Earlier that day... (Chloe's Perspective)
"What's happening here?" Chloe smirks.
Aubrey looks down at Stacie's hand still resting on her thigh and blushes. The brunette squeezes her hand around the blue jean material and laughs before removing it.
"Well, whatever it is I think I like it" the redhead smiles at the two before their attention is caught by the sound of the mansion's heavy front door closing.
"I wonder what Fat Amy forgot" Aubrey offers.
"Probably another story about her wrestling days" Stacie laughs.
A tall, skinny man comes walking around the corner wearing a flannel and skinny jeans. All three girls glance at one another confused.
"Sorry to interrupt ladies, my names Tommy and I'm one of the producers of the show. Chloe, can I steal you for a minute please?"
The blond and brunette's eyes snap immediately to the redhead who just remains seated looking quite perplexed.
"Ahhh, sure?" Chloe slowly starts to rise from her chair. "Is everything ok?"
"Just follow me please Chloe" the producer leads her out of the room.
Chloe follows the skinny stranger through a house located behind the mansion. The two walk along the corridor filled with rooms on each side. To her left, the redhead notices a room filled with monitors and people wearing headphones busily working away at their screens. They pass a few more rooms with no one in them until Tommy stops at the last door on the right of the corridor and gestures for the redhead to enter first.
Chloe walks through the door and is met with a larger man sitting behind a desk.
"Hello Chloe, my name's Justin. You're probably very confused and I'm sorry for that but unfortunately, we have had to bring you here because we've had a phone call from your family..."
Chloe's breath hitches. Her stomach drops. Every possibly worst-case scenario goes through her mind in a matter of seconds.
"Oh my god! Is everything ok? Is it my daughter? Is it my parents? Oh my god. Oh my god," the redhead rambles as she starts to pace.
Tommy comes up behind her and rests his hand on her shoulder.
"It'll all be okay, Chloe" he tries to reassure her.
"You need to call your mum. Here, you can use this room and we'll leave you alone" Justin offers and he stands up from his desk chair.
"You can use my office phone and we promise you all the privacy you need. You're not being filmed or recorded right now so don't worry" the bigger man explains as he stands in front of Chloe.
"And we'll be right down the hall if you need us. But take as much time as you'd like" the lanky man says as he guides himself and Justin out of the room. He offers the redhead a small, encouraging smile.
The clicking of the door snaps Chloe out of her trance and she practically runs to the other side of the desk. She sits down with such force she starts rolling away in the desk chair. The redhead corrects herself and picks up the black office phone and brings it up to her ear. She reaches forward with her right hand and shakily punches in the number she knows off by heart.
It feels like a lifetime of her listening to the dial tone and ringing but finally...
"Hello?"
Just the sound of the familiar voice has Chloe's heart pounding with nerves.
"Mom?" She breathes out. "What's wrong? They haven't told me; all they've said is to call you. What's happening?" Her voice trembles.
"Chloe, thank goodness! Now, don't freak out..."
"It's a little late for that mom, just spit it out. What's wrong?"
"Sweetie, Sophia's had an allergic reaction..."
Chloe's breath hitches audibly.
"Everything's ok now though, honey. She's ok..."
"Oh my goodness. What was it to? Was it a bad reaction?" the redhead says somewhat calmer than her previous questions.
"We were at the park when she got stung by a bee and it wasn't long before she was all swollen and was having trouble breathing. The doctors said she's anaphylactic..."
Chloe's heart aches.
"I'm so glad you weren't there to see it, honey, it was far too scary!"
"I should've been there mom. I'm her mom I should've been there for her when she needed me. What would've happened if she died?" the younger Beale asks as she starts to cry.
"Chlo, don't be so hard on yourself. You're allowed to have a life of your own. You always put Sophia above yourself. Plus, she's perfectly fine now, sweetie"
"Is she there? Can I speak to her?"
"Of course, honey"
There's a rattling on the other end of the phone and some muffled voices.
"Mama?" comes a tiny, tired voice.
"Hey, baby" Chloe coos affectionately as tears roll down her face.
"Mama" the voice sighs happily.
Present time
"I'm sorry". Chloe pulls her hand out of the brunette's and walks quickly out the mansion's door.
The redhead's heels click along the pavement as she tries to walk as fast as she can because she knows it won't be long before...
"Chloe, wait!"
Tears start to flow quicker as she hears the pain in the singer's voice so she just picks up her pace and starts to run.
"Chloe!" An out of breath Beca pleads as she tries to keep up with her.
"I can't... Bec, please" the redhead sobs as she continues to run.
"Chloe, please! I deserve an explanation at least"
Tears may be silent as they fall but the older woman can hear them in the younger woman's voice. She doesn't need to turn around to know that Beca's crying too. So she stops and she hears the brunette continue to run closer before she slows to a gentle walk.
"Stop"
Beca doesn't say anything but she does as she's asked. Silence fills the air aside from the occasional sniff from each woman.
"Chlo, please turn around and talk to me"
Sniff
"I can't... cause if I turn around and look at you; I'll see those eyes and not be able to leave"
Sniff
"Good, so turn around"
Sniff
"Bec" her voice breaks. "I have to go home, I'm so sorry"
The sound of wheels on gravel breaks the silence as a black SUV pulls up in front of them.
"Chloe"
Hope is another you can't hear or see and yet Chloe could always hear it in Beca's voice. Until now.
"I'm so sorry"
The single mother opens up the door and slides into the seat before closing the door as quickly as she can. She hears a thud against the window. She shouldn't look but she does.
Beca stands there with her palm against the window, tears streaming down her face. She places her forehead against the window and tries to control her breathing.
Chloe reached forward and places her hand against the brunettes through the glass. Two pairs of different shades of blue meet. Nothing but grief-stricken looks exchanged.
"Go, please," the redhead tells the driver but doesn't look away from the woman in front of her.
Slowly the car pulls away forcing the brunette to stand up straight again.
Chloe shouldn't look back. She should keep looking forward and follow the path of the road. She can't help it though. She turns her body to look out of the back window and is met with a sight her eyes can't bear to see.
Beca hunched over with her hands on her knees supporting her body weight as her back heaves from crying.
She shouldn't have looked.
In and out.
In and out.
Each inhale hurts. It's like the knife pushes further in with each breath. Metaphorically speaking of course. She can't even stand upright. She's lost count of how many minutes she's been hunched over like this trying to catch her breath. It probably does help that Beca's eyes are trained on the road where she watched those tail lights disappear.
"Beca?"
This is the quietest the singer has ever heard Amy speak in her life.
"She's..." breath "gone..." breath "Amy"
For once in her life, Fat Amy is stuck for words. She's never found herself in a moment of awkward silence and yet now as she stands next to her best friend she has nothing to offer.
"You need to breathe Bec" the Australian states as she wraps her hand around her friend's elbow and pulls until she's standing upright.
Hazel eyes meet bloodshot blue. The blond pulls at her short friend until she's close enough to wrap up in a hug.
The crying eventually subsides.
"I didn't think I'd actually meet someone off this stupid show... I don't do feelings. But she made me have them. She made me open up and then she just left..."
The brunette lets out a helpless hiccup.
"I can't do this anymore, Ames. She was the only one I wanted"
"I know Bec, the producers aren't going to be happy though"
"Like I could give two fucks what they think"
The blond chuckles.
"It'll be hard getting you out of here but if we're quick we can do it. Before they catch on and try to stop you leaving"
"What about you? They'll blame you, Ames"
"That's ok, let them. You're my best friend, Beca. You're more important than some job. You're my soul sister. The chick that I'd pick over any dick. In a completely platonic way of course. But if I didn't like dicks then I'd be all up in here trying to get a piece of this cheesecake" the taller of the two gestures to the smaller woman's body and makes Beca chuckle.
"You got too sentimental on me there Amy. You've called me by my real name far too much in this conversation"
"Sorry, Shortstack but it's your own fault. I've never seen you like this. I went into shock faster than Selena hid from JB at the last Grammys"
They hurry off down the gravelled driveway, headed in the same direction the SUV went 20 minutes ago now.
"Where are we going Shortstack?" the blond whispers as she keeps looking behind them paranoid.
"I don't know where exactly. But I need answers"
AN:
I'm so sorry. I had some writer's block and then lost inspiration because of it. I've already got the next chapter set out so hopefully, it won't be long until I'll be posting that too. This chapter was kind of a filler one but we needed some answers as to why Chloe said no.
Don't give up hope yet though ;)