Aubrey Posen looked out at her team as they shared the same gobsmacked and unsure looks on their faces. Sure, her plan was reckless, a suicide mission even, but one of their own was in trouble and she didn't give a damn. Didn't give a damn what her supervisor said, what the bureau said, what the freaking president said. Chloe Beale was family, and you never turn your back on family.

"So. What do we think?" She asked, face set in a hard line as she looked at the other members of her squad.

"What do we think?" Stacie cocked her eyebrow, "Of your suicide mission? Yeah, it sounds great, why wouldn't we be thrilled with it?!"

Aubrey rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest, "She's family. You've seen the things that this cartel does to people who cross them, to the people they perceive as threats. We are not leaving her there with those animals."

An uncomfortable silence settled amongst them. Aubrey was right, they had been looking for a way to bring this cartel down for months now and they'd seen some truly horrifying things along the way, things that they wished they could unsee. Chloe had gone undercover, had infiltrated her way deep into the cartel but two days ago she had missed her check-in and none of their contacts had seen her in a week. It all pointed to one thing: her cover had been blown and she was now in very real danger.

"This plan of yours is going to get us killed. Of course I'm in." Beca broke the silence with a smirk on her face, Aubrey shaking her head but giving her a small, grateful smile.

Beca had been a thorn in her side when she had first joined her team, but Chloe had insisted that Aubrey gave her a chance. She had seen her in training at Quantico and there really was no-one like her in the whole bureau, they needed someone like Beca on their team. Aubrey had gritted her teeth through Beca's various rash antics that put her in danger, but when Aubrey had been on the verge of transferring her out, Beca had proved herself a team player and had saved her life in one quick move that put her between Aubrey and high powered rifle aimed at her. It had put Beca in the hospital for a few days with a few broken ribs and Aubrey had sat by her side in quiet awe.

Since then, Aubrey had learnt not only to trust Beca but also to ask for her advice. Her more cautious approach wasn't always called for, but it helped to balance out some of Beca's more reckless ideas, and they had both soon realised that they needed each other to keep themselves and their team out of danger.

"Well if Mitchell's in…" Amy shrugged, "Besides we'll never find someone as hot as Red to replace her, and I really don't feel like having to meet new people right now."

"That's true… and Beale is the one that stops you yelling at us." Stacie grinned a little at Aubrey who was rolling her eyes again, "Someone needs to keep you in line."

"I was in from the second you said kill." Lilly whispered, barely heard by the rest of her team who all shared a look. None of them were sure how Lilly had passed her psych eval, and quite honestly all of them were too scared to ask.

"Let's do this then!" Cynthia-Rose grinned, Aubrey nodding gratefully as she looked at her team, pushing her emotions back. There was no time for emotions.

"We move out in thirty. Make sure you're ready."

The team filed out of the briefing, leaving Aubrey alone as she sighed heavily, letting her mask slip as she gripped the edge of the desk in her hands, bottom lip caught between her teeth. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat as tears blurred her vision. How had she let Chloe get caught like this? She wasn't just her best friend, she was basically her sister. They had come through the academy together, she'd been her partner since day one, she had always had her back. She should never have let her go undercover…

"It's not your fault."

Aubrey jumped as she felt Beca's hand on her shoulder, quickly trying to wipe her tears from her cheeks as she turned to face her. Beca leant against the desk beside her, arms crossed over her chest as she sighed softly.

"Isn't it?" Aubrey mumbled, running her hand through her hair, "I was the one who approved the undercover op, I was her handler, this should never have happened."

"No." Beca shook her head softly, "It's not on you. This cartel is the worst we've ever had to investigate, and they're way smarter and more organised and more… lethal than we imagined. We'll get her back, take down the cartel at the same time, and be back in time for dinner."

Aubrey scoffed slightly, a slight smile tugging at her lips, "Chloe's blind optimism is rubbing off on you Mitchell."

"How dare you!" Beca's indignant tone was full of humour as she looked at Aubrey, "I am sarcastic and badass, Beale is just a grating, living ray of sunshine."

"We're going to get her back right?" Aubrey let herself be vulnerable for the briefest moment. She was never good at admitting how she felt, they needed her to be the cool and calm collected leader, but for some reason in front of Beca she didn't feel that need to always maintain her mask of calm.

"Yeah." Beca nodded, pressing her shoulder into Aubrey a little bit before pulling away quickly as she caught herself, "We've got this. Chloe will be okay."

"Chloe will be okay." Aubrey repeated, nodding softly, and secretly wishing that Beca was leaning against her again.

"Take Chloe and go!"

Aubrey turned to Stacie and Amy who were supporting a battered but alive Chloe between them. They had infiltrated the base and gotten to Chloe with suspiciously little fight, Aubrey fighting the urge to run to her weeping, instead walking over to her calmly and barely holding back her tears as she saw that Chloe was still alive.

It was once they had untied her from where they had left her suspended and started to move her out of the room that the heavy fire had broken out, Aubrey swearing loudly as she pulled them quickly into a room nearby. They were pinned down, but not for long.

"Mitchell and I will cover you, Lilly and CR go with them and protect them."

"You guys should go…" Chloe mumbled, swallowing hard, "I'll just slow you down."

"Don't be ridiculous." Beca shook her head, "We're not leaving you here."

"Yeah Beale, we risked our asses to come get you, why would we leave you after?" Stacie smirked, giving Chloe's waist the very gentlest of squeezes.

"It's settled then." Aubrey nodded, flashing Chloe a quick smile and ignored the pang in her chest as she saw the injuries that covered her friend from head to foot, "Ready?"

"Ready." Was the affirmative response from the whole team, Chloe leaning heavily on Stacie as they moved out.

Beca took the left as Aubrey took the right, making sure the rest of their team weren't coming under fire from threats they couldn't take out. Beca ducked behind a crate as she reloaded her weapon, glancing over at Aubrey who was still firing at the cartel members. She was killing it (pun unintended) like she always did.

And then Aubrey crumpled with a cry, clutching her side. Beca's head whipped around and quickly found the offender that had shot her and took him out, keeping low as she raced to Aubrey's side, concern etched in every line of her face. He had come from behind them like a coward, and the bullet seemed to have gone straight through Aubrey's bulletproof vest as she had turned to take him out.

Dammit.

"How the hell did they get their hands on Kevlar piercing bullets?" Beca hissed, pushing herself up for a moment to take out another gunman and throwing a look to the rest of the team who seemed to be holding their own for now.

"That's your t-takeaway?" Aubrey raised her eyebrow, wincing a little as a slight smile crept onto her face.

"You're right." Beca smirked, "Bigger problems. Like the hole in your side…" Her smirk faltered as she looked at the wound that Aubrey was trying to stem the bleeding from, "Jesus Posen you couldn't have gotten shot in the shoulder or somewhere less life threatening?"

"It's not like I planned this." Aubrey mumbled, gritting her teeth against the pain, "Go Mitchell. Cover them. Get Chloe- out of here."

"Not a chance." Beca shook her head, "If I wasn't going to leave Chloe behind, what makes you think I'd leave you?"

Aubrey winced again as Beca moved herself to provide cover once more, managing to duck back quickly once more as bullets flew her way. She swore quietly; Beca was fairly certain that the rest of her team had gotten out but that left her and Aubrey as the focus of their gunfire and pinned them down.

"Becs…"

Beca turned to Aubrey with a frown as she used her nickname. She never called her Becs. She barely called her Beca.

"Go." Aubrey smiled softly at her, "There's no sense in both of us dying here."

"Nope." Beca shook her head, checking her ammo clip. Damn, only one full mag left, and there were only four left in the one in her gun. This wasn't good.

"Beca-" Aubrey started again with a groan and a grimace.

"No." Beca's tone was hard as she looked at Aubrey again, nostrils flaring a little, "I'm not leaving you Aubrey. Don't make me leave you."

Aubrey frowned a little in confusion but swallowed the protest she was about to make. She didn't recognise the look on Beca's face and her calling her 'Aubrey' had really throw her off. She always called her Posen. Crap, they were really in trouble weren't they? Beca shrugged her jacket off, balling it up and pressing it against Aubrey's wound, flinching a little as a bullet passed by a little too close to her head.

"Hold that there. I've got nineteen bullets left, how many have you got?" Beca asked, trying to distract Aubrey from the pain in her stomach.

"Um… fifteen I think." Aubrey reached down and pulled her last magazine out to hand it to Beca, "There are too many of them Beca, they have way more bullets than us."

"We'll be fine." Beca smirked at Aubrey a little, "Are you forgetting that I'm the best marksman to come through Quantico in the last fifty years? Thirty four bullets is plenty."

"You never were humble were you?" Aubrey chuckled a little, coughing a little as she did. Beca felt a sense of panic flare inside her as she saw the blood in the corner of Aubrey's mouth. They were running out of time.

"Hold that against you harder." Beca gently pushed the jacket against Aubrey a little more insistently, leaning to the left and taking aim at the two cartel members snaking forward, felling them.

Thirty two.

Beca ducked back again as bullets flew, watching Aubrey start to slip into unconsciousness. She had to get them out of here right now.

"Hey, no you don't." Beca gently shook Aubrey's shoulder a little, "Stay with me Aubrey. We're getting out of here, but I need you conscious for it."

"Wh-what's your plan?" Aubrey grunted, forcing her eyes open as she tried to push the pain that was threatening to consume her.

"Zig zag." Beca smirked at her, "You're going to lean on me and we're going to zig zag between the crates until we get to the exit. Hopefully the rest of the team will come back in, but if not I'll be able to get us out."

"Seems kinda… reckless." Aubrey frowned a little, "You'll move s-slower with me dragging along. Why not get out and then c-come back for me when back up gets here?"

"Because we both know there is no back up." Beca shook her head, standing up again and taking out two more cartel members.

Thirty.

"This is an off the book op because they wouldn't approve you taking on a huge cartel with six people for one agent." Beca swapped out her mags, discarding the empty one and fired another series of bullets at the closing ring of cartel members, taking out as many as she could.

Twenty five.

"Ready?" Beca asked turning to Aubrey who nodded softly, squaring her jaw against the cry of pain as Beca wound her waist.

They moved quickly, Beca firing off another series of bullets at the opportunistic cartel members trying to take them out. Aubrey hated that she felt this helpless and useless when they were in so much danger. Danger she had put them in. This was all her idea, she had put them in this position.

Beca carefully lowered Aubrey down to the ground as she fired another shot, cursing quietly.

Fifteen.

"Becs… this is taking too long." Aubrey shook her head, deathly pale as she rested her hand on Beca's thigh as she knelt next to her, "You have to go…"

"No." Beca shook her head as she put the last magazine into her gun, pushing back her tears, "I'm not leaving you."

"I am- your superior officer." Aubrey grunted with a deep frown, "I am ordering you… to GO."

"No." Beca's eyes blazed as she turned to Aubrey, nostrils flaring, "I'm staying here. If you're going out, then I'm going out with you. So shut up and focus on staying awake."

"You're never this reckless." Aubrey shook her head, "What- what is going on with you?"

"Don't make me say it." Beca mumbled, face blushing as she fired off more shots, taking out three more.

Twelve.

She looked at Aubrey for a moment, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she rested her hand on the one that rested on her thigh. Realisation dawned on Aubrey as she took a deep shuddering breath. Oh. That's why.

"We're getting out of here. There aren't many left, we'll be okay." Beca cleared her throat, sniffing slightly as she pushed back her emotions. Not the time Mitchell, "Ready to move again?"

"Let's do it." Aubrey grumbled. What was remaining unspoken was spurring her on; Beca wasn't the only one feeling it but Aubrey didn't have the strength to communicate it right now.

They made their way to the next crate, the one nearest the exit. Beca wished that their team would come back in, but she knew that it would be foolish on their part; they had to protect Chloe, that was the reason they had come here in the first place. It wasn't safe to come back in here. She checked her mag again, having lost count of the number of shots she'd fired moving over here.

Three.

Shit.

"What is it?" Aubrey had seen the look that briefly crossed Beca's face.

"It's nothing." Beca shook her head, smiling tightly, "Just be grateful I'm an excellent shot."

Aubrey smiled softly, leaning against Beca as she fought against the ever encroaching blanket of sleep that was enveloping her. She was so tired, she wasn't even in pain anymore, Aubrey just wanted to rest.

"No come on." Beca cupped Aubrey's cheek with one hand, "Not much longer I promise. C'mon Bree, you got this."

Her nickname caused Aubrey's face to soften as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. The softness of her voice, the kindness in her eyes, the affectionate nickname… it was a different side of Beca, one that she hadn't seen before. She wanted to see more of it.

"I'm okay." Aubrey nodded a little, voice quiet and hoarse.

"Yeah you are." Beca grinning at her. She stood up and fired off a shot, snarling as a bullet fired in retaliation hit her in the arm as she ducked back down again.

Two.

"Fuck." Beca rested her head back against the crate. The bullet had gone straight through, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"You're hurt." Aubrey frowned softly.

"I'm okay." Beca shook her head, "It's a through and through. It's not a big deal."

"Are we- are we screwed?" Aubrey asked, resting her head on Beca's shoulder for a moment.

"No…" Beca smirked, "It's just even harder to get out of here than it was a minute ago. But not impossible."

"Ladies." The thick Hispanic accent made them both tense up, "We have you pinned down. We have your friends trapped in a dead end. You may as well give up."

"You think he's bluffing?" Aubrey whispered, biting her lip a little.

"I don't know." Beca mumbled, "I only have two bullets left-" A rapid gunfire from their left cut Beca off before she turned and fired, "Make that one."

"What do we do?"

Beca looked at Aubrey and smiled softly, setting the gun down in Aubrey's lap. Aubrey frowned softly as she watched Beca raise her hands and get to her feet.

"No… what're you doing…" Aubrey tried to pull Beca back down again.

"I'm unarmed." Beca announced, hands held high as she turned to face them. She tapped her left foot once as she moved from around the crate, "I'm out of bullets. My colleague is dead. You win."

"Good girl." The man purred, Beca's mouth twisting into a snarl, "Now get down on your knees and tell me if there's back up coming."

"Bite me." Beca smirked.

"If you wish." The man shrugged, stepping towards Beca with his gun aimed at her head, "But we'll save the fun for later. Knees."

"No." Beca stood her ground, shifting her weight onto her left leg again as he pressed the gun into her forehead, "You don't scare me."

"I will." He grinned at her, "Ask your redheaded friend."

He backhanded Beca hard and as quick as a flash across the face, Beca hitting the floor with a grunt and a cry as he kicked her hard in the stomach. Beca curled into a ball as she hissed, pain spreading through her ribs. She sensed him standing over her, eyes on the ground as she pushed herself onto her knees.

"Better. Now when is the backup coming?"

Beca said nothing, lightning fast as she grabbed the revolver from her ankle, rolling onto her back and fired it. Six shots.

*BANG*

The leader went down.

*BANG* *BANG*

The lieutenants went down.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

Three more cartel members felled.

*BANG*

The last man, Beca… missed? He grinned at Beca and raised his gun, Beca freezing in place. Shit. She was out of ammo and he wasn't. She was on the floor, weaponless and screwed. Beca braced herself as the man advanced on her, gun pressed to her forehead as she looked him dead in the eye. If he was going to kill her she was going to make sure he was looking at her whilst he did.

*BANG*

Beca flinched a little, waiting for the world to go black. But it didn't. The man with the gun at her head fell backwards, Beca watching in confusion before looking behind her. Aubrey had managed to drag herself to her feet, clutching at her side and gun aimed at the man that now lay dead in front of them. Beca scrambled to her feet and over to Aubrey just in time as she collapsed again.

"Aubrey!" She caught her and gently lowered her the rest of the way to the ground, "I got you, you're okay."

"I got your s-signal." Aubrey smiled softly, "Watch your left… cover you."

"You did great." Beca grinned tearfully, "And now we're gonna get out of here okay? Get you some help."

Aubrey shook her head weakly, Beca able to feel her growing heavier in her arms as she frowned softly, "I won't make it."

"Yes you will." Beca nodded determinedly, "You're gonna be fine. Just a little longer, c'mon we'll get up and-"

"No." Aubrey shook her head a little, "I've lost… too much blood Beca. It's okay."

"No!" Beca scowled, cursing silently as a tear slipped down her cheek, "Not like this. I won't let you."

Beca cupped Aubrey's face in her hand, leaning in close and brushing her lips over Aubrey's softly. This wasn't how she wanted their first kiss to be, but maybe it would give Aubrey an incentive to just hold on a little longer. Aubrey's hand lifted to rest on the back of her neck as she pulled Beca closer, lips pressing to Beca's in a desperate act to apologise for waiting this long and to communicate everything she had pushed down for months.

"Now, just hold on." Beca stroked Aubrey's cheek, "I'm getting you out of here, and then I'm taking you for a really posh dinner, okay?"

Aubrey simply nodded a little, too exhausted to argue with Beca anymore. She was slipping away, but Aubrey wanted to look at Beca a little longer yet. Just a little bit longer.

"This is going to hurt a bit, bear with me." Beca mumbled, ignoring the pain that flared in her arm as she slid her arms under Aubrey.

It hurt like hell, Aubrey groaning weakly as her head rested against Beca's shoulder. She felt safe there in Beca's arms. Beca would protect her. Beca would get her out of there. All Aubrey had to do know was rest.

Her eyes fluttered shut.

Beca was chewing her bottom lip, head in her hands, fingers tangled in it. She was still covered in Aubrey's blood, her arm throbbed from where it had been stitched up, and there was still no word about Aubrey's condition. It had been hours, surely there had to be news by now?

"Hey."

Beca looked up from her feet, sniffing softly as she took the coffee that Stacie offered her.

"Thanks dude." Beca smiled gratefully, "How's Chloe?"

"She'll be fine." Stacie sat next to Beca with a grin, "We got there just in time, she'll be here for a few days but she'll make a full recovery. Any news on Posen?"

"Would I be sat here like this if there was?" Beca cocked her eyebrow, wincing slightly as pain radiated through her ribs. The bastard had broken a couple when he'd kicked her.

"She'll be fine. A woman that stubborn? No way she's going to let a cartel take her down." Stacie smiled reassuringly at Beca, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

Beca chuckled softly, shaking her head a little as she sniffed again, "She has to be okay Stace."

Before Stacie could tease her a surgeon walked into the waiting room and beelined straight for Beca. She barely heard him over the ringing in her ears and the sound of her heart racing int her chest. She couldn't believe this was happening.

"Can- can I see her?" Beca managed to choke out. She wouldn't believe it. Not until she'd seen it for herself.

She followed the surgeon through the corridors, palms sweaty, chest pounding. Stacie had stayed behind to fill everyone else in. Or she assumed that's what Stacie was doing. She only knew that she wasn't next to her anymore. Beca couldn't believe this. It felt like an odd dream. It all did. This didn't feel real.

"She's in here."

Beca took a deep breath and stepped through the door, nostrils flaring as her eyes fell on Aubrey. She stifled a sob as she moved quickly forward, seizing her hand in hers. Tears ran down her cheeks as she gently brushed the hair from Aubrey's face, bottom lip in tatters at the this point as she chewed on it again.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The first sound that Beca registered was the steady rhythm of the ECG machine. Aubrey was alive. Despite all the odds, Aubrey was alive.

"Beca?"

Beca's head had been dipped as she cried, forehead pressed against their clasped hands. She gasped softly as her eyes found Aubrey's, a smile tugging at her lips. She reached her other hand up to rest it on Aubrey's cheek.

"Hey. I'm here. How're you feeling?"

"Like I was shot." Aubrey grumbled, Beca chuckling softly as she shook her head, "Chloe?"

"She's fine." Beca gave Aubrey's hand a soft squeeze, "She'll be fine in a few days, she just needs to rest."

"And you? Your arm?" Aubrey frowned softly in concern.

"All good." Beca reassured her, "A couple of stiches, nothing more. You should be worrying about you."

"My team comes first." Aubrey mumbled.

"Yeah, you're gonna want to save that speech for the Director. He's not impressed." Beca smirked as Aubrey sank back into the pillows a little more, "But screw him. Everyone got out alive and we took out the biggest cartel on US soil."

"You did." Aubrey smiled softly, "You were kinda badass in there."

Beca shrugged a little, grinning at Aubrey as she squeezed her hand again, "Yeah I kinda was wasn't I?"

Aubrey rolled her eyes, looking over at Beca with a soft look on her face, "You saved my life Beca. I wouldn't be here without you."

"Like I said." Beca's eyes filled with emotion again, "No way I was leaving you in there."

"Kiss me again?" Aubrey whispered, "Now there isn't the threat of death hanging over us, will you kiss me again?"

"Yeah." Beca grinned, easing herself to her feet and pressing her lips against Aubrey's again.

Oh this was so much better. The first time had been incredible, they had finally admitted to how they felt, but this? This was the beginning of a new chapter, the start of something brand new, and as terrifying as it was, it sparked excitement in both of them.

"Better?" Beca mumbled as she pulled back a little to break for air, still not kissing Aubrey as hard and as deep as she wanted to in case she hurt her.

"Yeah." Aubrey nodded a little as she pressed her forehead to Beca's.

She winced a little as the bed shifted, Beca climbing up next to her as she rested her head on her shoulder, hand on her stomach ever so carefully so as not to put pressure on the surgical scar.

"Is- is this okay?" Beca whispered, "I just- I want to be close to you. After nearly losing you I mean."

"It's more than okay." Aubrey smiled softly, winding her arm loosely around Beca's waist, "Wait until they found out you're a big softy really."

"Shut up…" Beca mumbled, "They'd never believe you. I'm too badass."

"Of course you are." Aubrey chuckled softly, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Beca's head, "My little badass."

"Dick." Beca grunted, looking up at Aubrey with a smirk, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too." Aubrey raised her other hand to stroke Beca's cheek, "All thanks to you."

"Don't you forget it." Beca grinned.

Aubrey rolled her eyes but held Beca a little tighter. They were all safe now. Mission accomplishe