STRONGER
Chapter 10

The next morning, Beca woke lying in Chloe's arms. Both were still naked from their activities the night before.

Beca smiled as she looked at Chloe.

"I am so in love with her," Beca thought as she admired Chloe's beauty.

Careful not to wake Chloe, she reached up to lightly run her finger over the scar above Chloe's right eye.

"I wonder how she got that," Beca thought.

Beca froze when Chloe stirred in her sleep. When Beca was sure Chloe had gone back to sleep, she slowly let out the breath she had been holding and got out of bed. She went out to the hallway, picked up both of their phones, and checked them. Seeing nothing but the normal text messages on her phone, she went back into her room and quietly set Chloe's phone on the nightstand. She smiled down at Chloe before grabbing some clothes and going to her mother's room to shower.

After her shower, Beca made her way downstairs. She groaned when she walked into the dining room; then immediately breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw the candles had burned out on their own.

"Thank god," Beca murmured. "At least I won't have to explain to my mom how I let the house burn down because I forgot to extinguish the candles so I could finally have sex with Chloe."

Standing with her hands on her hips, Beca scanned the remains of her and Chloe's dinner. She grimaced when she saw the dried food on the plates and the wilted salad in the bowl. She picked up a piece of garlic bread and tapped it against the table; it was hard as a rock.

Beca tossed the bread back into the basket and started clearing the table.

Thirty minutes later, Beca wiped down the counter and tossed the sponge into the sink. She heard the upstairs shower running and knew it wouldn't be long before Chloe made an appearance.

Remembering the events from the night before, Beca decided that breakfast could wait and hurried upstairs. She stood outside the bathroom, smiling as she heard Chloe singing "Titanium," a song Beca had used in a couple of her mixes and Chloe seemed to really like.

Beca slowly turned the knob and eased the door open. Seeing Chloe's silhouette through the shower curtain sent a shot of warmth to Beca's core. Beca quietly undressed, and just as Chloe reached the chorus, Beca joined in, her voice blending well with Chloe's.

They finished the song, and Chloe started giggling.

"Care to join me in another kind of duet, Ms. Mitchell?"

Beca jerked back the shower curtain and ogled Chloe's body.

"I'd love to, Ms. Beale."

Beca stepped into the tub and pulled Chloe flush to her, smashing their lips together.

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

After their shower, Beca and Chloe dressed and went downstairs.

"I've never had shower sex before," Beca said as they entered the kitchen. "We'll definitely have to do that again."

"Mmm," Chloe hummed. "I'm up for it, but can we have breakfast first?"

"I was thinking of making omelets for breakfast," Beca said. "Is that okay?"

"I love omelets," Chloe said, smirking. "And, I'm starving. Must have something to do with our extra-curricular activities last night and this morning."

Beca blushed and cleared her throat.

"Um, what kind of omelet would you like?"

"I don't know; what kind are you having?"

"I'm having a mushroom, onion, and spinach omelet," Beca said. "With a sprinkling of goat cheese."

"Mmm, that sounds good," Chloe said. "May I have one of those, please?"

"Absolutely," Beca said.

Beca gathered everything she needed and started sauteeing the mushrooms and onions. Once they were softened, she threw in some baby spinach to let it cook down.

Beca cracked eggs into a bowl and broke them up with a fork, mixing them well. She set the bowl aside and took the veggies from the pan, put them on a plate, and set them aside.

Chloe sat with her elbow on the counter and her chin in her hand, watching Beca.

"Have I told you how sexy you look when you're cooking?" Chloe asked.

"You have," Beca said, blushing.

After removing the veggies, Beca wiped out the pan and put a bit of oil in the same pan. She then dumped half the eggs into the pan and swirled the pan, so the eggs covered the bottom. She let it sit for a couple of minutes until it was set but not runny, and then added half the veggies to one side of the eggs and sprinkled some goat cheese on top of the veggies. She then took the spatula and flipped the other side over, finishing off the omelet and removing it to a plate.

While Beca worked on the second omelet, Chloe poured their coffees and set them on the counter. She grabbed the cream from the refrigerator and poured a dash into both cups. She added sugar to hers and brought the cup to her lips, taking a sip.

Beca finished the second omelet and plated it. She then took both plates to the counter and set them down.

"Did you want some fruit or something to go with it?" Beca asked.

"No, thank you," Chloe said.

"What time is Aubrey's flight due?" Beca asked, sitting across from Chloe. "We'll need to let your protection detail know so we can figure out how to get her here safely."

"She should be landing around two," Chloe said. "I guess we'll need to leave by one-"

Chloe was interrupted when there was a knock at the front door.

"I'll get it," Beca said.

Chloe stood and followed Beca out of the kitchen.

"Good morning, Beca," Joe said. "May we come in? I need to tell you both something."

Beca stepped aside and waved the two officers in. Chloe moved to sit on the loveseat; Joe and Trish sat on the sofa.

"What's going on, Joe?" Beca asked as she sat next to Chloe.

Chloe took her hand, and they both looked at Joe.

"There was a sighting of Roger Daniels," Joe said.

Chloe gasped, and Beca squeezed her hand.

"He was caught on a security camera stealing a car at a rest stop on I75 at the Florida/Georgia line."

"Do you think he's coming this way?" Beca asked.

Joe nodded. "The carjacking occurred early this morning. The camera got a clear picture of the carjacker, so they were able to identify him, but it took a while. Once he was IDed, they called us. Trish and I are assigned to be on protection duty today."

"What happened to Chicago?" Chloe asked.

Joe looked at Beca, and Beca turned to face Chloe.

"I called Joe and asked that he be taken off the detail," Beca said. "I wasn't comfortable having him around."

"Oh," Chloe said, smirking at Beca. "Okay."

"So, um, we think you should stay inside here today," Trish said. "We have Miss Beale's apartment staked out, so if he shows up there, we'll get him."

"We are supposed to pick up a friend from the airport," Beca replied. "Her flight is scheduled to land at two."

"We'll have Trish pick up your friend," Joe said. "Is there some way you can let her know?"

"I'll call her," Chloe said. "And explain what's happening."

Chloe stood and slowly made her way to the kitchen. Beca watched her, looking worried.

"I'm going to, um, go help Chloe with that call," Beca mumbled as she hurried after Chloe.

"We should call for another officer to be here with you," Trish said once she and Joe were alone. "This Daniels guy has had plenty of time to make it here. What if he somehow found out about Beca and this house? And what if he goes to Ms. Beale's apartment and sees the surveillance team? He could decide to come here. You'll need backup if that happens."

"You're right," Joe said. "I'll call the Captain and see who is available."

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

Beca walked into the kitchen to find Chloe sitting at the counter, staring down at her phone. Beca walked over to her and put a hand on her arm.

"Are you okay?"

Chloe looked up, her face tear-stained, and whispered, "No."

Beca took Chloe in her arms, laying her cheek on top of Chloe's head. Chloe sobbed as she held on to Beca.

"What do you need me to do?" Beca quietly asked.

"This," Chloe whispered as she clung even tighter to Beca. "Just this."

After a few minutes, Chloe pulled back and wiped her face. She looked up at Beca.

"I still need to call Brey," Chloe said.

"Do you want me to do it?"

"No. Yes," Chloe said, throwing her hands up in defeat. "I don't know."

"That's okay," Beca said, taking her phone from her pocket. "I'll do it."

"Thank you."

Beca kissed the side of Chloe's head and pulled up Aubrey's number.

"Beca?" Aubrey's voice came through the phone. "What's wrong? Is Chloe okay?"

"Um, Chloe's fine," Beca said, still holding onto Chloe. "A lot's happened over the past couple of days, and we won't be able to pick you up from the airport. But don't worry, an officer will be picking you up to bring you here to my mom's house."

"An officer?" Aubrey asked. "What's going on? What's happened, Beca?"

Beca briefly explained what had happened since Aubrey left.

"So, the police have your apartment staked out," Beca said. "We don't think he knows about Chloe staying here, so we think it's better if you both stayed here for your safety."

There was silence on the phone as Aubrey thought about what Beca had told her.

"Is Chloe able to talk to me?" Aubrey asked. "Is she really okay?"

"Beca's got you on speaker, Brey," Chloe said. "I'm okay, just overwhelmed."

Aubrey sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. I'm sorry all this has happened to you. Just a second, dad. My dad's ready to take me to the airport, so I have to go."

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

"Be safe," Aubrey said. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"Bye, Aubrey," Beca said.

"And, Beca??" Aubrey said quickly before Beca could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for being there for Chloe."

Aubrey ended the call, and Chloe smiled as she looked up at Beca.

"I think she's starting to like you," Chloe said.

Beca scoffed. "Only because she kind of has to since I'm her best friend's girlfriend."

"Nah," Chloe said. "She knows what a good person you are even though you two butt heads over the set list all the time."

"I wish she'd listen to just one of the mixes I've put together," Beca said. "It would be nice to be able to perform something from this century."

"You have some good ideas," Chloe said. "Just keep trying; she'll come around."

"I doubt it," Beca said, holding up her hand to stop Chloe from saying anything. "But, I will keep trying. We have a few months before we have to really worry about it, so there's still time to convince her to make some changes."

Chloe got quiet and looked down at the floor. Beca leaned down to get Chloe to look at her.

"You okay?" Beca asked when Chloe's eyes met hers.

"I'm okay, just. . .confused," Chloe said. "I mean, one minute we're talking about Aubrey and changing our set list like everything is normal, and then the next minute I remember that my stalker is on his way to get me. It's really getting to me."

Beca put her arms around Chloe and held her.

"I'm sure things will get better once the cops catch this guy," Beca said. "Until then, we just have to be vigilant and aware of our surroundings. And, lucky for you, I'm really good at paying close attention to you and anyone who comes around you."

Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca and smiled up at her; Beca quickly kissed her.

"Did you want me to make fresh omelets or just warm up these," Beca asked, looking at their untouched breakfasts.

"I think we can just warm these up," Chloe said.

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

A couple of hours later, Trish left for the airport. The backup officer arrived just as she was leaving, and Joe introduced him to the girls.

"Ladies," Joe said. "This is Officer Jason Maxwell. He'll be staying with us while Trish is gone."

"It's nice to meet, y'all," Jason said.

"I'm Chloe. It's nice to meet you, as well," Chloe responded.

"I'm Beca," Beca said with a small wave. "Um, Joe, Chloe, and I were talking, and she needs some more clothes from her apartment. I was hoping I could go get some for her and maybe stop at the grocery store for a few things. Is that alright?"

"That should be fine," Joe said. "I'll contact the team staked out at the apartment and let them know you're coming."

Joe and Jason went outside to keep watch.

Beca turned to Chloe. "Can you make a list of what you want from your apartment? Maybe add a few things for Aubrey as well. And make another list for the grocery store of snacks or whatever food and drinks you two would like."

"Will you be safe going by yourself?" Chloe asked Beca with concern.

"He doesn't know anything about me, so I should be fine," Beca said. "But I'll be careful, I promise."

"Oh, okay," Chloe said. "I'll get those lists for you."

A few minutes later, Chloe handed the lists to Beca. She pulled Beca to her and kissed her.

"Be careful," Chloe said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Beca said. "And, I'll be careful."

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

Beca saw the police car that was staking out Chloe's apartment as soon as she pulled into the parking lot. She parked a few cars away and walked over to their car.

"Hey," Beca said through the window. "I'm Beca Mitchell."

The driver rolled down his window and introduced himself and his partner.

"I'm Mark, and this is Lou," the officer said. "Joe told us you were coming."

"I just wanted to let you know that I should only be about twenty minutes," Beca said. "And to thank you for being here."

"It's our job, ma'am," Mark said with a salute

Beca smirked and made her way inside the building. Just as she was putting the key in Chloe's door, Beca heard the door behind her open. She turned to see Stacie standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Beca," Stacie said. "Is Chloe with you?"

"Um, no," Beca said. "She's still at my mom's house. Why? Did you need her for something?"

"No," Stacie said. "I was just going to tell her that some guy was here looking for her."

Beca had the door open about an inch. She looked at it and then quietly pulled the door to her, ensuring it closed completely. She then turned her full attention to Stacie.

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Yeah," Stacie responded. "I heard him banging on the door and yelling Chloe's name, so I came out to see what was going on. I saw him standing there and asked if I could help him. He said he was looking for Chloe. I told him that she had spent Thanksgiving at her girlfriend's place and wasn't home yet."

"Did he say anything else?"

"No, but he looked upset."

"How long ago was he here?"

"About five or ten minutes ago," Stacie replied.

Beca looked up and down the hall. "Did he leave?"

"I guess so," Stacie said.

"Is there a back door to this building?"

"What's going on, Beca?" Stacie asked. "Who was that guy?"

"Is there a back door to this building or not?" Beca asked again through clenched teeth.

"Yes," Stacie said, taking a step back. "The stairs lead down to the back entrance. But, there's nothing back there but woods."

"Shit!" Beca exclaimed and ran for the stairs.

"Beca?!" Stacie called after her; Beca did not stop.

Beca hit the door and started down the stairs. By the time she made it to the lobby, she had decided to let the police know that Roger Daniels had been there. Beca ran out of the building, and the two police officers exited their vehicle and ran toward her.

"Miss Mitchell," Mark said, stopping in front of Beca. "Is everything okay?"

"He. . . he was here," Beca panted. "Dan. . .Daniels was here. . .Like five. . .ten minutes ago."

"Go check it out," Mark told Lou.

"There's a. . .back exit," Beca, still panting, told Lou as he started for the building. "Take the stairs. . .down, and the. . . door should be there."

Lou ran into the building and to the stairwell as Beca had directed. He found the rear exit door and stopped, pulling out his gun. He slowly opened the door and stepped outside, gun raised, and looked around, moving the gun from side to side.

Seeing no one, the officer noticed something on the other side of the fence that ran behind the building. Keeping his gun at the ready, he went to check it out.

As he reached the fence, he noticed a large hunting knife lying in the grass and a torn piece of paper a few inches to its right. He looked around to ensure he was alone and hopped over the fence. He pulled his gloves out of his pocket and picked up the knife and the paper.

He inspected the paper and saw it was a page out of an address book, and it had Chloe's name and address listed.

He took another look around and hopped back over the fence, going to the door where he had exited the building. He reached for the knob, but nothing happened. It was locked, and he could not re-enter the building. He took another look around to again assure himself that no one else was back there. He then walked around the building until he came to the parking lot, where he saw Mark and Beca looking toward the front of the building.

"Mark!" Lou called out, causing Beca and the officer to look his way. "I found something."

Lou held up the items as he walked to Mark.

"These were just over the fence in the back," the office said. He held up the paper. "This has Miss Beale's name and address on it. It looks like he came here looking for her, and something scared him off."

"Stacie," Beca said.

"I'm sorry," Mark said.

"I think Stacie scared him off," Beca said. "She lives across the hall from Chloe and saw a guy at Chloe's door. She told him Chloe wasn't home and she thought he left. I guess he went out the back exit."

"We never saw him enter the building," Mark said.

"He had to have come through the front somehow," Lou said. "The back door is egress only, and there's no way to get back inside once that door closes. I didn't see any markings to indicate he got in that way either."

"Dammit!" Beca said, running a hand through her hair.

"We need to talk to this Stacie person," Mark said.

"I'll take you to her," Beca said. "I still need to get some stuff from Chloe's apartment."

"Okay, let's go," Mark said and headed for the entrance.

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

Beca introduced Mark to Stacie and then asked Lou to go with her while she collected the things Chloe asked her to get.

They had been in the apartment for about fifteen minutes, and Beca was finishing up in Aubrey's room.

"Okay," Beca said, zipping the duffel bag with Aubrey's clothes. "I just need to grab her books, and then we can go."

Lou nodded and took the duffel bag to the living room to set it next to Chloe's bag.

Beca wasn't sure what books to grab since Chloe had just written "Brey's textbooks" on her list, so she grabbed Aubrey's backpack and shoved all the books she saw inside.

"I'll carry that out," Lou said, relieving Beca of the backpack.

"Thank you," Beca said, and they headed toward the door.

Lou stopped to sling the backpack over his shoulder and grab one of the duffel bags; Beca grabbed the second bag, and they walked out the door. Beca took a moment to make sure the door was closed and locked securely.

"Beca," Stacie said when she saw the girl. "This cop won't tell me anything. What's going on? Is Chloe okay? What about Aubrey?"

"They're safe," Beca said. "That's all I can say for now. I'm sure Chloe will tell you and the Bellas everything at rehearsal."

"If you see this guy again," Mark told Stacie. "Do not engage him, just call us immediately, okay?"

"Are we in danger?" Stacie asked.

"This man is dangerous," Mark said. "But, you should be safe as long as you don't engage him in any way."

"Okay," Stacie said. "My cousin, Jesse, lives here, too. I'll make sure to tell him."

"Thank you for your help," Mark said.

Beca, Mark, and Lou turned and walked down the hall to the elevator. Stacie stood in the doorway, watching them until they disappeared into the elevator.

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

Mark placed a call to Joe while Lou helped Beca put everything in the trunk of her mom's car. Joe ended the call and walked over to Beca.

"Joe wants us to follow you home so we can be sure no one else does," Mark said.

"I was going to stop by the grocery store on the way back," Beca said; Mark and Lou just looked at her. "Never mind. I'll go straight home."

"Good," Mark said. "Lead the way."

Beca got behind the wheel and waited for Mark and Lou to get in their car. Mark gave a quick wave to let her know she could go; as soon as Beca moved, Mark pulled out behind her; Lou kept watch to ensure no one else left the parking lot when they did.

Chloe came running out of the house when she heard the car pull into the driveway. She ran over and grabbed Beca to her as soon as Beca stepped out of the car.

"I was so worried," Chloe cried. "Joe told me what happened. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Beca said. "I never even saw him. Stacie told me about him being there, and I immediately got the cops."

"I can't believe he's here in Barden," Chloe said, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"Don't worry, babe," Beca said. "You're safe. And, you're surrounded by people who will do everything to protect you. I'd die for you if it came down to it."

"Please don't do anything stupid," Chloe said. "I don't think I'd be able to survive something happening to you."

Chloe cried in Beca's arms. Beca whispered soothing words to her.

"Chloe!" Aubrey's voice yelled out.

"Brey?" Chloe said, looking around as she pulled away from Beca.

Aubrey hurried over to them; she looked at Chloe and then at Beca. "Officer Donahue filled me in on some of what's happened. But, by the looks of you two, there's something else. What is it? What happened?"

"Um, let's go inside, and we'll tell you everything," Beca said. "Hey, Joe, can I get some help with the stuff from the trunk?"

"I got it," Lou said, heading over to the back of the car.

"Here you go, Lou," Beca called, tossing him the keys when he turned around.

Lou caught the keys and opened the trunk. Trish came over and helped get everything from the trunk and into the house.

~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~

Beca, Chloe, and Aubrey were sitting in the living room. Beca had just finished telling Aubrey and Chloe about her almost encounter with Roger Daniels.

"Is Stacie okay?" Aubrey asked. "Is she in any danger?"

"We don't think so," Beca said. "Mark, the officer who was staking out the apartment, told her if she saw Daniels again to not engage him in any way and to call the police immediately."

Aubrey chewed on her lip as she digested everything Beca had just told her.

"Since we know this guy is here in Barden, maybe we should cancel Bellas' rehearsals until he's caught," Aubrey said.

"I don't want us to have to do that because of me," Chloe said.

"It might not be a bad idea," Beca said.

"No," Chloe insisted. "I won't have everyone suffer for something because of me. We need to rehearse. The winter-Christmas break is coming soon, and we'll lose almost six weeks of practice. If we want to be able to compete, we need to continue practicing now."

"But, Chloe-"

"No, Beca," Chloe said. "I love that you want to protect me, but I won't have him dictating my life. Or the rest of yours either."

Beca opened her mouth to say something when Aubrey spoke up.

"Give it up, Beca," Aubrey said with a small smile. "Haven't you learned yet that when Chloe makes up her mind about something, there's no changing it?"

Beca sighed and nodded. "You're right. I just want everyone to be safe."

"O-M-AcaG!" Aubrey exclaimed. "Did Beca Mitchell just say that I was right about something? Let me mark this on my calendar."

"Oh, hardy-har-har," Beca replied, smiling at Aubrey.

A/N: I know this is late, but I got sidetracked working behind the scenes on something that will be happening soon. Hint: It's going to be something spooky, and here's where you can find more info: pitch-perfect-spookfest/695380202226892800/pitch-perfect-spookfest-2022-hello-guys-and?source=share.

A/N#2: I will post an update to this fic with Chapter 11 in 2 days, mostly to keep myself from going off the deep end and getting caught up a bit. Thanks for reading!