Stronger
Epilogue
A/N: This story picks up five years later. As far as I'm concerned, the most important thing the reader needs to know is that Beca and Chloe are still together.
Beca felt something wet running down her side and reached her hand back. There was blood on her hand when she brought it back around. She grimaced when she realized it was her blood. She then looked up to see Daniels standing in the doorway, holding his stomach with one hand and the knife with the other. He glared down at her and shouted, 'She's mine, and you can't have her!'"
"She was never yours and never will be!" Beca shouted back.
"I'm going to kill you and then show Chloe your lifeless body when she gets here," Daniels said, laughing maniacally as he moved toward Beca.
"No! I won't let you touch her!" Beca yelled just as the knife was coming down at her.
Beca gasped as the knife entered her chest. Daniels laughed and pulled the knife out.
"Who's going to stop me now?" he asked. Then, as he turned to walk away, he called back over his shoulder. "I'll be sure to give Chloe your best."
Beca sat straight up in bed, breathing heavily as tears ran down her cheeks. Her body was shaking as she looked around, fully expecting to see Roger Daniels standing over her.
"I can't believe I'm having that nightmare again," Beca mumbled.
"You okay, babe?" Chloe mumbled, reaching out for Beca.
"Just a dream," Beca said. "A bad dream."
"Was it the one about your attack?" Chloe asked, pulling Beca tighter to her.
"Yeah," Beca mumbled into Chloe's chest. "Only this time, he stabbed me and left me for dead. All I could do was watch him walk away to go after you."
"I'm okay," Chloe said, kissing the side of Beca's head. "I'm fine; you're fine; Roger Daniels is dead, and he can't hurt either of us ever again."
"I guess the upcoming anniversary has unleashed my PTSD," Beca said. "I can't believe it's come back or how much it's affecting me five years later."
"Maybe you should call Dr. Sinclair and make an appointment," Chloe said, pulling back to look at Beca.
"That's not a bad idea," Beca said. "She did help a lot when it first happened."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
A few days later, Chloe walked into the apartment she shared with Beca.
"Beca? Babe, I'm home," Chlo called out. "I've got the champagne, and I'm ready to celebrate!"
"I'm in the kitchen with my mom and Joe!" Beca called back.
"Oh," Chloe muttered, setting the champagne on the counter as she entered the kitchen. "Sarah, Joe, it's good to see you."
"Good to see you, too," Sarah said and waved her hand at the champagne bottle. "What are you celebrating?"
"It's just an anniversary," Chloe said, waving her hand as if it was nothing. "Mmmm, the lasagna smells good, babe. Sarah, are you guys staying for dinner?"
Beca glared at Chloe, whispering, "What are you doing?"
"Being a good hostess," Chloe said, pecking Beca's lips. "I think we should tell her."
"Are you kidding?" Beca practically yelled, causing Sarah to look over with a raised brow. Beca lowered her voice, muttering, "She'll kill me."
"Everything okay?" Sarah asked.
"Everything's fine," Beca said as Chloe said, "We have something to tell you."
"Chloe," Beca hissed.
"I'm telling her, whether you like it or not," Chloe whispered. "I think we've kept it a secret long enough."
Sarah looked at Joe; they both smiled.
"We have something to tell you, too," Sarah said, turning to look at Beca and Chloe.
"Well, dinner's ready," Beca said, sighing in resignation. "So, we can talk while we eat. Chloe, would you put the salad on the table, please?"
"On it," Chloe said, opening the refrigerator. "Is Italian dressing okay with everyone?"
"Sarah and I are good with that," Joe said, smiling at Sarah again.
"It's okay with me, too," Beca said as she began cutting into the lasagna. "Babe, could you get the garlic bread out of the oven?"
"I'll take the salad to the table," Sarah said, reaching for it.
"Oh, my gosh!" Chloe squealed, setting the salad bowl on the counter and grabbing Sarah's hand. "Is that what I think it is?"
Sarah blushed slightly and looked at Joe.
"What?" Beca asked, looking over at Chloe and Sarah.
"They're engaged!" Chloe squealed, holding up Sarah's hand so Beca could see the ring.
"When did that happen?" Beca asked.
"We'll tell you over dinner," Sarah said, smiling from ear to ear.
"Oh, the bread!" Chloe said, running to the oven.
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
"So, Joe asked me to meet him at the station to go to lunch," Sarah said. "When I get there, he comes out of his office and walks over to me. He kissed me and then dropped down to one knee."
"Oh, my god," Chloe said.
"I didn't know what he was up to at first," Sarah said, taking Joe's hand. "Then I saw him holding up this rock, and I started saying yes before he even asked."
Joe laughed. "That's when I said, let me ask first, okay? Then she nodded, and I asked."
"Of course, I said yes," Sarah added. "Everyone started clapping and congratulating us."
"I'm happy for you, mom," Beca said, raising her glass. "A toast."
The others lifted their glasses and held them up.
"To my mom and Joe," Beca said, smirking. "May you be as happy in your marriage as Chloe and I are in ours."
Chloe smiled as Sarah gasped. "Wha-? How? When?"
"I think what your mother is trying to say is congratulations, you two," Joe said, tapping his glass against the others.
"Um, yeah," Sarah said, clearing her throat. "Congratulations."
Sarah took a big gulp of her wine and then looked at Beca.
"When did you get married?"
"Um, a year ago today, actually," Beca mumbled.
"A year ago?!" Sarah squealed. "And you're just now telling me?"
"I'm sorry, okay?" Beca stuttered. "It just kind of happened."
"How, pray tell, does getting married just kind of happen?"
"Well, um, it, uh," Beca stammered, fidgeting in her seat.
"We were in Las Vegas for Ashley and Jessica's bachelorette parties," Chloe explained. "We were back in our room for the night when Beca asked me if eloping to Vegas was something I'd want to do. I thought she was joking and said I didn't care where we got married, and we could discuss it after we were engaged. She then got down on one knee and asked me to marry her, ending her proposal with now, what do you think about getting married in Vegas?"
"I had been planning to ask her for a while," Beca added, shrugging. "I was waiting for the right moment. And that felt like the right moment."
"We started talking about the wedding, and both wanted to have a simple ceremony," Chloe said. "Beca said, let's get married now while we're here. I couldn't think of any reason not to so, the next morning, we went to one of the wedding chapels on the Vegas Strip and got married."
"We didn't want to take attention away from Jessica and Ashley, so we kept the wedding to ourselves," Beca said, her voice trailing off at the end.
"And you couldn't tell me when you got home?" Sarah asked, her arms crossed over her chest.
"I, I mean, we, um," Beca said, looking at Chloe. "I could use a little help here, wifey?"
"Sarah, we honestly didn't tell anyone," Chloe said. "My folks don't know. Not even Aubrey or the Bellas know yet."
"Mom," Beca said, looking at her. "Nothing changed in how we acted around each other, so it was easy to forget that we were married and no longer just girlfriends."
"What do you think about all this, Joe?" Sarah asked, turning her gaze to the man.
Joe momentarily froze. "Honestly, I'm just glad we got that news before you told Beca our other news."
"Other news?" Beca asked, perking up and looking at her mother. "What other news? What are you keeping from me, mom?"
Sarah glared at Joe before swallowing and looking at Beca.
"Don't worry; it's not like we got married without telling you," Sarah said.
Beca had the decency to look guilty.
"And?" Beca prodded.
"And we, um," Sarah said and cleared her throat. "Joe and I are moving."
Beca's mouth opened and closed without her making a sound. Chloe took Beca's hand and gently squeezed it.
"Where are you moving to?" Chloe asked.
Sarah didn't say anything; she just stared down at the table as Beca sat staring at her.
"Tampa," Joe said. "I've accepted the Chief's position with the Tampa Police Department. We'll be moving after we're married."
"Congratulations, Joe," Chloe said. "That's amazing news."
"Thank you," Joe said.
"Sarah, I'm sure my mom will love having you close by again."
"Yeah," Sarah said, finally looking up. "It will be nice to know someone already there."
"Tell Beca the best part," Joe said, elbowing Sarah's arm.
"There's a best part about my mother abandoning me?" Beca asked.
"Beca," Chloe admonished, frowning at Beca.
"Sorry," Beca mumbled, pasting a fake smile before turning to her mother. "What's the best part, mom?"
"Joe's house sold faster than we thought," Sarah said. "And we close on our new place in Tampa next week. So, we decided to go to the Court House in Atlanta and get married before we left for Tampa. I, we'd love it if you two could be there."
"What day?" Chloe asked. "I'll ask my Principal for the day off."
"We have an appointment to get married at the Court House on Wednesday morning at ten," Sarah said. "Then we'll fly to Tampa that afternoon. And be back here on Friday to start packing up Joe's house."
"I wouldn't miss it," Beca said, smiling as she finally looked at her mom. "I am happy for you, mom. Joe's a great guy."
"He really is, sweetie," Sarah said, teary-eyed. "And he makes me very happy. It's just. I'm going to miss you when we move."
"I'm going to miss you, too," Beca said. "Will you need some help packing up your house?"
"That won't be necessary," Sarah said. "That's the second part of the news. The house is yours."
"What?"
"I'm signing the house over to you," Sarah said. "Well, to you and Chloe since you're married. It's all paid for so you won't have to worry about a mortgage or anything like that. I've already packed up the personal stuff I'm taking. You can do whatever you want with the rest of it."
"What about dad?" Beca asked. "Doesn't he have a say in what happens to the house?"
"No, he doesn't," Sarah said. "The house is in my name and my name only; always has been. So, consider the house and everything in it a wedding gift from me."
"I don't know what to say," Beca said, teary-eyed.
"Just say thank you and give your old mom a hug," Sarah said, standing and holding out her arms.
"Thank you, mom," Bec said, moving around the table to hug the woman. "I can't tell you how much this means to me. To us."
"You're very welcome, my sweet girl," Sarah said, hugging Beca tighter.
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
The next day, Chloe called her parents to break the news about her and Beca's marriage.
"That went better than I expected," Beca said once the call had ended.
"Of course, it did," Chloe said. "My parents love you. Who should we call next? Stacie, Cynthia Rose, Fat Amy? Or maybe Jessica and Ashley since they're the reason we got married when we did."
"I think you should call Aubrey," Beca said. "She's your best friend and would be hurt if you told the other girls before you told her."
"Why don't we just send a group text?" Chloe countered. "And see who calls us first."
"You're going to have to deal with her sooner or later," Beca said.
"I was hoping it would be later," Chloe said. "She's going to be disappointed that I got married without her there."
"You know she loves you," Beca said, smiling at Chloe. "And she'll be happy for us. Besides, we've been together for five years; I'm pretty sure no one, especially Aubrey, will be surprised that we got married."
"You're right," Chloe said, pulling out her phone. "Let's call Aubrey."
After pressing the call button next to Aubrey's name, Chloe took Beca's hand and intertwined their fingers.
"Moral support," Chloe muttered when Beca looked down at their hands. "Oh, hey, Brey."
"Chloe!" Aubrey said. "I was just thinking about calling you."
"Oh, um, great minds and all that," Chloe said. "So, um, I have you on speaker, and Beca is here with me. We have something to tell you."
"O-M-Aca-Gee," Aubrey squealed into the phone. "Are you guys engaged? Who asked who?"
"Brey."
"When did it happen?"
"Brey."
"I'm so excited for you guys," Aubrey gushed. "And, I'd better be-"
"Brey!" Chloe interrupted. "May I talk, please?"
"Sorry," Aubrey muttered. "I'm just excited." She takes a deep breath and lets it out. "Okay, go ahead; I'm listening."
"Thank you," Chloe said. "We're not engaged."
"What?!" Aubrey screeched. "It's been five years, Mitchell. So what the hell are you waiting for?"
"I, um," Beca stammered; Chloe looked at her and nodded. "We're not engaged, Aubrey; we're married."
The statement was met with silence. Chloe looked at Beca, and Beca stared back at her.
"When did you get married?" Aubrey's voice was quiet as she asked.
"Um, we just celebrated our first anniversary yesterday," Chloe said.
"One year?" Aubrey asked. "Oh, my god, you guys got married when we were in Vegas?"
"Yes," Chloe said. "Beca asked; I said yes, and we didn't want to wait to be married. So, we went to one of the wedding chapels on the Strip. Are you mad we didn't tell you before now?"
"Do any of the other Bellas know?"
"No," Chloe responded quickly. "Our folks know, but you're the first Bella we called."
"Are you happy?" Aubrey asked.
"Extremely," Chloe said, smiling at Beca. "Beca was a great girlfriend, but she's an even better wife."
Beca's phone pinged with a text notification. She pulled out her phone and looked at the message; it was from her mom.
"How can I be mad if she makes you happy?" Aubrey said. "I'm happy for you; for both of you. Now, tell me what's been going on with you. Are you staying in Barden?"
"You don't need me for this, do you?" Beca asked. "My mom texted and asked me to come over."
"No, we're good," Chloe said, pecking Beca's lips. "You can go."
"Bye, Aubrey," Beca said. "You and Chloe will have to catch up without me."
"I heard," Aubrey said. "Tell your mom I said hello."
"Will do," Beca said.
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
"Mom?" Beca called out as she entered her mother's house.
"In here!" Sarah called back from the kitchen.
Beca looked toward the kitchen, taking a moment to prepare herself before going in.
"So, what's up?" Beca asked as she entered the kitchen and stopped when she saw a third person sitting at the counter with her mother and Joe. "Dad, when did you get out?"
"A month ago," Ben said. "I've been staying with your Uncle Paul in New Orleans while I looked for a place here. I searched for and found an apartment in downtown Atlanta. It's amazing the things you can do over the internet. I came to see the place and signed the lease. I did that this morning and I will be moving in two weeks. I hope it's okay that I'm here now. Since I was so close, I wanted to see you."
"You're rambling, dad," Beca said with a smile. "Now, I know where I get it from. It's good to see you. You look good."
"Thanks," Ben said. "I hear congratulations are in order for you and Chloe."
"Yeah," Beca said. "She's amazing, and I don't know what I'd do without her."
"I'm glad you're happy," Ben said. "You two really are good together."
"Yes, we are," Beca said. She looked from her dad to her mom when a thought came to her. "Hey, dad, I'll have to make sure Chloe's okay with it, but would you like to come to our place for dinner one night?"
"I'd like that," Ben said, smiling. "Maybe we can plan something after I move if Chloe's comfortable with me coming to your place. Or, maybe we can meet somewhere in Atlanta instead if she's not."
"Okay," Beca said.
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Two hours later, Beca was laughing at something Ben had told her. Sarah was all smiles as her ex-husband and daughter reconnected on an adult level. Sarah leaned over and kissed Joe's cheek.
"Thank you," Sarah whispered.
"For what?" Joe asked.
"For talking me into letting Ben come here," Sarah said, looking at Beca and Ben. "It's going to be good for her to have him around after we leave."
"I agree," Joe said, smiling.
"I hate to break this up," Ben said, standing. "But I really have to go. I've got plans back in Atlanta. Thanks for the tea, Sarah. Take care of yourself. And congratulations again on your engagement."
"Thank you, and you're welcome," Sarah said, hugging her ex-husband. "It was good seeing you."
Just as Sarah and Ben pulled apart, Beca stepped in front of Ben and wrapped her arms around him. Ben was surprised but put his arms around Beca and returned the hug.
"I'm glad you're out," Beca mumbled against Ben's chest. "And I hope I get to see you again."
"If I have anything to say about it, you will," Ben said, kissing the top of Beca's head.
"Come on, Ben," Sarah said. "I'll walk you out."
Beca wiped a tear from her cheek as she watched her mother and father leave. Joe walked over and pulled Beca into a hug.
"You okay?" Joe asked.
Beca nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I'm good."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Later that night, Beca and Chloe were cuddling on the couch. Beca was telling Chloe about her visit with her dad.
"So, he's moving to Atlanta," Chloe said. "Are you planning to see him?"
"I hope so," Beca said. "I mean, he apologized again, and seemed sincere about having a relationship with me; with us. I think he's changed for the better. I know it's weird to say, but I think prison was good for him."
"If you want him in your life," Chloe said, shifting her position so she lay between Beca's legs. "I'm more than okay with that."
"Good," Beca said. "Because I kind of invited him over for dinner once he moves. He did say if you weren't comfortable with having him here, he'd meet us somewhere in Atlanta."
Chloe hugged Beca to her and kissed her. "I don't see a problem with him coming to our place."
Beca lifted her torso to pull Chloe into a heated kiss. Then, she slowly lowered her body, bringing Chloe back down with her.
"God, I love you," Beca mumbled against Chloe's lips.
"Good thing," Chloe said, pulling back to look Beca in the eye. "Because you're stuck with me for life."
"That's one prison sentence I don't mind serving," Beca said, smirking. "As long as I have you as my cellmate!"
"You're such a weirdo," Chloe said, smashing their lips together.
Beca and Chloe's make-out session was getting heated when Beca's phone started ringing; Beca let out a small groan.
"Why is someone calling now?"
"Stop it," Chloe said, chuckling as she picked up Beca's phone and held it out to her. "It's Stacie."
"Hey, Stace," Beca said, answering the call. "What's up?"
"Can't a girl call her friends just to catch up?" Stacie responded. "Do you have anything you want to tell me?"
"You talked to Aubrey, didn't you?" Beca asked.
"I did," Stacie said. "And you're not the only ones with big news to share. Although getting married and not telling anyone is really fucked up."
Chloe moved off Beca, and they both sat up.
"So, what's your news?" Beca asked. "Did you get married, too?"
"God, no," Stacie said. "The Hunter is not the marrying kind. I called to tell you I'm pregnant."
Beca pulled the phone away from her mouth. "Stacie's pregnant."
"What?" Chloe asked. "I didn't know she was even seeing anyone."
"I'm not," Stacie said, having heard Chloe.
"Wait, Stacie," Beca said. "I'm putting you on speaker so Chloe can be involved in the conversation; she has questions."
Beca switched the phone to speaker.
"Okay, Stacie, you're on speaker," Beca said.
"Who's the father?" Chloe asked. "We didn't know you were dating anyone."
"I'm not," Stacie said. "It was a one-time thing. He was hot, and I was horny. You know how it is."
"What are you going to do?" Beca asked. "Are you keeping it?"
"Yeah," Stacie said. "I've always wanted to be a mom."
"In that case," Chloe said. "We're happy for you. And, you know we are here if you need anything."
"Does the father know?" Beca asked. "What about the rest of the Bellas?"
"The father knows and doesn't want anything to do with the baby," Stacie said. "It's like I said, it was a one-time thing. The Bellas are all excited and said the same thing about being there for me."
"We're a family," Chloe said. "Of course, we'll be there for you and your baby."
They chatted with Stacie for a few more minutes before ending the call.
"Wow," Beca said. "With that news, all the Bellas are now real adults. I mean, Aubrey's a lawyer. Jessica and Ashley are married. We're married. And Cynthia Rose is in the Air Force."
"Don't forget Fat Amy," Chloe added. "She's the biggest surprise us all, showing up with a girlfriend at Jessica and Ashley's wedding."
"I did not see that one coming," Beca said.
"Nobody saw that coming," Chloe chuckled.
"That just leaves Denise," Beca said. "Whatever happened to her?"
"I don't know," Chloe said. "She was there one minute and gone the next with no explanation."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Three months later, Beca and Chloe were fully moved into Sarah's house. Sarah had moved in with Joe after they were married.
For their last night in Barden, Beca and Chloe had a farewell dinner for Joe and Sarah. Beca's dad and new girlfriend, Sheila, were there for a Mexican feast Sarah asked Beca to make.
Dinner was done, and the group sat around the living room, having drinks and chatting.
"Dinner was amazing, Beca," Sheila said. "Thank you for having me."
"Thank you," Beca said. "We're glad you could be here."
"I'm going to miss this place," Sarah said wistfully as she looked around. "We made a lot of memories here." She shivered when her eyes landed on the kitchen door. "A few not-so-good ones, but overall there are more good ones than bad."
"I'm lucky to have Chloe and Dr. Sinclair to help me through some of my anxiety about being here," Beca said. "I still have some residual PTSD over what happened."
"Your father told me about your attack," Sheila said. "I'm glad you're doing well."
"Thank you," Beca said and chuckled. "I have to admit, it took me a while to get over it, but at least I can go into the kitchen without having a full-blown panic attack."
"You had to get over that," Chloe said, kissing Beca's cheek. "If not, you'd have to deal with me cooking everything, and neither one of us wants that."
The group chuckled. Ben raised his glass and said, "I'd like to propose a toast."
The others raised their glasses.
"To moving on," Ben said.
"To moving on," the others repeated, clinking their glasses.
They all took a sip of their drinks. Ben whispered something to Sheila. Then, they set their glasses on the coffee table and stood.
"It's getting late, and we should probably get going."
Everyone else stood. Joe reached out to shake Ben's hand.
"Thanks for coming, Ben," Joe said. "Sarah and I appreciate it."
"Take good care of her," Ben said. "She's a special woman."
"I know," Joe said, smiling as he put his arm around Sarah.
"Yeah, dad," Beca said, joining them. "Thanks for coming."
Beca hugged her father and then moved to Sheila.
"It was nice meeting you, Sheila," Beca said. "I hope we'll see you again."
Sheila looked at Ben and smiled, saying, "I have a strong feeling that we'll be seeing a lot of each other."
After all the good lucks and goodbyes, Ben and Sheila left. Beca closed the door behind them and turned to Sarah and Joe.
"Mom, you guys have a long drive ahead of you tomorrow," Beca said. "Why don't you go on up to bed?"
"I am tired," Sarah said, taking Joe's hand and leading him toward the stairs.
"You should go up, too," Beca said as she pulled Chloe into a kiss. "I'll be up after I clean up the kitchen.
"I'll help," Chloe said and started collecting the dirty glasses.
Beca grabbed the last two and followed Chloe into the kitchen. They worked side-by-side and had the dishwasher loaded, and the counters wiped down in no time.
"It's so quiet," Beca said. "Is this what it's going to be like once my mom and Joe leave?"
"Pretty much," Chloe said, pulling Beca to her in a kiss.
"I don't like the house being this quiet," Beca said. "Maybe we should get a dog."
"Or maybe we can have a couple of kids," Chloe countered. "That would solve the problem of it being too quiet."
"Hmmm, having kids?" Beca said, waggling her eyebrows. "That's not a bad idea. Want to go upstairs and get started?"
"You do know that's not how it works, right?" Chloe asked, giggling.
"Yes, I do know that, you weirdo," Beca said, rolling her eyes and taking Chloe's hand. "Let's go to bed."
A note to readers: I hope you enjoyed this final chapter. Thanks for sticking with me. And a big thanks to anotherbechloeshipper for being my Beta. She's awesome!