing as she let her head drop onto Beca's shoulder, sobbing a little as all the emotions that she'd been holding in. She felt another pair of arms wrap around her from behind as Aubrey hugged her, the other Bellas falling in one by one and joining the group hug. The experience had been draining on them all, and there were more than a few tears as they stood in each other's arms for a good five minutes. It was Chloe who eventually broke the hug, a watery grin on her face as she carefully prised herself from their arms.

"I did it." She whispered, "I stood up to him."

Beca beamed as she gently stroked Chloe's cheek, "Yeah you did. I'm so proud of you."

"We all are." Aubrey gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"How long have you been sat on that speech Rottweiler?" Amy chuckled, an eyebrow raised as Aubrey blushed a little.

"Sorry… I guess I've been wanting to say that for a while." Aubrey rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. Chloe turned so she was facing her, hugging her tight.

"I'll never be able to tell you just how much that meant to me Bree." She mumbled into her hair as the blonde hugged her back.

"I love you Chlo, I'd have killed him if it wasn't somewhat illegal…" Aubrey narrowed her eyes again as she pulled back, Stacie smacking a hand to her forehead.

"You and I need to have another conversation about you not confronting insane and violent men." Stacie raised an eyebrow, an unimpressed look on her face.

"I'm sorry…" Aubrey winced as she leant back against her wife, "At least I wasn't shot this time?" She lifted her head to press a kiss to her jaw.

Stacie sighed as she pulled Aubrey close, rolling her eyes, "Hmm… it's such a low standard…"

"Alright kids, let's get some hot tea into all of you." Ellie smiled warmly as she headed for the kitchen, Beca and Chloe having just enough mugs for all of them (Chloe used to buy one from a tourist gift shop every time the Barden Bellas were at competition).

"I thought we were grown ass women?" Beca asked, a cheeky grin on her face as she teased her mother.

"You don't want tea?" Her mother asked, eyebrows raised.

"I didn't say that." Beca frowned as Chloe laughed, kissing her cheek.

"I'm gonna help your mom, you go and sit down." She smiled warmly.

"You sure?" Beca frowned deeper, not really wanting to let Chloe out of her arms just yet.

"Yeah. I'm okay, and she is making like fifteen cups of tea." Chloe kissed her cheek again as Beca nodded, letting her follow Ellie to the kitchen.

Ellie smiled as Chloe helped to put tea bags into cups, filling the kettle with water. Once it was boiling, Ellie took advantage of the fact that the rest of them wouldn't be able to overhear them.

"Are you really okay?" She asked, turning to look at Chloe who smiled a little.

"I really am." The redhead sounded as surprised as anyone, "I always felt like things went unsaid, that I'd never really got the closure I needed. But today? Watching everyone step in like that without me having to ask for it? Being able to stand up for myself knowing that I had all of you around me? I knew I was going to be okay."

There was a pause as they made the tea, before Chloe asked the question that was on the tip of her tongue, "Um… did you mean what you said? About you, Hank and Shelia being there for me too?" Chloe looked down at the tea, not daring to look up at the older woman.

"Last Thanksgiving, the three of us had a conversation." Ellie started, not looking at Chloe for no other reason than she was trying to make sure that Chloe wasn't under any pressure to respond or react just yet, "We could see you were struggling, and Beca told me a little about what had happened before you guys met. No details, just that you'd had a rough time. She told me about Portland after our first Thanksgiving together too, the choice you had to make. So Hank and Shelia and I had a conversation."

"About me?" Chloe's voice was barely a whisper as she stirred the cups one by one.

"Yeah. But not in a bad way. We adore you Chloe, Beca's girlfriend or not. So we agreed to give you the family, or at the very least the parents that you needed. Because you are family honey. In whatever way you choose, you are going to be a part of Beca's life forever, which means you're going to be part of ours as well. I love you as much as I love Beca, you are my kid whether you want to be or not. You're stuck with me now Chloe." Ellie winked at her as she gave her a playful nudge, Chloe sniggering a little as she beamed.

"Thank you." Chloe mumbled, leaning against Beca's mom for a second.

"Anytime kiddo." Ellie put an arm around her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze, "Now c'mon. Let's get these teas handed out before they go cold."

A few hours later, the Bellas and Beca's parents left, returning to their hotels and apartments. All except Aubrey and Stacie who hung back for a moment.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Aubrey asked, a worried look on her face as she dithered by the door, Stacie's hand in hers, an equally concerned look on her face too, "We can stay longer, Bella can have a sleepover at her grandma's she'll love that!"

"Bree, I'm okay." Chloe gave her a warm but tired smile, "I really am. Besides, you know you want to go home and hug your daughter."

"And she's got me." Beca grinned, winding her arms around Chloe's waist as she kissed her cheek, "We're gonna be okay. Take your Krav Maga trained wife and go spend time with Bella before she has to go to bed."

Stacie laughed as she shook her head, "Alright, we'll go. But tomorrow we're having brunch okay? No excuses."

"Sounds good." Chloe smiled as Aubrey hugged her once more, tightly and warmly.

"I love you Chloe, I'm so proud of you." She whispered, sniffing a little as she held back her tears.

"I love you too Bree." Chloe hugged her tightly back, waving them goodbye after Aubrey finally broke away.

Once they were alone, Chloe felt the strength leave her body as she sank to her knees, Beca wrapping her in her arms as she did so, pulling her into her chest.

"I've got you, you're okay." Beca whispered into her hair.

"I know." Chloe whispered, "I'm okay, I'm just tired. I'm so tired."

"I'm so proud of you baby." Beca stroked Chloe's hair as she lay her head on her shoulder, "You are the greatest person I know, I love you so damn much."

"I love you too." Chloe smiled softly, lifting her head to plant a soft kiss on Beca's lips, "I'm sorry it ruined your party."

"Hey." Beca frowned, "Are you kidding? Watching you tell your dad to get out? Watching Bree go off on him? Best party ever." She chuckled.

"Can we go to bed?" Chloe asked, a smirk on her face at Beca's response, "Feels like it'd be more comfortable than the floor."

"Yeah. Can you stand?" Beca asked, getting to her feet.

Chloe nodded as she used Beca's arm to pull herself up, the two of them soon lay side by side in bed, not caring that they were still wearing their clothes from the day, Chloe curled up with her head on Beca's chest, the brunette's arm around her shoulders.

"I'm proud of you too y'know?" Chloe mumbled, "For going a whole year without drinking… oh!" Chloe sat up and reached into her bedside cabinet draw, pulling out a medium sized jewellery box, "I got you this. I was gonna give it you at the party but, well…"

"Chloe…" Beca grinned as she took it from her, "You didn't have to get me anything."

"I know. But I wanted to." Chloe rested her head on Beca's shoulder as the brunette opened the box.

Inside was a silver bracelet engraved on the outside with music notes, and as Beca lifted it out of the box, she saw engraved on the inside the date "04/14/18", the date of her first day sober.

"Oh Chlo…" She gasped, "It's beautiful. I love it."

"Yeah?" Chloe bit her lip as she looked up at her, "You really like it?"

"I really do," Beca nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek as she leant down and kissed her softly, "Put it on me?" She mumbled shyly, offering Chloe the bracelet and her wrist.

Chloe slipped it on, pressing a soft kiss to Beca's knuckles as she did, "I love you Becs, I'm so proud of you."

"Ditto." Beca grinned as Chloe settled on her chest again.

It wasn't long before they were asleep in each other's arms, exhausted from the emotional toll of the day but, a year on from when they were at their lowest possible point, they slept easily and comfortably for the first time.

---

Two weeks later Chloe and Beca were at home curled up on the sofa. Beca was enjoying a rare day off, her job keeping her incredibly busy but happy. Chloe was still trying to figure out what it was that she wanted to do, still struggling to comprehend the idea that she was allowed to do what she wanted. They were watching a cheesy rom-com that Chloe had given her best puppy dog eyes to Beca for, when a knock came at the door. Beca kissed Chloe's forehead as she got up to open the door, a soft frown and a bemused look on her face as she opened the door.

"Um… this feels like déjà vu…" Beca mumbled, seeing a stressed and ashen faced Benji stood just outside their apartment, Chloe getting up off the sofa and smiling at Benji.

"Chloe, thank god you're here, I really need you!" Benji looked past Beca to the redhead who looked confused as Beca moved to let Benji in.

"Benji? What're you doing here?" Chloe asked as the young performer practically bounced over to her as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Chloe, I need you. I'm in a production of Rent, off-Broadway, and the choreographer is out of action. He got in a car crash and broke his femur so he'll be out of action for months and there's no-one else. You're the best choreographer I know, please say you'll help!" Benji had Chloe's hands tight in his as he pleaded with her.

"Ben, I don't know anything about choreographing a musical!" Chloe started, a look of shock on her face.

"But you are a great choreographer Chlo." Beca smiled, "The reason the Bellas were the unstoppable force of the ICCAs is because you knew how to make our performances stand out. The music is all well and good, but if it's bland to look at, if it's dull and lifeless, no-one cares."

"I- I did love choreographing for the Bellas…" Chloe mused.

"Chloe, I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you were the best person for the job." Benji smiled.

Chloe bit her lip as she looked from Benji to Beca and back again. Their faces were full of love and support, Benji's still creased a little with stress. She sighed softly, taking her hands from his as she run a hand through her hair.

"It feels like a lifetime ago since I choreographed anything… what if I screw it up? What if I'm not good enough? It's not like I have any professional training."

"Chloe." Beca walked over to Chloe, putting a hand on her shoulder as she smiled softly, "You are so talented, and Rent is your favourite musical, you'll nail it. What if this is the thing you were meant to do with your life?"

"You really think so?" Chloe whispered, looking at the floor. Beca gently lifted her chin so she was looking at her, a warm and loving smile on her face.

"I believe you can do anything you set your mind to. You're Chloe Beale, you can do anything." Beca grinned.

There was a quiet pause as Chloe pondered the idea. She did miss choreographing for the Bellas, it had been one of her favourite things about being a part of Barden's all female a cappella team, and it was one of the few times in her life she had felt like she was good at something. Sure, she had no professional training or qualifications, but surely seven years of experience that had seen them win five ICCAs and the Worlds had to count for something?

"Okay." Chloe whispered, turning to Benji with a smile, "I'll give it a go."

"Really?" He gasped, a huge grin on his face, "Oh my god Chloe you're my hero!" Benji pulled her into a tight as Chloe giggled.

"Hey!" Beca cried, "I thought I was your hero for helping you with The Last Five Years?"

"Well… I mean…" Benji stammered, starting to blush as he pulled away from Chloe.

"Beca leave him alone!" Chloe rolled her eyes, giving her girlfriend a gentle shove, "When do you need me at the theatre?"

"Friday at nine am?" Benji asked, "I'll text you the address when I get back to my place?"

"Your place? Is it not in New York?" Chloe asked with a frown.

"Oh no it is, I started renting an apartment here in the city, Em's coming to join when she graduates in a couple of months." Benji smiled proudly.

"You guys are moving to New York?" Beca's grin widened, "Dude that's awesome!"

"Yeah, I'm getting more and more parts off Broadway and Emily wants to try and get a deal with a record company up here, so it just made sense for me to come here and set up whilst she's finishing college." Benji shrugged.

"Forget the other labels, tell her to call me." Beca raised an eyebrow as she grabbed her work bag and pulled a business card from it, "Best to do it through official channels." She said as she passed it to Benji, "But there's no way I'm letting a talent like that slip through our fingers. And she's family." Beca quickly added as she blushed a little.

"That's great Benji." Chloe smiled as she rolled her eyes at Beca, "It'll be great to have you both in NYC where we can see you all the time!"

"It'll be great!" Benji grinned, "Okay, I have to go give the director the good news, and get started on rehearsals. Thank you Chloe, you've saved my backside here!"

"Anytime Benji. I'm actually really excited for this!" Chloe beamed as Beca wound her arms around Chloe's waist.

Three weeks later it was opening night. Beca got herself dressed up to go with Chloe, excited to see her girlfriend's handiwork first-hand, and of course support Benji. Chloe was pacing nervously when Beca exited the bathroom, chewing her lip in the way she always did when she was stressed.

"Hey." Beca walked over to Chloe and caught her hand as she paced past her, "Ten minutes?" She offered.

Chloe just nodded as she pulled Beca into her arms, burying her face in her neck as Beca glanced at her watch so she could make sure that they weren't going to be late. Not that it mattered to her, she just knew that it would probably stress Chloe out more. Approximately ten minutes later, Chloe pulled away, resting her forehead on Beca's as she sighed softly.

"I'm so scared it's going to go wrong tonight. That people are gonna hate it." Chloe whispered.

"I know. I get it." Beca smiled softly as she intertwined her fingers with Chloe's, "I have every faith in you Chlo, you've worked so hard. I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks Beca." Chloe smiled softly, "The fact that you've been so supportive through all of this… it means more to me than I can say."

Chloe thought over what Beca had put up with for the last few weeks: her absence from the apartment, the non-stop blaring of the Rent soundtrack as Chloe tried to figure out her choreography, the pacing and sleepless nights. It had been a long three weeks, but aside from the anxiety that she was feeling, Chloe couldn't help feeling a little proud, and dare she say… happy.

"Of course baby. It's what we do." Beca gave her a soft kiss as she gently started to pull her towards the door, "Come on. Don't wanna be late for your debut!"

Chloe rolled her eyes as she followed Beca out of the apartment, feeling her heart pound in the same way that it had before every performance with the Bellas. There was some comfort in this familiar feeling of anxiety, and even as she sat in the front row, her palms sweaty, she couldn't help but grin as she watched the musical. Watching her word work pay off, watching her vision brought to life, and of course watching Benji absolutely crush his part as Mark; it might quite possibly be the best night of her life. As the final curtain fell, the audience were on their feet, applauding loudly, whooping, cheering. Beca leant in so that Chloe could hear here over the noise:

"I'm so proud of you Chlo! The choreography was incredible, it might be your best work yet!" She all but yelled over the noise as a light blush spread across Chloe's cheeks. There was no time for a reply however as Benji took advantage of the quiet lull in the theatre.

"Ladies and gentlemen thank you so much for coming out tonight! We'd just like to bring your attention to someone else who deserves your applause tonight. When our choreographer broke his leg we thought we wouldn't be able to go ahead with the show, but thanks to a wonderfully talented woman who happens to be a very dear friend of mine we were able to keep going. Chloe, get up here!" Benji gestured for Chloe to join them on stage as the ginger shook her head, blushing an even deeper shade of red as people turned to look at her.

Beca gave her a gentle nudge as Benji beckoned to her again, leaning down to grab her hand and carefully pull her onto the stage. Chloe was the same shade of red as her hair as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, biting her lip as the audience were in uproar again, the praise deafening as Chloe awkwardly curtseyed a little, Beca whistling loudly as she thought she might burst with pride.

As the curtain fell Benji hugged Chloe tightly, beaming as she hugged him back tightly. The rest of the cast came over to hug and congratulate her too, Beca appearing with a proud smile on her face as she was lead backstage to see her girlfriend.

"Chloe you're a genius!" Benji grinned, "You saved the show, we wouldn't have been able to do it without you." The rest of the cast mumbled in agreement as Beca ran over to pull her into a hug.

"My girl's amazing!" She exclaimed as Chloe giggled, hugging her back.

"Thank you. All of you." Chloe beamed as she looked around at them, "You didn't have to take a chance on me, I really appreciate it."

"Chloe, darling!" The director grinned as he appeared backstage, grabbing her hands and twirling her around, "That was magnificent, you're a rare treasure!"

"Thank you." Chloe mumbled, steadying herself as they stopped spinning, Beca gently steadying her, "Andy this is Beca, my girlfriend." She smiled as she introduced them, "Becs this is the director Andy."

"You have excellent taste my dear." Andy grinned as he shook Beca's hand, "What a beautiful little sprite are."

"Thank you?" Beca had a bemused look on her face as she turned to Chloe.

"Chloe. How would you like a full time job here as the in-house choreographer?" Andy turned back to Chloe as she gasped in shock.

"Are you serious?!" Chloe couldn't quite believe this was happening. Beca was grinning from ear to ear as she looked to Benji who looked equally as surprised and happy as she did.

"Absolutely! I was talking to Tony who owns this place and neither of us want to lose someone as talented as you to another theatre!" Andy was grinning as Chloe opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water.

"I- I um- I don't know what to say…" Chloe stammered, a shocked smile on her face.

"Dude, say yes!" Beca grinned as she put a hand on her shoulder, "This is huge!"

"C'mon Chlo, you'd be great at it!" Benji encouraged her, hand on her other shoulder.

Chloe looked from Beca to Benji to Andy, biting her lip a little as she grinned, "Yeah. Okay, I'm in."

Beca cheered loudly as she wrapped Chloe in her arms, Andy, Benji, and the whole cast all delighted that Chloe had agreed.

"This is a call for a celebration!" Andy grinned, "Drinks at the bar across the street?"

"Oh, Beca doesn't drink." Chloe turned to her girlfriend, a worried look on her face.

"But you do. And that's okay. Especially tonight. Let's go and celebrate your job, I can have a few mocktails, it'll be great."

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked.

"Certain." Beca nodded as Andy beamed.

"Well that's settled then! To the bar!" He leaned in to Beca as they walked out of the theatre, "Don't worry about the alcohol thing, between you and me this is the best bar for non-alcoholic cocktails." He winked at Beca as she nodded gratefully, fingers intertwined with Chloe's.

They celebrated long into the night for Chloe's new job. It was three am before they came back to the apartment, Chloe a little tipsy as she pulled Beca close, a wide grin on her lips as she shut their apartment door with her foot.

"God I love you Beca Mitchell." She grinned as Beca chuckled, tucking a lock of hair behind Chloe's ear.

"I love you too Chlo. I'm so proud of you." Beca smiled softly.

"I'm happy Beca. For the first time in way too long I'm actually happy." Chloe rested her forehead against Beca's as she sighed contentedly.

"Me too…" Beca whispered, hands resting on the back of Chloe's neck as she looked into her sparkling blue eyes, a proud smile on her face, "I'm so happy with you Chlo. Happier than I thought I'd ever be."

"Can I kiss you? Chloe asked, "I've had a few drinks so I don't want you to be uncomfortable, but you say such lovely things that make we wanna kiss you."

Beca grinned as she lent in and kissed Chloe, pulling her close. Chloe grinned against her lips as she hummed slightly. They broke apart slowly, stupid grins on their faces as they stood in each other's arms for a moment.

"I'm okay." Beca answered the question before Chloe could ask it again, "I promise."

"Let's go to bed." Chloe sighed happily, "I wanna cuddle you close as I try and drift off. I think I'm too excited…"

"You can cuddle me whenever you like Beale." Beca chuckled.

---

The next day, Chloe arrived home from a therapy session with a bag of Greek takeout in her hand as she unlocked the door of her apartment, knowing that Beca was home already.

"Hey, I stopped by that Greek place you love on the way ho-" Chloe stopped in her tracks as she walked into her home, a soft frown on her face. Beca was lay face down on the bed, naked from the waist up, Stacie straddling her as she moved her hands skilfully up and down the brunette's back.

"Um… what is happening?" She frowned as Beca lifted her head, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"My back." Beca started as Stacie paused what she was doing, "It's been really bad the last week or so. Especially at the base of my back, y'know where the shrapnel is?"

"Oh sweetie why didn't you say anything?" Chloe's frown deepened as she went and set the dinner on the table.

"I didn't want you to worry… and I didn't want you to feel pressured into doing anything you weren't ready for." Beca bit her lip as she looked away, "Stacie offered, she was always the Bella physio…"

Stacie smiled as she carefully got up from the bed, wiping her hands on a towel to get rid of the excess oil, "Sorry Chloe, I didn't mean for you to come home and get a shook."

"No, it's fine." Chloe shook her head, "Beca was in pain, you were helping her out." Her mouth was dry as she tried not to let her eyes wander over Beca's exposed top half. She knew that she was allowed to, Beca was her girlfriend after all, but the thought of letting herself go there made her heart pound and her palms sweat. She hated that she still felt this way, but she had noticed (in fact she'd just had a conversation with her therapist about it) that the fear of allowing herself to be that vulnerable, for want of a better word, was less intense.

"You want me to leave you guys to it?" Stacie asked, not wanting to make things awkward or uncomfortable for either of them.

"No." Chloe could feel her chest tighten a little, but she knew what she wanted, despite the lies her brain was telling her, "Will you… will you teach how to do that?"

Beca felt her breath catch in her throat as Stacie looked a little taken aback, "Chloe, you don't have to…" Beca started.

"I know." Chloe smiled softly, "But I want to, especially if it helps you."

"Alright then." Stacie smiled softly, deciding not to make a big deal of it, "Come sit next to Beca on the bed." The tall brunette grabbed the bottle of oil as she straddled Beca again, smiling at Chloe.

Chloe sat next to Beca, her eyes fixed on Stacie's hands, swallowing hard as her heart pounded in her ears. Stacie gently squeezed a small amount of the lavender oil into the middle of Beca's back.

"Do you want to watch me do it, or do you want me to use your hands to show you what to do?" Stacie asked, not wanting to push Chloe too far or too fast.

"Can I watch? For now?" Chloe asked, her voice quiet as Stacie smiled and nodded.

She began to work out a knot in the middle of Beca's back, applying pressure with her fingers as she worked out the tension that Beca was carrying. Chloe watched intently as Beca groaned softly, enjoying the feeling of the tension leaving her back, to fixated on the relief that she felt as the pain began to dissipate to think too hard about the fact that this was a huge step for Chloe. They carried on in silence for ten minutes, Chloe watching as she focused on the way that Stacie's hands moved, Beca relaxing a little as she the tension eased in her back and in the apartment.

"Can I try?" Chloe's voice was barely above a whisper as she looked to Stacie, half asking her, half asking Beca.

"Are you okay with that Beca?" Stacie asked.

"Yeah." Beca nodded, turning her head a little so she could look at Chloe, "I trust you Chlo."

Chloe smiled nervously at Beca before shifting her position on the bed. She wasn't ready to straddle Beca, not yet, but if she turned herself in the right way she could reach the lower portion of Beca's back without having to tie herself in knots. Taking a deep breath, her hands shaking ever so slightly as she took the bottle of oil from Stacie and squeezed a little into her hand. She paused for a moment, before gently putting her hands on Beca's back. Chloe felt like there was electricity coursing through her as she started to rub small circles on the tight part of Beca's back.

"Like… like this?" Chloe asked looking to Stacie.

"Ask Beca." Stacie smiled softly.

"Becs? Is this okay?" Chloe whispered.

"It's good." Beca mumbled, feeling like her skin was on fire under Chloe's touch in all the best ways, "But you can apply a little more pressure, get into the deep tissue a little?"

"Okay." Chloe smiled softly, pressing a little harder as she worked her fingers into the knot, frowning a little in concentration, "How's that?"

"Mmm…" Beca hummed, "That's perfect…"

Chloe smiled proudly as she continued to move her hands in the way that she'd Stacie do a few minutes ago. She continued to move her hands down Beca's back, concentrating so hard that she missed Beca saying:

"Oh Chloe, be careful there, it- ow!" Beca winced as Chloe pressed a little too hard where the shrapnel had settled in her back.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry, what did I do?!" Chloe pulled back horrified as Beca's cry of pain cut through her concentration.

"That's where the shrapnel is." Beca smiled sheepishly as she turned her head to look at Chloe, "It just hurts a little if you press too hard…"

"I'm really sorry…" Chloe shook her head.

"Hey, it's okay!" Beca grabbed the towel that had been left on the floor near her head and draped it over her front so she could turn over and take Chloe's hand, "I'm okay, it's just a twinge. You're doing a really great job."

"Yeah?" Chloe asked shyly.

"Yeah." Beca nodded, tucking a lock of Chloe's hair behind her ear.

"Roll over so I can finish?" Chloe blushed a little as she bit her lip, shy and nervous, but more comfortable than she thought she'd be.

"Okay." Beca grinned, quickly rolling over as Chloe resumed the massage, less nervous this time as she avoided the area that had caused Beca pain the last time.

Stacie had gotten off the bed without either of them noticing, a soft smile on her face as she watched the couple deal with an issue and move past it. They had come such a long way in the last four months, and watching them interact like this almost made all of the awfulness that had come before it worth it. She picked up her bag, deciding to slip out quietly and leave them to it. She'd text them later to let them know that she'd slipped out.

It was half an hour later when Chloe had finished, the knots removed from Beca's back as the brunette sighed happily.

"Oh that is so much better…" Beca groaned, "Who knew being a music producer took such a toll on your back?"

Chloe chuckled as she lay on her back next to Beca, a soft smile on her face as she looked into Beca's bluey-grey eyes, "You work so hard, it's no wonder you're back hurts."

"It's exactly a physically taxing job is though is it?" Beca chuckled, "How was therapy today?" She intertwined her fingers with Chloe's as she returned the smile.

"Good. Weirdly, I was talking about how the idea of us didn't freak me out as much… the more intimate side of it I mean." Chloe shifted on the bed so that her forehead was resting on Beca's bare shoulder.

"Really?" Beca asked, rolling onto her back, a towel covering her top half as Chloe settled onto her shoulder again, "That's huge Chlo."

Chloe blushed a little, not lifting her head from Beca's shoulder, "I'm not saying I'm ready to do anything, I just… it doesn't frighten me like it used to."

"That's okay." Beca gently stroked her fingers down Chloe's arm, a soft smile on her lips, "There is absolutely no rush, we have the rest of our lives for that."

"You're so patient with me." Chloe finally lifted her head to look at Beca, needing to see the look of love in her eyes in order to ground herself, "I know it can't be easy, waiting for me to stop being such a mess-"

"Stop right there." Beca gently but firmly interrupted Chloe, "You are allowed to take your time, to work through whatever you need to in order to get healthy, and then we can worry about everything else."

"I want to Beca… I want us to take that next step, but right now it's just too much for me…" Chloe sighed, "And I hate that. I hate that it's become this thing."

"I know." Beca continued to stroke Chloe's arm, her eyes still on hers, "But it's okay. You're amazing Chloe, you've come so far. You just take your time, I'll always be here, and I'm in no rush to do anything. I'm just happy to have you by my side."

"I love you." Chloe whispered, moving as close to Beca as she could.

"I love you too." Beca smiled softly, a happy sigh slipping through her lips, "Let me go put a top on and then we can cuddle if you want?"

"I always want to." Chloe grinned.

Over the next few weeks, Beca noticed a change in her girlfriend's behaviour; a positive one. It started off small, Chloe wandering out of the bathroom half dressed, a large hoodie on but putting her pants on after she'd pulled them from the chest of drawers next to the bed. The first time it happened, Beca assumed she'd simply forgotten to bring her pants to the bathroom (something the brunette had done herself on more than one occasion), but it happened again, and again, a few days apart. The brunette said nothing, but secretly she couldn't help feeling a tingle of pride as she watched Chloe slowly get more and more comfortable. Then, just as Beca had adjusted to the new dynamic, Chloe had left the bathroom in her underwear, the brunette thankful that Chloe hadn't seen her jaw drop as she did. The pounding in her chest was not new to Beca, but the way that seeing Chloe in her underwear made her feel was. She pushed it down, meaning what she'd said to Chloe; she was in no rush, she'd wait as long as it took. But as she watched Chloe bend over to pull something out of the bottom drawer, she felt a pang of guilt that she was even feeling like this when she knew Chloe wasn't in the same place.

After three weeks of the redhead slowly becoming more comfortable, Chloe exited the bathroom with a happy sigh as she enjoyed how the warm water had eased the aches out of her weary muscles. She'd spent the day running through the choreography for a production of Six which had left her sore but satisfied. As she headed for the dresser with her sweats in, she could feel Beca's eyes on her, a soft smile on her lip as she wandered past her in nothing but a towel.

Beca had been lounging on the bed, flipping through different apps on her phone when Chloe walked out in her towel. The sight made her shift on the bed as she took in the visible parts of Chloe while forcing her mind off of the parts that weren't, "H-hey."

"Hey yourself." Chloe grinned as she perched on the edge of their bed, opening the draw, "You okay there?" Yes, she'd been doing this for predominately for her, her therapist suggesting that she should do it in order to see how she felt being more vulnerable. But part of her had enjoyed the way that Beca looked at her as she walked past her in fewer and fewer clothes.

Beca pressed her lips together as a few freckles on Chloe's mid back became visible. "I am suddenly a little warm. I think the heater might be acting up again." She lied badly, shifting on the bed again but trying not to be too obvious.

Chloe chuckled as she pulled a pair of sweats from the door, grabbing a tank top as well. The heater had always been a source of issue from the second they'd moved in, but she knew that it wasn't what was causing the issue right now. She appreciated Beca for trying not to push anything.

"Yeah, that heater has been a problem lately..." She looked over her shoulder at Beca, grin widening as she saw the blush on her cheeks, "We should call someone about that."

Beca set her phone on the nightstand folding her hands in her lap as she turned her eyes from Chloe to allow her to change without being watched.

"So I was thinking about something today..." She played with her fingers to not shift again. "And I was thinking if you were in the right headspace we could maybe talk about relationship stuff. Like intimate stuff." Beca bit her lip, looking at her hands, regretting the words the second they were out of their mouth, "But only if you want to, y'know cos you said it scared you less now, but it's okay if you're not too."

Chloe took a deep breath. She knew this conversation had been on the horizon, but that didn't stop her heart pounding in her chest. Turning to Beca she nodded, a soft smile on her face.

"I'm okay. But can I change first?"

"You don't want to talk about this in a towel holding clothing?" Beca said in a faux shocked tone, giving Chloe a bright grin to try and put her at ease.

Chloe smiled just a little, rolling her eyes as she stood up, noting the way that Beca had turned around so that she could change semi-privately and feeling her heart swell a little. She would never be able to express how grateful she had been for Beca's patience in the last five months.

"Alright." She smiled warmly as she sat down on the bed next to Beca, "I'm ready."

Beca reached out, her hand between them with the palm side facing up. She didn't want to touch Chloe without her permission but she did want to have a connection while they laid themselves emotionally naked in front of the other. She would let Chloe decide when that happened.

"I love you. And I love the kisses we do share, the space we take up next to each other. I want you to know that okay? This isn't a talk I want to have because I'm not happy with what we already have." Beca rambled a little, feeling her heart pound.

Chloe smiled softly as she took Beca's hand in hers. There was nothing that made her feel stronger and safer than having Beca hold her, even if it was just her hand she was holding.

"I love you too, and I'm really glad that you're happy. I am too, and I know how patient you've been with me."

"Can I ask a very personal question?" Beca didn't want to overstep but she did wonder something.

"Of course." Chloe could feel her heart pounding as the possibilities swirled in her head, but she knew that Beca was about the only person in the world she could be totally honest with.

"So, before last year and..." Beca made a vague waving motion with her hand "... all that stuff happened, sometimes when I was alone and in the mood I would... you know... let my hand do some traveling south. Do you do that? Have you ever?"

Chloe felt a small blush spread across her cheeks but that didn't stop a small smile crossing her lips. It was a very Beca question, with very Beca phrasing, and she appreciated how normal this conversation felt, regardless of the low simmering anxiety in her chest, "Not really? I was so busy throwing myself into the Bellas, into life after Barden, into not thinking about what happened that it never really crossed my mind... and even the idea of it, I just... didn't want to. Does that make me weird?"

Chloe winced a little as she run a hand through her hair. She never really talked about it before, but something about it had always made her feel... odd. Uncomfortable even. But talking about it with Beca was a little easier than she thought it would be.

"No, it doesn't make you weird." Beca brought their joined hands to her lips to press a kiss. "I know your experiences haven't been positive ones. I didn't know if you ever learned what you liked by trying it out yourself, that's all I was trying to get at."

Chloe smiled widely as she gently rubbed her thumb over Beca's knuckles. "I didn't feel like I needed to..." She whispered, "Before I met you I never thought anyone could love me, and then you turned all that on its head. Maybe I should have thought about, but I just didn't."

"When we do kiss or when we do lay close together and cuddle, do you think about doing more or is this where you are comfortable being?" Beca asked, needing to know if Chloe was ready for more at all.

Chloe paused for a moment, biting her lip a little, "I do want more..." She mumbled, barely audible as she looked at her hands, "For the first time in my life I've found myself wanting that intimacy with someone. I just... I'm worried. Worried that I'm going to mess it up, that I'm going to freak out and ruin it."

"Will you lay down with me?" Beca asked. "We don't have to touch more than we are now. But will you lay down while we talk?"

Chloe nodded, lying next to Beca, fingers intertwined. She could feel her heart pounding a little as they lay there for a moment in silence, simply watching the way that Beca's chest rose and fell as she looked at her in the way that made her feel like she was invincible. Lying next to Beca was her favourite place to be, especially when she was feeling this vulnerable. But it wasn't as terrifying as she was expecting it to be.

"When we sing together, with the Bellas or in the kitchen, what happens when one of us messes up or does something different?" Beca asked, trying to use music to explain this. Because music was the thing they shared from the first time they met and the part of their lives that had always seen them through.

Chloe couldn't help the light laugh that left her lips. Trust Beca to bring it back to music. Not that she minded that, it was one of the many things she loved about her.

"We talk about. Re-adjust the set where we need to. Whatever it takes to make it perfect." Chloe smiled softly.

"You and I have been working off of each other for a decade, Chlo. I know what it looks like when you want to freestyle, I know how it looks when you need to talk, I know what it looks like when you want to keep going to try and see where it might go even if it's not perfect." Beca shifted a little closer. "I think touching each other, making love with each other will be like that. I hope it will be like that at least."

Chloe bit her lip as she smiled at Beca, reaching up to run a hand through Beca's brunette locks, "I think so too... I trust you Beca. More than I trust anyone, even Aubrey. I trust you to be close to me and not hurt me, to know my limits, to respect them in a way no-one ever has."

Beca almost purred at the way that Chloe's words and the way her hand moved through her hair felt. There was something a little intoxicating - in a way alcohol never could be so pure - that made Beca weak. "Sometimes when we lay in this bed it's all I can do not to slide my hand under your top and feel your skin under my hand. I would never do it without your consent and before tonight I couldn't ask. But maybe now I can?"

Chloe nodded, taking Beca's hand and guiding it to her stomach, feeling her skin tingle as Beca's fingers slid under her vest top, keeping her other hand in Beca's hair as she hummed softly.

"Can I um... can I do the same?" She asked, her mouth dry, still a little anxious, but seeing the love in Beca's eyes soothed her in a way that she had never been.

"Yes." Beca whispered as her fingers spread out over Chloe's ribs. She closed her eyes for a moment as the heat of Chloe's skin seemed to warm her up like she was standing in front of a large bonfire.

"Should we have a safe word or something? Just like in case we need to pause but we don't want to freak the other out by saying no?' Beca opened her eyes, bottom lip between her teeth.

"I like that idea." Chloe mumbled as she gently traced her fingers down Beca's stomach, "How about... Titanium?" She grinned a little, an eyebrow raised, knowing that however dumb it sounded, it meant the same thing to Beca as it did to her.

Beca felt herself react to Chloe's fingers in a way that felt like a current was passing through her skin.

"Cheeky, Miss Beale, very cheeky." Beca shifted a bit closer as the tips of her fingers brushed the underside of Chloe's breast.

Chloe gasped a little as she felt Beca's fingers where no-one else had ever been. It was a little odd, but not in a bad way. Not at all in a bad way. She traced her fingers higher up Beca's waist, gently tracing the lace of her bra, leaning in to press a kiss to Beca's lips, hotter and a little harder than she ever had before.

"Is this okay?" She asked, silently begging Beca not to say no.

Beca felt her breathing come a bit quicker now that she had a taste of the desire flowing through the kiss. She leaned in for another kiss instead of answering as her fingers stroked at Chloe's breast.

Chloe could feel her breath catch in her throat. They had been here once before, almost two years ago, and the sensation of Beca's fingers on her breast had caused her to spiral into a panic attack. But now, as she felt the gentle way in which Beca was tracing her fingers along her what she felt wasn't fear. It was arousal, a sort of heat that flushed her cheeks and her chest as she felt the soft touch of the woman she loved.

"I'm okay." She managed to mumble, "If you want to be firmer than that I'm okay." She traced the outline of Beca's breast with her fingers, not yet quite daring to push the lace of her bra away and feel Beca's exposed breast under her fingertips.

"Yeah? I can work with okay but I'm shooting a little higher than that." Beca shifted to press her calf against Chloe's to bring a little more of them into contact.

She was nervous as she palmed Chloe's breast. She had never really done any of this - at least sober or that she could remember - so her hand fumbled just a little before it fell into place. But once she felt Chloe's nipple hardening against her palm she let out a whimper of pleasure.

"You can touch me, Chloe. As much as you're ready for, alright?"

Chloe let out a soft moan of pleasure, a noise that she never thought she'd make in a scenario like this, as Beca cupped her breast. She hesitated for just a second before slipping her fingers under the underwire of Beca's bra, whimpering a little herself as she felt Beca's nipple harden when her thumb teased it gently. She brushed her lips against Beca's, their calves flush as she whispered into her mouth.

"Would it be okay if you took off your t-shirt?" She asked, shy and nervous as she wanted to see what had been under the towel when she had massaged her back a month ago.

Beca sat up and ditched her shirt before taking a moment before tossing her bra on top of it on the floor. She didn't like the feeling of her bra being pushed up so this was a win for her and the way Chloe's eyes widened and brightened made her feel like it was a win for Chloe too.

"How's that?" She asked, her voice slightly huskier as she laid back down.

Chloe bit her lip a little as her eyes trailed over Beca's breasts, her fingers reaching out to trace them as she committed them to memory. They were a little different to how she remembered them from Beca's freshman year, but by god they were still perfect.

"Beautiful..." she whispered as she cupped the left, mirroring the way Beca had been touching her, hoping it would bring her the same feeling of wanting and arousal as she was feeling. Her eyes couldn't help flickering down to the long scar that ran down Beca's middle all the way to the top of her pants line. Chloe didn't think she'd ever seen it before, a stark reminder of everything that had been, but as she reached out to trace it with her free hand she felt a sense of hope. It was like a line in the sand, a do-over.

"Does it ever hurt?" She found herself asking.

Beca had to fight her brain to be able to think so she could answer the question when Chloe was touching her like she was. The way that it felt, one hand on her breast and the other on her scar, made her feel like she would never feel pain again. The idea of pain like a dream that was fading away from her.

"Sometimes." She admitted when her brain caught back up to answer the question. "When I twist just the right way or when I sit for too long without enough support in my back. But it's less sharp now, more dull when I feel pain at all."

Chloe licked her dry lips as she looked into Beca's eyes, hating the idea that Beca felt any pain at all anymore. She lifted (a little reluctantly) Beca's hand from her breast and placed it on the side of her face, using Beca's thumb to trace the scar on her forehead.

"Sometimes, when it's really cold or I've lay on my pillow corner a weird way, I feel it throb... like this little reminder I'll never be the same person I was before..." She whispered, "But then I remember that I don't want to be that person anymore. I want to be this person, in bed with you touching me like this, making me feel like this..."

"The woman in bed with me? This Chloe Beale who smiles a little easier and who has bright eyes more often than not? This woman that you've worked so hard to be is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with." Beca leaned forward as her thumb traced the scar, her breasts against Chloe's with only Chloe's shirt between them.

"I've loved you a long time, Chlo. But this healthy you is even more amazing. I am kind of in awe of you."

Chloe just grinned, leaning in to press a kiss to Beca's lips, tracing her tongue along her bottom lip as she deepened it, a hand on Beca's hip as she pulled her closer.

"I'm going to take of my top, is that okay?" She asked as she pulled away, breathing a little heavily, wanting the feeling of Beca's skin against her own.

Beca gave a bashful grin and felt her body reacting to the question. "Chloe never, and I mean this in the most respectful way I can say it, ever question if I want to see your boobs. They are just about my favourite things on the face of this earth that I can't make music on and I'm still hoping on hope one day we can make mixing tables small enough to fit one there." She teased to try and make the moment less stressful.

Chloe giggled a little as she sat up just long enough to pull her top off, gasping a little as skin touched skin, "I'm sure you could find a way to make music on them if you tried." She grinned playfully as she kissed Beca again, on hand on her hip, the other running through her hair.

Laying with their breasts pressed together, Chloe's hands on her hip and in her hair, make Beca feel freer than she had since before Beca could remember. She leaned in and kissed Chloe as her hand moved to the back of Chloe's neck, playing with the baby hairs there and enjoying the feeling of having this joyful moment. This was further than she thought they would ever get, and there was still a part of her that didn't quite believe they were here.

"Still doing okay?" She whispered, her voice huskier still.

"Yeah." Chloe could feel her chest flush a deeper shade of red as she heard the huskiness in Beca's voice, "Better than I ever thought I could be." She admitted as she trailed her fingertips along Beca's ribcage, the other still tangled in her hair.

"Are you okay?"

Beca kissed her before answering. "I'm incredibly turned on right now. Like after we're done here I might need a cold shower."

Chloe felt her breath hitch in her throat as she let her hand fall from Beca's hair, fingers trailing down her side as she bit her lip, not wanting to push Beca, but equally wanting to push to see if she was as ready as she thought she was. Because right now, her mind was only on one thing, one thing that she was sure she would never want, but lay here next to Beca, with Beca's hands on her, and her hands on Beca, she felt safer and more loved than she had ever done.

"What if I didn't want you to need that shower? If I was ready to try and go further than this?" She kissed her again, softer this time but with as much passion as before.

Beca's heart sped up as she took in Chloe's words. She wanted that, she wanted it more than she could put into words so instead of trying she took a deep breath and pulled off the rest of her clothes so she was naked in front of Chloe.

"Is that enough of an answer?" She asked as she felt her whole body blush at her own boldness.

Chloe let out a soft whimper as her eyes ran up and down Beca's now nude form. She'd been around enough, danced with her enough, slept next to her enough, to know that she had an incredible body, but this? This was way better then she could have ever imagined in her wildest dreams.

"Wow..." Was all she managed to say as she traced her hand down Beca's thigh.

"We um, might want to swap sides of the bed?" Beca bushed a little bit. "So you're on your left side and I'm on my right? I'm left handed and you're right handed and having our dominate hand free might be a good idea right?" She rambled a little bit as she tried to push away her nerves at being bake ass naked.

Chloe managed to pull her brain into focus as she smiled, "You're cute when you ramble." She mumbled, kissing her softly, "Swapping seems like a good idea."

Beca shifted on top of Chloe without thinking about it to get to the other side of the bed. It made sense until she was there and felt Chloe freezing under her. She scrambled off of her, standing at the side of the bed and feeling like she just managed to fuck everything up with a second of not thinking. Chloe sat bolt upright, breathing hard as she closed her eyes tight shut for a second, trying to ease the panic in her chest as she gripped the bedding next to her tight in her hand. It was a moment of tense silence before she reached for Beca's hand her eyes still closed.

"It's okay. You didn't mean to. I'm okay."

"I was just trying to get to the other side of the bed. I didn't think. I should have thought." Beca held tight to her hand, as she kept on her feet for the moment.

Seeing Chloe breathing harder, seeing her eyes tightly shut, it broke her heart a little bit to know she caused this.

"I know." Chloe whispered, getting her breathing under control as she opened her eyes and looked up at Beca, "It's okay baby, I'm okay."

She clumsily moved so she was sat in front of Beca, letting her hand rest on the side of the brunette's neck as she gently pulled her into a soft kiss, "Come get back into bed?" Chloe asked as she smiled softly, "Just give me a sec to move over and then lay next to me again?"

Beca waited for Chloe to laid back down before joining her in bed. She kept a little space between them before reached out for Chloe's hand as the pair of them laid together again.

"I love you." She whispered for lack of something more eloquent to say.

"I love you too. So much." Chloe whispered back, trailing her fingers up Beca's arm, not wanting to push Beca too far, too quickly, "I really am okay." She tried to reassure her girlfriend, "I promise I am."

Beca forced herself to believe Chloe, pushing out her own hang-ups of her carelessness.

"I believe you." She promised as she leaned forward to press a soft kiss to Chloe's lips. "And baby, I'm proud of you for how you handled that. Even if you shouldn't have had to."

Chloe smiled as she ran a hand through Beca's hair again, "Thank you... I didn't think I would handle it that well if I'm honest." She blushed a little at the admission, "I thought I'd lose it again, but I guess this just solidifies the idea that I'm ready for this. That I'm ready for us, in every way." She moved herself closer to Beca, fingers trailing along the brunette's ribs.

"That is if you still are? There's no pressure." She pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

Beca took Chloe's hand, pressing soft kisses to each pad of her fingers before bringing Chloe's hand down between her thighs.

"If this doesn't tell you I'm ready, I am not sure what else to do other than to get card stock and mail you an invite." Beca held Chloe's hand loosely to allow her to pull it back if she needed.

Chloe gasped a little as she pushed her hand further between Beca's thighs, moving as close as she could to the brunette as she cautiously slid two of her fingers inside her, going by instinct, grinning a little as she felt how damp she was. Despite her lack of experience, Chloe knew it was a good sign.

"How does that feel?" She asked as she moved her fingers back and forth.

Beca's eyes closed as she felt Chloe's touching her like she had thought about for years. The way she was moving her fingers made Beca rock her hips out of sheer instinct.

'Good, very good, great even." Beca leaned in to kiss over Chloe's still bare breasts. She gasped at the feeling of Chloe's thumb sliding over her clit. She felt the build-up in her belly that hadn't been there in the last year.

Chloe moaned a little as she felt Beca's lips against her breasts, rubbing her thumb and moving her fingers at the same pace as Beca's hips. Watching Beca unravel like this under her fingertips was far more of a turn on than she could ever have imagined it would be.

"Tell me how it feels?" She asked, biting her lip a little, "Please? Tell me how it feels to have you touch me like this, to be here in bed like this."

Beca pulled her lips away from Chloe's breasts enough to be able to speak while still keeping her head close to her chest.

"It feels like a dream come true. Like it's all worth it. Like we've won. God, we won after all the shit we were put through, after all the hell we walked though. It feels so good." She brought her left up to cup Chloe's cheek, her thumb tracing Chloe's lips. "Like my birthday and Christmas all wrapped up in one. Like a celebration." Her mind was a bit foggy, a bit scattered so she hoped she was making sense.

Chloe moved her hand back and forth, resting her head on top of Beca's as she tangled her free hand into her hair, kissing the top of her head as they rocked in sync, "We're finally here..." She whispered into her hair, "We're here, in bed together, we overcame everything that was thrown at us and we're here at last. I love you so much Becs."

The knot in her belly tightened and tightened and tightened. She had brought herself here before but she had never felt what happened next. She always felt a slow dissipation of that tightness and never the rapid unravelling that was currently making her body freeze before she felt boneless.

"Oh." She breathed out, suddenly panting as she shook just a bit. "That's why Stacie always said sex was so good. Ok, yeah, I get it now."

Chloe couldn't help but laugh a little as she felt Beca's body shake against hers, the brunette going limp as Chloe gently slid her hand out from between her thighs, "That good huh?" She asked as she lay next to her, lifting her fingers to her lips, partly out of arousal, partly out of pure curiosity.

The urge to kiss Chloe as Beca watched her lick her fingers was nearly overwhelming. She waited until Chloe moved her hand back from her mouth before kissing her hungrily.

"Can I touch you?" She felt a little silly begging after what Chloe just did but her need to please her girlfriend was all she could think about right now.

"God yes." Chloe all but whimpered, "I want... I want to feel like you just did." She reached down to quickly and desperately tug off her own pants kicking them off a little ungracefully as she pressed herself close to Beca.

Beca started just under Chloe's breasts, trailing her fingertips down. She rested her forehead against Chloe's as her left hand started to explore.

"You are the most beautiful person I've ever seen, Chloe. Do you know that? How beautiful you are? How much I love you? How much you mean to me? Do you have any idea how big your name is written on my heart?" She spoke to assure Chloe that it was here, that this was safe, that the two of them were safe together.

As her fingers explored she used one and then two to slide in and out as she used a few flicks of her wrist to test out what she was doing.

Chloe moaned softly as she felt Beca's fingers slip inside her, biting her lip a little as she pressed her forehead a little harder against Beca's.

"God I love you." She mumbled, her brain starting to fog a little, "You're so good at this Becs, you make me feel so safe and turned on at the same time. You're amazing." Her hips began to rock against Beca's hand, a knot forming in her stomach. This was so far away from any experience she'd ever had, so soft and tender, so full of love and care, Chloe still couldn't quite believe she deserved to be treated like this, but good god was she never going to admit that anymore.

Beca kept moving her fingers, her thumb giving a little press against Chloe's clit as she did. She wanted to make Chloe feel wonderful, boneless, like she was floating on a cloud. She deserved a moment of bliss after all the hell in her life.

"I always want you to feel that way, Chlo. Safe and loved and wanted. Because I want you. I want you every day in every way I can have you." She moved her hand in time with Chloe rocking against her, picking the pace up as she felt Chloe's reactions. "Let go for me, Chloe. Just let go. You're safe, I'll catch you. Always."

Chloe whimpered a little as she felt Beca's thumb move across her clit, feeling the knot grow and tighten inside her. She felt her hands take on a mind of their own as they snaked into Beca's hair, pulling her as close as possible as she felt as though she was teetering on a knife edge, "I trust you." She whispered, "You're mine, and I trust you. No-one has ever made me feel like this Beca. No-one."

Beca whimpered at how much this moment meant to her. There was nothing at all she wanted more than to bring Chloe pleasure and to make her feel loved.

"I love, I love you so much." Beca whispered as her thumb kept stroking against Chloe.

The knot in her stomach squeezed tight as Chloe moaned again, all thoughts of anything entirely dispelled as she soaked in this feeling. The feeling of Beca inside her, the wave of pleasure crashing down as a result of her oh so talented fingers. She felt her body freeze, but instead of the paralysing fear she was used to, she felt a warm buzz, shaking as she felt her head slip from its place against Beca's and onto her shoulder. Her breathing was heavy, not from anxiety but from the aftermath of a pleasure she'd never felt.

Pulling Beca close, she nuzzled into the side of her neck. "Thank you." She finally managed to mumble as she regained the power of speech.

Beca wrapped her arms around Chloe and just held her close. "We made love, baby. And it was so good. So good." She whispered, kissing all over Chloe's face with a laugh that she couldn't hold back. "You and me, without any major panic or stress and only one kinda panic moment that I won't do again. We did it."

Chloe bit her lip, a wide grin on her face, giggling as Beca's kisses fluttered across her face. She slipped her arms around Beca's waist, pulling her close, "We did didn't we? It was amazing, and gentle, and so full of love… I never realised it could be like that." She whispered, a look of soft vulnerability in her eyes.

"It can. It always will be, because I love you Chloe Beale, you are the single most important person in my life and I am going to spend everyday of our lives showing you just how much you mean to me, how amazed I am by you at any given moment." Beca could feel tears begin to slip down her cheeks as she looked into Chloe's eyes, tucking a lock of her sex tussled hair behind her ear.

"I love you too." Chloe grinned, tears in her own eyes as she gently kissed the tear tracks on Beca's cheeks, "You have been the most important person in my life from the second we sang in the shower in your freshman year. You're my hero, the person I know I can be myself with no matter what. You're my safe place."

"I always want to be your safe space Chlo. Right here, in my arms, in our bed, no-one can ever hurt you again. I promise you that." Beca vowed, forehead resting against Chloe's.

"The same goes for you Becs." Chloe ran a hand through Beca's hair, "You need a safe place too, somewhere you can escape from the world. I'm always going to have that for you, for as long as you want it."

Beca said nothing, simply leaned in and kissed her, deeply and passionately, with all the love she could possibly muster in a single moment. Chloe grinned against her lips, pulling her as close as physically possible, never wanting her to let Beca go again.

"I love you."

"I love you too."