You all are amazing - thank you so much for all of the support last chapter!

Boh - I'm sorry! I hope the wait wasn't too long! Thank you so much for reading and for your support!

NJCE - Ahhhhh I'm sorry! Don't worry, the school setting will bring about lots of opportunities for drama hehe :) They are back in each other's lives and this chapter & chapter 5 will be alllll about Beca, Chloe, and the secrets between the four women so hold on tight for the bumpy ride. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure if I wanted to include the fight over the card but it has been received super well, so thank you! And yes poor Chloe has just been keeping an eye on the love of her life from afar for the last ten years :( In terms of the other Bellas, it's kind of a complex answer. They will start appearing "soon" in terms of time, but not necessarily "soon" in terms of chapter count. The first ten chapters give or take, take place within a two week span. So the Bellas will start to appear in those two weeks, but it'll be a few more chapters before that happens, if that makes sense. Also, I didn't even notice the mistakes in your review! I just appreciate that you always leave all your thoughts :) I'm so glad you're enjoying the fic - thank you so much for reading and for your support!

Icedragone - A cliffhanger a day keeps the doctor away ;) I promise there are only a few scattered throughout the fic! This one was definitely tough though, so sorry about that! Thanks so much for your kind words! Yeah, Callie is definitely struggling a bit, even more so with school and everything. Her role will grow as the fic goes on, but right now, it's just important that she's safe and with her Mama :') I'm so glad you're enjoying the fic! Thank you so much for reading and for your support!

CJ3 - Hehe read on for Beca's reactions! Though I will say, not all will be revealed in Chapter 4 :) She certainly has some explaining to do, but all will come out with time - as will Bechloe wholesomeness with the kids. I'm so glad you're enjoying the fic! Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

Guest (Feb.10) - Was the second season when everything with Trey came out? And then they like jumped to the high school graduation with like little resolution? Thanks so much for having confidence in me to write the fic that's so sweet. You're 100% right - it would definitely result in different mother/daughter dynamics, especially when the kid would inherit Beca's stubborn personality. Ah I'm so glad you're enjoying Aubrey/Beca's dynamic. I will say it's been challenging to write her having stay loyal to Beca while also trying to stay loyal to Chloe, which sort of comes to a head in this chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed the credit card scene and yes - there will definitely be more battles between those two. Bella will be back next chapter, I'm glad you enjoyed her character! And don't worry, the school will be the perfect place for drama to happen later on :) Thanks so much for your kind words, reading, and your support!

Jody1990 - I really wish I could use emojis in here, because if I could, I'd be using the monkey one with its paws covering it's mouth. Let's just say, instead, that uh... the next few chapters are just... a long rollercoaster of shit going down. Hehe thanks so much for reading and for your support!

Wolvezzz - Mwuahaha, sorry for causing you stress though! Oof that would be really cold if Beca just didn't acknowledge her, but honestly, a very valid possibility. Hehe read on, friend! Thanks so much for reading and for your support!

Guest (Feb.11) - AH I'm sorry! I hope this chapter is worth the wait! HAHA when I read your Ch.2 review I was like wow they have no idea how right they are. Saturday dinner is coming and it's um...going to be exciting? Interesting? Painful? Lol we'll see! Yup Chloe is definitely going to realize that her friends haven't exactly been truthful and that'll cause some waves for sure. Beca and Chloe have many talks in their future but no comment on whether or not they're good or bad. Yes! You called it with Aubrey she was sneaky sneaky and will be called out for it later on; and yeah, poor Chloe stalking the love of her life on social media for ten years :(. Callie and school will not be easy, but she'll be okay with her Mama and her newfound aunts I promise! I hope you enjoyed Everything in Between's update - and thanks so much for all of your kind words and support! Have a great week!

Guest (Feb.13) - Poor Beca, indeed :( But she's getting her family back and they'll be able to support her through the challenging times ahead. Thanks so much for reading and for your support!


Chapter 4

Content Warning: Implied domestic violence relationship/references to a domestic violence relationship, manipulative behavior

Beca's heart stops in her chest as soon as she hears the voice behind her. She'd recognize that soft, melodic sound anywhere, which is why she quite literally can't breathe as soon as it drifts to her ears. Her hand tightens around Callie's, who is already turning around to face the person addressing them, and with her own eyes staring at the ground in front of her, Beca can't bring herself to do the same.

Beca can't bring herself to turn around to face the one person that she has always cared the most about. The one person who Beca hurt more than anything, and that she'll never be able to forgive herself for doing so. She can't bring herself to turn around and look into those perfect, cerulean eyes that always cause Beca to crumble, or face the most amazing person on this planet in the middle of a grocery store in NYC when she's supposed to be in California.

And, let's be real here: Chloe is supposed to be in Georgia with Chicago, and a bunch of mini-redheads running around. Well, she found that out ages ago, so there's a very large possibility that she moved during that time, but seriously. If Chloe is currently living in New York, using the same supermarket as the one near Aubrey's apartment, you would think that that'd be something the blonde would have mentioned.

Beca digs her teeth into the inside of her cheek, a coping mechanism that she has used for years that truly helps distract her from the many emotions that are constantly racing through her mind and body. This time, she's biting back both fear, sadness, and the innate desire to rip her kids from the grocery store and run back to safety behind the locked door of the apartment without even looking in the redhead's direction.

"Beca?" The voice behind her comes again, this time quieter, more timid, in a way that Beca has never known Chloe to act. She feels Callie tug on her hand, a silent indication that someone is talking to her, but no matter what, Beca still can't bring herself to get past the wave of nausea that has so kindly presented itself, or to get her heart beating at a normal pace.

She forces a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth, shutting her eyes momentarily as she tries to collect her thoughts, before turning herself and the cart around. As soon as she does, Beca regrets it, because she's left staring into the tear-filled eyes of the best friend that she left behind so many years ago. The woman who, upon seeing her, used to make butterflies erupt in Beca's stomach. A feeling that has now been replaced with pure dread.

The corner of her mouth tugs upwards in a less-than-enthusiastic half-smile, as she manages, "Hi, Chloe."

Chloe allows her jaw to unhinge, dropping slightly in pure shock. There's a small part of her that was wishing that she wasn't going to be right, that the brunette standing in front of her is just a random woman with two kids that were going to turn around and be completely confused as to why Chloe is talking to her, and then they both could go on with their day. Now, though, the harsh reality of the situation is coming at Chloe in full-force. "What are you… what are you doing here?"

Although Beca hates wearing these stupid sunglasses indoors, she finds herself feeling eternally grateful for them due to the fact that she can look right over Chloe's shoulders instead of into her eyes. She can't lie to Chloe; she's never been able to lie to Chloe and she probably never will be able to lie to Chloe because those god damn piercing blue orbs always see right through whatever false information she is spewing. She's always been able to read Beca, more than anyone else Beca has ever known. And right now, Beca despises it.

Somehow, she is able to sputter out, "I'm uh… I'm staying in New York for a little while."

"Oh." Chloe's response comes out in a meek, almost heart-broken whisper, and it's enough to make Beca want to curl up in a hole and die right then and there. "Are you on tour or something?"

Beca can't even bring herself to come up with a more convincing lie. The walls of the grocery store feel as though they're closing in on her, and she's almost certain that she is squeezing Callie's hand so tightly that her daughter is going to start crying any minute. "Uh, yeah, something like that."

Chloe's heart shatters even more at the blatant lie. She knows that Beca isn't on tour right now, because, like it or not, she keeps track of every tour date that is even remotely close to the city. Still, she can't come up with anything else to say. Her chest is tightening and her hands are shaking. Her mind is racing as she does everything in her power not to reach up and rip those ridiculous black sunglasses off her face so she can stare into the familiar navy blue orbs that she has missed so much. But all she can say is an, "oh. Cool."

Normal Beca would have had some witty remark to say in response to how flustered Chloe is. But this Beca isn't normal Beca. This is the Beca that cut off all contact with her best friend when she moved to Los Angeles and never looked back.

This Beca just says, "Yeah."

Beca forces another tight-lipped smile on her face, desperately wanting to escape this conversation and this store. She wants to escape the clearly hurt expression on Chloe's face, wants, more than anything, to leave before she says something she'll regret. "Well, um, it was uh… it was good to see you."

Chloe's mouth opens and closes a few times as though she's trying to figure out what to say, but all Beca can see is the tear that is threatening to escape out of the corner of her eye. "S-sure. Yeah, it was good to see you, too."

Beca barely lets the words fall off of Chloe's tongue before she's pushing the cart past her, Callie in tow.


Beca makes it around the corner of the next aisle before the tears start to fall. She moves Callie's hand to her belt loop so that she can hastily brush them away, doing her best to focus on finding the cash registers so they can get the hell out of the store. Her mind is so hazy that she barely notices the line moving in front of her, and she doesn't even flinch at the almost two-hundred-dollar total that she pays for using Aubrey's credit card. She mutters one-word answers to her kids as they ask questions while Beca struggles to juggle the ten plastic bags on her limited amount of arms, and by the time they finally get back to the apartment, the brunette is about to completely break down.

"Cal, why don't you find a movie or something for us to watch on TV." The suggestion is more of a demand, and Callie knows it just by the way her mother is acting. She practically throws the groceries down on the counter and doesn't even tell them to wash their hands when they get inside. Her Mama is moving around on her own autopilot, while she stands in the middle of the living area with her brother, wondering what happened.

"Mama, who was the lady at the store?"

Beca feigns ignorance, shuffling through her purse for the phone Aubrey gave her yesterday after shoving the sunglasses up onto the top of her head. "What lady?"

"The pretty one. With the red hair."

Beca pauses, giving her daughter a small – almost pained – smile. "She's just someone I knew from a long time ago."

"How come she made you sad?"

Beca meets her daughter's eyes, trying her best to show her that she's alright. "I'm not sad, bug. How about you and Henry wash your hands and then we'll watch a movie, okay?"

"Was she your friend?"

Callie's question is innocent enough, but it practically sends Beca off the edge.

She tries her hardest not to get mad at her kids – their father does that enough – so she almost never yells. She can be stern (what parent isn't at times), but even doing that right now hurts Beca. She does it anyway, and immediately regrets it when she sees her daughter's face drop. "Cal, what did I ask you to do?"

Callie sighs, leading Henry down the hall and into the bathroom, while Beca throws a few of the groceries into the fridge after finally locating the cell phone. They come out shortly after, and after Beca presses a kiss into each of their foreheads – a silent apology that they both gratefully accept – she leaves them on the couch with the remote and heads to the back bedroom.

She closes the door behind her as she clicks on one of the two contacts in her phone, pacing back and forth as she listens to it ring.

"This is Aubrey Posen."

Beca ignores the greeting, feeling like her entire world is caving in on her. It's not the first time that she's felt this; in fact, it's become quite a frequent feeling over the last few months, but it's not enjoyable in any sense. "Did you happen to forget to mention that Chloe is living in New York?"

In her office on the other side of the city, Aubrey blanches. She sits up even straighter in her desk chair, ceasing the consistent tapping of her pen top against her desk. She hadn't looked at the caller I.D. before answering, but now, hearing Beca's angry voice through the phone, she knows that she doesn't need to look to see who it is. "Beca…"

"No, don't 'Beca' me. What the hell, Aubrey?!" Beca knows that she can't get too mad at the blonde. Not after everything that she has done – and is still doing for her. But this… this whole 'Chloe' situation, is coming straight out of left field. It is absolutely terrifying for the brunette; there's no other way to describe it.

"Beca, let me explain."

Beca scoffs, trying her best to keep her voice down so she doesn't scare Callie and Henry, but even at a lower volume, her tone is still laced with ire. "Explain? Please, Aubrey, please explain to me why I just ran into Chloe Beale in the grocery store!"

Aubrey cradles her head in her hand, wishing – more than anything – that she hadn't listened to Stacie and told Beca about Chloe (and vice versa) from the get-go. "Okay, you need to know that I haven't told her about what is going on with you, either. She has been completely in the dark about you coming as well."

"No shit, Aubrey, she looked like she saw a ghost," Beca groans, continuing to pace the length of her room. "Or maybe that was just my reflection, because I thought she was in freaking Georgia or something!"

Aubrey's eyebrows furrow slightly in confusion. "Georgia? Beca, Chloe hasn't lived in Georgia in like eight years."

"And how the hell was I supposed to know that, Aubrey? I haven't talked to her in ten! How many other Bellas are out here? Am I going to run into one in the apartment building, too?"

"Beca…"

Beca sinks onto the corner of her bed, "You should have told me, Aubrey."

"If I had told you, would you have still come?" Aubrey waits patiently for an answer, but at Beca's silence, she starts again. "Exactly. We had to get you and Callie and Henry out of that house, Beca, and I knew that wasn't going to happen if you knew Chloe was here."

"I would've figured something out. That wasn't your decision to make."

Aubrey lets out a sigh, moving her fingers in circles to rub her aching temple. "I know, and I apologize. But I'm not going to apologize for making sure you have a support system out here, Beca. You know just as well as I do that Chloe isn't going to care about what happened when you moved to LA. All she's going to care about is the fact that you and the kids are safe."

Beca bites back the tears collecting in her eyes, running a tired hand over her head. As much as she wants to believe Aubrey, she knows that it isn't – and physically can't be – that easy. There's no way that Chloe, or any of the Bellas for that matter, are just going to up and forgive the way she completely cut off contact with them. It was a dick move, and there's no way around it. She doesn't want to hurt Chloe more than she already has, and she could tell, even in their brief encounter at the grocery store, that her presence was doing just that.

"Beca? Are you still there?"

Beca sniffles, the tears rolling down her cheek without regard for her attempts to stop them. "Yeah. I'm here."

Aubrey's heart shatters at the sound of Beca's voice on the phone. Never, not in the three times Aubrey had talked to Beca prior to her flight out here, had she heard the brunette cry. And now, merely two days in, it's her fault that she is. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Chloe. And I promise you that there aren't any other Bellas living in the city."

A short, emotionless, laugh escapes Beca's mouth, "Well, that's a relief."

Beca listens as there's silence on the other end before Aubrey comes back onto the phone. "Okay I'm going to call you later tonight. Are you sure you're alright?"

The brunette wipes a few fallen tears off of her cheek. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I... freaked out, or whatever."

"You're allowed. I'll talk to you later. Bye Beca."

When the call disconnects, it takes everything in Beca not to throw the phone across the wall in frustration. Instead, she runs her hands over her face a few times, trying to rid her face of the 'I just bawled my eyes out' look, before going out into the living room to take care of her kids.


Chloe makes it two steps away from the bakery section before the tears start to fall. She grips the handle of the basket like there is no tomorrow, and her mind is so hazy that she barely notices the fact that she never even got her cupcakes. She mutters a brief hello to her cab driver as she climbs in and gives him the address to Aubrey's office. She knows that she has to tell the blonde what just happened. Aubrey is never going to believe that Beca is back, and, quite frankly, Chloe doesn't believe it either.

She tries to keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks as she enters the building that Aubrey's law firm is in. She keeps her head bent, making a beeline toward the elevator, and doesn't lift her gaze until she is standing in front of Aubrey's secretary.

Chloe forces a smile on her face, even though she knows her eyes are most likely rimmed with red, "Hey, Brenda. Is Aubrey in?"

The older woman nods, glancing worriedly in the direction of her boss's best friend. She's been working for Aubrey long enough to be familiar with the redhead, which means she is well aware that her current disposition is nowhere near how she normally acts. "She's in her office. Are you okay, Chloe?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just going to head back there. Thanks, Brenda." Chloe takes a deep breath, doing everything in her power to stabilize her racing heart, before walking down the hallway to Aubrey's office. She peers through the window next to her door before going in.

The blonde is sitting at her desk with her head in her hands, her fingers moving in circles as she massages her skull. There are papers scattered about her desk, which isn't that different from normal, but there's something about the way Aubrey is sitting, that makes Chloe worry. This isn't her normal stressed posture. In fact, come to think of it, Aubrey hasn't been acting in her normal stressed ways lately. She hasn't seen her in about a week, and while they have texted and talked on the phone a couple of times, their conversations have been short and void of any meaningful content.

Chloe knocks a few times on the door before entering anyway.

When Aubrey sees who is standing in the doorway of her office, she isn't exactly surprised. She's been looking at the clock, wondering when she would either get a phone call from Chloe, or when she would show up at her office. It's not like her redheaded best friend to not want to talk about things, and after finding out that Beca had seen her at the store, she knew it was only a matter of time before Chloe would reach out to her and try and process everything that has happened in the last half hour.

Meaning, that Aubrey only had a short period of time to figure out what she's going to tell Chloe. Unfortunately, when Chloe arrives, she hasn't made much progress on that front. But she finds herself not being able to pretend to not know what Chloe is upset about.

"Hey, Chlo."

Chloe's distraught expression falters slightly. It's almost as though Aubrey was expecting her to come, which confuses her even more. "Aubrey?"

Aubrey sighs, leaning back in her chair and trying her hardest not to completely destroy her best friend. "Are you okay?"

Chloe gulps, shaking her head, even more tears escaping as she clenches her eyes closed. She momentarily forgets about the way Aubrey is acting, with the events of this afternoon rushing back to her. The way Beca had stood there and practically refused to talk to her. How she didn't even acknowledge the two children that were with her. How she lied about being on tour just to get away from Chloe. Her breath hitches in her throat as she brings her hands to cover her face, laying her head on Aubrey's shoulder as soon as her friend's arms are pulling her into an embrace.

It takes a few moments before Chloe is able to calm herself down enough to mutter, "Beca is back."

Aubrey runs her hand over Chloe's curls, holding her tight against her chest. She can't keep the fact that she's been helping Beca a secret from Chloe anymore. It'd completely destroy not just herself, but her friend as well. Plus, it's not like she promised Stacie she would blatantly lie to Chloe; she just promised that she wouldn't outwardly tell her the truth. "I know."

Chloe pulls abruptly pulls away at the admission, not really believing the words that have just come from the blonde's mouth. "What?"

Aubrey moves past her, closing the door to her office, and gently leading Chloe to the two chairs in front of her desk. She very rarely sits on this side, and it's strange being able to look out the window that she typically has her back to. "I knew Beca was back in New York."

"What? How? Why?" Chloe's voice rises in pitch, her volume laced with both hurt and confusion. Beca and Aubrey had become friends after Beca's first year at Barden, but they had never been as close as Beca and Chloe were. None of the other Bellas were.

Aubrey grips Chloe's hands in hers. She knows she can't reveal too much about the situation that brought Beca here, but she is also fully aware that Chloe is not going to back down from this without a fight. "Beca called me a few weeks ago and asked me for help moving out here."

Chloe's eyebrows furrow, her piercing blue eyes even bluer with the tears swimming in them. "She called you?" It almost kills her to ask, the question coming out quietly in disbelief.

"She did."

"Why?" Chloe has a million other questions racing through her head, but this seems like the only one she can wrangle into actual words.

Aubrey sighs, never once allowing her green orbs to drift away from Chloe's face. "She needed…help, Chlo, and she didn't want a lot of people finding out."

This time, Chloe's racing mind stops. "Help? What do you mean? Is she okay?" At Aubrey's brief hesitation, Chloe's jaw drops. "Oh my God… what's wrong, Aubrey?"

Aubrey gulps, trying to stay faithful to not only Beca, but Chloe as well. "She's okay. She's here now, and that's all that matters."

"Aubrey, what are you talking about?!"

Okay, so maybe not the best choice of words. Trying to reassure Chloe while also protecting Beca's privacy, is proving to be much more complicated than Aubrey was expecting. "I don't know all the details… she's barely told me anything."

"What did she tell you, Bree?"

"I…" Aubrey groans, fighting back the wave of nausea that is threatening to surface. "Chloe, I can't. You're going to have to talk to her."

Chloe drops Aubrey's hand, "How am I supposed to talk to her, Bree? She would barely look at me in the grocery store, and I have absolutely no way of contacting her, I don't know where she is living…" She doesn't know anything about Beca. "Is Theo here, too? Were those their kids?"

"No, Theo isn't here," Aubrey answers a little too quickly, remembering once again why she hates keeping secrets from Chloe – because it's physically impossible for her to do so. "But yes, those are Beca's kids. Callie and Henry."

In any other situation, Chloe's heart would have swelled, and she would've gone into a twenty-question rampage about what they are like and what their interests are. But right now, all Chloe can focus on is the fact that Beca called Aubrey for 'help' and her husband isn't on the east coast with her. "Why isn't Theo here?"

"Chloe…"

The way Aubrey says her name makes Chloe tense. She can tell that Aubrey isn't telling her the truth, and she hates it. "She doesn't want to talk to me, Bree. That much was obvious this afternoon."

"She was surprised. I didn't tell her that you lived here."

"Why not?"

Aubrey shrugs, knowing that she can't tell Chloe the same explanation that she told Beca. "Because I knew you guys would find your way back to each other eventually."

Chloe seems to quiet at this, but she eventually meets Aubrey's gaze once more. Tears continue to fill in her eyes, and her voice cracks as she gives Aubrey one final plea. "Please. Just tell me what's going on."


Beca leans down in the darkness of her kids' bedroom, pressing a kiss into Callie's forehead. Her own eyes are bleary with exhaustion, even if it is only eight o'clock. She's been reading with the kids for the last hour by the dim light of the bedside lamp, resulting in her eyes growing tired and her head pounding. It's been a long day, and she just wants it to be over. "Goodnight, bug, I love you."

Callie mumbles an 'I love you, too," before her Mama moves on to Henry. The barriers are up on his bed, and he's already curled in a tight ball underneath his covers. She gives her son the same sentiment, and then carefully leaves the bedroom.

As soon as the door is closed, Beca leans up against the wall, sinking down to the floor. She loves her kids more than anything in the world, but she is beat. She was able to keep them calm for most of the afternoon, sitting with them on the couch and watching The Lion King, but once five o'clock came around, they were bouncing off the walls. Between trying to get them to eat, get ready for bed, calm down, all the while fighting the pictures of Chloe that have been reappearing in her mind since seeing her this afternoon, all Beca wants to do is sleep.

Talk about a punch to the gut. She's embarrassed, and heartbroken, and angry at herself for ever letting her life get to this point. If she had just put her foot down with Theo, if she had just been the stubborn Beca that she always has been, she wouldn't be in this situation. She wouldn't have lost all of her friends – her family – and she wouldn't have had to leave LA in the middle of the night with her two children.

Beca lets out a soft sigh, resting her head on the wall behind her. It's bound to get easier, right? Maybe, if she's lucky, Theo won't even come looking for her. She'll just be able to stay here and live a normal life with Callie and Henry. Maybe, someday, she'll be able to face the rest of the Bellas, and the kids can meet the ladies that, under normal circumstances, would have been their aunts. And maybe, one day, the Bellas will actually forgive her for being such a shitty human being.

Then, there's Chloe, who Beca is almost 100% certain will never forgive her, no matter how long she sticks around for. Not after everything that she's done leading up to today, and certainly not after how she treated her in the grocery store. She couldn't even manage to have more than a three-sentence conversation with the woman. She owed at least that to Chloe, and Beca couldn't even give her it.

She shakes her head in disbelief. Even after all these years, she's still letting Chloe Beale down.

Beca's thoughts are interrupted by a brief – yet powerful – knock on the apartment door. Her eyes snap open from their state of rest, anxiety level instantly rising. She's already talked to Aubrey once on the phone tonight, so it really shouldn't be her, and no one else knows that she's staying here.

She's only been here for two days… there's no way that Theo has found her yet, right?

Right?

Swallowing her fear and ignoring the racing of her heart, Beca quietly pads through the hallway and over to the door. Her heart briefly settles when she peers through the peephole and sees a very familiar, very tall brunette, but quickly picks back up. She really can't face disappointing another Bella today.

Of course, Stacie knocks again, not knowing that Beca is quite literally standing on the other side of the door. The shorter brunette contemplates just letting her stand out there, but then remembers that, without her and Aubrey, Beca would still be in Los Angeles.

So, she sighs, and carefully unlocks the door.

Stacie grins as soon as she sees Beca. She's still in her scrubs, having just gotten off of work after a particularly grueling day with one of her cases, but the sight of the other woman brings immediate pleasure to the doctor. It's been killing her, not being able to see Beca since she's been back, and after Aubrey said that she had kind of a rough day, Stacie figured what better time than to try and cheer her friend up (and reassure her that she has people in her corner). She holds up two bottles from the bag on her shoulder. "I have red and I have tequila. What kind of night is tonight?"

Beca doesn't answer, simply moving so that Stacie can come inside without drawing too much attention to the apartment. Like Aubrey, Stacie really hasn't changed in appearance. There are a few gray hairs highlighting her natural brown locks, but other than that, she's the same Stacie that Beca saw in the hospital when they returned from Europe (including her affinity for alcohol).

At Beca's silence, Stacie holds up the bottles again, a smile growing on her face. She's trying to keep the mood light and not completely freak Beca out, because, if Stacie knows her friend – and she likes to think that she once did – she is sure that this whole escaping her husband and asking for help thing, is moving Beca further and further behind the walls that she has always built up around herself. The walls that the Bellas once prided themselves on having conquered. "So? What'll it be?"

Beca crosses her arms protectively over her chest, already in her pajamas for the night. She can't even muster a smile for the woman standing in front of her, for pure fear of what the motive behind this visit will be. Stacie's always been laid-back, but that was before Beca practically begged her wife to help her escape her LA life after ten years of radio silence. "Um, neither, thanks."

Stacie falters slightly, but she keeps her bravado, hoping to relieve some of the obvious tension between the two women. "What? Beca Mitchell not wanting a drink? I'm shocked."

Beca keeps her tone emotionless, never once moving out of the front entryway. "I try not to drink around the kids."

It's clear Beca's statement catches Stacie by surprise, because she slowly lowers the bottles from their raised positions while she tries her best to recover. She can sense the nerves radiating off of her friend, and Stacie knows it's probably a combination of seeing her unexpectedly, as well as wondering what Stacie is going to say or do. "Okay, so no alcohol. How about a hug?"

Beca ignores Stacie's question, simply looking into her hazel eyes. She wants to get this off her chest before Stacie goes on pretending like everything is all fine and dandy. "I'm sorry I called Aubrey."

"I'm not. I wish you would've called her sooner." This time, there's no hesitation in Stacie's answer. She shakes her head, never once breaking eye contact with the brunette standing in front of her. "And if you think that me or Aubrey, or any of the other Bellas for that matter, are pissed at you for anything other than not calling sooner when you clearly needed help, then you need to get your head out of your ass."

This time, a small snort does escape Beca's throat, the shorter woman running a hand over her face and trying not to let tears swell in her eyes.

Stacie places her bag down on the counter behind her. "I'm serious, Bec. Now get over here and give me a hug." She doesn't wait for any protest, simply moving to wrap Beca in her warms. Beca stiffens in the embrace, cautiously raising her arms to give Stacie at least a little bit of a hug in return, but then quickly steps back. Beca wasn't much for hugs before everything with Theo, and she certainly isn't a big fan of them now.

When they separate, Stacie takes the chance to really look at her friend, realizing, not for the first time, how much she's missed her. The last time Stacie had seen Beca in person was when she came to visit her and Bella in the hospital after the USO tour. After that, Beca moved to LA. For Stacie, at least, there were a few FaceTime calls and Beca had continued to text in the Bellas' group chat for about two months until she slowly started disappearing from both text threads and social media. Stacie had checked in a couple of times, but after not getting a reply from her for three weeks straight, she eventually stopped. When she was sending out invitations for Bella's first birthday, she reached out again, only to find that the number that was previously associated with Beca's contact, had been assigned to a complete stranger.

Stacie gives Beca a small smile before starting to walk towards the couch. She helped Aubrey set up the apartment leading up to Beca's move. They made it a team effort to pick out the furniture and the small amount of décor after deciding that an apartment would be best, rather than setting up a few spare beds in their basement downstairs. Unbeknownst to Beca, Stacie has also been gathering some of Bella's old things that she could use. "Bree told me you guys went over to Lewis to register Callie for school today?"

Beca takes a hesitant seat on the other end of the couch after Stacie comfortably plops down on the cushions. She folds her legs underneath her and watches the other woman carefully. "Um, yeah… I think she's a little nervous to go, though."

"Oh really? Why?"

Beca picks at the frayed end of her pajama pants. "She was homeschooled in LA… she has never really been around kids her own age. I think the whole thing is kind of freaking her out, especially because she doesn't really know what we're doing here."

Not wanting to make Beca any more uncomfortable than she already clearly is, Stacie stays away from the topic of 'what they're doing here', and instead focuses on Callie. "Lewis is a great school… we looked at it for Bella, but it was too far away. I'm sure she'll do great." When Beca falls silent again, Stacie asks, "What about Henry? How's he doing?"

The corner of Beca's mouth quirks upward. "He's good. He's always been a pretty easy-going."

Stacie grins. As much as she knows this is probably killing Beca, she is glad that she's getting at least some sort of answer. All Stacie wants her to know is that she and Aubrey are there for her, and that they aren't going anywhere. "I can't wait to meet them. Bree said they're adorable."

"They're good kids." Beca muses more to herself than to Stacie, leaning against the arm of the couch. "What about Bella? She giving you a run for your money yet?"

"Oh, for sure." Stacie chuckles, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "I swear, that kid has more sass in her pinky finger than I ever did."

Beca gives her a small laugh in response, but other than that, the two women fall silent. It's not so much an uncomfortable silence as it is a silence that has to do with Beca not knowing what else to say and Stacie not wanting to push her. Regardless, the leggy brunette waits a few minutes before broaching the subject that she's been wanting to address since she arrived. "I heard you saw Chloe today."

Beca averts her gaze to the floor, "Aubrey tell you about that, too?"

"She did." In fact, Aubrey called her as soon as Chloe left her office. Her wife was beating herself up over it, and it took everything in Stacie not to leave work right then and there. She knows how stressed out the blonde has been since Beca's first phone call, and it kills her that she can't do more to help. "Chloe's worried about you. We all are."

"I'm fine."

Stacie shakes her head. "Don't do that. There's no way in hell that you're fine."

Beca narrows her eyes slightly. "I really don't want to have this conversation tonight, Stacie."

"And I'm not going to force you to, but Bec… you need to know that you have people in your corner. Me, Aubrey, and Chloe. Once you tell her what happened, she's not going to care about everything else." Beca refuses to meet her gaze. "You can't do this on your own, you know that just as well as I do."

"I'm sure you guys have already told her what-"

Stacie immediately shakes her head. "We haven't, and we wouldn't." And it's true. Aubrey stayed strong and didn't tell Chloe why Beca was suddenly in New York with two children sans husband. That doesn't mean that their conversation hadn't ended with Chloe storming out of Aubrey's office, frustrated with her best friend's avoidance tactics, and feeling heartbroken from being kept in the dark. It also doesn't mean that Aubrey has been beating herself up about Chloe's reaction ever since, going so far as to yell at Stacie about how she should just be able to tell Chloe so that they could get both Beca and Chloe together before things get worse. But once again, Stacie reminded her that they made a promise to Beca, and that, like Aubrey has been saying all along, they'll be back in each other's worlds in no time."All she knows is that you're here, with two kids, and that it was a last minute thing. Aubrey told her she had to hear the rest from you."

Stacie can see the shorter brunette shutting down in front of her. She's keeping her eyes trained on the ground, and her hands haven't stopped playing with the end of her pajama pants. But that doesn't mean Stacie wants to stop. She needs Beca to hear what she's saying. "Listen, we always do dinner with Chloe on Saturday night. You guys can all come, the kids can play and get to know each other, and the four of us can talk."

Beca can't help but roll her eyes. As much fun as that sounds, she really doesn't want to spend her entire night being interrogated by the three other women. "Stacie, I don't think –"

"You can't shut yourself out, Bec."

"I'm not 'shutting myself out', Stacie. It's not exactly the easiest thing to talk about," Beca can hear the volume in her voice rising, and she's transported back to the many times where she's tried to keep Theo from yelling too loudly while the kids were either sleeping or in another room playing.

Stacie pauses, waiting to see if Beca has anything else she wants to say. When she doesn't Stacie starts once more. "I can't even imagine what you've gone through, but that's exactly why I need you to know that we are all in your corner. Talking about it, letting us help you, Bec… I know that you know that that's what's going to be best for you and the kids."

Beca runs a hand through her hair, no longer looking in Stacie's direction, and doesn't say anything.

"Come over on Saturday. Give it a shot, Beca. I promise you won't regret it."


Ten Years Ago

Beca lets the last notes ring into the microphone, the music quieting in her headphones as she looks through the window of the recording booth. Theo is sitting there beside the rest of the production team, a giant grin on his face while giving her a big thumbs up.

For as much crap as Beca gave him over in Europe, Theo really is a good guy. He's been great helping Beca get acclimated to Los Angeles and working with him has been relatively enjoyable. She still can't believe that she's here, recording her first album. It all happened so fast. Less than a month ago she was packing her bags in New York and saying goodbye to Chloe and the rest of the Bellas. Now, she's recorded three songs in preparation for her album release in a few months.

Beca takes the headphones off and leaves the booth, taking the empty seat next to Theo, "How was that?"

Theo just leans back and clicks a few buttons on the soundboard. "Listen for yourself."

Beca's voice starts to come out of the speakers, everyone in the room subconsciously nodding their heads to the music. It's good, there's no denying that. Even Beca, who, at the start of this whole endeavor hated listening to her own voice, has to admit that it sounds pretty decent. When it finishes, Beca can't help but allow a smile to slowly spread over her face. "That was pretty cool."

As Theo opens his mouth to say something, he's cut off by the shrill ringing of Beca's cellphone that had been left on the desk while she was recording. Someone passes the device to her, and Beca automatically brightens at the picture of the grinning redhead smiling up at her. She misses Chloe more than she ever thought it was possible to miss a person. Although Beca's been busy at work, and Chloe has been busy preparing for her move back to Atlanta, they still try and find time to talk.

"It's Chloe; I'm going to take this real quick, okay?"

While the production team all nods their approval, there's a brief flash of frustration that crosses Theo's face. "Actually, Beca, I wanted to run through a few more things with you."

Beca's eyebrows furrow in confusion as her phone continues to ring in the background. "I thought that was the last take?"

"It was, but there are a few other logistics we need to go over before you take off for the day." Theo sighs, "This is important stuff, Beca, we have a deadline to meet. I'm sure Chloe will understand that this is your career taking precedence."

It takes a minute before Beca nods. She knows that this is important, she knows that this is her dream coming true. But it still hurts her as she silences her phone under Theo's watchful eye, sitting back down in her chair. "Okay. What's next?"


Thank you so much for reading! I look forward to reading any thoughts/comments/predictions/critiques that you want to share!

Have a great week and I will see you on Saturday! :D