STRONGER
Chapter 6

Beca and Chloe sat across from each other, perusing their menus. Chloe looked up at Beca and smiled.

"They have stuffed shells," Chloe said. "I was thinking of getting them, but I'm sure they're not as good as yours."

Beca chuckled softly. "They have better equipment and a trained chef. I'm pretty sure they'll taste much better than mine."

"Hmm, maybe," Chloe said. "What are you thinking of ordering?"

"I'm thinking of getting the lasagna," Beca said. "I love eating it but hate making it except for special occasions."

"Why?"

Beca sighed and set her menu to the side.

"Well, when I make lasagna, I make a homemade sauce and fresh pasta," Beca said. "So, I spend hours making it. Then you sit down to eat, and ten minutes later, you're done; it just doesn't seem worth it.

"Wow," Chloe said. "You make your own sauce and fresh pasta?

"Yeah," Beca said. "Not to brag, but when I say homemade sauce, I mean I use fresh tomatoes and not canned."

"That's impressive," Chloe said. "Would you make me lasagna if I asked you to?"

"Only if it's just for me and you," Beca said, smiling.

Chloe smiled and opened her mouth to say something but shut it quickly when the waiter appeared at their table.

"Are you ready to order?" the waiter asked.

"Oh, yes," Chloe said. "I'll have the portobello mushroom ravioli and a side salad with house dressing, please."

"Excellent choice, miss," the waiter said, turning to Beca. "And, for you, miss."

"I'll have the lasagna and a side salad with the house dressing," Beca responded.

"Excellent," the waiter said, taking the menus and walking away from the table.

After the waiter was gone, something caught Beca's eye, and she sat up and looked over at another table. The girl sitting there was staring over her shoulder at Beca.

"No, fucking way," Beca muttered, glaring at the girl.

"Is everything okay?" Chloe asked.

"I'm not sure," Beca said, standing. "I'll be right back."

Chloe watched as Beca stomped over to the other table.

"Are you following me now?" Beca asked the girl sitting at the table.

Chloe tried to see who Beca was talking to, but she could not see much since the girl's back was to Chloe.

"Who is that?" Chloe thought as she continued to watch Beca and the girl.

"Hi, Beca," the girl said.

"Don't hi, Beca, me," Beca said. "How did you even know I was here?"

"I followed you," the girls said with a shrug. "I just wanted to see you so we could talk."

"I've already told you I don't ever want to talk to you again, Kelsey," Beca said. "And I don't appreciate you following me on my date."

"Don't be like that, Beca," Kelsey said, standing and putting a hand on Beca's arm.

Beca jerked her arm away from Kelsey. "Don't touch me."

"Come on, Beca. How many times do I need to apologize before you forgive me?"

"I will never forgive you. And I want nothing to do with you, ever! Just leave me alone."

Chloe hurried over to Beca. "Beca, is everything okay here?"

"No," Beca said, causing Chloe to glare at Kelsey.

"We can leave if you want," Chloe said.

"No," Beca said, taking Chloe's hand, a move Kelsey noticed. "We came to have a nice dinner, and that's what we're going to do. Let's just ignore Kelsey and go back to our table."

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked. "I don't mind if we leave."

"She's already messed up enough of my life, I'm not going to allow her to mess up our evening," Beca said, seeing the waiter standing at their table, watching them. "Besides, the waiter has our salads. Let's go eat."

"Okay," Chloe said as she and Beca walked back to their table without a second glance at Kelsey.

"Is everything okay, miss?" the waiter asked, setting their salads on the table.

"Not really," Beca replied, pointing at Kelsey, standing where Beca and Chloe left her. "That girl is an ex-girlfriend of mine, and she's apparently stalking me. She even admitted to following me here."

"Would you like me to have her removed from the premises?"

"You can do that?" Beca asked as she and Chloe took their seats.

"Yes, I can."

Beca and Chloe watched as the waiter walked over to Kelsey and whispered something to her. Kelsey glared at Beca and Chloe but allowed the waiter to quietly escort her out of the restaurant.

"Ex-girlfriend, huh?" Chloe said, looking at Beca.

"Yeah," Beca said. "I'm sorry about that."

"So, what's the story behind all that?"

Beca grimaced and looked at Chloe.

"Do you remember when my mom and I first met up with you and your mom at the mall?"

"Yeah."

"And when we were at lunch, my mom said something about the girl who shall not be named?"

"That's her?"

"Yeah, that's her; her name is Kelsey," Beca said. "Anyway, we dated when I was a Junior. She cheated on me, and I broke up with her. She got mad and slashed the tires on my car. I knew it was her, so I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do since I didn't actually see her do it. For almost a year, she would call me at all hours of the night and come by the house late at night, blaring her car radio. One time she ran over our mailbox and then filed a police report saying I damaged her car. My mom finally got tired of all her shit and talked to some of her friends on the police force about it. I don't know what they did or said, but it got her to stop harassing me. She hasn't bothered me since before I graduated, and I thought I was done with her. Apparently, I thought wrong."

"What are you going to do?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know," Beca said, running a hand through her hair. "All I can think to do is ignore her, I guess. I do know that I refuse to live my life in fear of what she might do."

Chloe looked at Beca. Beca looked back at her with surprise, realizing what she had said and how Chloe must have construed it.

"Oh god," Beca said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by that. Our situations are totally different. I wasn't threatened with a knife or held captive for hours by some lunatic."

"It's okay, Beca," Chloe said. "I know what you meant. And you're right, you shouldn't have to live in fear of what she might do. I wish I could be as strong as you and not react whenever I see someone that looks like him."

"You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for," Beca said. "Now, let's forget about both our stalkers and enjoy our date."

Chloe nodded as a tear ran down her cheek. Beca saw this and moved to stand in front of Chloe. She took Chloe's face in her hands, wiping the tear away with her thumb.

"I know you see yourself as being weak," Beca said as she stared into Chloe's eyes. "But, I don't see you that way. I see a beautiful, confident woman who suffered something traumatic and still manages to keep going. You, Chloe Beale, are one of the strongest people I know."

Beca leaned down and kissed Chloe's lips. After a few seconds, she pulled back and turned to sit in her seat.

"You're not just saying that to get into my pants on the first date, are you?" Chloe said, chuckling as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"You got me," Beca said, laughing as she leaned back in her chair.

The two stared at each other for a moment. Then, they both sighed and started eating, chatting as if they had never been interrupted.

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

Beca took Chloe's hand as Chloe drove them home after the movie.

"We did a lot of talking at dinner," Beca said, playing with Chloe's fingers. "But we didn't talk about what you want for your birthday dinner."

"Oh, you're right," Chloe said. "I was having such a nice time; I totally forgot about that."

"So, what are you thinking you want to have? How many people do I need to plan for?"

"I was thinking it would be us, Aubrey, and all the Bellas," Chloe said. "That makes ten, and I was hoping you could do a Mexican feast like you did for that dinner for Aubrey and me. We're still talking about how much we enjoyed it."

"That's a good idea," Beca said, blushing slightly. "And, it's easy to make a large batch of whatever you decide you want."

"We definitely need to have some homemade guac and salsa," Chloe said. "A taco bar would be fun. But your fajitas were really good, too." Chloe stopped and chuckled. "Everything was so amazingly good that I can't decide what to ask for."

"I can put together a menu for you," Beca said. "And you can decide if you want to add to it or change it. How does that sound?"

"I like that idea," Chloe said, smiling brightly. "I also talked to Brey about it, and I think we're going to forego going to a club. Instead, I'm inviting a few more friends to join us after dinner and have a party at our place."

"That sounds like a great idea," Beca said. "I know your birthday is during the Thanksgiving break, but what day are you planning on having your party?"

"I'm thinking the Saturday after everyone gets back from the break," Chloe said. "I think that's December first."

"Let me check to be sure," Beca said, checking the calendar on her phone. "It is December first. And it's only two weeks from tomorrow; you should invite everyone now before they leave for Thanksgiving."

"I was planning on announcing the dinner and party to the Bellas at practice tomorrow," Chloe said. "And I'll give personal invites for the party portion to a few friends from my classes on Monday and Tuesday."

Chloe pulled to the curb outside Beca's dorm.

"I had a really nice time," Beca said, unlatching her seatbelt. "Would you want to go out again, say brunch on Sunday?"

"I'd love that," Chloe said, smiling brightly. "I'll see you tomorrow at practice."

"Yeah," Beca said, opening the car door. "See you tomorrow."

Beca sighed as she got out of the car. She gave Chloe a quick wave and closed the car door. Beca was walking toward her building when she was startled by someone grabbing her arm. She was spun around to come face-to-face with Chloe.

"You forgot something," Chloe said, smashing her lips against Beca's.

"Mmm," Beca mumbled as her hands found their way to Chloe's waist. She pulled Chloe closer and deepened the kiss.

Chloe pulled back from the kiss with a smile on her face. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Chloe then turned and hurried back to her car, leaving Beca standing alone with her fingertips on her lips and a smile on her face.

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

The next day, Beca arrived at practice to find everyone milling around and talking.

"Okay, everyone," Aubrey said, clapping her hands to get their attention. "Let's settle down. Chloe has something she wants to say."

The girls grumble but finally settle down. Aubrey looks at Chloe and smiles.

"Go ahead, Chloe."

"Thanks, Brey," Chloe said. "Okay, so you may not know this, but my twenty-first birthday is coming up, and you're all invited to our place for a nice dinner and party after."

"When is it?" Stacie asked.

"My birthday or the party?" Chloe asked.

"Both," Stacie said, chuckling.

"My birthday is on November twenty-fourth," Chloe said. "The dinner and party will be on Saturday, December first. We're planning for dinner at six with the party starting at around nine. That should give us time to eat and clean up after."

"What are we having for dinner?" Fat Amy asked.

Chloe looked at Beca and smiled.

"Beca, do you want to take that question?"

"Um, yeah, sure," Beca said. "Chloe wants to have a Mexican feast, but we're still discussing the menu."

"Why are you discussing the menu with Chloe?" Ashley asked.

"I'm, uh, cooking the dinner for her," Beca said.

"You'll love it," Chloe said, looking around at the girls. "Trust me, Beca's a great cook."

"I'm in," Stacie said.

"Me, too," Jessica said.

Everyone else called out 'me, too.'

"Great," Chloe said. "I'm looking forward to celebrating with you all."

"Okay," Aubrey said, clapping her hands again. "Let's get this practice started. Everyone into position."

The girls took their starting positions, and Aubrey counted them off. Aubrey ran them through the routine several times before ending rehearsal.

After Aubrey dismissed the girls, Chloe ran over to Beca.

"Hey, you wanna come over later?" Chloe asked. "Aubrey's going to be out with her LSAT study group. We can have a study date of our own."

"Do you want me to go with you now?" Beca asked quietly.

"No, Brey will want to shower and change before she goes," Chloe said. "I won't have to go home alone. Thanks for asking, though."

"No worries," Beca said. "I'm going to go to my mom's, so I can get my car. I'll shower and change there and be at your place in about an hour, is that okay?"

"That's perfect," Chloe said, giving Beca a quick kiss. "I'll see you later."

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

One hour later, Beca knocked on Chloe and Aubrey's apartment door.

"I'm glad you're here," Aubrey said as she pulled Beca into the apartment.

"What's going on?" Beca asked. "Where's Chloe?"

"She's out on the balcony," Aubrey said. "She's a bit…upset. There was a note tucked into our door, and when Chloe saw it, she froze and started visibly shaking. When I asked her what was wrong, all she said was that she needed you."

Aubrey was rigid as she stood looking at Beca. Beca breathed in through her nose and let it out slowly. She looked over and could see Chloe sitting on the balcony with her back to them.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" Aubrey asked, looking toward Chloe as well.

"Yeah, I think I do," Beca said. "I'll go talk to her."

"Thank you," Aubrey said, her shoulders relaxing in relief.

Beca walked over to the balcony doors and slowly opened them so as not to frighten Chloe.

"Hey," Beca said. "Are you okay?"

Chloe jumped up and threw her arms around Beca.

"I saw a stupid piece of paper stuck in our door, and I got scared," Chloe mumbled into Beca's neck. "It was just a note from our upstairs neighbor letting us know they were going to have a party this weekend and to call them if things got too loud. I thought it was -"

"I get it," Beca said, running her hands up and down Chloe's back. She pulled back and looked at Chloe. "Do you think now is a good time to let Aubrey know what happened over the summer? She's really worried about you."

"I don't know," Choe said, chewing her lip. "I don't want to worry her even more."

"After seeing your reaction, I think she's already worried," Beca said, taking Chloe's hands in hers. "Think of it this way. What if, by some off chance, this Daniels guy finds out where you live, and Aubrey is here alone? Would you want her to let him in, not knowing how dangerous he is? Or could be?"

Chloe looked down at their joined hands and sighed. She looked inside and saw Aubrey looking back at her, concern etched on her face.

"You're right," Chloe said, nodding. "Will you stay close by while I tell her?"

"Of course," Beca said. "And, for what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing."

Chloe took Beca's hand and led her back inside.

"Hey, Brey," Chloe said as Aubrey watched them. "I know you need to get to your study group, but could you give me a few minutes? I have something I need to tell you."

Aubrey nodded and sat in the chair next to the sofa; Chloe and Beca sat side by side on the sofa. Beca took Chloe's hand and gently squeezed it.

"Okay," Chloe began. "So, um, I found out I have a stalker over the summer."

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

Twenty minutes later, Aubrey sat in stunned silence as Chloe finished her story.

"And when I saw that note sticking in the door," Chloe said, wiping tears from her eyes. "I thought he might have found me."

"So, you told Beca all this before you told me?" Aubrey asked.

"I'm sorry, Brey," Chloe said. "You had so much on your plate, I didn't want to add any more to it."

"Aubrey, don't be mad at Chloe," Beca said. "She only told me because I witnessed her having several panic attacks over things that reminded her of what she went through. It was nothing against you."

"I'm not mad," Aubrey said. "I'm glad you had someone to talk to about it. But I'm also hurt it took you this long to tell me. I'm your best friend, Chloe. I don't care what else is going on in our lives, that will never change."

"I know," Chloe whispered. "And, I'm really sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Beca told me I should, but I wasn't ready to tell you yet."

"So, this guy is still out there?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah. The police are supposed to let me or my family know if his name comes up in any police inquiries. We haven't been contacted, so he's still at large."

"What are you going to do when you go home for Thanksgiving?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Tampa is where he first saw you. Tampa is where he held you hostage in your home. It would stand to reason that he's from Tampa, and he's been keeping a low profile so he won't be picked up. He knows where you live, so what's to keep him from coming for you again if you go to Tampa?"

Chloe's eyes widened as she stared at Aubrey. She swallowed and whispered, "I never thought of that."

"It's okay, Chloe," Beca said, squeezing Chloe's hand.

"What if he's still there?" Chloe cried. "How am I ever supposed to feel safe if he's out there waiting for me to come home?"

Beca pulled Chloe to her and held her while she cried.

"I have an idea," Beca said, rubbing Chloe's back. "Why don't we invite your folks here for Thanksgiving? My mom and I are hosting a few of the Bellas who can't go home, so a few more people around the table won't matter."

"That's actually a good idea, Chloe," Aubrey said. "I'd feel much better knowing you were safe here than possibly not so safe in Tampa."

"So would I," Beca said. "What do you say, babe? We invite your folks, and you stay here and have Thanksgiving with me?"

Aubrey's phone pinged with a text. She frowned as she read it.

"I have to go," she said. "The study group is wondering where I am."

"You should go," Beca said. "I'll stay with Chloe."

"Thank you, Beca," Aubrey said. "I'll see you later, Chloe."

Chloe nodded as Aubrey grabbed her bags and hurried out of the apartment.

"What do you want to do about Thanksgiving?" Beca asked once Aubrey was gone.

Chloe chewed her lip. "Are you sure your mom won't mind?"

"Positive," Beca said. "I'll call her right now and double-check if you want."

"Okay," Chloe said, nodding. "Call her. Once I know she's okay with it, then I can call my folks."

Beca didn't say anything; she pulled out her phone and made the call to her mother.

"Beca? Is everything okay?" Sarah asked as soon as she answered the call.

Beca chuckled. "Everything's great, mom. I have you on speaker, and I'm with Chloe. I wanted to check to see if it would be okay if I invited the Beales to Thanksgiving at our house. Chloe was supposed to go home, but she's um, she's still afraid after what happened the last time she was home."

"That's a splendid idea," Sarah said. "It would be nice to see Charlotte and Carl again."

"Thank you, Sarah," Chloe said. "I'll call my folks and let them know if that's okay with you."

"That's fine," Sarah said. "And tell them they are welcome to stay here at my house if they want."

"I was thinking they would just stay here with me," Chloe said.

"Well, the offer is there if they want to take me up on it," Sarah said.

"I'll let them know," Chloe said. "Thanks again for the invite, Sarah. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Sarah said. "I'll talk to you later, Beca. Love you!"

"Love you, too, mom. Bye," Beca said and ended the call. She looked at Chloe and smiled. "See? No problem."

Chloe pulled out her phone and made the call to her mother.

"Hey, mom," Chloe said when Charlotte answered the call.

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

It was just after noon on the day before Thanksgiving, and Chloe was driving home after dropping Aubrey off at the airport when her phone rang. She enabled her car's Bluetooth and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Beca said. "I just wanted to let you know I'm in your apartment. I didn't want to frighten you when you got here. I have something to ask you, but I don't want to do it over the phone."

"Oh, okay. That's fine. I should be there in about ten minutes or so."

"Okay," Beca said. "I'll see you when you get here."

Fifteen minutes later, Chloe came through the door and smiled when she saw Beca standing in front of the door.

"I heard your keys in the door," Beca said, blushing.

Chloe pulled Beca into a kiss. After a moment, Chloe pulled back and looked at Beca.

"Hey, you," Chloe said, smiling.

"Hey, yourself," Beca said, taking Chloe's hand and leading her over to the sofa.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" Chloe asked once they were seated.

"Well, I was thinking that since Aubrey's gone and your folks won't be here until sometime tomorrow morning, you might want to stay at my mom's house with me tonight," Beca said.

"Oh, um, I was going to ask if you would stay here with me."

"I would do that, but I need to help my mom with Thanksgiving dinner. And, we usually start everything the night before. So, please come stay with me tonight." Beca grinned at Chloe. "I'll teach you how to brine a turkey."

Chloe laughed and pulled Beca in for another kiss. "I'd love for you to teach me how to brine a turkey. Let me pack a bag, and we can go."

"Yes," Beca cheered as Chloe went to her room to pack.

Thirty minutes later, the couple was laughing as they walked hand in hand into the Mitchell home. Sarah came in from the kitchen and noticed Chloe's overnight bag.

"Welcome, Chloe," Sarah said. "I see this one convinced you to stay with us tonight."

"She offered to teach me how to brine a turkey," Chloe said, smiling, setting her bag by the door. "How could I say no to that?"

"I guess we should get started on that then."

Sarah went back to the kitchen, and Chloe started to follow. Beca held Chloe's hand and pulled her back. Chloe looked at Beca in surprise; Beca kissed Chloe. Chloe smiled into the kiss.

Beca pulled back and said, "I love that I get to do that now."

"Feel free to do that any time you want," Chloe said, leaning in for another kiss.

The kiss broke naturally, and the two went into the kitchen.

"What can I help with?" Chloe asked as soon as she saw Sarah.

"I'm making pies," Sarah said. "You can help me if you'd like."

"I thought I was going to teach you how to brine a turkey," Beca said.

"Um," Chloe said, looking between Sarah and Beca. "I kind of would rather help make pies."

"What!?" Beca said with faux indignation. "You'd rather help my mother than me? I'm shocked, I tell you. Shocked!"

"Don't be such a drama queen, Beca," Sarah said, laughing at her daughter.

Chloe laughed as well. She walked over and pulled Beca into a hug.

"I'll make it up to you later," Chloe whispered before pulling out of the hug.

Beca swallowed loudly and blushed.

"I don't know what you said to her," Sarah said. "But it must have been good based on the shade of red on her cheeks."

If it was possible, Beca's cheeks reddened more as Chloe and Sarah laughed at her.

"I've had enough nonsense from you two," Beca huffed. "I have a turkey to brine."

"I'm hungry," Sarah said. "How about I order us something for delivery? We can get the pies ready for the oven and take a break to eat when the food gets here."

"I could eat," Chloe said. "How about you, Beca?"

"I'm in," Beca said. "Can we order Chines or Thai?"

"I vote Chinese," Chloe said.

"I'm good with Chinese," Sarah said, pulling out her phone. "I'm ordering from Wongs. What would you like?"

Beca and Chloe relayed their orders to Sarah. Sarah placed the order and ended the call.

"Food should be here in about thirty minutes," Sarah told the girls. "Let's get those pies started, Chloe."

"Yes, ma'am," Chloe said, going to the sink to wash her hands. She dried her hands and walked over to Sarah. "What do you need me to do?"