The One With "The Talk"

A/N: It turns out that being stuck in the house 24/7 does not make writing easier or faster. In fact, it has had the opposite effect for me. Major bummer. I do a lot of my writing when I get some time alone or when I decide to hang out at Starbucks for a while... and neither of those things are happening right now. On a more positive note, the hubs and I are enjoying all this extra time together :-). Hope you all are staying inside and living your best COVID-19 life!


Beca slowly sipped her coffee, glancing around the room as more people filtered in to find a place on the couch. Now that they were down two couples, almost everyone could fit with only a few people already piled on the floor. She was not as surprised as she thought when Bumper was the one to call this meeting, wondering if the guys had figured out that Uni was running out of chances to be the one to figure this puzzle out. Beca certainly didn't want to hear too much more from him, and even less from Chicago.

Chloe entered the room holding her own cup of coffee, Beca's eyes immediately drawn to hers and the way the redhead took a step towards her before changing her mind and sitting down beside Aubrey. Beca breathed a sigh of relief, not because she wanted Chloe across the room from her but because it was much… much safer that way. Also, now she could look at her stupidly pretty face every now and then without turning her head completely to the side.

Luke hopped over the back of the couch to sit beside her a few moments later, almost making her drop her cup. She glared at him, gripping the styrofoam a little tighter.

"You almost made me lose my lifeblood," Beca grumbled, clutching it like the cup contained pure gold.

"It's almost time for dinner," Luke pointed out, holding a bottle of water that was half empty.

Beca rolled her eyes, "I woke up thirty minutes ago. As far as I'm concerned, it's breakfast."

"Okay guys, let's get down to business," Bumper said, standing up and raising his voice a little.

Everyone quieted down and waited to hear what he had to say, Beca pointedly avoiding looking at Chloe for the time being. Ignoring her now was much harder than it had been before, this time with the added issue of Chloe shooting looks her way.

"We only have four matchups left, so we need to get serious about figuring our shit out," Bumper started, looking around. "That means we have four Truth Booths to get another perfect match or two, or confirm that people we really think are matches… aren't."

Kommissar chimed in, "So the first thing to do is decide who needs to go in the Truth Booth. That dictates how we pair up for the challenges and how we vote."

Bumper nodded, "Exactly." He hesitated a minute before looking at Beca, making her anxiety spike.

"I know you aren't gonna like it, but my number one couple to get in the Truth Booth is you and Theo," he said, somehow the way he said it keeping her from blowing up at him. Maybe his tone or his expression, but whatever it was Beca knew he was only doing it from a logical point of view.

Beca glanced at Theo, thinking over how she wanted to respond as he didn't seem like he was going to open his mouth on the subject. She turned her gaze to Luke only for someone else to speak up.

"Enough of you and fucking Luke," Chicago butted in, making Beca glare in his direction.

"What? You can hate me all you want but everyone knows you two aren't a match," Chicago shrugged.

Luke replied weakly, "You don't know that. We could be a match."

Aubrey shook her head, "Do you two honesty think you're a match? Forget whether or not you're besties and really tell us if you think you're a perfect match."

Beca sighed. She'd known they couldn't keep this thing going forever since neither of them actually believed they were a match. She placed a had on his knee, preventing him from trying to argue the point further.

"Fine… we don't really think we're a match. We could be, but it's not very likely," Beca finally answered, to satisfied looks from most of the room's occupants.

"Good, so you and Theo need to get in the Truth Booth if possible," Bumper stated, glancing around the room. "Everyone agree?"

Beca sighed, glancing at the man who was sitting a few feet to her right. To his credit he didn't seem overly pleased about how this meeting was going, tentatively looking back at her as if to make sure she wasn't going to start cursing him out again.

The group nodded and he moved on. "Okay, that's one, but don't worry there's more," he said, turning to Aubrey and Chloe. "The two of you aren't off the hook either. You and Jesse and you and Chicago," he directed, pointing at Aubrey and Chloe respectively, "Also need to get into the booth."

Chloe had more of a reaction, retorting, "Chicago and I are not a match. No one who would do that to me is my perfect match."

Beca glanced at Chicago who to his credit seemed genuinely apologetic, although she knew that wasn't nearly enough for Chloe to forgive him. She wondered how this argument was going to go down, knowing that Chloe was going to put up much more of a fight than she and Luke had.

Bumper threw his hands up, "He's an asshole! We all know it, but guess what… you guys were clicking and on paper it works! You two look like the stars of a fucking Lifetime movie."

"Yeah, you might not like it Chloe, but we need to know if you and Chicago are a perfect match," Calamity added, looking almost bored.

Chloe glared at the other woman. "Don't you think you've done enough?"

Stacie agreed, "Yeah, you've already fucked everything up by not splitting up when you guys weren't a match."

Chicago retorted, "You mean like you and Tom split up when you two weren't a match?"

"Hey, jackass, we made it clear to the whole house that we weren't splitting up but we were also still going to do everything we could to find out who our actual perfect matches are," Tom shot back, not having any patience for Chicago. "Don't try to use my relationship with Stacie to distract everyone from the fact you're a dick."

Fat Amy yawned, asking, "Okay, as interesting as all this is… what about Jesse and Aubrey? Maybe we focus on them for a minute?"

Jesse jumped at that opportunity to relieve some of the tension in the room. "Great suggestion. I think Aubrey and I are both on the same page. We want to go into the Truth Booth.

Bumper nodded, "Alright, good. Can we all at least agree on that?"

There were various nods and affirmative replies around the room in response, his expression turning a little relieved. Beca had no issues with that pairing, believing there was a good chance that Jesse and Aubrey were a match. With any luck they could vote them into the Truth Booth after the next challenge and get another confirmed perfect match.

"I know some of you aren't happy about this, but we need to start working together and trying to figure this out," Zeke commented, backing up Bumper. "Yeah it'll suck if you aren't on good terms with your perfect match, but the show can't predict how things will turn out once we all get here. Time to put the group before ourselves."

Chloe replied, "It's easy for a lot of you to spout that shit when you aren't the ones being forced together with someone you aren't interested in."

"Look, you don't have to fuck the guy Chloe but there's a really good shot you and Chicago are a match," Uni shook his head, his tone frustrated.

Chloe let out a hollow laugh, retorting, "There isn't a guy here I'm remotely interested in at this point."

Beca felt Luke stiffen slightly beside her. The thrill that went through her at Chloe's words faded a bit when she could tell Luke was a little hurt by that statement. Sure they might not have been a match, but Luke was a good guy and he was attractive and he still cared about Chloe. She knew the words stung a bit, but hoped that they could clear the air a little later when the entire group wasn't around.

"Okay, we're getting off track," Bumper tried to reign the conversation back in. "Last week we had four beams, but two of them were our perfect matches that aren't here right now. So if we think one of them was Aubrey and Jesse, who is the last one?"

Zeke stood up to join him, offering, "Well if we're going with what we've talked about today, Fat Amy and Chicago are out. Luke and Beca are out. Calamity and Theo are out. Tom and Chloe are out. That leaves Uni and Kommissar…" he trailed off, glancing around to see the remaining matches. "Me and Stacie, and… oh, and Bumper and Flo."

The group mused over those choices, Beca thinking that none of them really sounded like a perfect match. If she had to pick one it would probably be Stacie and Zeke, or Uni and Kommissar. There was no way in hell that Flo and Bumper were a perfect match.

"My vote is for Uni and Kommissar," Flo said, speaking up for the first time. "I do not think Bumper and I are a match."

Bumper nodded in agreement, "I don't think we are either. But I think it's Zeke and Stacie, not Uni and Kommissar."

Beca decided to try and be helpful, asking, "Does it make sense for both of them to pair up again and see if we get more or less? What if we're wrong about that assumption that only one of them is a perfect match?"

"That would mean Aubrey and Jesse aren't a match, and we can't say that forsure until we get them into the Truth Booth," Bumper countered, though Beca could tell her words had him thinking a bit more carefully. "But, if Aubrey and Jesse are not a match, then yes you're absolutely right."

Beca let her eyes wander again, finding Chloe's locked on her once more. Somehow she could tell that the redhead was over this meeting and wanted to escape. Beca tended to agree with that feeling, but she also could sense that a lot of the group was prepared to really sit down and hash this out for a while.

"What if we tried out some scenarios?" Uni asked, looking around the room. "Maybe we can start to figure out some possibilities based on the fact we know Ben and Emily are a perfect match, and now that we know DJ and Lilly are one too."

"That sounds like a pain in the ass," Stacie sighed. "How about we table this for now and come back to it after we have another Truth Booth? All this planning might be for nothing depending on how that goes."

Beca had enough as well, agreeing, "I vote for that. I'm done with this for now."

"You guys, we can't ignore this forever. We have less than three weeks left to figure it out," Bumper warned, though he was clearly not going to fight them on it. "We can stop for now, but eventually we're all going to have to agree to work together until this puzzle is solved."

Beca nodded, standing up and stretching. "Yeah, fine. Until then, I need to get some air."

She could tell Chloe wanted to join her, but Luke chimed in immediately, "I'll go with you. I need to talk to you anyways."

Beca nodded at him, looking back at Chloe's disappointed face and tried to look apologetic as Luke slung an arm around her shoulders and turned them towards the back door.


Beca poked her head out of the back door, smiling at finding Chloe seated on the swing. She shut the door behind her, shuffling over to the redhead and sat down beside her.

"I was hoping you'd find me out here," Chloe said softly, keeping her gaze trained out across the yard.

Beca hummed, "Feeling lonely?"

Chloe chuckled, "Something like that. What'd you think about Bumper taking charge earlier today?"

"Stunned. But he made a lot of sense," Beca sighed. Making up her mind, she stood back up and offered Chloe her hand. "Come on, let's go somewhere else."

"Sounds rebellious," Chloe took her hand and let Beca pull her upright. "I'm in."

They set off across the backyard side by side, Beca occasionally glancing behind them to see if anyone was following. Thankful for small miracles, whatever was happening inside must be riveting as they seemed to be destined for a few precious minutes alone.

"So… I've been thinking a lot about this morning and I think our only option is to go along with what the group wants," Beca started, not feeling very happy about it.

Chloe nodded beside her, "I think you're right. I still want to be with you, though. That hasn't changed."

Beca shot her a small smile, "For me either. I just… I can only imagine how everyone else would react if they knew. They can't find out. We have to keep playing the game until it's over."

"Yeah, I know. I don't think it would go over well with some people," Chloe mused. "But I won't lie and say it'll be easy."

"Tell me about it. How are you feeling about everyone wanting you to get paired back up with Chicago?" Beca asked, glancing at the redhead.

Chloe huffed, "I'm not thrilled about it, but I understand where the group is coming from and I'm willing to play the game. Does it bother you?"

"Not really. That guy's a total dick. Does it bother you I'll be matched back up with Theo?" Beca asked hesitantly, both of them knowing that her situation with Theo was very different from Chloe and Chicago's.

Chloe glanced at her, asking, "Is that something I should worry about?"

Beca shook her head, though a question had been plaguing her thoughts for a while now and it seemed like an appropriate time to ask it.

"Um, I do have something I wanted to ask you," she began, trying to figure out the right way to ask.

"Ask away, Bec," Chloe prompted when she took longer than planned to get the words out.

"Right, well… remember back when the house voted Benji and Emily into the Truth Booth?" At Chloe's nod, she continued, "That was when Theo and I had our falling out and… well, Luke told me that you wanted everyone to vote us in instead of them… vote me and Theo into the booth instead of Ben and Emily. I guess I just… I wanted to know why since you said you had feelings for me from the beginning… so why would you do that?"

Chloe nodded, "That's fair. At the time, you were really hitting it off with Theo and my feelings for you definitely weren't going anywhere… I think I needed… wanted to know if you two were a match so that I could stop thinking about you all the time.."

Beca understood what she meant, but it still hurt a little that Chloe wanted her out of the house. "You'd rather I was gone than still be here with you?"

"Hey, that's not fair," Chloe replied, nudging her shoulder. "I didn't know you liked me at all. Of course I didn't want you gone, but I thought you were happy with Theo and that it would help me focus on what I needed to do here if I knew you were happy in the honeymoon suite with your perfect match."

Beca shook her head at the thought of being trapped in the honeymoon suite with Theo, shivering a bit. "That sounds terrible."

"Well he isn't your perfect match," Chloe teased.

"I wouldn't want to go with whoever is my perfect match," Beca countered, knowing that Chloe's reasoning was completely valid. Hell, at the time Beca might have been relieved herself if Chloe had found her match and left the house. "Wouldn't mind spending some time there with you, though…" she trailed off, shooting Chloe a wink.

"Somehow I don't think we'll be that lucky," Chloe replied ruefully. "Now I just hope neither of us have to go into the Truth Booth for the rest of the show. It would really suck to be apart, even if these random moments are all we get."

Beca nodded, "We'll figure it out. I can't believe no one followed us out here."

They'd continued walking almost in a circle, coming to a stop near the pool but still mostly out of sight of the house. Beca sat down in one of the pool chairs, looking up at Chloe who was staring intently towards the house.

"See something good?" Beca joked, knowing that the only thing happening inside now was the consuming of mass quantities of alcohol.

Chloe shook her head slowly, stepping around in front of Beca's chair to face her. "I don't see anyone around… at all."

Beca's mouth went dry at the insinuation, only having a moment to prepare for Chloe to lean down and kiss her. They kept it brief, but it was so, so worth it.

"You know… this whole sneaking around business is kinda fun," Beca grinned when Chloe pulled back a bit. "It'll definitely make these last few weeks more interesting."

Chloe's eyes were bright as she nodded in agreement. This time Beca curled her fingers in Chloe's loose shirt, pulling her back down for another kiss.

"Holy shit!"

Chloe jumped back at the exclamation as if she'd been burned, Beca looking wildly around for the source of the voice. They both locked onto Luke at the same time, standing awkwardly about ten feet away with his mouth open.

"Get it, Bec," he grinned, walking the rest of the way over. "Oh, and you too, Chlo," he added, holding back a laugh at Chloe's confused look.

Beca snapped, "Shut up you ass. What are you even doing out here?"

"I would ask you the same question but I think it's fairly obvious," Luke retorted, unfazed at Beca's tone. "Were you gonna tell me that you two hooked up or let me find out like everyone else?"

Beca hid her face in her hands as Chloe looked back and forth between them.

"Is there something I'm missing here?" Chloe finally asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Beca dropped her hands, looking a little guilty. "So I uh… I told, well no that's not even right… Luke figured out I had feelings for you," she explained, glancing at the smile on the blonde's face. "He was actually pretty cool about it," she admitted begrudgingly.

"He was, huh," Chloe hummed, now turning her attention to Luke. "So these past few weeks have been what… you guys pretending?"

Luke shrugged, "She was struggling, so I helped."

"That was awfully nice of you," Chloe now seemed to be holding back her own laughter at Beca's uncomfortable look.

"I told you I liked you," Beca defended, now glaring at Chloe. "I'm just way worse at dealing with it than you were. Luke saved my ass so many times."

Chloe winked at Luke, "Thanks for that. It's a really nice ass."

Luke played right along, "Happy to be of service, although I think the rest of the house is determined to separate us. Bec and I talked about it earlier and we think the best plan is to go along with what everyone else wants. Maybe it'll keep her under the radar for a little longer, unless you two keep making out in plain sight. Then you might have a problem."

"We are not in plain sight!" Beca hissed, standing up and stepping away from both of them. "You crept up on us like a stalker."

"And you're lucky it was only me," Luke reminded her, his voice turning a little serious. "Can you imagine if it was fucking Chicago? Or Uni? Or worse… CR? You'd be toast. Also, you know someone is filming you, right? We are ALWAYS on camera."

Beca shook her head, "No one is out here. We made sure of it."

Chloe didn't look as convinced, while Luke was looking at her like she was very, very special.

"Yeah, okay," he shrugged, not interested in getting into an argument. "Anyways, when did this happen?"

Beca let a small smile form, answering, "After the last Truth Booth."

Luke looked slightly offended, "Two days ago? That's like a lifetime in this house! How could you not tell me!"

Chloe cut in cheekily, "Maybe because it was none of your business."

"Oh fuck off with that, I've been helping Beca not blare her feelings for you to the universe for the past two weeks," Luke scoffed, despite knowing Chloe didn't really mean it.

Beca ran her fingers through her hair, answering, "I was gonna tell you… I just hadn't yet."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Uh huh, sure. Anyways, I'm really happy for you, Bec," he added, wrapping her in a hug before she could utter a single word of protest. Over the top of her head, he said, "You too, Chlo. I was telling her you liked her back, but she didn't believe me."

"We're still figuring it all out, but I definitely like her back," Chloe confirmed, stepping closer to gently pull Beca from his clutches. "So back off," she joked playfully.

Luke laughed, backing away with hands in the air. "Seriously though, you guys need to be more careful. And probably come back to the house before someone not so pleasant comes looking for you. It'll be less suspicious if we all go back together."

Beca nodded, glancing at Chloe to see her in agreement as well.

"And whatever you do, do not use the STD Den," Luke sighed as they started walking back. "There's definitely a camera in there."

Beca raised her eyebrows, asking, "Seriously? How do you…" she trailed off, realizing exactly how he knew. "No… really? There's footage?!"

Luke shook his head, his expression regretful. "Can we not talk about it? What if we drink instead?"

Chloe looked between them asking, "What is it?"

Beca opened her mouth only for Luke to clap his hand over it before she could speak.

"We aren't speaking of it!" He declared loudly. "We're drinking it away!"

They reached the door and Luke opened it, Beca mouthing to Chloe behind his back, 'Later.'

Chloe winked at her and turned back to face Luke before he noticed. "Alright, you win. Let's drink!"


Someone was trying to gently shake her awake, but Beca's pounding head had other ideas. Namely staying exactly where she was until her brain stopped rattling around inside her skull. Chloe's voice cut through the haze of pain, forcing her to listen.

"Bec, I've got water and aspirin. You gotta get up and get ready for the challenge."

Beca cracked an eye open, spotting Chloe looking at her with equal parts concern and fondness. "Do I have to? Can I just forfeit and die instead?"

Chloe laughed and shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Come on, You can help me wake up the rest of these drunks."

She finally sat up, taking the two pills and glass of water from the redhead and downed everything quickly. A glance around told her that most of the group was still knocked out, not surprising after their day off night of shenanigans trying to recreate the drinking game from New Girl… something about an American. Beca had never seen the show but the game involved a lot of drinking and hopping around the furniture, the combination proving to be extremely hilarious.

Beca gave herself another minute or two for the water to start reducing the pounding in her head before slowly crawling over to Jesse, giving him a much rougher shake than Chloe had given her.

"Just kill me," he groaned, burying his face into the pillow.

"But you're doing such a great job at it yourself," Beca deadpanned, watching him in amusement. "Time to get up, sunshine."

"I'll give you all my winnings if you go away right now." Jesse's retort was muffled by the pillow.

Chloe had moved on to Aubrey who was beside Jesse, having much better luck with the blonde who was already sitting up and running her fingers through her hair.

Beca rolled her eyes, "How do you do that?"

"Magic touch," Chloe winked at her, the combination of her words and actions making Beca's stomach turn pleasantly with inappropriate thoughts.

"I hate you," she muttered, turning back to her task and tried to ignore the responding giggle. "Jesse, move your ass."

He flopped back over, shooting her an impressive glare for such a positive person. "I can't believe I thought we were a match."

"Join the club," Beca quipped, stealing his pillow and moving over to swat Theo with it a few feet away.

"What the fuck?!"

Beca grinned, satisfied with that reaction. "Rise and shine!"


Beca was finally feeling more like herself after a breakfast biscuit and two cups of coffee. She was wedged into the couch between Chloe and Luke waiting for CR to give them the rundown of what to expect for their challenge today.

"Okay guys, it's challenge day," CR began, glancing briefly at her phone before pocketing it. "Today's gonna be pretty simple. You pair up and eat shave ice as fast as you can. The three winning couples go on the date."

"What's shave ice? You mean like a snow cone?" Calamity asked, voicing the exactly thought running through Beca's mind.

CR nodded, "Yes, exactly like a snow cone. The difference is that the ice is actually shaved instead of crushed, but they are essentially the same thing. In Hawaii it's referred to as shave ice."

Multiple hands rose into the air, making the producer roll her eyes. "It's not complicated. What could you possibly not understand."

"What flavors?" Bumper asked curiously. "I could kill for a pineapple one right about now."

Fat Amy shook her head, "Haven't you had enough piña coladas to be sick of pineapple?"

The man shrugged, "I like fruity drinks."

"Okay, Winston," Jesse cut in sarcastically.

Beca glanced around as whatever reference that was went right over her head. Chloe must have seen her confusion, whispering, "It's from New Girl. Didn't you realize Jesse was leading the charge last night during True American?"

No, no she hadn't realized that at all. Perks of being completely smashed out of her mind.

"Nope, I was drunk off my ass last night."

CR's answer caught her attention, along with the slightly amused look on her face. "No, I think we're fresh out of pineapple. We had to get creative."

Beca felt her stomach drop, the realization kicking in of exactly what they were in for. Luke connected the dots as well, letting out a groan.

"Fuck… they're gonna give us some nasty shit, aren't they."

CR locked eyes with him for a minute, eventually ignoring his statement question in favor of more instructions. "I'll be back to get you as soon as we're ready for you. The challenge will take place in the backyard. No one go anywhere."

With that she strode through the door into the backyard, leaving them in relative silence. Beca's stomach was turning nervously now, the combination of beer and liquor and breakfast and coffee not liking the idea of adding nasty shave ice to the mix.

"I'm gonna puke," Jesse mumbled, his head in his hands while Aubrey rubbed a hand comfortingly over his back.

Beca agreed with him, sending up a silent prayer that she'd be able to keep whatever they had to eat down.

"On a positive note, we get to pick our partners," Bumper offered, looking around the room. "Everyone good with what we discussed yesterday?"

"What about the rest of us?" Flo asked.

Bumper shrugged, "Don't win."


"Hey Gail!" Stacie shouted loudly as they walked over to where the crew had setup for the challenge, gathering behind the small, high top tables in front of Gail's shave ice stand.

Gail waved at them as they settled into place. "Welcome guys… how're you doing today?"

They all nodded, smiling feeling like they were back on track after their latest performance at the matchup.

"At the last matchup you got 4 perfect matches, which ties your best total yet," Gail said, adding, "And you added your second confirmed perfect match! Congrats!"

Beca smiled and cheered along with the rest of the group, still trying to psych herself up for this challenge. Eating disgusting things was definitely not at the top of her bucket list.

"That's right… keep it up," Gail encouraged them. "Something that you guys are doing is working." After a pause, she said, "Okay. It's time for your next getaway challenge. The top three couples will win an amazing date getting you some critical one on one time."

They nodded along as Gail spoke her rehearsed lines, waiting anxiously to hear what kind of shave ice they would have to eat.

"Now I hope you guys are hungry because when I say go you're gonna start eating a lot of shave ice, in a challenge I'm calling… Kiss My Ice!" Gail grinned.

Beca let out a small laugh as the rest of the group's reactions varied from groans to full on laughter.

"Nice one, Gail," Luke called out, his smile wide across his face.

Gail continued on explaining the challenge, "You're gonna be presented with two flavors each round, and it's up to you guys to decide who eats what. The last couple to finish is out, and… if you blow chunks you're out."

Beca sighed, knowing that this was probably going to be awful and wondered if anyone would be that good at it.

"Too easy Gail, I can swallow anything," Stacie called out with a wink. "This challenge is mine."

Beca laughed, knowing she probably should have expected that from the brunette.

Chloe's voice rising to the challenge had her completely stunned.

"We'll see about that, Stacie," Chloe teased back confidently.

Gail smiled at the interaction before continuing, "The last three couples standing win. And remember, whoever you pair up with would be your date and the one standing next to you if you're voted into the Truth Booth," Gail reminded them. "You've got thirty seconds to partner up."

It was a little bit chaotic as they searched for specific people to matchup with that coincided with their group discussion the day before. Sighing and accepting her fate, Beca nodded at Theo and moved to stand beside him. A quick glance around showed Chloe with Chicago, Jesse with Aubrey, Zeke with Stacie, and to her amusement Luke ended up with Fat Amy.

Theo noticed her glance, muttering, "Wouldn't have guessed that one."

Beca shrugged, "He did say he likes blondes, and that confidence is attractive."

"I guess…" Theo still sounded doubtful, and honestly Beca sided more with his point of view than her own. She'd be very surprised if Luke and Fat Amy were a match.

"So, are we going for this or…" Theo asked tentatively, clearly willing to defer to her wishes.

Beca thought about it before answering, "Yeah, I mean… we kinda have to. Although no promises I won't be puking my guts up on the first one."

"Hot," Theo replied, immediately wincing at himself. "Sorry, habit…"

Beca had actually let a slight grin slip at his sarcasm, glad he couldn't see her face at the moment. They really needed to clear the air so the rest of their time in the house wasn't awful and awkward.

"It's fine," Beca said, turning to look at him. "Look, we aren't gonna be a couple after this or anything, but this is really gonna suck if we're walking on eggshells around each other. Let's just… move on, okay?"

He nodded eagerly. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

It felt weird to acknowledge that, nodding instead and turning back to face Gail.

"Alright now that everyone is paired up," Gail called out with a grin placing two cups of shave ice on the counter of her stand. "Your first course here is a choice of tomato soup and pickle juice!"

Beca nodded her head, thinking that neither of those sounded too terrible. Glancing at Theo she asked, "You have a preference between those?"

He shrugged, replying, "I like pickles?"

"Okay, I like both pickles and tomato soup so, that works out I guess."

They watched as a crew member delivered their cups, setting them onto the table top along with a spoon for each of them. Beca sighed at how big the portion was, suddenly regretting eating anything at all that morning.

"I hate this already," Theo mumbled beside her, eyes not wavering from his cup.

Once all eight couples had cups of shave ice in front of them, Gail got the cue to begin the challenge. "Everyone ready? Okay, get set… dig in!"

Beca grabbed the cup of tomato soup shave ice and spooned some into her mouth, instantly frowning at the taste. It faintly tasted like tomato, but extremely watered down and cold and gross. Beside her, Theo gagged on his first bite but had since recovered and was powering through. Focusing on the thought that the sooner they got into the Truth Booth the sooner it would prove they weren't a perfect match, Beca buckled down and started working through the cup. It took them a while but eventually they both finished the entire cup, showing Gail their tongues. A look around at the group showed her that everyone but Uni and Calamity, and Chicago and Chloe had finished already.

Gail glanced around, asking, "Uni? Calamity? What's going on?"

Uni shook his head, answering, "I'm not eating that. I'm not throwing up to get out of the house."

Beca felt a little bit of satisfaction at the irritated look Calamity was directing his way, but knew there was nothing she could do about it if Uni refused to eat the shave ice.

Gail shrugged, "Alright, well you're keeping your lunch. You guys are eliminated."

Beca watched as Chloe urged Chicago to keep eating the pickle juice shave ice, having already finished the tomato juice. To her immense satisfaction, Chicago looked like he was a second away from puking his guts up. It only took two more bites for him to grab the bucket and turn away from the table, hacking loudly. Beca glanced at Chloe who didn't look as disappointed as she maybe should have, their eyes meeting for a second before Chicago straightened back up and turned around.

"Chicago is not a fan of the pickle juice!" Gail crowed, sounding way too happy that someone had thrown up already. "Sorry Chloe, you and Chicago are eliminated."

The crew moved in a cleared away the plastic cups and replaced them with round two, leaving the spoons behind. Once everything was set up and the crew was back in place, Gail began the next round.

"Alright you guys, next up is…" Gail trailed off reaching below her stand and pulling out two plastic cups, one green and one purple. "Jalapeño juice with chunks of jalapeños… or fish juice with chunks of fish."

Beca shook her head at those choices, already knowing she was gonna make Theo eat the fish one.

"Ugh no…" Tom groaned.

Aubrey looks like she might get sick at just the sight of the fish juice. "I can't do it."

Jesse muttered something encouraging to her that Beca couldn't quite hear, her hands over her mouth as if that might stop her from having to eat it.

"We can quit," Theo mumbled, eyeing both cups on the table as if they were bombs about to go off.

Beca shook her head again, "No we can't. We're one of the couples that needs to get into the fucking Truth Booth."

She was resigned to their fate, suddenly wanting to get it over with. "I'll take the jalapeño one, you get the fish one."

"I had a feeling you'd say that," Theo sighed, swapping the cups in front of them so the green one was in front of Beca.

Gail waited for the teams to decide who would eat what before giving them the countdown. "Ready, set… go!"

Beca picked up her plastic spoon and started chopping away at the shave ice on top, trying to get the concoction to a liquid as quickly as possible. She figured the best shot at getting it down was to turn it into a drink, plug her nose, and chug it. A quick taste off the spoon assured her that strategy was definitely the best one. It was disgusting… the strangest mix of cold and spicy that she never wanted to taste ever again.

Gail was commenting on how the other groups were doing, but Beca was mostly tuning her out as she tried to get the slush down. Suddenly, Theo turned away from beside her and puked into a bucket, coughing and hacking loudly. She put down her cup knowing they were eliminated, not willing to eat one more bit of that disaster than she absolutely had to.

Theo finally turned back around, looking at her apologetically. "Sorry Bec… I couldn't do it. That was the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten."

Beca knew it wasn't his fault. "It's okay… I would have probably thrown up if I had the fish one too."

Gail called out, "Theo and Beca are eliminated! Bumper and Kommissar are the first to finish! Fat Amy is done and trying to get Luke across the finish line with her."

Beca glanced back to see Fat Amy plugging Luke's nose while he frantically scooped the fish shave ice into this mouth. She gagged a little just watching them, applauding when Luke finally got it down and showed off his empty mouth, arms spread wide in victory.

"Amy and Luke are the second to finish!" Gail announced. "All our remaining couples have to do is get it down to move on."

A few minutes later Jesse and Aubrey showed off their empty cups and mouths, tongues looking distinctly rainbow colored when Gail did her check. Flo finished her fish juice shave ice, while the jalapeño juice claimed it's first victim as Zeke ended up bent over the bucket. Stacie looked seriously disappointed in him, having finished the fish juice faster than anyone else had emptied their cup.

"Tom, all you have to do is finish and you and Flo move on to the next round," Gail informed him, getting a determined nod in response.

Beca was impressed as he steeled himself and chugged down the rest of the jalapeño juice shave ice.

Gail grinned when he showed her his empty mouth, saying, "Alright! We're down to our final four couples! The first three to finish will win that getaway date!"

The crew stepped in to replace the empty cups with the final round as those eliminated moved off to the side. Beca and Theo ended up beside Zeke and Stacie, who was still letting the man know how disappointed she was that he couldn't keep it down, although somehow in a hilarious way.

Once everything was set up for the final round, Gail faced them with a smirk on her face. The cups in front of the final four pairs were pink and orange, making Beca shudder as to what terrifying substance was inside them.

"Alright it's time for your final course," Gail announced, reaching down to the shelf behind her stand. "For you vegetarians out there, we have kimchi juice with a pickled cabbage chaser," she said, pulling out an orange cup and placing it on the counter in front of her. "And for you carnivores, pigs feet with chunks of… pigs feet."

"Oh my God!" Aubrey hid her face in her hands when Gail revealed the pigs feet.

Beca watched as Bumper and Kommissar exchanged determined looks, while Tom shook his head and bent over with his hands on his knees.

"Ready, get set… dig in!" Gail announced, Beca able to hear the smile in her voice.

The four couples immediately dug in, and Beca couldn't believe how fast Bumper and Kommissar downed the disgusting shave ice in front of them. It only took about a minute before both cups were empty and Gail was announcing them as the first pair to finish. It was much slower going for the remaining couples, clearly gagging and choking their way through the cups.

Tom was working his way through the kimchi when Flo shook her head and pushed the cup away from her.

"I can't do it," she admitted, a sad look on her face.

Tom immediately told her it was okay and wrapped the small woman in a hug.

"Flo can't do it… she and Tom are eliminated!" Gail said, turning her attention to the remaining two couples.

Fat Amy helped Luke force down the rest of the pigs feet cup, both happily showing their tongues to Gail.

"In second we have Fat Amy and Luke! Jesse, all you gotta do is finish!" Gail informed them excitedly, turning her attention to the final table.

Beca looked over at the last couple, surprised to see Aubrey's kimchi cup empty and the blonde encouraging Jesse to finish his pigs feet one. It seemed like Jesse was gagging with every bite or sip, making her wonder if he was going to be able to keep it down. Eventually he emptied the cup, proudly holding his hands in the air in victory with his mouth wide open.

"That's it! Jesse and Aubrey are in! We've got our three couples for the getaway date!" Gail announced, the crew waiting a moment before swooping in and checking on the entire cast to make sure no one was seriously ill from their shave ice adventure.

Beca nodded at the medic who shot her a quick glance, giving the woman the assurance she was fine.

"That pig's feet smelled like a fucking butcher shop," Jesse's cursing surprised her, not recalling him doing so until that point. "Like fucking death."

She chuckled, "You made it though! Get ready for that Truth Booth!"

He paled a bit, before shaking it off and nodding. "Yeah, it'll be good. We need another perfect match."

Beca didn't comment on his initial reaction, CR yelling at them to gather around so they could finish the shoot. The producer made sure everyone was back where they were supposed to be before giving Gail the signal to wrap things up.

"Alright, great job today guys! Jesse and Aubrey, Fat Amy and Luke, and Kommissar and Bumper… you guys have won the getaway date! The six of you will be attending a class to learn how to prepare a traditional Hawaiian dinner! No pigs feet involved, I promise," Gail finished with a teasing smile as the couples cheered. "Congrats, guys."

Beca felt a little disappointed to miss out on the date, not being a great chef herself but absolutely loved cooking.

"And while these three couples are out on their date, the rest of you get to decide which one you're sending to the Truth Booth," Gail said, the lines coming easily now, "The only way to find out if they're a perfect match or not. Think about that, and I'll see you back at the house tomorrow evening for the results. Have fun!"


"Have you voted for the Truth Booth yet?"

The question floated over her head, currently satisfied laying on a couch with her head in Chloe's lap, fingers stroking through her hair. They had holed up in one of the many rooms in the house away from everyone else, constantly searching for those brief moments of privacy.

"No, but I'm voting for Jesse and Aubrey," Beca replied, humming happily at the feeling of Chloe's fingers against her scalp. "What about you?"

Chloe answered thoughtfully, "I was thinking it wouldn't be the worst thing to put Bumper and Kommissar in. They're an odd pair, but I could see it. There's no way Fat Amy and Luke are a match."

Beca chuckled at the thought, repeating what she told Theo yesterday at the challenge. "He does have a thing for blondes…"

"I'll bet you anything they aren't a match," Chloe countered with a shake of her head.

"I'm not touching that bet. I don't think they are either." Beca sat up and twisted around to face Chloe, leaning her shoulder into the back of the couch. "I guess I could see Bumper and Kommissar."

"I was merely telling you what I think," Chloe shrugged. "I'm voting for Jesse and Aubrey. They've sat together four times now… we need to either confirm it or split them apart."

Beca raised an eyebrow, asking, "You've been keeping track?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Yeah, of course. I'm not the only one either. Honestly, either of those two couples going into the Truth Booth is good for us. They've both sat together at multiple matchups and will give us a lot of information either way."

Beca thought about that for a minute, not realizing how seriously some people were taking the show. "You know… if Jesse and Aubrey aren't a match…" she trailed off, looking at Chloe. "I think Jesse might be mine."

Chloe's eyes met hers, asking, "Really? Not Theo?"

"Yeah, I'm not even sure why," Beca admitted. "But Jesse is like… similar to Theo but also like… better for me, I think? He came on really eager at first and I didn't like it, but ever since we agreed to just be friends I've liked him more and more. It's hard to explain."

Chloe shook her head, "I don't think so. I think Jesse is a great guy. I don't think it's that hard to explain that he might be your match."

Beca felt a little relieved that Chloe didn't seem bothered by discussing who her match could be. Part of her knew that would be the case, but it was good to find out for sure.

"Who do you think your match is?" Beca asked curiously, knowing that Chloe hadn't really connected with any of the guys enough to feel confidently about any single one.

Chloe sighed, admitting, "I'm afraid it's Chicago, although he's not someone I would have picked for myself if we had just met out in the real world. I hit it off with Luke for a reason, but since we know it's not him… I don't know…" she trailed off, thinking hard.

"At this point, the person I would want it to be is Tom. I barely know him but he's proven to be a good guy… and he's shacked up with Stacie and wouldn't want to progress things farther after the show, which works to my advantage since I've kinda already got my eye on someone else."

Beca smirked, leaning a little closer asking, "Oh yeah? Have you told them yet?"

Chloe nodded, "I was trying to keep it a secret, but eventually I just had to tell her."

"Her… that's scandalous," Beca teased, earning a light punch to the arm. "Does she know your violent tendencies?"

"I think she's getting a crash course," Chloe played along, both of them drifting closer before footsteps nearby had them quickly leaning back to an appropriate distance apart.

Theo's head poked into the room, eyes locking onto Beca. "Hey Bec, Chloe… uh, Bec do you think we could talk for a few?"

Beca glanced at Chloe in time to see her fallen expression be quickly masked with an encouraging smile. She had flashbacks of how many times Theo had interrupted them in the past, now understanding Chloe's reactions much better and knew what she needed to do.

"I'm still chatting with Chlo," Beca answered, a hint of firmness in her tone. "I'll find you in a bit?"

Theo nodded quickly, "Yeah, sure. No problem."

He vanished from the doorway and Beca turned just in time for Chloe's lips to cover her own, recovering after a moment to kiss her back.

"Thank you," Chloe murmured, pecking her lips once more before leaning back.

Beca shot her a slightly guilty look, saying, "Sorry for all those other times… I didn't…"

Chloe cut her off with a shake of her head, "No, Bec… you have nothing to apologize for. You should go talk with him, though. Maybe after we go vote for the Truth Booth?"

Beca nodded, standing up and extended a hand to Chloe to help her up. Before they could leave the room, CR appeared in the doorway and crossed her arms over her chest. She entered the room and closed the door securely behind her.

"I think we need to talk. Have a seat, ladies."

Beca swallowed hard, nervously looking at Chloe who was sporting an equally anxious expression.

"Don't worry, I've got people outside making sure no one comes in or overhears us, but we've got some things to discuss," CR said, gesturing towards the couch they'd just gotten up from.

"Fuck," Beca exhaled, letting go of Chloe's hand and collapsing back down onto the couch with Chloe taking a tentative seat beside her.

CR dragged a stool over from the opposite corner and perched on it in front of them.

"Let's start this off on the same page.. I already know everything, so don't bother lying or denying it. I'm not going to force you to break up, assuming you want to stay together," CR said, her tone very matter-of-fact. "Okay?"

Beca's mouth went dry the minute CR told them she knew everything, her stomach doing nervous backflips. She nodded, not trusting herself to say anything.

Chloe didn't have such problems, replying, "We do… want to stay together, that is."

CR nodded, but didn't respond.

Beca let her eyes sweep around the room anxiously, finally braving a look at CR. "How… how do you know everything?"

"Seriously?" CR leveled her with an incredulous stare. "Besides the fact that it's my job to know of any major relationships, events, and interactions that take place in this house… you two making out for thirty minutes in the Boom Boom Room was kind of hard to miss."

Beca flushed at her blunt answer, not daring to look at Chloe's reaction to that revelation.

"So once that was brought to my attention, I went back and watched the footage with audio which explained quite a bit," CR continued, sounding almost bored at this point. "Also, you two are terribly obvious with the constant eye contact and touches and… oh right, the sneaking away to make out some more."

"Okay, got it," Beca cut in, her voice exasperated. "So what happens now?"

CR chuckled, somehow the sound making Beca's anxiety worsen.

"First of all, relax," CR said, waiting until Beca finally met her gaze. "We aren't in the business of outing people for ratings."

Beca breathed out a sigh of relief, Chloe reaching over to slip take her hand and give it a small squeeze.

"However, I will tell you that my entire crew knows," CR added, shrugging at the accusatory look Beca was now shooting her. "Look, I can't protect you unless the crew knows. They're excellent at their jobs and have had a lot of practice searching out drama and interactions that make for good television. This way, they know what to shoot and what not to."

"It's okay, Bec… it sounds like it's for the best," Chloe said softly, trying to encourage her to see the positive side of things.

She could admit it sounded like the logical plan, but all of these random people knowing about her relationship and sexual preference still didn't sit well with her. Beca hadn't even had a chance to tell her family or her closest friends back home, although after so much time in the house she realized that Luke and DJ and Stacie and Jesse were among those she considered close friends. She wanted the opportunity to tell them on her own terms.

"I'll also make sure the final edits aren't too revealing," CR continued, as if she didn't think Beca was satisfied with the current state of events.

"It's fine, I appreciate that," Beca finally spoke up, finding her voice.

"You're welcome," CR answered in the kindest voice Beca had heard her use yet. "However, we do need to talk about your remaining time here in the house and on the show. For one, you two need to stop spending so much time together. In a group setting it's fine, but the sneaking off to be alone needs to stop."

Chloe looked as upset about that as Beca felt, immediately wanting to argue back.

"That's not realistic," Beca said weakly. "Guys and girls hang out in small groups all the time."

"Oh, my bad, do they all sneak away to make out and talk about how they want to be together?" CR's sarcasm was strong, making Beca flinch a little. "No, they don't. I'll do what I can, but you two need to tone it down. A lot. No one else in the house can know."

"What about Gail?" Chloe asked curiously.

CR shook her head. "I didn't see any reason to tell her. It won't affect the show in any way from her perspective and she will have no reason to bring it up in any of her scenes."

Chloe nodded her understanding, replying, "It just seems like she knows everything…"

"Everything that's pertinent to her role on the show," CR corrected. "We give her snippets of information that she can use to draw out conversations about events that have happened in the house for dramatic effect. Everything we give her has a purpose, it's not just a rundown of everything that happens when she's not around."

It was Beca's turn to nod, knowing that made a lot of sense.

"I also have to remind you of the contract you signed when you agreed to be on the show," CR said, looking between the pair of them. "It doesn't seem to be an issue based on your recent conversations, but you do have an obligation to the rest of the people in the house to genuinely try to figure out who your perfect match is."

That was something Beca could definitely get behind, not wanting to ruin the experience for anyone else. Except maybe Chicago.

"We've talked about that and we are fully committed to finding our perfect match," Beca agreed, thankful her voice had regained some strength. It was definitely the strangest situation she'd ever been in, but she was starting to settle in and just own it as best she could.

"Yeah, we know what we have to do," Chloe nodded.

CR stood up, returning the stool to its original position before addressing them again. "Alright, well… I think we're on the same page now. Let's not have to have this talk again, okay?"

Beca nodded, seeing Chloe do the same out of the corner of her eye.

"Got it."

"Understood."

"Good," CR's tone held the finality signaling the conversation was over. "Don't forget to vote for the Truth Booth."

With that final reminder she turned and left the room without a backwards glance, leaving Beca and Chloe sitting speechless on the couch. Chloe let go of her hand to run her fingers through her hair, exhaling slowly.

"You know, I actually think that went well."


It was the first time that Beca was actually looking forward to the couples returning from their date. She and Chloe had avoided each other for the rest of the day after their chat with CR, and not having Luke or Jesse around left her with few options. Beca had eventually found Theo and they chatted for a little while and eventually submitted their Truth Booth votes together, but there was still an awkwardness between them that she was not a fan of. If she was honest, she didn't want to keep holding this grudge and resentment against him, done with how it was weighing her down. She was happy with Chloe and decided to genuinely try to end the show on good terms with the man, especially if they were going to keep getting paired up together.

Chloe sat down beside her on the couch as the crew gathered them for the Truth Booth shoot, her relieved sigh audible at having the redhead nearby once more.

"Ready for this?"

Beca nodded, "Yep. Another confirmed perfect match on the way."

To her displeasure Chicago claimed the seat on Chloe's other side, earning himself a raised eyebrow from the redhead.

"What… we're supposed to be a perfect match, remember?" He shrugged. "Plus, C has been pissed off all day after the way Uni threw her shot at a date."

Beca rolled her eyes at his words, clenching her teeth together to keep from throwing a scathing retort at him.

Chloe didn't seem to feel the need to hold back, replying sarcastically, "It's stunning no one wants to be your perfect match."

He looked a little hurt at that, defending, "What do you want from me, Chlo? I'm just trying to go along with the group."

The use of the nickname definitely hit Beca the wrong way, not feeling like he was on a familiar enough level with Chloe anymore to use it.

"Go along with the group from across the room." Chloe's tone was low and serious.

"Nobody move!" CR held her hands up, glaring at all of them. "The others are returning any minute and we're getting this shoot done on time tonight."

Chicago was halfway out of his seat, freezing immediately at her warning.

"Sit your ass down right now," CR's stare was leveled at him, and he slowly lowered himself back onto the couch.

Beca heard Chloe's frustrated huff, wishing she could do anything to comfort her. Unfortunately, she had to keep her hands to herself instead of patting Chloe's knee or rubbing over her back.

True to her words, the three getaway date couples traipsed through the door a minute later, shuffling straight into the living room clearly having been told the agenda for the evening. Gail swept into the room almost immediately after they got into position, taking up her usual spot near the big screen with the pictures on it.

"Hey guys, looks like we're on a tight schedule this evening," she joked, nodding at a few faces around the room.

Beca glanced at Luke who smiled back at her, seemingly happy with the way his date had gone.

"Alright guys, how're we doing tonight?" Gail asked, her voice assuming that special quality she gave it when the cameras were rolling.

The group responded positively, ready to get to the results.

"Awesome, great to hear," Gail nodded, turning to the three couples. "How was the date?"

"It was great, Gail," Luke answered for the group, who nodded along with his words. "We learned that some of us are better chefs than others," he added teasingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bumper joked. "I poured that wine like a pro."

Kommissar coughed to cover up her laugh. "If Bumper and I are a perfect match, we'll be very thankful for takeout."

Beca laughed at the way Bumper just shrugged and nodded in agreement.

"Hey, it's important to recognize your weaknesses as well as your strengths," Gail quipped, winking at them. "Aubrey, how'd it go for you and Jesse?"

"We worked well together in the kitchen," Aubrey answered. "It was great to see a different side of him… he can actually cook!"

Jesse sighed in mock exasperation, "Don't sound so stunned. I'm a man of many talents."

Beca sincerely hoped that the pair was a perfect match. She could see the bond that had formed between them and that they definitely complimented each other.

"That's great to hear!" Gail responded enthusiastically, before turning back to the whole group. "Okay, it's time to see who the rest of you voted into the Truth Booth… the only way to confirm whether a couple is a perfect match. Let's see what you decided."

Beca turned her attention to the screen and watched as it flashed to reveal large photos of Jesse and Aubrey side by side. She breathed a sigh of relief that the rest of the idiots in the house didn't vote Bumper and Kommissar in.

"Jesse and Aubrey!" Gail announced, turning back to the pair. "How do you guys feel about that?"

Jesse smiled confidently, "I'm happy about it. I kinda expected it, but I guess you never know."

"We're ready to find out the truth," Aubrey added, looking slightly nervous now that the results had been revealed.

"It definitely wasn't a unanimous vote, but it wasn't that close either," Gail informed them, looking around the room now. "Why Aubrey and Jesse instead of one of the other two couples?"

Theo shocked her by speaking up, "It's getting close to the end, Gail. We need to be more strategic now when choosing who to send to the Truth Booth."

Gail bit on that answer, asking, "And you feel that Jesse and Aubrey are a more likely match than say, Bumper and Kommissar?"

"I do," Theo replied confidently. "But I also could see Bumper and Kommissar being a match. It comes down to a stronger feeling based on watching them interact with each other in the house. Aubrey and Jesse have been really connecting for weeks now, so it made sense for me to vote them into the Truth Booth."

"Anyone who voted for Bumper and Kommissar want to chime in?" Gail offered up the opportunity.

"What about me and man candy Luke?" Fat Amy interjected bluntly. "No one thinks we're a match?"

Luke chimed in immediately, "I do."

Chicago spoke at the same time, "No." He continued, "I voted for Bumper and Kommissar because they've sat together at a lot of the matchups and if they are a match it eliminates a lot of other potential matches. But I'm fine with Aubrey and Jesse going in. Really either way we will learn a lot tonight."

Gail seemed satisfied with the group input, starting her usual speech. "So, Jesse and Aubrey, if you're a match you will leave the house after the matchup tomorrow and spend the rest of your time together in the honeymoon suite!"

The group smiled and clapped at that, fading out as she moved on to the negative result.

"However, if you are not a match you both will be back in the house and you all will have blown another shot at a confirmed perfect match… and at taking one more step towards that million bucks."

The group booed and groaned at those words, Beca quietly joining in although her heart wasn't really in it. She hoped that Jesse and Aubrey were a match.

"Alright, Jesse and Aubrey, it's time to head to the Truth Booth," Gail instructed, everyone watching them wave and head out the back door.

After a minute, Gail got the cue to finish her part in the shoot. "When Jesse and Aubrey see the result in the Truth Booth… you will also see it on the screen here. Good luck, and I'll see everyone tomorrow for the matchup."

Beca waved goodbye to Gail with the rest of the group and sat back to wait for the results. CR had informed them at one point or another that in the final cut of the show it would skip straight to the results, so this middle waiting period was pointless unless a massive fight or something equally entertaining broke out. That was highly unlikely to happen tonight, and Beca let her eyes drift closed while they waited.


"Alright! Results are coming up on the screen in one minute!"

Beca's eyes shot open at CR's loud voice bringing them back to attention, glancing briefly at Chloe who was smiling at her.

"Have a nice nap?"

Beca nodded, rubbing quickly at her eyes. "How long was I out?"

"An hour. No idea what took them so long this time."

Beca's eyebrows rose in surprise, immediately wondering that as well. "Guess we're about to find out."

Chloe's gaze was focused on the screen when she murmured, "I don't think they're a match."

"No? Who could be Aubrey's match then?"

"Well, you could be Jesse's, and any of the guys left could be Aubrey's. It's not like she's sat with a bunch of different people at the matchups," Chloe's answer was straightforward, making Beca wonder if they were even close to solving this puzzle.

The room fell silent as the screen flashed, everyone holding their breath to see what the result would be. The thick black box appeared across both photos blaring the words "NO MATCH!" causing groans and curses to fill the room.

"Well fuck," Beca muttered, running her fingers through her hair.

"How are we so bad at this?" Stacie wondered aloud, a few other people murmuring in agreement.

"Another Truth Booth, another happy couple shot down," Tom sighed, rising to his feet. "Shots anyone?"

Beca shook her head as every hand in the room rose into the air.


"Hey." Jesse fell into step beside her as they walked towards the matchup ceremony. "I just thought you should know that I'm gonna pick you tonight."

Beca glanced at him, not bothered by that statement for the first time since she'd met Jesse. "Okay. Have you informed Theo of this?"

To her surprise, Jesse nodded. "Yeah, I told him that I really think you and I are a match and that if I get called before him I was gonna pick you. He said it was fine since the two of you are gonna get put into the Truth Booth somehow before this is all over anyways, and that since you've only sat with two guys maybe switching it up is for the best."

Beca hummed thoughtfully, appreciating his logic. "So now he's not going to pick me? What do the rest of the guys think about that?"

"Who cares?" Jesse replied, sounding like he meant it. "All these guys that have tried to figure it out have failed and probably only made things worse. So fuck them."

"I still think it's weird to hear you curse," Beca shook her head, breaking into a smile.

Jesse chuckled, his boyish grin back in place. "I thought it would make me more attractive to you," he joked.

Beca rolled her eyes, noticing Aubrey looking curiously at them. "How're you guys handling the whole… no match thing?"

"We're ignoring it, apparently," Jesse scoffed. "Whatever, I told her I still liked her but I think she came into this hoping for a happily ever after with her match so now she's all like… let's just see how it goes."

Beca wasn't sure how to respond to that, thankful that they had reached the staged area for the matchup ceremony.

"Well, hopefully you get to pick early and you can come chill with me for the rest of the evening," Beca said, trying to find some positivity.

Jesse nodded in agreement, "Fingers crossed. Pick a comfy chair."

"You got it," she laughed, looking at the seats to see Benji and Emily occupying one already, Donald and Lilly beside them. She quickly walked over and sat down in the last empty chair on the bottom row.

"How was your first week in the honeymoon suite?"

DJ grinned, "Best. Week. Ever."

Lilly smirked but didn't say anything, and Beca was suddenly hit with the flashback of the last time this subject had been brought up and was very glad for the lack of detail. Chloe walked past them and greeted the two perfect matches, holding Beca's gaze for a second before climbing to the second row of chairs and sitting down beside Aubrey.

"Okay guys! Good news is more perfect matches means less choosing and the rest of this process," CR called out, turning and looking around. "Boys, stay over there! We'll have you walk in once Gail gets here. Who's got eyes on our host?!"

From somewhere behind the scenes came the answer, spoken too rapidly for Beca to understand a word of it. It seemed to frustrate CR, who rolled her eyes and strode off towards the voice already starting to shout back. She returned a few minutes later with a slightly annoyed looking Gail, Beca meeting Luke's gaze and raising a curious eyebrow at him. He smirked in return, a slight shake of his head telling her he wanted nothing to do with the host if she was pissed off. CR was bad, but they'd never seen Gail upset before. If Beca was honest, she didn't want to find out what an angry Gail would do to a shoot.

"Okay, gentlemen! Gather over there and we'll get a couple shots of you walking in and lining up on the platform," CR shouted, gaining everyone's attention.

Beca watched as it took the guys several tries to enter correctly, eventually getting all eight in the right spot.

Gail smiled around the room, her on camera persona back in place with no trace of her earlier frustration. "Hey guys! How was your week?"

There were a few murmurs before Chicago finally answered, "It was okay."

"Just okay?" Gail probed, looking at the guys.

"We were hoping for another match in the Truth Booth," Luke added, "But we're still feeling confident about finding all ten perfect matches."

Gail smiled, "Great to hear! Stay positive. I know you guys can do it." She turned to the two couples already seated saying, "Before we get started let's welcome back your two confirmed perfect matches, Benji and Emily, and Donald and Lilly. DJ, how was your first week in the honeymoon suite?"

Donald grinned, "It was great, Gail. Lilly and I really enjoyed ourselves."

Gail recognized the gleam in his eye, commenting, "Is it safe to say the two of you aren't practicing celibacy the way your counterparts are?"

Lilly simply shook her head, while Donald answered cheekily, "I'd say that's accurate."

Cheers and whoops went up from around Beca, deciding to give a little whistle herself. Donald and Lilly were not ashamed at all, grinning proudly around the room.

"That's great to hear you guys are… connecting so well," Gail's strategic pause was accompanied by a wink. "Okay guys, it's time for another matchup and another shot at one million dollars!"

The group clapped and cheered loudly, Gail waiting for them to settle down before continuing.

"If you guys all choose your match correctly, then you're gonna leave this island with love and money," Gail said, pausing before reminding them, "But if just one of you gets it wrong, then you're not ten for ten and you're heading back to the house empty-handed again… and you're running out of chances."

There were a few uneasy rumblings around the room, the reality of their situation sinking in a bit that they were definitely running out of time to figure out their perfect matches.

"Now, gentlemen I will call you up here one by one, you'll choose your perfect match, and then the two of you will place your palms on the handprint touchpads locking you in as a couple."

"Let's do it!" Luke called out, a few of the guys nodding along with him.

Gail clapped her hands together, announcing, "Alright! First up for the guys tonight is… Zeke!"

Beca clapped along as Zeke made his way to the podium. "Hey Gail."

"Zeke, how are you feeling about being first up tonight?" Gail asked.

"Good, I'm feeling good," Zeke replied easily.

Gail nodded, asking, "Do you know who you're picking tonight?" At his affirmative nod, she didn't delay. "Okay then, Zeke, who is your perfect match?"

Zeke answered, "Well we got four matches last week and I think we might have been one of them so… my perfect match is Stacie."

Beca could see the two of them paired up, catching Stacie's pleased smile as she joined him at the podium. They placed their palms on the touchpad and locked in, not wasting too much time in returning to their chair.

Gail turned back to the rest of the guys. "Next up is Chicago!"

Beca sighed, knowing that he was going to pick Chloe. She knew that they had to play the game and that they would be matched up with a guy at each of these ceremonies, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Chicago, who is your perfect match?"

He turned and looked somewhere above Beca's head, answering, "My perfect match is Chloe."

Beca forced a smile and clapped along, watching the back of Chloe's head as she walked up to the platform. It took everything inside her not to shout at him when he slipped an arm around her waist, noticing the way Chloe still kept a small gap between them.

"Chloe, do you think Chicago is your match?" Gail asked, sensing the tension between them.

"I think he could be," Chloe answered honestly. "But I also think there are other guys who could be. I'm not sure."

Gail raised an eyebrow at that, asking Chicago, "What do you think of that, Chicago?"

Beca couldn't see his face, listening carefully as he answered.

"I really like Chloe. She's beautiful and smart and based on previous matchups we could be a match."

This time the only thing that kept her from saying something was the obvious way Chloe shifted a step away from him. At least it was obvious to her, despite being no more than an inch or so that could easily be disguised as Chloe shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Gail smiled at his answer, "Aw, that's sweet. Okay, Chicago, Chloe, it's time to lock in."

The pair placed their hands on the touch pad and turned to walk back to the empty chair, Beca doing her best to remove any irritation or frustration or anger or jealousy or any number of negative emotions from her face before they could be caught on camera. Her eyes locked on Chloe's and just like that she was fighting off laughter at the redhead's lightning fast eye roll.

Gail waited until they were seated, but before she could call the next name CR walked out onto the set. "Let's break and get reactions. We've got eight couples so we'll do four rounds of two. No long break tonight, guys. Power through and we should be done early without any issues."

Beca sighed in relief at that announcement. The long break was more for the crew than for them, hard to come back from and get refocused.

Luke was suddenly perched on the arm of her chair looking down at her. "Well that was awkward."

Beca shook her head, "Your timing is impeccable."

"What was he spouting that shit for anyways?"

Beca rolled her eyes, "It's all for the camera. He really thinks they're a match and is playing it up or something. Happily ever after or whatever like everyone wants."

Luke hummed, "Well the world is gonna be super disappointed when Chloe shuts that shit down."

Beca looked off in the direction Chloe had gone with Chicago to film reactions, knowing Luke was right.


"Bumper!"

Beca smiled as he walked up to the podium. No one was more surprised than her at how he'd grown on her throughout the time spent in the house. He'd been blunt and a little obnoxious at first, but for whatever reason had mellowed out as filming dragged on. He was logical and sensitive, though Beca was sure he was still trying to hide it from the group.

"How are you tonight, Bumper?" Gail asked, shooting him a warm smile.

"I'm great, Gail. Just great."

"Wonderful," Gail paused, clearly not interesting in making small talk at the moment. "Bumper, who is your perfect match?"

Bumper answered immediately, "My perfect match is Amy."

The first thing that caught Beca's attention was that he didn't call her Fat Amy, instead simply using her name. The second thing that caught her attention was that Amy did not correct him, but simply yelled something proudly and walked up to join him.

Gail grinned at them, asking, "Fat Amy, do you think you and Bumper are a match?"

"I'm still not sure he can handle all this," Fat Amy winked. "We'll have to see."

Bumper chimed in confidently, "I'm not worried about it. We're both the right combination of brilliant and crazy. It works. It's a match."

Gail laughed as they traded looks, finally saying, "You know, I think I believe you. Bumper, Fat Amy, it's time to lock in."

Beca shook her head as they theatrically placed their palms on the touchpad and locked in, toning it down as they returned to the chair. That was one pair that she wasn't sure was a match, but man she really hoped they were. It would be very entertaining for everyone in the house.

She zoned out a little when Unicycle was the next name called, vaguely watching as he and Kommissar locked in as a couple before taking full advantage of their next break. After CR gathered them all back to the set, it was finally time to actually pay attention.

"Next up for the guys is… Jesse!"

That had Beca sitting up a little straighter in her chair, never doubting that Jesse would pick her.

"You seem a little different tonight, Jesse," Gail observed. "How are you doing after that Truth Booth?"

"You know what, Gail, I'm okay," Jesse answered. "Aubrey and I are still on good terms, but it gave us answers that we really needed."

Gail nodded encouragingly, "You two really thought you were a match. How are you feeling now?"

Jesse hesitated, replying, "Well, ever since I arrived in the house I felt like this person was my match. I couldn't explain it, but it'll be pretty crazy to me if I was right."

Gail played right into the setup, asking, "Could it be love at first sight? Jesse, who is your perfect match?"

Jesse chuckled, "I don't know about love at first sight, but for tonight… my perfect match is Beca."

Beca breathed a little sigh of relief at the easy way he deflected that hurdle, rising and walking slowly up to join him at the podium.

"Beca! What do you think about being Jesse's pick tonight?" Gail asked curiously.

"I mean… I don't think Jesse and I started off very well," Beca started, purposefully pausing to draw it out a bit, "But we've gotten to hang out a little more lately and he's not so bad. I actually think he could be my match as well."

"Wonderful! I hope you two are right!" Gail said cheerfully, gesturing to the touchpad. "Please lock in as a couple."

Beca placed her palm on the touchpad, watching the familiar sight of the green bar scan up and down before the matching "LOCKED!" bars appeared. She smiled at Jesse and they walked back to her chair together. Once they were seated, Gail turned back to the remaining guys and called the next name.

"Luke!"

He walked confidently up to the podium and greeted Gail.

"So Luke, your date from the challenge was stolen away from you tonight before you could pick her," Gail hinted, a slight smile on her face.

Luke played along, a wounded expression on his face. "I know… I'm doing my best to carry on."

"Don't worry, man candy! I'll be in the house tonight!" Fat Amy shouted playfully from beside Bumper.

Luke turned around and answered, "Can't wait!"

"Well, since you can't pick Fat Amy… Luke, who is your perfect match?" Gail asked.

"My perfect match is Flo."

Beca glanced around until she saw the short woman, a pleased smile on her face. Gail didn't ask her too many questions before the pair locked in and returned to the empty chair.

"Okay guys, great job so far tonight! Let's get that final break in and we'll wrap this shoot up!" CR called out, gesturing more instructions for her crew.

Jesse stood up and yawned. "Guess we need to film. After you," he said, waiting for her to lead the way off the set.


The last two couples matched up without any interesting interactions or conversations, Theo picking Calamity and Tom finished the ceremony off by automatically matching with Aubrey. Jesse didn't seem bothered by it, whispering that the pair of them barely knew each other. Beca felt a little bit bad for Tom, having been matched up randomly ever since he and Stacie had struck out in the Truth Booth.

Once they were all paired up and seated, Gail moved on to the next part of the ceremony.

"Alright great job you guys, you're paired off into ten perfect matches, right?" Gail teased, earning a few claps and cheers for that comment. "Behind me are ten beams of light."

Beca closed her eyes briefly as the beams lit up shining straight at them before rising into the sky. She wondered again if that was truly necessary, but accepted the dramatics of the show.

Beside her, Jesse murmured, "I hate that part."

At the same time, several other people cheered again.

"There they are!"

"The famous ten!"

Gail waited a moment before continuing, "Each beam represents a perfect match. One beam," she paused again as all the lights went out and the first one re-lit up, "Is one perfect match. Ten beams," another pause as all ten lit up again, "Is ten perfect matches and one million dollars."

There was another pause for them to clap and cheer and react to the money. Beca was long over this part but again chose to participate rather than get chewed out by CR.

"Don't you wonder how people don't get bored of watching this?" Beca muttered to Jesse.

"Yes, but also watching it is way different than filming it," Jesse reminded her.

Beca sighed, "Right. Forgot about that for a second."

"Now tonight you guys get to start with two beams already lit," Gail informed them as the first two beams turned back on and blasted into the night sky. "Those beams represents your two confirmed perfect matches, Benji and Emily, and Donald and Lilly. Add eight more beams to that and you're walking away with one million dollars."

"However," Gail added after a moment, "If you fail to add any more beams to those two, that's a blackout and your prize instantly drops by two hundred and fifty thousand dollars."

"No way, Gail!"

"Get outta here with that shit! No blackout tonight!"

Gail smiled at them, "It's time to find out." She circled around the podium as the lights flashed on above them and placed both hands on the touchpad. "The number of perfect matches is…"

"Come on…" Jesse trailed off, staring intently at the row of lights.

A third beam lit up the sky, making everyone exhale and cheer in relief.

"There's three!" Gail announced.

"Yes!"

"Let's go! Keep going!" Beca recognized Luke's voice, smiling at his excitement.

After what she felt was way too long a pause, a fourth beam flashed up into the sky.

"Four!" Gail called out, her voice rising slightly.

Beca grinned as more cheers accompanied that beam, hoping they weren't done yet.

Not long after that, a fifth beam blasted skyward.

"Five beams!" Gail said, her voice carrying a hint of excitement now.

"Let's fucking go!" Bumper shouted above the cheers and clapping.

"Give me six!"

"We want six, Gail!"

"That's five," Jesse said, grinning at her. "Halfway."

They waited a few more agonizing seconds before the lights flashed and the sound blared signaling the end of the matchup. Beca smiled as they deflated a bit and a few "Awws" went around the room, but overall, they'd taken another step closer.

"Five matches guys!" Gail announced, turning around to shoot them a smile. "Halfway to the million dollars with three more shots to go ten for ten."

"We got this, guys," Bumper said, reaching over to high-five Luke.

Gail waited a minute for them to celebrate before wrapping up the ceremony. "You guys are getting closer, but you still have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it. It's time to say goodbye to Benji and Emily and DJ and Lilly… you'll see them next week at the next matchup. The rest of you, get back to the house and get to work on finding those remaining five matches!"

Beca stood up, locking eyes with Jesse. "We've never gotten five before…" she trailed off.

He nodded, finally saying, "I think we're a match."

Beca studied his face for a minute, eventually coming to her own conclusion.

"Me too."


A/N: As always, a massive thank you to my beta Arsto who is juggling all the balls right now with this virus and quarantine and stay at home craziness. You're the best!

Thanks for having a little patience with us! We're nearing the end!