First of all, I'm so sorry for the delay! I just had a phase where I couldn't find the right words to finish and then I didn't have time to write at all so I sincerely apologize for it :( I have been writing a lot recently so a new story is already on the way, if you are into AU's.
But! This is the last chapter of this one, so take a snack and enjoy the show ;)
Emily surveyed her surroundings before extending her hand to the woman inside. As soon as their limo stopped in front of the red carpet, a string of bright lights went off. When Chloe exited the limo too, a hand in hers, the blinding flashes became even more bright. Or was it just an impression?
She was walking next to Chloe, arms linked and Flo was following just behind with a much somber suit, not really here to draw attention. Emily was overwhelmed. It was a beautiful chaos, stars from all over the world climbing lazily the stairs with journalists screaming for attention on the way. On the other side of the barriere, loads of paparazzis, hoping to take a memorable moment in picture and get to the headline of a newspaper tomorrow. Even if her parents were famous, it was totally different from what she had experienced before.
They stopped in front of one journalist, politely answering questions about the event, photoshoots, projects, personal life and weather. It was like a slow procession. They took two steps, spoke to a journalist, took two steps, spoke to another journalist. Even Emily was getting a bit bored and annoyed about this. But Chloe, always charming and overly enthusiastic, seemed perfectly fine with how slow things went, flashing her smile to everyone.
At some point, a handsome young man came to them. He didn't look like a journalist and Emily noticed how Chloe's arm tightened for a brief second.
"Chloe Beale, you look ravishing tonight. Allow me to accompany you to our table." He extended his arm, not expecting rejection.
Emily glanced at Chloe who nodded at her. She let go of her arm and stepped forward to the man. The redhead looked back at her designer and Emily saw the desperation in her eyes. She gritted her teeth in annoyance, knowing there was nothing she could do to save her model from this unpleasant guy.
"Tom Stewart." Flo was standing next to her, offering the missing information about who was the mysterious presumptuous guy. "He's seated next to Chloe and even if he's an annoying asshole, stay calm por favor. He's known to be a short-tempered guy and we don't want a fight here." She warned her in a low tone, in case a camera was close to them.
Emily nodded but wondered about this man. Aubrey was in charge of the table seats. Why had she put such a douchebag at their table? It could go very wrong with such an imprevisible dude. And Beca was not the type to let something unknown interfere with the master plan. It was very unlikely. Her thoughts made her frown. There was something she wasn't aware of. Something that Beca deemed not important enough to tell them. And she told them quite a lot about this Gala.
"Come on chica, we can't leave Chloe alone with this one." The hispanic woman motionned to the pair climbing the stairs away from them and Emily pushed her disturbing thoughts in the corner of her mind to focus on the present.
As Emily was entering inside the museum, Beca arrived at the bottom of the red carpet. Signaling her false name to the girl in charge, she almost ran into someone as she turned around.
"Oh sorry." Beca put her best German accent. The posh woman just huffed at her response and mumbled something about rude Europeens. Shaking her head, she went straight for the entrance, not bothering to acknowledge the reporters and journalists. The less her face was seen, the more she stayed out of jail.
[Ready to sit.] Aubrey's voice filled her earpiece.
Immediately, CR updated them about the global situation. [Alright girls, I've got the cameras. Betty's with the redhead, the dress fits her really well by the way. Sensei and Joker are in the main hall. Newt and Hunter in the kitchen. And my lazy bum is waiting in the van. Hobbit, don't follow them too close, bodyguards are on the hunt.]
[Gotcha.] Beca mumbled, not excited about this part. There were indeed a lot of bodyguards looming around Chloe.
The guests moved to the main hall where round tables were decorated with elegant candles. Their leisure walking was a sharp contrast to the energetic stride from the staff. Lily maneuvered through the crowd with practiced ease and went straight for the kitchen. She grabbed the closest bottle of champagne and went back inside the hall.
She needed to study her target in flesh, see how she moved and spoke to be the most unnoticeable thief.
[First plates are coming, get in action Newt!] CR called in her earpiece.
Lily knew she had to go back to the kitchen to fetch the plate. She glanced one more time at the table where Chloe, Flo, Emily and Tom were seated. She refilled one last glass to empty her bottle and went back inside the kitchen.
[Get outta here! Move your ass, clients are waiting to be served. Where's vegan for table four?] Amy's voice boomed loudly in her earpiece.
In the corner of her eyes she saw Amy turn around to mask her gesture. Very professional, not even the cameras could see she had poured a concoction inside the vegan soup. As Lily got closer to the trays to take Chloe's soup, another waiter grabbed the tray for table four. The Asian gritted her teeth. This idiot better not forget who was the vegan at table four.
[Joker get moving! Don't stay rooted here, it's gonna get suspicious!] CR coached her. She took another tray and spun around, ready to play her role. They were lucky she got twenty-five million dollars in the end because she really hated waitressing and even more wearing a waitress costume.
Meanwhile, Chloe was chatting with Flo at her table. Tom was one of the most annoying tablemates she had ever met. And it was something incredible because she had her fair share of tactless men who thought they could show her a good time. He had been rambling about his latest sports car for at least half an hour. Emily had been strangely quiet and fidgety for the past ten minutes and Chloe guessed it was because the young woman was impressed to be seated next to so many famous people.
If only it was the only thing stressing Emily. Her earpiece made her aware of how things were going around her and that was a lot more stressful than just a bunch of celebrities. In a more normal time, she would have been excitedly gushing about it. Guys I just saw Billie Eilish there, and guess what! She looked back! Oh sweet Lord, our eyes just locked, my life is complete! Should I ask her if she would pose as a model for me? She was so lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice the plate being put in front of her.
[Plate is in front of her.] Aubrey said quietly in her earpiece, pulling her back into reality.
"It looks delicious, I'm starving!" Chloe exclaimed and immediately dove into her vegan soup.
Emily watched the scene with horror in her eyes. She remembered clearly when Amy said she had put a dose to make a horse vomit because clearly celebrities aren't eating half of the plate. The redhead was eating spoon after spoon without showing any sign of slowing. In the corner of her eye, she saw Flo discreetly laugh in her hand. She glanced at Tom and saw his face scrunched up in disgust and understood why Chloe was eating this way.
"I'm sorry, this is my first meal in three days." Chloe apologized with all the fakeness in the world. Emily admired her acting talent. "Am I being rude?"
"No, not at all, please yourself you seem famished sweetie." Emily answered with an honest smile, glad when she saw Tom glare back at her. Flo winked at her discreetly.
Tom cleared his throat in disgust and tried to distract the redhead from her plate. "So hm, Chloe?" She made a guttural noise in response, still hunched above her plate and Flo had to cough in her hand to mask her bubbling laugh. His stunned face was priceless. He must've envisioned the redhead like a delicate creature and she was eating like a famished troll in front of him.
[She's eating it really fast.] Aubrey said.
[Was it a lethal dose Newt? Cause she was starving.] CR asked hesitantly.
A scoff was heard. [Of course not! Don't take me for a newbie.] The answer came hushed but confident enough to convince CR.
[Joker, take position.] Beca commanded sharply.
[Ok.]
CR watched the scene unfold in front of her. It was quite amazing really. The only person she couldn't see was Lily. She just entered the women's restroom quietly, going out of sight for the cameras. The Asian closed all the doors and locked them from the inside except for the last one. Luckily it was empty at this time. She crawled back to the first cabin, a snarky smile on her face.
[Ready. Bring it on.]
"And just as the man thought he had won, I put two aces on the table!" Tom was laughing loudly. "You should've seen his face when he realized he lost 100 000$. Priceless!" He wiped a tear on the corner of his eye. "That's the word, priceless!"
The other guests on the table laughed politely at his joke. He has been going on and on for about ten minutes, hoping to impress the pretty redhead next to him. Pretty redhead who was getting paler and paler by minute. So, when she didn't laugh at Tom's story, Flo whispered a sympathetic "Are you ok?"
Chloe shook her head positively. She couldn't trust her voice and Flo realized it. The model sighed discreetly, Tom's company was terrible but it couldn't make her sick, right? She dealt with tons of jackasses everyday and she never felt like this. She was dizzy and her stomach was moving unpleasantly.
Flo eyed her and stood up. Her friend could be so stubborn sometimes and she clearly needed a breather. "Care to accompany me to the restroom Miss Beale?" She asked politely and could immediately see the relief on Chloe's face.
"Aww, you're ruining the party amiga! We were having so much fun here!" Tom interjected and put a hand on Chloe's arm. Taken aback, the redhead pulled back her arm briskly from his hand and he frowned.
"Sorry I'll go with her." Chloe put all her conviction in her voice but she still sounded shaky. She grabbed Flo's arm for support and dragged her away from the table.
Tom yelled after them because she didn't finish her drink but they ignored him. "Oh she is leaving the table." Emily stated calmly.
[Copy that Betty.] Beca said.
Aubrey followed the pair from afar. At first, they were walking slowly but as they neared the entrance of the hall where the toilets were, she saw Chloe almost running. It was quite impressive as she had seen the length of her heels. The two bodyguards were still after her. She crossed her fingers in her back, this was a critical moment.
Chloe burst through the door of the women's restroom and the bodyguards were just after her but Beca put herself in front of them. "Damen toiletten!"
"Excuse me Miss..." One of them began.
"Nein! Damen! Männer nicht erlaubt! Not Männer!" She stood her ground, pointing to the sign above the door, showing a stylized woman.
The other bodyguard grumbled and stepped back, inviting the first to do the same. They stood posted in front of the door, and even Flo couldn't get in.
[That's perfect Hobbit.] Aubrey complimented.
Meanwhile, Chloe was barfing her guts out in the toilet bowl. Lily got out of another cubicle and stepped in to help the redhead. "Oh you poor thing. Breathe deeply, like this. In, out, in, out, in…" A violent contraction coursed through Chloe and she folded again on the toilet.
Magnet already in hand, Lily put it on the clasp and rotated it. It worked perfectly and soon she had the necklace in her hands. According Chloe - still puking - a pitiful look, she put Le Joyau in her pocket and went back to her cubicle, locked and safe.
Five minutes and a large gulp of water later, Chloe got out of the restroom and breathed deeply, her stomach free and content. "That was intense." The bodyguards looked at her with wide eyes and rushed inside the toilets. "What's going on with them?"
"Hm Chlo? Your necklace?" Flo couldn't get her eyes off the neck of her friend, it was very beautiful indeed but very empty too.
"What do you mean, my neckl-" As she put a hand to her neck to check if it was still here, she met only skin and frowned. The cogs started to turn in her mind. It was definitely not a coincidence and while she was dimly aware of her environment as she puked, she would have noticed if a necklace as shiny as Le Joyau had fallen in front of her. Clearly, it would have made a different sound.
Flo looked at her with questions in her eyes. Her friend looked deep in thought and usually no good came out of this expression. She was about to ask her about it but the two bodyguards came back from the toilets, scanning the whole area.
"Ma'am, I'm afraid you have to come with us." The brunette said, Flo remembered he introduced himself earlier as Chicago.
"This is ridiculous, I mean…" Chloe interjected.
"We have to evacuate the event." He called into his talkie-walkie.
"Oh come on we're just having fun!" Chloe pleaded. "Don't make a big deal out of it, people are here to enjoy the party!"
[She's going to ruin the plan.] CR said. [Don't let them do it.]
"I'm sorry Ma'am, this is not your call anymore. We'll take it from here." the blonde bodyguard told her quite harshly.
[Oh thank God.] CR sighed.
[I almost panicked here.] Aubrey muttered.
There was a call in the whole museum and the crowd started to fill out, very astonished about this situation. Chloe found Flo again and sighed as she saw the curious eyes boring into her skull.
"Are you feeling better?" she inquired gently, squeezing her arm in comfort.
"Yes, there was something in that soup that didn't go along with my stomach." she tried to downplay the problem. Obviously she was more concerned about the necklace situation. She placed a reassuring hand on top of her friend's. "I have to make a call, I'll meet you outside?" she smiled and went her own way, missing the pensive look of the hispanic woman.
Once she was alone in an empty corridor she dialed a number. She was afraid of what she'd find but she was determined to find answers. The line rang and Chloe took a deep breath.
Unbeknown to her, the person she wanted to join was closer than she thought. Beca raised an eyebrow as she felt her phone vibrate in her purse. When she saw the number she blanched. Quickly getting into one of the bathrooms next to the exit, she scrambled to disconnect her earpiece.
"Hey." she greeted in a rushed voice, trying to mask how she was out of breath.
"Hey. Is it a bad time to call?" Chloe's voice was so sweet.
"No no not at all." Beca did her best to sound reassuring while she was still trying to disconnect her earpiece.
[Yo Hobbit what are you doing?] she heard coming from the device in her hand. She had unintentionally pushed the sound button to max volume. [Not the moment to make small talk.]
"Uh I can call you back if you're busy." Chloe supplied, when she heard the voice.
"No! I'm just…" she abandoned and threw the earpiece in the trashcan while going inside of a cubicle. "I just finished something and now I'm good. What's up?"
"Oh you know nothing big, just attending an event with a big, famous and very expensive necklace that I just lost." she chuckled, but if Beca could see her eyes she would have met a very serious look.
"Sounds… interesting." Beca choked out. She feared where this conversation would lead.
"It sure is." Chloe started to talk but another announcement was made to evacuate the last guests. With her phone pressed against her ear, she didn't miss how it echoed in Beca's phone and her jaw hung open.
Beca must've noticed it too and she knew it was too late. Amy was right, she had tried to lead to many battles at the same time and it could only turn into a complete disaster. "Uh, I should go." she stammered and disconnected the call. She took a deep breath and got out of the cubicle. She had to get away from here fast, Chloe would probably look for her.
She fixed her appearance in the mirror before fetching her earpiece in the bin. After putting the volume back to a lower setting, she got out of the restroom.
[You have some serious explaining to do Hobbit. Chit-chat is not allowed during the mission.] Amy voiced everyone's thoughts and the brunette only sighed back. Her perfect plan was getting messier by the second but she still whispered back to them.
[Stick to the plan, we're getting close.]
Meanwhile, Lily had successfully put the necklace on a tray carried by one of the waiters. It had smoothly landed in Stacie's hands in the kitchen and she had locked herself in the toilets to dismember it and glue it back together to form new pieces of jewelry.
[They almost have everyone out. How's it going Hunter?] Aubrey asked.
[Give me twenty more minutes.] Stacie whispered back, in case someone was still in the kitchen.
[They're starting to search around, stick close to the water Sensei.] CR notified her.
[Will do.]
[Uh oh. Hunter. Don't move. Guy's coming inside the kitchen.] CR switched cameras inside the kitchen and saw he headed straight to the restroom. [Sensei, you have to put it out now. Like very soonish.]
Aubrey pretended to redo her laces and detached the false necklace dangling from her thigh. She let her arm dip into the water and faked a squeal.
"I found it!" Soon enough, the brunette bodyguard and other members of security came by and confirmed it. "It must've fallen into the water when she was running." she added innocently, the alibi was perfect. The bodyguard didn't even glance twice at her and Aubrey knew she wouldn't be a suspect.
[Great it worked.] CR sighed in relief in her ear.
[We're done too with Joker.] Amy supplied. [Time to smash that.]
All girls let out a smirk at this information. The plan was doing pretty great given the circumstances.
The party-goers went back inside and the music was booming through the speakers again as the organizers apologized profusely. With the festive ambiance going on, Lily slipped in the kitchen to retrieve the new jewels just as Stacie was leaving. Then, CR guided her to each participant so they had either a bracelet, a hand decoration or an earring.
Amy left the kitchen with the truck full too and the girls were high on their successful heist.
[I'm so proud of you girls, we seriously drove that shit storm through paradise.] Stacie gushed when she was out the street, faking a phone call.
[Couldn't have said it better Hunter.] CR laughed in relief. [I gotta be honest with you, I don't think we could've pulled it off but ya'll rock.]
They continued for a bit before going back to headquarters at different times. Amy was there first with Aubrey, thankful for being designated as the driver so she avoided unnecessary cardio. Next were Lily and Stacie through the subway, Emily took a cab after excusing herself from the party and CR brought back the coms van. Only Beca was missing, and she was supposed to ride a motorcycle parked at a strategic place days ago.
"Where's Beca?" Emily asked with a full grin. She was bouncing in place just thinking about all the money they had made tonight.
"The GPS tracker hasn't moved so she left without using the motorcycle." CR checked on the computer as it was half an hour later than the planned time.
"She should be here already." Aubrey pointed out.
She was observing closely as Lily was making them celebratory cocktails to avoid being drugged. Stacie was happily cutting limes under the curious eye of Emily. Amy was hunched over the computer to confirm CR statement.
"Yeah, she has a thing or two to explain." she mumbled.
It was only two hours later, after Aubrey finally relented to take shots with them, after Stacie discarded her top, after Amy's imitation of a coral, after Emily had emptied her guts in the toilets once under the squinted eyes of Lily that the door opened.
There was a moment of silence, and even with the music still on, as Beca observed her team who looked back with wide eyes.
"Beca!" Emily screeched from her place on the couch. "We started before you because you were late and we didn't know how to conta-oh!" the rest of her sentence died in her throat as she took in the person behind the brunette.
Not only wide eyes but also jaws opened, the team gaped at the newcomer.
"Hey girls!" Chloe chirped in her usual voice.
Before the redhead could add anymore words, the room exploded in a chorus of yells, screams - and a wailing Lily? - so both women cringed.
"What the fuck Captain?"
"We didn't speak about kidnapping people Hobbit!"
"We're doomed, hide the tequila!"
"Care to explain the situation?"
"We're all gonna die!" The last exclamation, coming from the shy Emily, put everyone in silence again. Her reddened face blushed even more and she added as a second thought. "I mean, not really die but you get the thing right? Hic!"
Her hiccup at the end seemed to calm the atmosphere somehow.
"Alright alright, I guess I have a few things to explain." Beca put her hands in surrender and took a cautious step in the direction of the couch. "Why don't we, hmm, sit down and I'll talk?"
"You better talk fast Mitchell." Aubrey glared at her, obviously pissed.
All the girls took a seat save for Aubrey, Beca and Chloe. The redhead had chosen to stay up in case they ended up chasing her and asking for a ransom.
"So hmm. This is quite embarrassing."
Beca: Meet me at the library.
Chloe dropped the phone back in her purse. They had left the Gala earlier than expected but the redhead was in a sour mood, even Flo couldn't get her to smile. She knew the look on her best friend's face and she was completely lost in thoughts.
"You wanna order take-out?" she asked politely when the driver stopped at a red light.
"I'm not hungry, thanks. Just need some space to clear my mind." she sighed but gave a weak smile to her friend because she was always there for her. "I'll go for a walk after getting changed."
"Want some company?" Flo inquired with a playful voice, moving her eyebrows in a weird way.
"No." she chuckled. She took her hand and squeezed it, showing her appreciation for cheering her up. "I'd rather be alone."
The hispanic woman nodded and they spent the rest of the ride quietly. Once in their home the redhead was quick to get out of her clothes. Fortunately the necklace had been removed when she was still at the Gala. She took her phone and started to type a message but decided against it and left in a hurry, skipping down the steps.
She was grateful for the owner because he allowed her to come at any time under the excuse of having a safe place to breathe. The short walk to the library seemed endless, partly because she never did it at this hour, the night clouding her judgment. Or was it the glass of champagne? Even if she was sure her stomach was empty now, the alcohol must've already reached her blood system with how tipsy she felt. Thank god for sneakers.
She turned around the corner and sure enough, there was a small silhouette leaning against the bookstore's wall. In the distance they locked eyes and Chloe's steps faltered for a second. What has she gotten into? She didn't even know the woman in front of her. But the stormy eyes, deeply assessing her soul in a genuine way, convinced her to push forward and to stop right in front of the door.
"Hey." she whispered, too afraid to speak louder. A nervous smile answered her greeting and she was satisfied. Key in hand, she unlocked the door and gestured for the brunette to go in first. "After you milady."
The shy smile morphed in a full smirk, melting Chloe's insides. Once the door closed behind the redhead, she gestured to the table at the back and they both took a chair in front of the other.
"So hum. I guess I should tell you about my job." Beca nervously scratched her neck.
"Beca look at me." The star took the brunette free hand in her own. She waited for the brunette to meet her eyes before speaking. "Your job isn't what matters to me. You could be the owner of a hotline and I couldn't care less." Beca chuckled nervously, the tension in the room lessening a bit. "It just… took me by surprise to know you were at the Gala because you didn't tell me anything about it."
"I lied to you. And I feel awful about it." Beca stared down at the table, speaking almost too quietly for the redhead to hear. Her hand slowly fell from her neck and she fidgeted with the end of the table.
"Then tell me about it."
Beca's head snapped up at the calm tone. This woman was incredible. Not only was she not upset about her lies but she was smiling with the most adorable eyes ever. With how the heist had turned out, she could only hope that Chloe won't turn her in again.
The brunette cleared her throat and straightened her spine but her hand stayed clasped between the redhead's.
"So… I should warn you first. My job is not something completely… legal?" At Chloe's impassive face she glanced at the posters on the wall. She could still feel the blue eyes piercing the side of her face but she couldn't find the courage to meet her stare as she developed. "I'm a con. And I make business out of stealing other people's possessions."
The silence stretched around them, so thick they could almost see it. Beca winced when she heard the small voice cut through it.
"I don't get how it affects me? Why were you at the Gala?"
"I've been in jail… The reason why I ended up there was Tom." Her jaw clenched and Chloe could see how it affected the young woman so she squeezed her hand to show her comfort. "He made terrible things with his alcohol added pea brain." She sighed and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steel her mind. She wasn't done dealing with the pain it brought to her chest everytime she thought about it. "Tom killed my brother because he was getting in the way of his business."
Head hanging low at her own words, the brunette fought against the tears. It was the first time she talked about it with someone. She was rather surprised when she felt two arms sliding around her from behind and keeping her close. The contact was unexpected but Beca welcomed it with every fiber of her being.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that Beca. It must've been horrible." the sweet voice mumbled into her hair.
"Don't… pity me." Beca weakly protested even if she was soaking the embrace as much as she could. A genuine hug like this wasn't very frequent in her life nowadays.
"I'm not. You are a strong woman who overcame this on your own and the fact that you're talking about it to me shows great strength. You've come a long way Beca." the smile accompanying her words could cure any sickness. But the brunette was too embarrassed to raise her head. "But I don't really get what it has to do with the Gala."
The sigh that left Beca carried out some of her nervousness. The touchy topic was smartly traded by the redhead to more common grounds.
"Well, I used my time behind the bars to plan my revenge against him. Something that would make him go bankrupt and end up in prison. For that, I had to be sure he couldn't get out of the nest with his contacts or financial resources. What better way to do this than a public scandal? No one would want to support him in fear of being torn down with him."
She felt the redhead nod against her neck and realized that she hadn't moved out of her previous position. "So, humiliate him at the Gala?" she hummed, trying to follow her train of thoughts.
"I could've, but he's not as dumb as he is pretending to be, so I had no way to prevent him from getting out by smooth talking everyone." the nod on her back prompted her to continue. "I needed something big to catch the media's attention. Accusing him of stealing the world's biggest jewel is big enough, I think?"
The arms around her loosened and she could feel the redhead take a step back. Beca didn't move from her position on the chair but she couldn't control the chill that ran down her spine.
"I left a big chunk of Le Joyau in his suit pocket, as a souvenir."
Beca realized she had failed to explain the whole thing to Chloe and her words could be misinterpreted. She raised her head and met her eyes. The model must've caught up on where the story was headed and was hurt to know she was just a pawn to be played with in Beca's plan. The brunette suddenly spoke with rushed words to explain the whole story.
"I never intended to meet you before the Gala! I was just searching a book to clear my mind and you were there in the library and I couldn't tell-"
"Wait, stop." Chloe's voice cut her monologue. She shook her head as if she was getting rid of her thoughts. "I don't even… I mean you…" she took a deep breath and met Beca's eyes, pleading and brimming with fear. "Wait, is it really your true name?"
"Yes Beale." Beca rolled her eyes but the glare she earned reminded her she was not allowed to joke about it. "Sorry." The brunette returned to her inspection of the table, shoulders hanging low in defeat. "So now that you know, you can denounce me to the police, I bet they'll be happy to see me again in jail."
"What are you saying, I'm not telling the cops !" Chloe frowned at her but she almost took a step back when the brunette met her stare with an angry one.
"You don't get it! You not telling it to anyone is considered a crime! And I don't want you to end up in prison!"
The redhead was surprised by her tone but mostly by the emotion radiating from her. Her blue eyes still had fear brimming inside them, but not for herself. She was afraid for Chloe. So she pushed her away, making her angry so she would testify against the brunette. The sudden realisation of how selfless the tiny woman was almost brought tears to her eyes.
Beca noticed the change of demeanor and her anger disappeared as soon as she came. "What?"
"Why were you in prison?"
"... What?"
"Answer my question." Chloe crossed her eyes and held her head high against the dumbfooled stare.
"Well, Tom paid a lot to return the questions against me at the tribunal. I couldn't afford a lawyer and I ended up being accused of his doings, fortunately only the selling drugs part. He paid graciously the jury so they didn't mention Eric. Tom had to pay a fee and I went to prison, just because I sued him."
"That's terrible." Chloe was closer now and she took her hands.
"Sometimes I just think I was too dumb to realize how it would end, I thought I could get away unharmed."
A lone tear fell from her eye and Chloe didn't hesitate to step forward and hug her properly this time.
"You did what you thought was fair and you deserve justice."
The brunette simply nodded at her words but no more tears came. She had cried enough in the past and she wanted to move on, to leave all this mess behind her and to be able to see a future for herself. They stood in this position for a while, waiting for tears that would never come.
At some point, Chloe cleared her throat. "So… How did you plan to accuse him of stealing Le Joyau?"
"Funny thing you asked this." Beca broke the hug and smirked at her. "I have something I'd like to show you."
"I kind of met Chloe when we started the mission?"
"Why would you do that? It wasn't part of the plan?" Emily chimed in, completely oblivious to the tension in the room as she was still fairly drunk.
"It wasn't on purpose, I kind of stumbled into her?" Beca mumbled in uncertainty and she was faced by a lot of curious looks.
"That's true, she was adorbs. I had to redirect her to easier books because she couldn't even read the sum up." Chloe said in an enthusiastic voice.
"What was that?" Amy asked CR in a not so discreet voice.
"Dunno, abbreviation is shit." CR shrugged.
"Anyway!" Beca cut in quite sharply, not wanting to relieve this moment with her team. "We've been talking here and there and she figured out what we did."
"Give you some credit Bec, she actually briefed me in the car because I could never guess how much you did. I'm so impressed." Chloe smiled at her before addressing the whole group. "All of you. You are the greatest minds of our time."
The group was taken aback by the praise, never expecting one for what they did. Stacie thanked her with an overly flirty wink. Only Aubrey still looked unsure about this situation.
"Thank you but as you can guess we're not letting you walk away like this. You have a very weighted secret to hold now and when they'll find out about this, because be sure they will, you will be their number one target."
"I can assure you I thought about it already, as long as I'm prepared they won't get through me." the redhead had used a new tone, the tone she used outside her job and Aubrey raised a curious eyebrow, making her blush. "I'm not as dumb as you think I am. And you are not as subtle as you think, especially Emily."
"Why me?" she whined from the couch in a childish manner, making them chuckle.
"Well, you were constantly beside me so the only one I had interactions with." Chloe smiled warmly, all teeth bared. She stepped forward and took her hands. "It was an honor to be your model, you have a talent and it would be a shame to waste it."
The group watched the exchange closely but didn't dare interfere. It was weirdly comforting for them all to see the youngest of them put in the spotlight like this but she truly deserved it. They did interfere when Emily had been hugging Chloe's waist and crying non stop for more than ten minutes. Even Aubrey had to resign and accept Chloe as a member of their group.
"But Cap'tain! We're eight now, how do we split the loot?" Amy asked while swaying on top of her sofa.
Beca and Chloe exchanged a knowing look before the brunette spoke. "I guess twenty two million dollars each is better than nothing?"
They couldn't help but agree.