Fixes

2

Thanks for the comments on chapter 1. Here's part 2!


"I'm really glad you agreed to this date," Chloe said much later as she settled closer to her new friend. "I'm having so much fun."

"Well… actually," Beca admitted as she scrunched her nose sheepishly. "I wasn't actually sure it WAS a date."

"Oh," The vet shook her head and sighed. "I really need to work on my asking-girls-out skills. I apparently suck at it."

"No…" Beca replied with a little chuckle. "Honestly, I'm not in a great frame of mind about myself. You probably would've had to have stuck your tongue in my mouth before I'd believed it for sure."

Blue eyes widened and Chloe sucked in a breath as a little smirk flattened her lips. "Is that an invitation, Ms. Mitchell?" Beca paused, her mind suddenly flashing back to what Elise had said to her earlier that evening. She could make what she wanted to happen, happen. And, fuck, looking at Chloe with her gorgeous face and gorgeous hair and gorgeous eyes and gorgeous smirk that wasn't even annoying... she wanted a kiss to happen. But the vet was already holding up her hands, backpedaling. "Jesus, I'm so sorry, we've known each other like… five minutes. That was very…"

It made Beca just want to kiss her more.

She eased closer and pressed her hand to the vet's chest, stopping her adorable rambling dead. "No… not an invitation," she murmured, eyes on the vet's lips. "But maybe it's a proposition."

Chloe blinked and then swallowed hard. "Um… really? Well, I… um… for real won't turn it down if it is." She waited patiently as Beca moved a little closer, then smiled as the brunette's nose nudged hers.

"I'm nervous because I haven't kissed anyone in a very long time," Beca breathed, absently rubbing her fingertips along Chloe's collarbone through her shirt. "I may be terrible at it."

"I wholly doubt that," the redhead replied, sounding just as breathless.

Beca's lips hovered over Chloe's, but she couldn't bring herself to close the distance between them and she finally just shook her head. "I'm sorry… I…" she whispered.

Chloe hands were on her hips then, squeezing gently. "It's ok," she said. "We absolutely don't have to… but… do… do you want me to…?"

"Um..." the musician replied, dark blue eyes full of uncertainly.

"I really, really want to kiss you, Beca," the vet murmured. "Please, may I?"

Beca slowly nodded, nudging their noses together again in the process.

"Please, may I?" Chloe asked again, lips barely brushing the corner of the younger woman's mouth.

"Yes, Chloe."

"Please, Beca?" the redhead whispered one more time.

And as the vet had hoped, Beca surged forward impatiently and captured her lips, closing her eyes as Chloe's hands tightened on her waist. As the kiss went on, their heads tilted, and tongues flicked out. Chloe moaned softly and tried to deepen the contact, but suddenly, Beca was drawing away and putting some space between them. "I… um... wow… sorry..." she mumbled, pressing her fingertips against her lips and shaking her head.

The vet smiled as she leaned closer again, resting their foreheads together as she caressed the small of the younger woman's back. "I didn't think I was that bad a kisser," she said with a little smile.

Beca laughed softly. "Shut up. You're a great kisser."

Chloe slowly lifted her chin, brushing their lips together very softly. "Honestly, Beca, I don't normally do this on a first date," she murmured. "But I've been driving myself crazy, thinking about kissing you, all day. Sorry, NOT sorry." She grinned impishly.

"Is coffee and cake pops in your broom closet really a date though?" Beca teased.

"Hmmm…" the redhead replied, tilting her head thoughtfully as her fingers scratched gently at Beca's waist. "Let's see… the ingredients of a date… food… drinks… talking… having fun with someone… kissing them…" She smiled broadly. "I kinda think we have all that covered. Are you saying the location doesn't meet your standards, Ms. Mitchell?"

"Maybe," the musician replied with a playful sniff.

"Then how about we change venue? You said you live ten minutes away? Take me to your place."

Beca blinked. "Uh."

Chloe's eyebrows lifted. "Just to talk, Beca. I'd really like to get to know you better. Although," she grinned happily. "Not gonna lie. If there was a little more kissing, that would be awesome too."

The brunette eased back and separated from her friend again. "Chloe, would it be ok if we didn't do that tonight? This was… already kind of huge for me and…"

The redhead kept the space between them but gently squeezed the musician's hips. "I really would like to get to know you better and I'm glad to stay here, if you'll stay with me?"

The look in Chloe's eyes was enough to make Beca agree, and she nodded as it drew her closer. She eased her arms around the vet's neck and brushed their lips together again. "What are we doing, Chloe?" she murmured. "We only met twenty-four hours ago."

"I know," the redhead breathed. "But sometimes, you just…"

"Feel it," Beca finished for her.

"Right."

Xx

It was close to six in the morning when Beca finally admitted she should leave. They'd talked about a lot. They'd shared jokes and funny stories as they'd sat on the couch, close together, and only when Beca was in danger of falling asleep, did they agree to call it a night.

"When can I see you again?" Beca asked, running her fingers through soft, red hair.

"How about…" Chloe began but a knock on the door interrupted her.

"Chloe?! You here yet?"

"One sec, coming!" Chloe called cheerfully and she grinned as the brunette reluctantly released her. She went to the door to open it. "Hey, what is it?"

Aubrey was about to answer when she looked over Chloe's shoulder and spotted Beca on the couch. "I'm… sorry to interrupt," the vet tech said, giving her friend a meaningful look. "But we have multiple emergencies coming in and we could do with an extra pair of hands."

"Sure, I'll be right there," the vet replied. "Let me just change."

Aubrey nodded and then stood on her toes to investigate the room again. "Good morning, Beca," she said in a teasing tone.

"Morning," the musician said, rubbing at red cheeks. She was fully aware of how the situation might look.

Chloe rolled her eyes and closed the door on Aubrey, who was laughing as she walked away. "Sorry about that," she said as she went to her locker to take out a fresh set of scrubs. Beca couldn't look away as the vet turned her back, stripped down to her underwear and then got into the medical apparel. A sudden ache between the brunette's thighs made her get up and move closer to her friend.

"Tomorrow night?" she said, shocking herself with how much she wanted to touch the redhead. "Can I see you tomorrow night?"

Chloe leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I can't wait. I get off at six, I think. Text me your address and I'll come to you? I'd like to check on Bella's paw."

Luckily, the vet had remembered that Bella had needed food and a bathroom break during the night so the peacefully sleeping cat barely made a sound as Beca picked her up. "Will do. I know you'll be busy, so I'll text you later, ok?" Then the brunette caught the vet's fingers. "Wait, I don't have your number."

Chloe grabbed her phone and handed it to her friend as she finished getting dressed. "Send yourself a text."

"Ok," Beca agreed as she did so and then… dropping one last chaste kiss on Chloe's cheek, headed out. "Have a good day."

"You too," the vet grinned.

Xx

"I can't believe you two had sex," Aubrey stage whispered as Chloe paused at the door of the exam room, she was cleaning.

"We didn't," the vet protested softly. "We just stayed up all night talking."

"Talking?" the vet tech repeated dubiously. "Really?"

"Really." Chloe confirmed. "But… I do really like her, Aubrey. She's amazing."

"Are you seeing her again?"

"Tomorrow night actually," the redhead said with a smile. "I'm going to bring wine and takeout to her place."

"A sure way to get in her pants THIS time," Aubrey teased but Chloe was unamused.

"Actually," she said. "It's not about that so maybe stop with the insinuation, ok?" Then she turned and walked away, blowing out a long breath.

"Chloe? What…?" But the vet was gone, and Aubrey frowned, unsure of what had just happened.

Back in her office, Chloe sat down at her desk and ran a hand through her hair. She knew she'd overreacted, but Aubrey's teasing had just rubbed her the wrong way. She wasn't sure why, but she felt protective of Beca and, even though she didn't know what had hurt her, she feared something awful had happened and it made her want to just tell the world to fuck off and leave Beca alone. She fished her phone out of her drawer and smiled as she saw a text message from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hey Chloe. Guess who? Yep, the crazy hyperventilating cat lady! I hope you're having a better day than I am. My muse just doesn't seem to want to cooperate these days and I'm behind on a three-song commitment for an animated movie. Meh. Maybe you can be my inspiration. I certainly can't wait to see you again. Bella says to tell you meow. XX

Chloe quickly added Beca as a new contact, then tapped out a response.

Me: Hey, Beca, so glad to see your text. My day has pretty much sucked. Those emergency cases we got in this morning were all dogs and were badly hurt. We lost most of them, despite our best efforts. This is the part of the job that hurts most and I'm only now getting a chance to sit down and process everything. I hope your muse comes back. I can only imagine how frustrating that must be and if there's anything I can do to be your inspiration, I'm more than happy to help. Tell Bella to keep off that paw! XX

Beca: Oh, she is. She's been lazing on the couch all day and there MAY have been extra treats for her this morning. I got her antibiotic too and gave it to her with her food

Me: Great job, Mom! Gotta get back to work. Totes no rest for the wicked! Laterz.

The vet put her phone back in her drawer and then went back out into the hallway to find her friend. "Hey, Aubrey?"

"You ok?" the blonde asked as she finished mopping the exam room floor.

"Sorry about a few minutes ago. I just… I guess I'm tired."

Aubrey had a feeling that wasn't the reason but didn't push. "No worries," she smiled. "I shouldn't have teased like that. Beca's a very sweet woman and she seems to like you too."

"I hope so," Chloe replied. She looked down then. "We didn't have sex… but we did kiss a little."

Aubrey just smiled. "Then she definitely likes you." They paused as another head popped into the room.

"Doctor Beale," Claire said with a grin. "Your next appointment is here. Cute little rabbit called Hecthare with overgrown teeth."

"Oooooh!" Chloe squealed, grinning at Aubrey and then following Claire out the door toward the waiting room. "A witty bitty wabbit!"

The blonde could hear the owners laughing as her friend continued her overenthusiastic praise of their baby's cuteness and smiled affectionately to herself. Chloe loved her job and it inspired everyone around her to love theirs too.

Xx

"I dunno, Bells," Beca said softly as she lay on her back with her snoozing feline curled up on her stomach. "Think Chloe's going to be patient enough to deal with my bullshit?" She'd given up, once again, on trying to compose and just decided to take a short nap before her daily fifteen-minute therapy check-in. She'd made tons of progress with Elise. Only eight months previously, she'd been doing full, twice daily sessions, so yeah… progress.

Her alarm went off, so she went to her laptop and logged into the telehealth site. Elise was already waiting for her.

"Tell me everything!" she said, before the brunette had even had a chance to say hello.

Beca just laughed and a big grin overtook her face. "Well, it was definitely a date."

Elise's face lit up. "Wow, I'm thrilled for you! How did it go?"

"Well firstly, Chloe is amazing. She treated Bella's paw and she's much better now. Then she got us coffee and cake pops and, after I kissed her, we chilled on the couch…"

"Woah! Woahwoahwoah!" Elise exclaimed. "Go back to the kissing thing please."

"Oh, you heard that?" the brunette teased.

"Beca! You kissed her?" The therapist was almost vibrating with excitement.

"Yeah… we were flirting and… I just remembered what you said about making things happen. She was just so beautiful, I wanted to kiss her, and she seemed totally into it too so... There were a couple of false starts but… I did it, Elise. I kinda freaked out a bit and she was very patient about letting us just chill and talk afterwards but… God… it was…" Beca sighed dreamily. "Really nice to feel that again. We ended up staying up all night talking."

Elise's smile was soft. "Beca, that's huge. I'm so proud of you. Did you make plans to see each other again?"

"Yeah, tomorrow night. She's coming here after work."

The therapist nodded. "There'll probably be certain expectations from a second date, Beca, but remember, you're fully in control of what happens. If you want to kiss her again… or not… it's your choice."

"I almost told her about the assault," the brunette said softly. "But I chickened out at the last minute. I didn't want to see the way she was looking at me change."

"How was she looking at you?" Elise asked quietly.

Beca blushed and grinned. "Like I was a meal she was dying to eat."

The therapist laughed softly. "So, there's definitely a lot of attraction between you. That's fantastic."

The musician nodded. "She told me she doesn't normally kiss people on first dates, but she'd been thinking about kissing me all day."

"Good for both of you. Nothing wrong with a little sexual chemistry. You're young and single. Have fun, Beca."

The musician nodded and leaned back in her chair, lacing her fingers over her stomach. "I... um..." She closed her eyes and swallowed. "I can't stop thinking about having sex with her." There was silence for a long moment, and she finally opened her eyes, surprised that her therapist hadn't said something. Elise was just waiting with a smile. "Nothing to say to that, huh?"

The older woman shrugged but her smile stayed firmly in place. "It was a declarative statement, Beca. I was waiting for you to qualify or quantify it."

"That's a very fancy way of saying, go on," Beca laughed.

"Go on," Elise said with a little wave of her hand.

"Since the assault… desire, need, any kind of sexual interest, hasn't been something I've experienced at all."

"Mmm..." the therapist said.

"But this morning, when an emergency came in and she had to go help, she changed clothes in front of me and... I was... um..."

"Turned on?" Elise suggested.

"Yeah... very." Beca blushed bright red as she leaned closer to the laptop camera and lowered her voice. "I used my vibrator when I got home for the first time in… let's just say I was dusting cobwebs off it."

The therapist tented her fingers in front of her face. "You know," she said quietly. "You've made some significant strides in the last couple of days. Tell me how you're feeling overall?"

"Hopeful, actually," Beca replied after a moment's thought. "It's like... Chloe has thrown open a window in a dark room, letting sunshine and warmth inside."

"A window," Elise murmured. "Interesting way of putting it. A lot of people would say a door."

"Maybe I'm not ready to walk through a door," the musician mused.

"And having sex with her isn't walking through a door?"

"I haven't gotten there yet," Beca reminded.

"Point taken," the older woman chuckled. "Just remember..."

But Beca held up a hand. "I'm in full control of what happens and it's my choice."

Elise just smiled. "Exactly."

Xx

Beca got up from her piano stool and paced agitatedly, phone pressed to her ear. "Yeah... no... things are... no..." She shook her head. "Dad, I'm ok, really."

"I worry about you, Rebeca, I haven't seen you in months and it's almost Thanksgiving. I was hoping you'd come spend it with Sheila and me."

The brunette ran a hand through her hair. "No, I know... I've just been... I'm trying to find inspiration for three songs for an animated movie and... with therapy and everything... it's better for me to be somewhere I feel safe."

"You don't feel safe with me?"

Beca closed her eyes and shook her head, finally tired of the repeated line of guilt-evoking questioning. "Do you want to really know the truth, Dad?" she asked.

"Of course. I want you to always be honest with me, Rebeca."

"Well, here's the truth. Where you and Sheila live is the place where I was raped. I never want to see that place again."

"But Beca, this is your home..."

"No, Dad, it stopped being my home when I moved to L.A. five years ago and DEFINITELY stopped two years ago when some guy decided to not take no for an answer! And that guy was never caught so I'm terrified that, if I go there, he'll do it again. Is that honest enough for you? IS IT?!"

Beca ended the call and threw her phone across the room in anger. It bounced off the couch and hit the rug with a muffled thud, sending Bella scurrying under the couch with a startled squawk.

"Sorry, Bells." Beca shook her head and squeezed the bridge of her nose as she just breathed deeply, in and out. Then she went to pick her phone up and call her dad back.

"Beca, are you ok, Honey?" he said as soon as he picked up.

"I'm sorry I yelled," the musician said softly. "I... This is just so hard sometimes, Dad."

"I know," the man replied gently. "And I only want you to do what makes you comfortable. Maybe I could come visit you after Thanksgiving instead?"

Tears rose in Beca's eyes, and she nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Ok, we can talk about it later. Get some work done, Young Lady."

The musician laughed softly, instantly catapulted back ten years to when she was a high school senior. Her dad had said that to her all the time. "Love you, Dad."

"Love you, Bec."

As she hung up, her phone dinged and she clicked on the message to read it, a broad grin spreading across her face.

Chloe: Hey... sooooo... I'm bringing takeout and wine tonight. What's your preference?

Me: Oh, awesome. You read my mind. You choose. I'm not picky.

Chloe: Chinese?

Me: Yuck!

Me: Just kidding! Sweet and sour chicken please.

Chloe: You got it. I'll bring a selection. See you at seven. Can't wait.

Me: Me neither. See you then.

Xx

Chloe was practically bouncing along the hallway of her apartment building, grinning to herself as she tugged a little on her shirt to straighten it. She'd had just enough time to get home to shower and change before her date with Beca. She got into the elevator, and it took her to the first floor as she got her phone out to call in her takeout order. Then she looked at the address Beca had given her and copied it into her maps app. It was a ten-minute walk to the takeout place, then another ten minutes to Beca's. Chloe was glad she'd paid a little extra for rent to live this close to her job and now, Beca too.

Food collected, the redhead stopped at a grocery store to grab some wine and then headed for her date's apartment. It was a little before seven when she got there, but Beca was already opening the front door to smile at her. Chloe swallowed, attraction overtaking her as she climbed the steps to the porch to just gaze at the musician.

"Hey," she said softly. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

Beca stepped onto the porch and took her friend's hand, pulling her into the hallway and closing the door. The musician had the upstairs apartment, but she didn't want to wait to go up, and instead, took the bags from Chloe's hands and set them on the floor.

"Hi, Beautiful," she replied. "C'mere."

The vet responded to the tone of the musician's voice and moved closer to cup Beca's cheek in her palm. "I think I might explode if I don't get to kiss you right now," she murmured, lost in the younger woman's dark blue eyes.

"What are you waiting for?" the brunette asked, just as lost.

Chloe slowly ducked her head, pressing her lips softly against the smaller woman's, then humming as Beca deepened the kiss. The vet eased closer, pressing their bodies together as she tilted her head...

"Ahem, ahem. Good evening, Beca… and Beca's… friend?"

Beca jerked back in surprise, eyes wide as the unhappy face of her downstairs neighbor came into view. The woman was tapping her foot with arms folded in a disapproving stance.

"Oh... hi, Mrs. Dreyfuss," she said, slightly awkwardly. "Sorry... I... um… this is…"

But Chloe just turned, her face beaming her most charming smile as she held out her hand. "Hi, Mrs. Dreyfuss. I'm Chloe, it's so nice to meet you. Beca says you're a great neighbor!"

Apparently, the vet's bubbly personality and winning smile were enough to win over even the surliest of homophobic neighbors. The woman reached out and took Chloe's hand to squeeze it gently. "At least you're better looking than the other one," she stated, then turned on her heel and went back into her apartment, slamming the door behind her.

Chloe blinked and then burst into laughter. "High praise indeed," she said, shaking her head. "And who, pray tell, Ms. Mitchell, is the other one?"

Beca frowned. "I actually have no idea. I haven't dated anyone since I moved in eighteen months ago. That's so weird." Then her face cleared, and she laughed a little. "She might mean a delivery driver. I went through a phase of eating sushi every day for like two months and it was always the same woman who delivered here."

"NOW who's the weirdo?" the vet teased as she took Beca's hand and played with her fingers. "Mrs. Dreyfuss is kind of a passion killer, huh?"

"Oh, I don't know, Doctor Beale," Beca purred. "Watching you charm her was oddly sexy. Plus, I got to ogle your ass in those jeans when you turned around." She pulled on the slightly-speechless-Chloe's hand then. "Let's go up. Bella's been dying to see you."

The redhead smiled happily as she picked up the takeout bags and wine. "I've been looking forward to seeing her too."

At the top of the stairs, the musician's apartment door was closed and, when Chloe pushed it open to carry her bounty inside, the orange tabby almost tripped her up in her excitement. "Careful, Bells," Beca laughed.

The vet grinned and set the stuff down on the kitchen table before bending over and scooping the cat up into her arms to kiss her nose. "Hi, Bella," she said in a high voice. "How's the paw?" She looked at Beca. "I see she's not limping much."

"Maybe just a little," the smaller woman replied. "But nowhere near as badly as before you fixed her." Beca grabbed a corkscrew and uncorked one bottle, letting its red contents breath for a few minutes as she watched her date play with her beloved baby. She knew that Chloe was evaluating the frolicking feline and smiled as she nodded. "How does she look to you?"

"Everything looks good, I don't see any issues. She's putting weight on it and seems to be feeling minimal discomfort, which is what I expected."

Aubrey was right," Beca said softly.

Red eyebrows lifted. "About what?"

"You ARE excellent at your job."

Chloe blushed a little and smiled. "Thanks. I love doing it."

"Obviously so," the musician replied. She sighed then. "I wish I could get over my slump. I'm seriously blocked, and I only have two more months to come up with something for this movie."

"What's the movie about?" Chloe asked curiously as she went to the kitchen table to pour two glasses of wine.

"It's about two kids, lost on a desert island after their ship goes down. Their parents stick them in a lifeboat to save them and they end up on the island with a bunch of singing and dancing animals, who take care of them.

"How very Disney," the vet chuckled. Then she blinked. "Wait, is it a Disney movie?"

"Pixar, technically, but yeah," Beca confirmed.

"Also, very Blue Lagoon for a Disney movie," the vet giggled, waggling her eyebrows.

Beca laughed softly. "So," she went on as she sipped from her glass. "I need something sad and haunting, something upbeat and joyful and then a killer ending song. And I'm so intimidated because Sia and Ester Dean are writing the others."

"Mmm..." Chloe said. "Quite the lineup. I bet they're feeling intimidated too, having to write something to live up to yours."

Beca chuckled, looking down. "Dude, you don't even know what I've written." Then her eyes lifted and widened in surprise as Chloe sang a chorus from one of her other Disney songs. It was cool that the vet had googled her but what really amazed the brunette was Chloe's voice. It was stunning. Like full-on, no-shit amazing. Unable to stop herself, Beca started to sing with her, adding intertwining harmonies and making Chloe smile. When the last notes had trailed away, Beca shook her head in awe. "Chloe, you have a beautiful voice."

"Thanks, but it's not even close to how good you are." She chuckled as the musician scoffed at her. "I've been singing all my life," she shrugged. "Glee Club, a capella in college with Aubrey, karaoke... these days, it's just for the shower."

"I knew you sang in school but... holy shit, Chlo, you didn't tell me you were THIS good."

The vet shrugged and went to the kitchen table to open the bags of food. "Plates?"

"Upper cabinet to the right."

"People called me the singing vet at my previous job and treated me like I was the life of the party and the best thing alive. But..." Chloe shrugged again as she opened the containers and laid them out. Beca went to join her at the table. "It was just because they wanted me on their team for karaoke competitions. It got a bit... old... you know? The expectations, the dressing up three times a week... the drinking."

Beca slowly turned her date, pressing her hands to her hips and holding her. "Hey... can I just say something before my brain melts into a puddle?"

Chloe smiled as she rested her forearms on the musician's shoulders. "Sure."

"You sing like that, you fixed Bella… you are the sexiest woman on Earth."

The vet blushed and shook her head. "Second to you… and thanks, but you haven't seen me covered in puke, crap and pee at the end of the working day."

"That's what showers are for," Beca deadpanned. "I don't have to."

Chloe laughed and ducked her head to kiss her date. "You're so funny."

The musician just grinned. "So, is that why you left your last job? The karaoke expectations?"

The redhead shrugged again as she went back to making their plates. "Partially," she said. "I'd just turned thirty-one and I'd been looking for a change of city as well as a change of practice," she said. "I wanted to get out of Tampa and move to L.A. because Aubrey had moved here a few years ago and loves it. When she told me about the position opening at Perfect Paws, I applied and boom! I had a month to pack my shit, find somewhere to live and move practically all the way across the country. Totes doable, right?" She wrinkled her nose. "Wrong. I still have half my stuff in a storage unit back home. I thought Tampa was expensive, but the cost of living is so much higher here, I couldn't afford anything as big as what I had there."

"Mmmm..." Beca agreed. She'd struggled in L.A. too when she'd first moved but now the content of her bank account was more than enough for her to not have to worry about much of anything financially. "I had the same problem when I first moved here. But things get easier, Chlo, give it time."

They carried their plates to the couch and Beca turned on some music. "No movie?" Chloe asked with a smile.

"I hate movies," Beca shrugged.

Chloe tilted her head in wonder. "Yet... you score them?"

"Meh. I just like music."

"So, you haven't seen the movie you're writing the songs for?"

"I've seen the storyboards and stuff but it's just weird without music."

"I'm glad I'm not the only weirdo in this relationship," the vet chuckled. Then held up her chopsticks. "I mean... not that I'm assuming we're..." She sighed and took a bite of orange chicken, chewed and swallowed, and then shook her head. "Do you really hate movies?"

"Nah," Chloe grinned. "I was just messing with you."

Blue eyes rolled. "So, I AM the only weirdo in this."

But Beca just leaned close and pecked her cheek. "No, definitely not."

Xx

It was almost midnight. Beca was lying on the couch in Chloe's arms, the older woman spooned against her back as they watched some reruns of an old show. But neither woman was really watching. Beca was laser focused on Chloe's fingertips as they drew little patterns on her stomach over her shirt and Chloe sighed softly as the smaller woman blindly reached her hand back to run her fingers through her hair and scratch idly at her scalp.

"Beca? Can I ask you something?" the redhead said softly. "I don't want to upset you. I just want to understand something." She felt the musician stiffen a bit and kissed her shoulder. "I don't expect you to answer anything you don't want to."

"It's ok," the brunette replied. "You can ask."

"The anxiety, the fearfulness of being touched sometimes... did someone hurt you? Are you... are you a survivor of intimate partner violence?"

"No," Beca breathed. "Not... that."

"Then what is it, Bec? Who hurt you?"

To Chloe's dismay, the younger woman eased away from her and got up, but instead of withdrawing, Beca just went to the kitchen table to open the second bottle of wine and pour two glasses. Then she returned to the couch and waited for Chloe to sit up before snuggling back against her. "You're going to need this. I know I do."

The vet just nodded as she took the wine and waited for her friend to go on. "Two years ago, last month, I was visiting my dad and his wife in Atlanta. He's a college professor there." Chloe nodded. "I'd been out with some friends, drinking, having a good time, but I had an early flight back to L.A. the next morning, so I left them a little early in a bar downtown. I was walking along the street trying to get a cab when a guy approached me. He asked me if I had a cigarette. I told him no and kept walking but the next thing I knew, his arms were around me and he was dragging me down this like... dark alley. I was trying to scream but his hand was over my mouth."

Beca took a shuddering breath and gulped her wine. Chloe just rubbed her arm, inwardly horrified but outwardly calm. "You must have been so terrified," she murmured.

"I thought he was going to rob me and take off, you know? But... I felt something pinch my neck and then everything went hazy and fuzzy. I remember these weird images, and everything looked like it was skewed."

Chloe swallowed, tears welling in her eyes. Beca sniffled but managed to hold it together.

"Then everything went black, and I don't know... I guess whatever it was he gave me just knocked me right out. But then I started to come to... and things hurt and I... I opened my eyes, and he was kinda hovering above me, biting my breasts and... and I hazily realized... he was inside me. He was raping me."

"Oh my God," Chloe choked out, tightening her arms around her friend.

"I was too out of it to move or scream and it just..." She closed her eyes. "He finally got off me and ran, and all I could do was lie there, still paralyzed by the drug and staring at the stars. After what felt like hours, a woman putting out her garbage found me, covered in dirt, dress ripped open at my chest and with my underwear around my ankles. She called an ambulance and the police. There was an investigation, and I did a rape kit… but he hasn't been caught. He was smart enough to wear a condom."

Beca's chest was tight, and her breathing was elevated. She knew that she wouldn't have been able to get through the story without Chloe's arms around her. "Oh Beca," the vet whispered, pushing her hair back from her forehead and kissing it tenderly.

"So... I guess you get now why the whole physical contact thing is kinda hard for me."

"I can't even imagine how hard it must be," the redhead murmured against the musician's cheek. "You're... amazing."

Surprised navy eyes turned to look at the vet. "Amazing? Why?"

Shimmering light blue gazed back. "You survived and came back stronger."

Beca nodded. "Yeah," she breathed. "Maybe I did."

Chloe gently wiped away her tears and kissed her temple. "Can I stay?" she asked softly. "Can I just hold you?"

Beca's heart thumped in her chest, but she nodded anyway. "Let's go to bed."