STRONGER
Chapter 7
Later that night, the three women were in bed. Sarah was asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow. Beca was in her room, tossing and turning, unable to get to sleep. All she could think about was Chloe in the room next door.
Chloe was in no better shape than Beca. She was startled by sudden noises and was beginning to get lost in her head about what those noises meant. She finally threw the covers off and got out of bed.
Beca heard the unmistakable creaking sound of the floorboards outside her room and smiled. She waited and watched as her door slowly opened.
"Beca?" Chloe's voice whispered from the doorway.
"Yeah?"
"I'm scared, can I sleep in here with you?"
Beca couldn't help how her smile grew as she noticed Chloe was already moving toward her bed.
"Come on," Beca said, holding up the blanket for Chloe to crawl in.
Once Chloe was in the bed, Beca dropped the blanket over them. She pulled Chloe to her and whispered, "I was wondering how long it was going to take you to come in here."
"You could have just invited me in to begin with," Chloe whispered. "It would have saved me a lot of anxiety."
"You don't need a special invitation," Beca said. "You have an open invitation to invade my space anytime you want."
"Anytime, huh?"
"Yep."
"So, if I got into your personal space right now," Chloe said as she moved up so she was lying on her side face-to-face with Beca, "what would you do?"
"Um, probably something like this," Beca said, throwing her leg over Chloe and rolling them so she was now hovering over Chloe.
Beca leaned down and smashed their lips together. Chloe moaned and pressed into the kiss. Beca broke the kiss and looked into Chloe's eyes.
"I've got you now," Beca whispered.
"So, what are you going to do with me?"
Beca smiled and bent down to recapture Chloe's lips. Beca raised herself slightly using her left arm. She then shifted and used her right knee to push Chloe's legs apart. As soon as Chloe's legs parted, Beca pushed her knee into Chloe's core; Chloe thrust against Beca's knee, moaning as she did.
Beca pulled back from the kiss and looked into Chloe's eyes.
"I want you," Beca murmured.
"So, take me," Chloe responded with a smile.
Those words spurred Beca on. She used her right hand to start unbuttoning Chloe's pajama top. She popped the final button and used her hand to open the shirt, exposing Chloe's breasts.
"My god, you're beautiful," Beca mumbled as she teasingly flicked her tongue across Chloe's nipple.
Beca smiled at the sinful moan she elicited from Chloe. She then used her right hand to palm Chloe's breast as she leaned down and took the other fully into her mouth to continue using her tongue to lick around the pebbled nipple.
Chloe's hand made its way to the back of Beca's head; she held Beca's head in place as Beca continued her assault on Chloe's breast.
"I want to see you, too," Chloe whisper-moaned.
Beca removed her mouth from Chloe's breast. The resounding pop echoed around the room. She then sat up so she was straddling Chloe's hips. Beca removed her t-shirt, exposing her bare chest to Chloe. She tossed the shirt over her shoulder.
"Talk about beautiful," Chloe said, sitting up to wrap her arms around Beca, whispering, "You're exquisite," before smashing their lips together.
Beca wrapped her arms around Chloe's shoulders and deepened the kiss. Chloe broke the kiss and started kissing down Beca's jaw and neck. Chloe slid her hands down and squeezed Beca's ass, pulling her closer to her.
The sudden sound of glass shattering, followed by a car alarm going off, caused the girls to jerk apart.
BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!
"What the fuck is that?" Beca yelled.
Beca scrambled off Chloe and rushed to the window to see what was happening.
BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!
"Motherfucker!" Beca yelled before turning to rush out of the room.
"Beca! Wait!" Chloe said, jumping off the bed to grab Beca's arm to stop her. "You need to put on a shirt."
BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!
Beca looked down and grabbed her shirt from the bed and put it on. Chloe buttoned her top as they rushed out of the bedroom.
Sarah almost crashed into them as she came rushing out of her room.
BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!
"What the hell is going on?" Sarah yelled over the sound of the car alarm.
"It's dad," Beca yelled back as she rushed to the stairs.
BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!
Sarah and Chloe ran after Beca. Beca jumped off the last two steps and ran to the door, pulling at it to open it.
Beca forgot about the deadbolt until the door wouldn't open.
BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!
"Shit," Beca muttered as she turned the key to unlock the deadbolt.
"Beca, stop," Sarah yelled, grabbing Beca by the arm. "We don't know what your father might do. I'm calling the police."
BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!
"But he busted out the window of my car," Beca yelled as Sarah made the 9-1-1 call.
The sound of more glass shattering could be heard.
BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!BEEEE-OOP!
Beca grabbed her keys and shut off the car's alarm as she opened the front door. She rushed out with Chloe on her heels.
Beca and Chloe stopped just outside the door. They stared in shock for a moment as Ben continued to take a baseball bat to Beca's car.
"Dad! Stop!" Beca yelled as she ran off the porch.
Beca grabbed her father's arm to stop him. Ben pushed Beca away from him, causing her to fall to the ground. He swung the bat at Beca's car and brought it down on the already dented hood.
Chloe remained frozen on the porch as she tried to make sense of everything she was seeing. She saw several neighbors rushing over.
"Beca!" Chloe screamed, seeing Beca on the ground.
Hearing Chloe scream Beca's name caused Ben to look down at his daughter.
"YOU!" Ben screamed, pointing at Beca with the bat. "I've lost everything because your mother is divorcing me, and it's all your fault!"
He lifted the bat over his head and brought it straight down toward Beca. Beca rolled out of the way at the last second, and the bat hit the dirt with a thud. Beca's eyes were wide as she looked over to see that the bat had landed where her head had just been.
Chloe ran off the porch as Ben lifted the bat over his head again. She ran at him and knocked him to the ground. She then turned and threw herself protectively over Beca.
"Chloe, move!" Beca yelled, pushing at the older girl.
"No!" Chloe said. "I won't let him hurt you."
Ben got back to his feet and looked down at Chloe lying on top of Beca.
"Why couldn't you just be normal and have a boyfriend like other girls!?" Ben screamed at Beca.
He raised the bat over his head, causing Chloe to raise her arm to protect her and Beca.
Before Ben could bring the bat down, one of the neighbors grabbed him from behind and restrained him. Ben tried to get out of the man's grasp, but he was too strong.
Sarah rushed over to stand between Ben and Beca; Ben continued to struggle.
"Ben! Stop it!" Sarah yelled, and much to her surprise, Ben stopped struggling. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"He's drunk," the neighbor said, still holding Ben. "I can smell it all over him."
"I'll take that," Sarah said, yanking the bat from Ben's hand.
Chloe jumped up and helped Beca to her feet. She pulled Beca into a hug. Beca was shaking, and Chloe held her tight to her as she tried to comfort her.
"It's okay, baby," Chloe murmured. "You're okay."
Beca wiped her eyes and pulled away from Chloe. She glared at her dad, her hands and jaw clenched. She shook her head at him and then turned to look at her car. She saw that the driver's side window was completely busted out, the windshield had a hole in the middle, the glass splintering out to the edges, and there were dents all over the rest of the car.
"Fuck, I can't believe-" Beca stopped as her emotions got the best of her, and tears started streaming down her face.
Chloe pulled her closer and held her. "It's okay, Beca," Chloe whispered. "It's okay. I've got you."
"He was going to hit me with the bat, Chloe," Beca cried on Chloe's shoulder. "I can't believe he hates me that much."
Just then, a police car pulled up, and two officers jumped out. Sarah rushed over to them.
"Joe! Thank God you're here."
"Sarah, what happened?" Joe asked.
"Ben took a baseball bat to Beca's car," Sarah said, waving the bat out toward the car.
Sarah held the bat toward Joe; he took it and handed it off to the second officer.
"He also took a couple of swings at Beca with it," Chloe added, glaring at Ben.
"Beca, are you okay?" Joe asked.
"I'm okay," Beca mumbled into Chloe's shoulder. "He missed."
"She says she's okay," Chloe said louder so the officer could hear her. "But, I think she may be in shock."
Hearing this, Sarah turned toward Beca.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Sarah asked softly. "Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"No," Beca said, pulling back from Chloe while shaking her head. "What I need is for him to be arrested."
"That's being taken care of," Joe said, looking over as his partner handcuffed Ben.
Joe walked over to a small group of neighbors that had gathered to see what was happening. He stood in front of one woman and asked, "What did you see, ma'am?"
The neighbor that had grabbed Ben quickly made his way over to Sarah and Beca.
"Kayla and I are here for you," the man said, looking over to the woman speaking with Joe. "Anything you need, just ask. Okay?"
"Thanks, Donnie," Sarah said.
Donnie nodded and walked back over to his wife. They both answered Joe's questions before heading back to their home.
Beca, Chloe, and Sarah watched as Ben was placed in the back of the police car. Joe walked over to Beca and Sarah.
"Sarah, we can take your statements now, or we can do it later at the station. It's up to you."
"What's going to happen to my. . .to him?" Beca asked.
"We'll put him in a holding cell," Joe responded. "And since it's Thanksgiving, he won't get before a judge until sometime tomorrow. He'll probably be let out on bail, so I strongly suggest you two get a temporary restraining order against him."
"Thank you, Joe," Sarah said. "We'll come by the station tomorrow and give our statements."
Joe nodded and said, "Let me know if I can help you with the restraining order."
"I will," Sarah replied.
"Thanks, Joe," Beca said as the officer started to walk away.
"Let's go inside," Sarah said once everyone had left their yard.
"What about my car?" Beca asked, walking over to get a closer look at the damage.
Sarah sighed. "I don't think we can do much of anything until later. Don't forget it's a holiday and many places are closed or working with a small staff. I'll call the insurance company and see what they say we should do."
"Can I at least move it into the garage?"
"There's a lot of glass on the seats," Sarah said, looking inside the car. "Let me get a small broom and dustpan to clean it up. I don't want you cutting yourself."
"Okay," Beca said, sighing heavily.
Chloe came over and took Beca's hand as Sarah hurried inside. Beca squeezed Chloe's hand, giving her a grateful smile.
A few minutes later, the garage door opened, and Sarah walked out carrying a small broom, dustpan, and trash can.
Sarah opened the car door and swept up as much glass as possible, dumping it into the trash can. Once she was sure it was safe for Beca to enter the car, she moved away and let Beca climb in.
Beca started the car and slowly backed it into the garage. She turned off the engine and got out. She stood with her hands on her hips and stared at her car.
"Jesus," Beca said. "What is it with people trashing my car when they're mad at me?"
Sarah walked over to Beca and pulled her into a hug; Beca clung to her until Chloe came over to them.
Chloe took Beca's hand, saying, "It's kind of chilly out here. We should go in and try to get some sleep."
Beca and Sarah both nodded; Sarah followed the young couple as Chloe led Beca inside.
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Unsure of what to say or do to make her feel better, Chloe just lay with Beca and held her until they both fell asleep.
They had been sleeping for only an hour when Chloe woke to find Beca shaking in her arms as tears fell from her eyes.
"Beca?" Chloe whispered. "Are you okay?"
"He tried to hu-hurt me, Ch-Chloe," Beca sobbed. "My own father wan-wanted to hurt m-me all be-because I'm g-gay."
"I know, baby," Chloe whispered as she held Beca tighter to her. "I'm so sorry."
Chloe kissed the side of Beca's head. Beca didn't say anything as the tears continued down her face. Soon she and Chloe fell asleep.
A few hours later, Chloe woke and eased herself out of Beca's arms. She got up and left Beca sleeping; Sarah was coming out of her room just as Chloe emerged from Beca's.
"How is she?" Sarah asked when she saw Chloe.
"She's still asleep," Chloe said. "She woke up quite upset a couple of hours ago and has been tossing and turning since. She seems to have settled down and is sleeping soundly, so I thought I'd let her sleep a little longer unless you need me to wake her."
"No," Sarah said. "Let her sleep. You don't mind helping me cook, do you?"
"I'm happy to help," Chloe said.
"Let's get to it, then," Sarah said. "I want to get the turkey done so the oven will be free later."
Chloe followed Sarah downstairs and into the kitchen. The first thing Sarah did was set up the coffee maker and turn it on.
Next, she got the turkey and set it on the counter. She then started to prepare the stuffing. Chloe played sous chef, cutting onions and celery and handing Sarah spices and seasonings as she asked for them.
The turkey was prepped, and Sarah placed it in the oven.
"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Sarah asked.
"I'll get it," Chloe said and proceeded to pour two cups of coffee.
"You mentioned Beca woke up upset," Sarah said, taking the cup Chloe held out to her. "Was it because of her car?"
"No," Chloe said. "She woke up crying and shaking because her father tried to hurt her using a baseball bat. I don't think she's going to easily get over it or accept the fact that it only happened because he was drunk."
Sarah sighed and looked down at the floor.
"He was arrested for destruction of private property, but I'm going to ask the DA to file assault charges against him, as well," Sarah said. "And charge him with a hate crime."
"Will they do that?" Chloe asked.
"They should," Beca said from the doorway. "He only did it because I'm gay. And that reason alone should make it a hate crime."
"We'll get Joe's take on it when we go in to give our statements," Sarah said, pushing off the counter and pulling Beca into a hug. "Until then, we'll have a nice Thanksgiving and be thankful that the only thing that got hurt was your car."
Beca nodded her head and moved out of Sarah's arms to walk over to Chloe. She wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist. Chloe engulfed Beca in a hug.
"My hero," Beca mumbled, causing Chloe to laugh. "I can't believe you put yourself between my dad and me. You could have been seriously hurt."
"It would have been totes worth it as long as you were safe," Chloe said, kissing Beca.
"I knew she was good for you," Sarah said with a smile.
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
The food was done, so Beca, Chloe, and Sarah took time to shower and change. Having completed their showers, Beca and Chloe were in the living room waiting for the Bellas to arrive.
Chloe's phone pinged with a text; she pulled out her phone and read it.
"My folks are leaving my apartment now," Chloe said. "They should be here in about fifteen minutes."
"I thought they were coming straight here," Beca said.
"They made good time," Chloe shrugged. "So, they went to my apartment first to drop off their stuff and freshen up."
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Beca went to answer. She opened the door to find Fat Amy, Ashley, and Jessica standing there.
"Hey, girls," Beca said. "I'm glad you could make it. Come on in."
The three girls entered and greeted Chloe. Sarah came down the stairs, and Beca introduced her to the girls.
"Welcome," Sarah said. "And Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving," Jessica said. "Thank you for inviting us."
"Can I get you girls something to drink?" Beca asked.
"I'll have a beer," Fat Amy said.
"Sorry, but none of you are of legal age," Sarah said quickly. "So, no beer, wine, or any other alcoholic beverages are available to you. We have iced tea, juice, water, or soft drinks."
"I'll have a diet cola," Ashley said.
"I'll have the same," Jessica added.
"I guess I'll have iced tea," Amy said.
"Got it," Beca said. "Help yourselves to some appetizers. I'll be back with those drinks in a few minutes."
"Have a seat, girls," Sarah said, walking over to the sofa.
"I'm going to help Beca," Chloe said, following Beca to the kitchen.
"What do you and your mom want to drink?" Chloe asked as they entered the kitchen.
"We'll both have iced tea," Beca said.
"So, um, about last night," Chloe said. "Are you going to tell the girls what happened?"
"You mean about my dad?" Beca said; Chloe nodded. "I probably will since my dad's a professor, and it will come out at some point that he was arrested and why."
"Oh, that makes sense," Chloe said.
The two worked together to make the drinks, and Beca turned to Chloe.
"I think we, as in you and me, should talk about what else happened," Beca said. "Or, almost happened last night. Maybe we can find some time to talk after dinner."
"Of course," Chloe said, stepping closer to Beca. "But, I'd prefer to pick up from where we left off. If that's something you want to do."
"Oh, god, yes!" Beca exclaimed, pulling Chloe to her. "I thought maybe you wouldn't want to after everything with my dad."
Chloe looked into Beca's eyes before lowering her gaze down to Beca's chest. She smiled when Beca looked down as well.
"Are you kidding? After seeing those beauties, it's all I've been thinking about."
Beca blushed and laughed. "Keep it in your pants, perv. We can talk about that later, okay?"
"Okay," Chloe said with a heavy sigh. "Just don't keep me waiting too long."
"I won't," Beca said as she leaned up and kissed Chloe.
Chloe grabbed Beca by the back of her neck and held her in place, deepening the kiss.
"Ahem!"
Beca and Chloe jumped apart to see Jessica standing in the doorway, smiling at them.
"We were wondering what was taking so long with our drinks," Jessica said.
"They're ready," Beca said, blushing brightly as she passed Jessica, carrying a tray of drinks.
Chloe smirked and winked at Jessica as she walked by, following Beca with a second tray.
Jessica shook her head, chuckling as she followed after Chloe.
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Dinner was nearing the end, and Beca was telling everyone what had occurred the night before.
"You mean your father actually tried to hit you with a baseball bat?" Charlotte asked in disbelief.
"Yep," Beca said. "If it wasn't for this one here," Beca pointed at Chloe, "and our neighbor Donnie, he would have succeeded on the second try. Chloe covered me, and Donnie grabbed him before he could hurt us."
"Wow," Ashley said. "I had Dr. Mitchell this semester, and he seemed so laid back and easygoing."
"He usually is," Sarah said. "But he was drunk, which is so unlike him."
"Doesn't excuse what he did," Beca mumbled, looking down at her plate.
Chloe squeezed her hand under the table.
"You're right," Sarah said. "It doesn't. And, I didn't mean to imply that it did."
"I don't understand how parents can treat their child like that," Chloe's father, Carl, said, shaking his head. "People should be allowed to love who they love; men, women, or both. Who cares, right?"
"You're right, sweetheart," Charlotte said as she hugged him and kissed his cheek. "You're a good father, Carl."
"The best," Chloe interjected, smiling at her father.
Carl smiled back at Chloe.
Fat Amy looked around the table. Her gaze stopped at Beca, and she blurted out, "Can we see your car?"
Everyone looked at Amy in surprise.
"What? I want to see what it looks like when a baseball bat and car go head to head."
"Spoiler alert," Beca said, chuckling. "The car lost."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Dinner was done. Beca and Chloe, along with the rest of the Bellas, had just finished cleaning the kitchen.
"Can we see your car now?" Fat Amy asked.
"Sure, why not?" Beca said, leading them over to the door to the garage.
Beca turned on the garage light before opening the door. She stepped down and looked at her car.
"I don't know how, but it looks worse than it did last night," Beca said, taking it all in.
"Wow!" Ashley exclaimed. "He really did a number on it."
"I'm just glad he didn't use the bat on you, Beca," Jessica said.
Beca sighed and looked at Chloe.
"Like I said, he tried," Beca said. "But my mom and Chloe got between us, so he couldn't."
The three Bellas looked over at Chloe. Chloe looked back at them with an uncharacteristically shy smile.
"I couldn't let him hurt her," Chloe said, blushing slightly. "She means too much to me."
"What happened after that?" Jessica asked.
"The cops showed up, and he was arrested," Beca said. "We have to go to the police station tomorrow and give them our statements. My mom's going to ask that my dad be charged with a hate crime since he only did it because I'm gay."
"Chloe!?" Charlotte's voice called out.
Chloe turned to see her mother coming through the door, looking rather flustered.
"What's wrong, mom?"
"Something's happened at home. Come with me. We need to talk about what we're going to do."
"Oh, um, okay," Chloe said, looking nervously at her mother. "Beca? Would you come, too?"
"Of course," Beca said, looking at the other girls. "Excuse us."
Beca followed Chloe and Charlotte back into the house.
"Should we just stay here or what?" Ashley asked Jessica and Fat Amy.
"We can check out the car a bit," Fat Amy said.
"Yeah," Jessica said. "It sounded personal, so we should probably stay here."
Charlotte hurried over to Carl and stood next to him. Chloe grasped Beca's hand and looked at her parents.
"What's going on, dad?"
"Our neighbor Lou just called," Carl said, looking down at the floor. "Someone broke into our house."
"Oh, my God!" Chloe whispered.
"Their security camera captured the intruder breaking in, and Lou gave the police the video," Carl said, avoiding Chloe's eyes.
"No, Daddy," Chloe whimpered. "It can't be. . .was it?"
Carl finally looked at Chloe and nodded. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, it was him."
Chloe stiffened and looked at Beca.
"It's okay, Chloe," Beca said, pulling Chloe into her arms. "You're safe here. I promise."
"Wh-what are you going to do?" Chloe asked, looking over at her parents.
"We'll have to go home," Carl said.
"I found a flight that leaves at eight-thirty tonight," Sarah said from the living room sofa. "But, there was only one seat left, so I booked it for you, Carl."
"Thank you, Sarah," Charlotte said.
"I can drive you to the airport," Sarah said. "Charlotte and Chloe look a bit overwhelmed, and I don't mind."
"That's very kind of you, Sarah," Carl said, looking from his wife to his daughter. "I'll go home and check things and call you once I know more, okay?"
"Okay, dear," Charlotte said. "You should probably go now. You'll have to go by Chloe's and get your suitcase before you go to the airport."
"Come on, Carl," Sarah said. "We can go now."
"I'll ride with you to the airport," Charlotte said.
"Daddy," Chloe said, walking over to the man. She pulled him into a hug and whispered, "Please be careful."
"Always, baby girl," Carl said, pulling out of the hug.
Carl reached for Charlotte's hand. "Let's go."
Sarah grabbed her purse and keys and led the Beales out to her car. Chloe and Beca followed.
"Mr. Beale," Beca said, causing the man to turn and look at her. "Don't worry about your wife or Chloe. They can both stay here. We'll keep them safe, I promise."
"Thank you, Beca," Carl said. "That means a lot to me."
The Beales got into the car, and Sarah drove off.
Beca led Chloe back into the house just as Fat Amy, Jessica, and Ashley came in from the garage.
"Is it okay if we come back in?" Jessica asked.
"Sure," Beca said as she and Chloe sat at the kitchen counter.
"We heard a car pull off," Ashley said, looking at Chloe. "Did your folks leave?"
Chloe was staring down at the counter and didn't say anything.
"Only Carl is leaving," Beca responded. "My mom took him to the airport; Charlotte went along for the ride."
"Why did he have to leave?" Ashley asked.
"There was a break-in at their house," Beca said. "Carl went home to check on things and speak with the police. Charlotte and Chloe will be staying here for a couple of days."
Chloe continued to look down at the counter. She wiped a tear from her eye; Jessica saw her and asked, "Chloe, are you okay?"
"I think she's a bit overwhelmed," Beca said.
Chloe looked up with tears in her eyes, blurting out, "I have a stalker, and he's the one who broke into our house."