STRONGER
Chapter 3

"It isn't your fault, you know," Chloe said just as Beca pulled into the parking lot. "I can tell that's what you're thinking."

"I know," Beca said. "It's just the timing and all. I can't believe my dad's been cheating on my mom. I haven't really liked my dad because of the way he's acted since I came out. And, now, knowing he's cheating on my mom, I'm not even sure if I love him anymore."

A lone tear fell down Beca's cheek. Chloe reached over and wiped it away with the pad of her thumb.

"Let's go inside," Chloe said. "We can talk."

"Okay," Beca said.

The two girls rode the elevator in silence. As soon as they entered the apartment, Chloe went to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She set the glasses down on the coffee table and poured wine into both. She handed a glass to Beca, sitting down next to the younger girl.

"Thanks," Beca said, taking the glass and downing a big sip of her wine.

"Do you want to talk now?" Chloe asked as she sipped her wine.

"I'm not sure what there is to talk about," Beca said, looking into her glass of wine. "You pretty much saw everything tonight. I'm gay, my dad can't accept it, my dad's a cheater, my mom loves me, I don't think my dad does, and now my folks are getting divorced. Did I miss anything?"

"How about this?" Chloe said. "Instead of talking about all that, I'll tell you a secret about me that no one else knows, and then you tell me about losing your boy and girl v card at the same party."

"Wow," Beca said with a laugh. "You really aren't going to let that go are you?"

"Nope," Chloe said with a smirk. "Do you agree? I tell you mine, you tell me yours?"

"Sure, why not?" Beca said. "Go ahead."

"Okay," Chloe said. "So, um, my best friend Aubrey and I had sex when we were Freshmen. We did it mainly because we were drunk and she was curious. I knew I was bi and had sex with a girl before, so it didn't seem like a big deal. I never told anyone, and I don't think she did either. After we did it, she thanked me and said she was definitely only into guys. I was fine with that because, and don't tell Aubrey I said this, it wasn't that good. Sex with girls is awesome, but that night, not so much."

Chloe downed the last of her wine and poured herself more. She held the bottle out to Beca and poured more for her as well.

"Your turn," Chloe said, waving her glass at Beca.

"Wow," Beca said. "So, um, what part is the secret? That you had sex with your best friend or that it was bad?"

"You're an ass," Chloe said with a laugh. "And, both actually."

"Sorry," Beca said and laughed as well. "I promise I won't say anything to anybody."

"Thank you," Chloe said. "Aubrey would die if it came out now. So, quit stalling. Get to it. Tell me your story."

"Okay," Beca said, taking a sip of her wine. "Well, I was a Freshman in High School, and I was dating this guy, Brian, who was a Sophomore. He invited me to this party his sister was having, and, of course, there was beer and liquor. I wasn't drunk, drunk, but I was definitely super tipsy. Anyway, he took me to his room, and he started kissing me. One thing led to another, and we had sex. It was awful. He seemed to have a great time, but I didn't enjoy it one bit."

Beca drank some more wine and looked at Chloe. Chloe was sitting with her elbow on the back of the sofa and her head leaning on her hand.

"After he finished, we went back to the party," Beca said. "We started playing spin the bottle, and his sister's spin landed on me. We got to the middle, and she kissed me. It was a really good kiss, and as I pulled away from her, she grabbed me by the back of my neck and started kissing me again. We really kind of got into it, and everyone around us started whistling and catcalling. When she finally pulled back, she took my hand and led me to her room. We never made it back to the party."

"Wait!" Chloe said, her eyes wide. "You lost your v cards to a guy and his sister on the same night?"

"Yep," Beca said. "Sex with Diane was way better than sex with Brian. It was about 2 months after that and after several more romps with Diane that I came out to my parents. I always found myself attracted to girls, but after being with Diane and Brian, I knew that I was definitely gay."

"Wow," Chloe said. "Did you and Diane date or anything?"

"No," Beca said. "She was a Senior, and we hooked up whenever we got the urge. Then she went off to college, and I started dating someone, so we didn't do it anymore."

"Your story is way more interesting than mine," Chloe said with a smile. "Any other stories you'd like to share tonight?"

"No," Beca said and drank down the last of her wine. "I think I just want to go to sleep and let this day be over already."

"Okay," Chloe said. "It is kind of late. Do you want to go for a run again in the morning? I figure I'll head out about 7:00 if you're interested."

"Sounds good," Beca said. "I'll set my alarm for 6:30. If I'm not up by 6:45, come get me."

"I will," Chloe said.

Beca went to her room. Chloe took the wine glasses to the kitchen and washed them. She went to her room and was standing at the door when Beca walked out of her room to go to the bathroom. She saw Chloe looking a little worried and walked over to her.

"You okay?" Beca asked, causing Chloe to jump.

"You scared me," Chloe said, putting her hand to her chest.

"Sorry," Beca said. "I didn't realize you were so lost in thought. I saw you earlier today, standing here looking into your bedroom. Why do you do that?"

"It's, um," Chloe muttered. "I just have a fear that someone is hiding in my room waiting for me."

"You want me to check to make sure no one's in there for you?" Beca asked.

"You're not going to make fun of me?" Chloe asked quietly.

"No," Beca said. "Why would I? Everyone has a fear of something. As a matter of fact, if you see a spider, don't call me. I hate those things."

Chloe gave her a small smile. She glanced in her room and then looked back at Beca. Beca gave her a smile.

"I got this," Beca said and stepped into the room.

Chloe grabbed Beca's arm. "Be careful."

Beca smiled again and went into the bedroom. She looked all around the room and checked the closet, the ensuite bathroom, and under the bed. She went back to Chloe at the door.

"I promise you," Beca said. "No one is in there. Okay?"

"Thanks," Chloe said.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Beca asked.

"No, um, that's okay," Chloe said nervously, not moving to enter her room. "I'll be fine."

"Um, can I stay anyway? Please?" Beca said, seeing how nervous the redhead was to go in alone. "I kind of don't really want to be alone after all that happened with my dad."

"Oh, in that case, sure," Chloe said. "You can stay here with me."

"I'll just finish getting ready for bed and be back in ten minutes," Beca said. "Okay?"

"Okay," Chloe said and, after taking another quick look around, went into her room.

Beca went to Aubrey's room and got changed. She brushed her teeth and went to Chloe's door. She knocked and walked in when she heard Chloe say, "Come in."

The two girls got into bed; each lying on their back on their own sides of the bed.

"Thanks for being, you know, decent about everything tonight," Beca said.

"Don't mention it," Chloe told her with a smile. "So, you're afraid of spiders, huh? Want to tell me why?"

"Ew, yes, I hate them," Beca said and shuddered. "It's from when I was a little kid. I was about 4, and my parents were watching a movie on TV. I snuck downstairs to watch, and the movie had this big gigantic spider that was attacking people. I had nightmares for what felt like months. Ever since then, I've hated spiders and freak out whenever I see one. Especially if someone doesn't kill it because I think it's out there, getting bigger and bigger, and then it's going to come back for me."

"I can totes see why that would be scary," Chloe said and then laughed.

"Hey, it's not funny," Beca said and slapped Chloe on the arm. "I didn't laugh at you."

The two girls lay there laughing lightly until they both were quiet again.

"Want to tell me why you think someone might be hiding in your room?" Beca said. "Did your family have a break-in or something?"

"Something like that," Chloe said quietly.

Both girls lay there, again not saying anything for a few minutes.

"I found out when I went home for the summer that I have a stalker."

Beca jerked her head up and looked over at Chloe. She didn't say anything and listened as Chloe continued.

"His name is Roger Daniels, and he apparently saw me in a store when I was home earlier for Spring Break," Chloe said. "He became obsessed with finding me. So, when I went home for the summer, I went shopping, and he saw me again. He followed me home and waited until my parents and I had gone out for dinner. He broke in and hid in my bedroom waiting for us, waiting for me to come home."

Chloe stopped and wiped tears from her eyes. Beca moved closer to Chloe and pulled her into a hug. Chloe held onto Beca and buried her face in her neck.

"You don't have to tell me this," Beca said. "I don't want you getting upset."

"No, it's okay," Chloe said. "I feel like I need to tell somebody, and I actually feel safe with you."

"Okay," Beca said and held Chloe tighter. "I'm here for you. Take all the time you need."

"Thanks," Chloe said and cleared her throat.

Chloe snuggled closer to Beca. Beca had to strain to hear when Chloe began speaking again.

"We, um, we got home kind of late," Chloe said. "I wasn't that tired, so I stayed up for a bit. My parents went to bed because they had to work the next day. I went up to my room an hour later. I remember thinking how quiet it was. I went into my room, and when I opened the closet door, he came out and grabbed me, putting his hand over my mouth so I couldn't scream. He held a big hunting knife up to my face and told me I had to be quiet or he would use the knife on my parents."

Beca could feel Chloe trembling. "Do you want to stop?" Beca asked softly. "You don't have to tell me any more."

"No," Chloe said. "I, I want to tell you."

"Okay," Beca said. "But, don't feel like you have to continue. You can stop anytime."

Chloe held onto Beca's shirt and gathered her thoughts. Beca just held her and waited patiently for Chloe to decide if she wanted to continue.

"He laid down on the bed with me," Chloe continued telling her story. "He held me from behind like the big spoon and kept the knife in front of my face, so I would constantly see it. I guess I fell asleep, and when I woke up, he had his hand over my mouth. I could hear my mom and dad moving around, getting ready for work. I wanted to scream but he was too strong and his hand was still covering my mouth. I struggled, but I couldn't break free from him. He made me lay there with him until we heard my parents leave the house. I was really scared because they would be gone all day. I was crying because I didn't know what he was going to do with me."

Beca could feel Chloe's tears on her neck and her shirt. She continued to just hold the older girl and let her tell her story. Chloe wiped at the tears.

"Did he, um-," Beca murmured. "Did he, you know?"

"No, thank God," Chloe said and shuddered at the thought. "But, I was so afraid he was going to. Instead, all he did was force me to cook him breakfast, and then he held me while we sat on the sofa watching TV. He kept talking about how great it would be once we were married. I was so scared that I just sat there. Around 2:00 or so, there was a knock on the door. He pointed the knife at me and told me to get rid of whoever was there. He stood behind the door when I opened it. It was our mailman. He said he had a package for my dad that he needed a signature for. I told him he had the wrong house, that it was actually for the neighbor next door. He looked at me, and I kept giving side glances to the door, hoping he'd realize something was up. I could tell he figured it out because he apologized and left. Daniels watched out the window as the postman looked at the package and then calmly walked over to the house next door. He had the neighbors call the police."

Chloe stopped, and Beca held her breath. Chloe's tears had slowed, and she was speaking in an almost monotone voice like she wasn't herself.

"Maybe we should stop," Beca said.

"No," Chloe said quickly. "I need to do this, and there's not much left to tell. About 10 minutes after the mailman left, an officer came to the door and said that my car was parked illegally and I would have to move it. I quickly glanced at Daniels, and the officer saw me and realized someone was hiding behind the door. He grabbed me and pulled me outside as he shoved his shoulder against the door, knocking Daniels down. I ran out and went over to the neighbors. The officer grabbed Daniels as soon as he entered the house, and they started fighting. Daniels stabbed the officer just as another officer ran in. Before he could grab Daniels, he ran out the back door. The officer chased him but lost him, and Daniels got away. There was a manhunt, but they never found him. When they searched his apartment, they found sketches he had drawn of me. Some of them were graphic and pretty disgusting, according to the police. Since he got away, I've been so afraid he would find me again. I'm even more afraid because they don't know where he is. His name is flagged, so if he gets arrested anywhere, the Tampa cops will be notified. But, for now, he's just out there. Somewhere."

Beca lay there not knowing what to say. She thought how frightening it must have been for Chloe.

"Did the cop survive?" Beca asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "He was lucky. The wound wasn't very deep and didn't hit any vital organs."

"If you ever get scared," Beca said. "Or your roommate isn't going to be around, call me. I'll stay with you or pick you up. Whatever you need. Okay?"

"I can't let you do that, Beca," Chloe said as she sat up and looked at Beca. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Chloe, I've seen how you get," Beca said as she sat up. "You've had like two or three panic attacks in as many days. I know what to do to help you. So, I don't care where you are or what time it is, you call me, and I'll be there, wherever there might be. That, or you'll have to tell Aubrey everything."

"I don't want Aubrey to know yet," Chloe said quietly. "She's already stressing about the Bellas and school. If she knows about this, she'll freak out even more. I can't have us both freaking out over this."

"Then there's your answer," Beca said and rubbed Chloe's arm. "You'll call me. Just be honest with Aubrey. Tell her our moms were friends when we were both really young, and they ran into each other, and we started hanging out. That way, it won't be weird if you invite me over and stuff."

"Thanks, Beca," Chloe said after a few minutes. "It means a lot to me that you're willing to do all this."

"Let's get some sleep," Beca said. "It's getting late."

"Goodnight, Beca," Chloe said and laid down.

"Goodnight," Beca said and got comfortable. "And don't worry, you're safe with me."

"Okay," Chloe said. "Thank you."

Minutes later, Beca and Chloe were asleep.

Sometime during the night, Chloe woke up and found herself with Beca's arms around her, holding her close. She felt safe and slept through the rest of the night without having a nightmare for what felt like the first time in months.

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

The next morning, Chloe woke first and found herself in the little spoon position again, and she didn't freak out. A smile came to her face as she relaxed in the safety of Beca's arms. She lay there for a few more minutes enjoying the safe feeling. She saw it was almost 6:30 and decided to wake Beca so they could get ready for their run.

"Hey, Beca," Chloe said and gently shook the younger girl.

"Hmmm?" Beca mumbled.

"It's 6:30," Chloe said. "Do you still want to go for a run with me?"

"Yeah," Beca said and stretched a bit. The two girls sat up, and Beca smiled at Chloe. "I'll get changed and meet you downstairs. I want to pack up my stuff, so I won't have to do it later."

"Okay," Chloe said as the two got out of bed. "I'll see you downstairs in thirty minutes."

Beca went to Aubrey's room to pack and get dressed. Once she was ready, she took her bag and left it by the front door. Chloe came down a few minutes later.

"Hey, why don't we take one of the trails that lead to Barden," Beca suggested. "We can get coffee at the diner close to my dorm."

"Sounds good," Chloe said. "Last one to the diner has to buy?"

"You're on," Beca said. "And no cheating this time."

"And try not to be a sore loser when I beat you fair and square," Chloe said with a laugh.

Beca lost the race and bought their coffee. They are chatting over coffee, and Beca is surprised they haven't run out of things to talk about. She was almost sad to leave when Chloe said they should head back to the apartment. They are laughing about something as Chloe opens the door. Chloe froze then she heard a sound coming from somewhere back by the bedrooms as if someone was rummaging around. They both stood in the doorway, not knowing what to do. Chloe started shaking, so Beca took Chloe's hands and got her to look at her.

"I'm going to check it out," Beca whispered. "You go across the hall and ask them to call the police. Stay there until I come to get you, okay?"

Choe just stood there looking pale and frightened, tears streaming down her face.

"No, please don't leave me," Chloe pleaded and grabbed Beca by the arm.

"Okay, okay," Beca said and pulled Chloe to her. Beca walked them out the door and quietly closed it. She maintained her hold on Chloe and hurried to the door across the hall. She knocked, keeping her eye on Chloe's apartment door. A man answered, and Beca saw a brunette woman standing behind him.

"We're sorry to bother you," Beca said. "I'm Beca, and this is Chloe. She lives across the hall, and we came home just now and heard a noise coming from somewhere near the back by the bedrooms. She's really scared, and we were wondering if we could stay here and call the police."

"Absolutely," the man said and let the two girls in. "I'm Jesse. Do you want me to check it out? It could be nothing."

"That's a good idea," Beca said and gave him Chloe's key. "I'm sure it's nothing, but it will definitely help make Chloe feel better."

"Stacie, if I'm not back in ten minutes, call 9-1-1," Jesse said. The woman nodded as Jesse grabbed a baseball bat by the door and left the apartment.

"Come in and sit down," Stacie tells them. "I'm Stacie Conrad. Jesse's cousin."

"I'm Beca Mitchell, and this is Chloe Beale," Beca tells her. "Chloe's family had a break-in a few months ago, and they, um, walked in on the robber. It really affected her."

"You poor thing," Stacie said. "Would you like some water or something?"

Chloe just nodded her head as she continued to cling to Beca. Stacie went to the kitchen.

While Stacie was gone, Beca helped Chloe get her breathing under control. Chloe's anxiety hadn't been that bad before then. She clung to Beca's arm as Beca held her.

Once she was calm, Chloe quietly asked Beca, "Do you think he found me?"

"No," Beca reassured her. "It could have been anything. Let's wait to see what that guy Jesse finds, okay?"

Stacie handed Chloe the water, and she thanked Stacie. It wasn't long before Jesse walked back into the apartment. He was followed by a very upset blonde.

"Chloe!" the blonde said, running over to her. "Are you okay?"

Chloe just nodded and let the blonde grab her into a hug. Chloe clung to Aubrey like she had been clinging to Beca.

"Um, you must be Aubrey," Beca said, moving away from Chloe to allow Aubrey to take over comforting the redhead. "I'm Beca. Sorry about all this."

"She was just unpacking when I made it to the room she was in," Jesse told them. "I told her who I was and why I was there. She immediately wanted to come to check on her friend."

"Oh, God," Chloe said. "I'm so sorry, Brey. I thought you weren't coming until later."

"It's okay, Chlo," Beca said, rubbing her arm. "No harm done."

"Who are you?" Aubrey asked, looking at Beca.

"Oh, I'm Beca Mitchell," Beca tells her. "Chloe and I had just returned from a run and heard a noise when we entered the apartment. Chloe got a bit freaked out because her family walked in on a robber a couple of months ago when she was home for Summer Break."

Beca again couldn't believe how easily the lie came out.

"Chloe, why didn't I know about this?" Aubrey asked the redhead.

"I didn't think it was that big a deal," Chloe responded, feeling much calmer now. "I didn't realize how much it had affected me until I thought someone had broken into our apartment. Thanks for your help, Jesse. I'm sorry we bothered you."

"We're neighbors," Jesse said with a smile. "It wasn't a bother. It's what neighbors do."

"Well, thank you anyway, Jesse," Aubrey said. "For helping Chloe and Beca."

"Do you all go to Barden?" Stacie asked.

"Um, yeah, we do," Beca responded.

"Stacie's my cousin," Jesse said as if he wanted to make sure the girls knew he was single.

"That's, um, nice," Aubrey said. "We'll leave you guys alone. Thanks again."

"It was nice meeting you all," Stacie said. "I'm glad everything turned out okay."

The three girls exit the apartment and walk across the hall. Beca entered last, so she closed the door and stood there, unsure of what to do. Aubrey and Chloe were sitting on the sofa.

"Beca, get over here," Chloe said.

Beca slowly walked over to the redhead and sat in the chair opposite her.

"Brey," Chloe said. "This is Beca Mitchell. She's an incoming Freshman at Barden. Our families knew each other back when we were both really young. My mom and I met up with Beca and her mom while we were out shopping. Beca, this is my best friend and roommate, Aubrey Posen."

"It's nice to meet you, Aubrey," Beca said quietly.

"You, too," Aubrey said. "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?"

Beca opened her mouth but shut it just as quickly. She didn't know what Chloe wanted to tell Aubrey. She looked over at Chloe.

"She stayed here with me," Chloe said. "Because of the robbery and everything, I was afraid to stay by myself, and she offered to keep me company until you got here."

"Oh, I see," Aubrey said and turned toward Beca. "Thank you, Beca. For being there for Chloe."

"No problem," Beca said, looking at Aubrey. "Um, since you're here and Chloe won't be alone, I'm going to head home now. Chloe, don't forget my mom has invited you two to dinner at our house tonight."

"Are you cooking?" Chloe asked.

"Probably," Beca said. "I've been craving Mexican food since I didn't get any last night."

"Mmm, sounds good," Chloe said. "I'll be there. Brey? How about you?"

"Yes, thank you," Aubrey said.

"Great," Beca said and smiled. "I'll see you guys around sixish. I'm just going to change before I go, if that's okay with you?"

"Sure," Chloe said. "Go change."

Beca grabbed some jeans and a shirt out of her bag and left the room. Chloe watched her with a small smile on her face.

"You like her," Aubrey said.

"What?" Chloe said. "No. I mean I like her because she's been really nice to me. But, that's it."

Aubrey didn't say anything. Chloe looked at her and saw Aubrey giving her a look telling her she wasn't convinced.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"Come on, Chloe," Aubrey said. "It's me you're talking to. I know your I really like someone look, and you're wearing that look right now."

"Okay, fine. I do kind of like her," Chloe admitted. "She's so easy to talk to, and she barely knows me, and she offered to stay with me so I'd be more comfortable. Plus, she's really hot. So, yeah, I like her, but she's been such a good friend, and I don't want to scare her off."

Beca came back and threw her dirty clothes in her bag, and reached for the door. "It was nice meeting you, Aubrey," she said to the blonde. "I'll see you both later."

"Nice meeting you, too," Aubrey said.

Chloe walked over to the door and stepped outside with Beca. She grabbed Beca in a hug and said, "Thanks for everything, Beca."

"You're welcome," Beca said with a smile. "And, don't forget. If you need me, I'm there. Okay?"

"Okay," Chloe said.

"Oh, I changed the sheets on Aubrey's bed," Beca said. "I didn't feel right using her bed and not changing the sheets."

"You didn't have to do that," Chloe said. "But, thanks."

"I'll see you guys around six," Beca said.

"We'll be there," Chloe said.

Beca gave Chloe a small wave as she turned and walked away. Chloe watched until Beca reached the elevator. She sighed and went back into the apartment, hoping Aubrey wouldn't keep asking questions about why Beca was there.

A/N: Another shoutout to anotherbechloeshipper for betaing for me.