Thank you so much for all of the support last chapter! I know it was a tough one and while I can't say that the end of the angst is near, I do promise a happy ending for Beca and the kids.
*Please note the new content warnings for this chapter
Icedragone - That is such a good question! I really don't know if Beca would have called Chloe if Aubrey had hung up. Maybe? But I also feel like if she had been "rejected" for lack of a better term by Aubrey, she would've just tried to leave on her own. I'm not sure though! Kids truly are resilient and, in addition to that, Callie's ability to bounce back as quickly as she did, is just another testament to how manipulative Theo is as a person. Chloe is certainly trying to understand where Beca is coming from and why she doesn't want to talk with her - but that's going to be another challenge in and of itself! My heart aches for them both - but I love what you said about their distance bringing Henry and Callie into Beca's life because that's so true. Thanks so much for reading and for your support!
CJ3 - Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Beca certainly has been through a lot, but she has the girls and she's safe now; each day is just another step closer to healing. Thanks so much for reading and for your support!
Wolvezzz - Thank you so much for your kind words and for your PM offer. I will certainly keep that in mind as the writing progresses. I know we've talked about this before, but I hope you're doing ok/are safe now. Sending so many virtual hugs. Please do not be afraid to reach out if you think I have misconstrued something or written a particular situation in an unfavorable light/Yes, as much as the flashbacks were challenging and heartbreaking to write, I agree that they are so important. And poor everyone is such a true sentiment. Luckily, the gang is getting back together, and Beca is safer now. Thank you so much for reading and for your support!
Jody1990 - First, let me just say I am so sorry that you have any experience with these types of situations. I hope you are doing okay/are safe now. Sending you so many virtual hugs. Second, I was blown away by your comment. I sincerely appreciate it. I will always try my absolute best to treat these subjects with respect, and am so honored that you've trusted me enough to feel safe embarking on this new fic. Thank you. Please do not ever be afraid to reach out if you think I have misconstrued something or have written a particular situation in an unfavorable light./ I'm so glad that Beca finally saw a reason to leave him, too. She's spent her whole motherhood-life protecting the kids and living that way for the kids, so I feel like it would only make sense if she left for the kids, too. That will be explored later on as well. Thank you so much for reading and for your support :)
NJCE - Yay for school cooling down! Yes, definitely a tough chapter for sure. Fully support you simply calling Theo "turtle" - I will do the same in my response. Yes, Beca's certainly been through a lot and her mental state will definitely reflect that in the coming chapters. "Abusive people will always be abusive no matter your age or size" - YES to all of that. Turtle has no boundaries and is just a horrible person. And for sure, if Beca hadn't had Karla, it would have been much more challenging for her to get out of there. Chloe will for sure have her own struggles, some of which we see in this chapter. It has been a longgggg couple of days for this crew, and unfortunately, it's not going to get much easier for a little while. Although, I guess it will be a bit better because Beca has Aubrey, Stacie, and Chloe by her side now. Stacie and Aubrey are all good! A little argument, for sure, but I think Stacie would definitely recognize that Aubrey was in between a rock and a hard place and it was undoubtedly overwhelming for her. What's important (in my opinion at least) is that yes, they all have their own feelings and emotions right now - and rightfully so - but they also need to focus on the bigger picture, which is Beca and the kids' safety. I think that they all come to that realization on their own. Ahhhh excellent question! This will be explored in a later flashback in Part 1, and there will certainly be other times where more will be revealed about the last ten years from Beca's POV (nothing as descriptive as last chapter, but there is still a lot to uncover). As always, thanks so much for sharing all of your thoughts. Thank you for your kind words, reading, and for your support!
RJRMovieFan(1+2) - Thank you so much for all of your kind words! Yes, definitely some mystery, some cliffhangers sprinkled throughout, and tension for sure. I hope you are enjoying some of the later chapters. Thanks so much for reading and for your support!
Guest (Feb. 26) - Yes, exactly (re: your explanation for Beca leaving). I think I mentioned this in someone else's response, but, for a big part of it, Beca has been living this way for her kids. I think it would only make sense if she left for her kids as well. I really don't know how much Callie would understand if Beca just came out and told her about Theo. And exactly; Callie is missing her dad, Theo has been manipulative enough not to be seen as a bad guy in her eyes. Depending on the situation, it might take a lot to convince her... Hehe excellent question about Beca's parents. So both her mother and father are dead, but it's slightly more complicated than that and will be addressed later on (that makes it sound like they were murdered or something omg I promise that is not the case). I'll also probably explore your second question about Beca going to Aubrey, but I would imagine Karla would have pressed her to find someone that would keep a level head throughout the whole ordeal, someone with resources (financial or otherwise), and Beca would want someone that she would think wouldn't pity her. I think in one of the earlier chapters, in some of Beca's introspection, she mentioned calling Aubrey and one of the reasons for that being she knew Aubrey would be upset with her, and maybe hoping that Aubrey wouldn't let her down easy. I also feel like Beca and Aubrey got closer after PP1 because of Chloe, so maybe that added to the decision as well. They for sure have an interesting dynamic and there will be plenty of time to explore that as well! For your last point, I absolutely loveeeee the idea of Beca becoming a music teacher. Honestly, I hadn't thought of it that much because I've been focusing most of my attention on Part 1 and simply getting Beca out from underneath Theo's thumb but I will most definitely come back to that and see if I can work it in. I loved hearing all of your thoughts! Thanks so much for reading and for your support!
Ritchellexx - I know, I'm sorry :( It really was a tough chapter; thanks so much for sticking with it, though. She will eventually find peace and happiness now that she has the girls back, I promise. Haha I'm so glad you're enjoying the fic! Thanks so much for reading and for your support!
Spookypotatoe - Oh 100%. The girls will make sure Beca is safe and comfortable again, I promise :) Thanks so much for reading and for your support!
Guest (Feb. 28) - Haha no sorries! I hope you had a nice week! Yes, we are hoping for the best for sure. Theo for sure is not going to have a happy ending. Very painful chapter for sure and he is coming back (maybe sooner than you're expecting) but that just means Beca and the kids are one step closer toward safety and freedom. And there will definitely be more times for Beca to share what else happened during the last decade, because there is so much more to uncover. Thank you so much for your kind words :') Chloe will for sure have her time in the spotlight in the upcoming chapters as she starts to get closer to Beca (even if Beca might not want that) - she is hurt as well, yes, and she will definitely have her own struggles to face. Totally understand feeling angry and sad and frustrated all at the same time. He is not a good person. At all. The girls will all be there for Beca, and they'll all eventually get to a good place xx. Thank you so much for reading and for your support! Have a good week!
Chapter 7
Content Warning: Implied domestic violence situation, panic attack, brief section with POV from the abuser (after the third line break)
Monday mornings aren't necessarily Chloe's favorite things in the world. She enjoys getting to see her students after the weekend, and she's always thrilled to get back into the swing of things, but there's still something different about Mondays that puts a slight damper on her mood each time it rolls around. This week, especially after the stressful weekend she had with Beca, Chloe is practically sleepwalking as she waits for her fifth graders to arrive for class.
She takes a seat at her desk, enjoying the last few minutes of silence as her kids begin to line up outside her classroom, when her phone buzzes beside her. Chloe lifts it almost instantly, her eyes scanning the message that just came in.
Aubrey: Can you come down to the office?
Chloe's heart sinks. This entire morning she's been thinking about the fact that Beca's daughter will be starting at Lewis, wanting nothing more than to reach out to Beca and ask how she could help, but she didn't want to overstep. She knew that both Stacie and Aubrey would be bringing Callie in with her mother, and while she would do anything to be there for Beca, she also didn't want to make the brunette any more stressed than Chloe is sure she already is.
The redhead stayed at Aubrey and Stacie's house not just Saturday night, but most of Sunday as well. Luckily, when Sunday actually rolled around and everyone in the house woke up for the day, Stacie seemed a little less mad than she had the night before. Her and Aubrey were amicable over breakfast, and Chloe noticed a few pleasant exchanges while she was watching a movie with Bella. But there was still tension in the air; tension created from the guilt that all three women seemed to be feeling. Half-way through the day, Stacie announced that she was going to go visit Beca and the kids, and while Chloe is sure Aubrey texted her at some point, Chloe herself was left with another day of radio silence. She hates it but is trying to keep in mind that reforming her relationship with Beca might take time.
Chloe makes her way through the halls of the elementary school without hesitation, barely being able to muster a small smile as she passes various colleagues on her way to the front of the school. She tries to put on the façade that everything is alright, but she knows her emotions completely give her away as soon as she can see through the glass windows of the main office.
Meredith, Chloe's coworker and the woman who is going to be Callie's teacher starting today, is standing off to the side of the office talking quietly with Annie. Stacie is standing a little further away towards the back of the office. Henry is on her hip, the leggy brunette bouncing him slightly and trying to distract him from everything else that is going on. Aubrey, too, seems distressed, running a hand over forehead and watching the scene unfold below.
In front of Aubrey are Beca and Callie, the sight of which makes Chloe pick up her pace. There are tears streaming down Callie's cheeks, her face red with exertion as she tries to pull herself out of her mother's grasp. Beca is kneeling on the ground, dressed in jeans and a flannel, much like she did when they were in college, with her hair pulled back by her sunglasses and her face void of any makeup. The pain is evident in her expression, focusing solely on Callie as she talks to the seven-year-old.
Chloe slides into the office, giving Aubrey a small smile as she catches the tail end of whatever Beca is saying.
"—Cal, I'm going to be right here to pick you up this afternoon. I promise."
Callie tries to tug her hand out of Beca's, "I don't want to stay! I want to go home!"
As Beca moves to say something else, Chloe carefully makes her way over to Stacie, lowering her voice to a whisper. "What's going on?"
Stacie moves Henry to her other hip so that he's closer to the redhead; if she wasn't so stressed at the moment, she would be grinning at the fact that Henry instantly perked up at the sight of her best friend. "She's been like this all morning. Beca practically had to carry her out of the apartment."
"Is she just scared about going to an actual school?"
Stacie shrugs, "I don't know… it would make sense but –"
"—No! I want Daddy!"
The office falls silent save for the sniffles coming from Callie. Chloe turns around just in time to see the look of pure devastation cross her best friend's face, Beca's jaw dropping slightly and tears instantly swelling in her eyes. Whether or not she means for it to happen, Beca's grip loosens on her daughter's hand, and Callie yanks it away, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly as she looks around the office, wondering why everyone has suddenly become so serious.
Nonetheless, Callie simply turns back to Beca, repeating her last request, her lip still trembling. "I want Daddy."
Meredith and Annie watch the mother-daughter duo carefully, only knowing some - vague - details about why Callie Wright is starting at Lewis at the end of September. As for Stacie, Aubrey, and Chloe, Beca's pain is reflected on all of their faces, each one of them waiting for someone – anyone – to say something.
Beca's voice comes out just above a whisper. "I know you do, bug. I'm so sorry." Beca audibly gulps under the watchful gaze of everyone in the office. She tentatively reaches out to Callie, seeming almost relieved when her daughter doesn't pull away her hand.
Chloe can see the wheels turning in Beca's head, and before her own mind can tell her not to, she's moving to bend down next to the brunette. She lays her hand on Beca's shoulder, giving her a small smile as Beca realizes that she's there, before turning to Callie, whose chest is still rising and falling with deep, anxious breaths. "Hey, Callie. Do you remember me?"
Callie looks into Chloe's piercing baby blues but doesn't say anything.
"You're not too excited to be starting school today, huh?"
Callie sniffles slightly, "I want to go home."
Chloe gives her a small, sympathetic smile, as she shifts on the ground so she's kneeling on the linoleum. She sits back on her legs. "I hear you, kiddo. It must be pretty fun hanging out with your Mama all day, right?"
The smallest hint of a nod comes from where Callie is standing, everyone else in the office waiting with bated breath to see whether or not Chloe will be successful.
Chloe grins at her response. "Yeah, your Mama's pretty cool. You want to hear a secret, though?" Callie shrugs. "School is way more fun. You get to learn all of this awesome stuff, you'll get to read so many new books, and best of all, you're going to make tons of new friends."
Beca flicks her eyes between her daughter and Chloe. She's had this same conversation with Callie countless of times over the last couple of days, but with Chloe's patience and just her general personality, of course it sounds better coming from her.
"I don't wanna make friends."
Chloe feigns shock. "What?! You don't want to make friends! Why not?"
"I already have a friend."
"What's your friend's name?"
This time, through a sniffle, Callie perks up slightly. "Karla."
Chloe nods, "That's right. And you did school with Karla, didn't you?"
"Mhmm. And we played games and watched movies."
"That sounds like a lot of fun." Chloe glances up briefly at Meredith, silently telling the other teacher to approach where they are sitting. "And guess what?"
"What?"
"My friend, Mrs. Hamilton, she does a lot of that stuff with her class, too. Don't you, Mrs. Hamilton?"
The young, frizzy-haired teacher comes over to where Callie can see her. "We sure do. And Callie, I heard you really like to read. Is that true?" When she gets another nod, she continues. "Well, I have a huge library in my room, and you can borrow whatever books you want so that you can read them at home. How does that sound?"
There's a flash of excitement that passes over Callie's face. Karla used to bring her to the library every Friday and they'd always pick out three books to bring home and read. "Really?"
"Really. Should we go check it out?"
Callie hesitates once more, glancing over at her mother who has forced a small smile on her face, but is nodding in encouragement. Chloe is still watching her, and so are Aubrey and Stacie, who showed up at the apartment this morning when she was getting ready. While she still isn't really sure who they are, they seem nice enough. Her heart is racing in her chest, and her cheeks are still damp from the tears, but eventually, Callie reluctantly mutters, "Okay."
Everyone in the office seems to let out a collective sigh of relief. "Amazing. Why don't you say goodbye to your mom, and then we can head down?"
As the teacher stands, Beca takes it as her cue to pull Callie into her embrace. Her daughter wraps her arms around Beca's neck, holding on tight as the older woman runs her hand over her curls. "You're going to have so much fun today, Cal, I promise."
Callie sniffles into the crook of Beca's neck, holding on for as long as possible before she is inevitably forced to let go. "When are you going to come get me?"
"Right at three. I'm going to be right here waiting and then you're going to tell me all about your class, and what you did, and about all of your new friends. Deal?"
Callie nods, slowly separating from her mom. Beca presses a light kiss into her forehead. "I love you. More than anything. Don't you ever forget that, alright, bug?"
"I love you too." Callie turns to the redhead, not quite releasing Beca's hand yet, as she takes note of the ID hanging around Chloe's neck, the card looking remarkably similar to the one on her new teacher's. "Are you staying?"
Chloe gives her a small smile. "I have my own class with some of the older kids, but I'll still be in the school."
"Can you come to my class?"
If Callie's voice hadn't sounded so hopeless, Chloe's heart would have swelled at the question. Instead, she thinks on her feet, knowing that she will do anything for the little girl that she met less than a week ago. "I can't for the whole day, but I'll tell you what. If you still aren't having fun at lunch time, you tell Mrs. Hamilton, and then I'll come find you. Is that okay?"
Callie briefly considers this before saying, "Okay."
Chloe grins. "Great."
"Are you ready to go, Callie?" Mrs. Hamilton waits patiently by the door, focusing all of her attention on her new student. When she gives her a small nod, the teacher slowly opens the office to the rest of the school. "Alright, let's go."
Callie gives her mother one more brief hug, before grasping on to the straps of her backpack, and slowly following the teacher out of the office. Unbeknownst to the seven-year-old, Beca watches her the entire way and lets out a shaky breath once the door closes behind them, as she continues to replay her daughter's outburst over and over again in her mind.
Chloe turns around to face the brunette as soon as Callie and Meredith are out of sight, her heart breaking as she sees the tears that have broken free and are streaming down her friend's face. "Oh, Bec…"
Beca shakes her head, pushing herself off the ground and walking over to the wall, turning her back to everyone in the office. A tremor goes through her body as she tries so hard not to completely lose her composure. Chloe watches as she shakes out her hands, then brings them through her hair and grips at the roots like she did on Saturday night. Her heavy breathing quickly becomes the only sound in the room, with Chloe flicking her attention to where Stacie and Aubrey are standing, Stacie already starting to move Henry into Aubrey's waiting arms, ready to step in like she did on Saturday.
Before Stacie has a chance to approach Beca, though, Chloe makes a split second decision. She quickly stands from the linoleum and comes up behind the brunette. She lays her hand on Beca's shoulder much like she had moments earlier and lowers her voice to a whisper. "Bec, come on, we can go somewhere so you can calm down."
Beca flinches backward at the contact, her breathing remaining strained, as she attempts to protest through her tears. Chloe just shakes her head. "It's okay. Stacie has Henry and Callie is already in class. You're okay."
With a little more hesitance - but all the dedication - Chloe gently places her hand on the small of Beca's back, this time being grateful that she doesn't move away at the touch. Giving Stacie and Aubrey one last fleeting glance over her shoulder, Chloe guides her best friend past a very concerned looking Annie, and into a conference room that branches off of the office. As soon as she closes the door, Chloe keeps a steady grip on the sides of Beca's arms, wanting nothing more than to fully wrap her in an embrace, but also knowing that that probably wouldn't be the best idea at this point.
So, with Beca's sniffles quickening and tears streaming down her face, Chloe stands as close as she can without coming off as overbearing, desperately trying to catch Beca's eyes. "She didn't mean it, Bec… she was just scared." Chloe's reminder is gentle, and it comes out as a whisper shared between the two of them, never once stopping as she rubs gentle circles on her arm with her thumb. Her heart practically shatters when Beca shakes her head, bringing her hand up to her face as she swipes away the tears. "You're an amazing mom and you were so brave coming all the way out here… you're doing amazing, Bec."
Beca shudders, trying to pull deep breath after deep breath in through her nose, but she doesn't once make an effort to move out of Chloe's grasp.
Taking Beca's silence as somewhat of a good sign, Chloe keeps her hands on the brunette's arms, using the time to say what she should've said on Saturday at dinner. "I'm so proud of you for asking for help; I know that must've been so hard to do. And I know right now it probably doesn't seem like it, but Callie and Henry appreciate it, too." Chloe swallows down the thickness in her own throat. "I'm sure they appreciate everything you do – and have done – for them."
It takes another few minutes - five, ten maybe - of silence before Beca is ready to move out of the redhead's grasp, and as soon as she does, she regrets it, instantly missing the warmth Chloe's hands had brought her. Beca runs her hands over her face once more, not even being able to imagine how horrible she looks right now. She mumbles her first words in what feels like forever, her eyes instantly finding the ground. "I'm sorry."
Chloe shakes her head, "Don't be. You deserve a good cry more than anyone I know."
Beca manages to scoff, "I've certainly been doing it a lot more than normal, so..."
Chloe reaches out to take Beca's hand from where they're still shaking in front of her. "That's okay. You have every right to feel overwhelmed, and upset, and scared right now. I can't even begin imagine what you're going through."
Beca gives her a small smile, suddenly feeling much more exhausted than she had been this morning. "Well, you've always been able to calm me down, regardless."
A familiar fluttering blossoms in Chloe's stomach, the same feeling that always seems to show up whenever she's with Beca. It never died down after she left, and now, standing in front of her, Chloe is almost certain it never will. "I guess it's a good thing I'm not going anywhere, then."
Beca must understand the implications of her statement, because her expression instantly sinks. "Chloe…"
"I'm serious," Chloe grips her hand tighter, searching Beca's face until she practically forces to meet Chloe's eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, Bec. You're not alone in this. I let you go once and it's not happening again."
This has to have been the longest day of Beca's life.
Longer than her twelve-hour days spent with Theo at the studio.
Longer than the day when both Callie and Henry were sick with the stomach bug and Beca was home with them alone.
Longer than the day that Beca left Los Angeles and she was waiting for Theo to leave for the airport.
Okay, maybe not that long, but still.
Not having Callie at home and waiting for the clock to hit three o'clock for the final bell to ring, has made this day incredibly long. Plus, she had the entire day to let not just Callie's words rattle around her head, but Chloe's words as well.
She had zero intentions of breaking down like that today. She knew that it was going to be difficult dropping Callie off, the poor girl had been stressed about it all Sunday night and had put up one hell of a fight on Monday morning in the apartment. Beca was about two seconds away from saying screw it all and letting her stay home when Stacie and Aubrey showed up, both of them ready to bring her to Lewis. But what Beca wasn't expecting, was for Callie's anger to result in an outburst that sent the thirty-five-year-old spiraling.
And Beca doesn't blame Callie, obviously. She's been so incredibly overwhelmed with the move, and not knowing where Theo is and why she can't contact him, and no one really telling her what is going on. Beca's surprised she hasn't completely broken down sooner.
But in all honesty, Beca's not exactly sure what happened following Callie's call for her father; it's all sort of a blur. She knows Chloe was there, she knows the redhead talked her daughter down. Then, all of a sudden, Callie was saying goodbye and being led away from the office, and Beca was overcome with tears.
Next thing she knew, Beca was in Chloe's grasp, the same scent of her familiar sweet vanilla perfume overwhelming her senses but bringing such a strong sense of calm, that Beca couldn't force herself to leave. She settled deeper into Chloe's hold, and now, sitting here waiting for Callie to come out of the building after her first day at school, she's not even sure she regrets it.
She's always known that she missed Chloe more than anything. How could she not? The redhead was her best friend for more than six years; she knew more about Beca than anyone ever did. Not to mention the deeper feelings that she had had for her ever since Chloe had barged into her shower that one fateful day her freshmen year. But standing there, in Chloe's grasp, is the safest she's felt since moving out to LA. It's the most at peace she's felt in over decade, and as soon as it was over, Beca found herself missing it.
She knows Chloe - whether Chloe, herself, will admit it or not - is still pissed at her. Hell, Beca is pissed at herself. She knows it's going to take a long time to get over that.
It's because of that, that she knows that she can't let Chloe in - not because she doesn't want to, but because she doesn't want to hurt her. Not again. Not like before.
But then she remembers the words Chloe had said so definitively. Words that meant more to Beca than anyone could ever imagine.
I'm not going anywhere.
Beca knows that the road ahead of her is long. She also knows that if Chloe is by her side, it won't be nearly as dark or anywhere near as difficult. She doesn't want to get her hopes up, but this morning, despite how heart-wrenching it was hearing Callie's cries, Beca felt a small glimmer of hope flutter in her heart.
One that she shoved down and is fearful of acknowledging again, but a small glimmer of hope nonetheless.
She shifts Henry on her hip. "What do you think, monkey? Did Callie have a good day at school?"
Henry gives her a toothy smile, lifting his hand to tap against the glass of her sunglasses. "Yeah."
The best part of today was knowing that Callie wasn't solely alone in that building filled with random strangers. Chloe had texted her on three separate occasions after Aubrey undoubtedly gave her the cell phone number. The first time was halfway through the morning when Chloe walked down to her daughter's classroom and reassured Beca that she was okay and was currently doing a worksheet at one of the desks. The second time was at lunch when Chloe sent her a picture of her and Callie sitting outside on the playground together. Apparently, Callie hadn't found the courage to talk to any of the kids yet, and, keeping her promise, Chloe spent her own lunch hour with the little girl. Then, the final time, was about a half hour ago when Chloe promised she would walk Callie out of the building following dismissal.
Beca's responses were brief – yet thankful – but as she stared at Chloe's name at the top of her phone, her stomach couldn't help but churn. Even with the event from this morning - the embarrassing and unexpected event nonetheless - each time she saw it, she was left feeling sick – sick about how much she knows she hurt Chloe, sick about the thought of needing to keep her distance from the redhead. She doesn't want to hurt Chloe any more than she already has, and, in turn, she doesn't want to make this any harder on herself and her kids than it already is.
Yet there's another part of her – fueled by the inkling of hope that sparked this morning – that causes Beca to keep an extra close eye on the entrance of the school. As the bell rings, Beca looks up just in time to see Callie tugging on Chloe's hand, pulling her to where her mother and brother are waiting on the sidewalk.
Beca grins upon seeing her daughter, using the hand that isn't holding Henry to wave at the pair. "Hey, Cal!"
When she's close enough, Callie pulls herself from Chloe's grasp, throwing her arms around her mother, hanging on to her neck as she squeezes as tight as she possibly can. She had been waiting as patiently as possible for someone to tell her that the day was over, and as soon as she saw Chloe standing at the doorway of her classroom, she practically sprinted from the school.
"I missed you so much, bug." Beca presses a kiss into the side of her daughter's head as she continues to hang on tight, but the woman is pleasantly surprised that there aren't any tears. "How was your day?"
Slowly, Callie separates from her mom, giving her a small shrug as Chloe comes up behind them.
"Mrs. Harrington said that she did great."
Beca gives Chloe a small, yet grateful, smile. "That's awesome, Callie. Did you do anything fun?"
Callie nods, grasping on to her mother's out-stretched hand, but keeps her voice quiet. She really didn't do anything today. She stayed away from the other kids, she worked on the different worksheets that her teacher gave her (and easily completed them since she has already covered the material with Karla). The highlight was definitely when Chloe came and got her after science class. She's nice and didn't make Callie talk when she didn't want to. There was something about the older woman that made Callie feel calmer than she had been all day. "I had lunch with Chloe."
Beca raises her eyebrows in feigned shock, knowing full well that Callie remembers taking the picture with Chloe. "No way! Did you have a good time?"
"Mhmm."
Chloe crouches down in front of the mother-daughter pair so that they're all on the same level. "We had a lot of fun, didn't we, Callie? She told me all about her favorite books and some of her favorite movies…"
Beca shifts her gaze briefly up to meet Chloe's, before tugging her eyes back down to her daughter. "It sounds like you had a good day, bug."
Callie leans into her mother's side, exhaustion creeping up on her. She has never had to do school for that long with Karla, and with all of the stress of the day, she's ready for a nap. "Can we go home now?"
A light laugh flits past Beca's lips. She runs a hand over the back of her daughter's head. "We sure can, Cal. Maybe we can get a snack and then you can take a quick little nap?"
Callie nods sleepily as Beca stands, keeping her arm protectively around the younger girl. "'Kay."
"Alright, kiddo." Beca shifts Henry on her hip, and finally brings herself to look at Chloe.
Chloe has been watching them carefully the entire time and has been trying not to wrap Beca in a hug after everything that happened this morning. She just… she wants to be able to comfort the brunette; she wants Beca to be able to trust her again. She wants Beca to let her in like she used to.
Beca, on the other hand, now tasked with needing to address Chloe, is hit with another swell of guilt and embarrassment from both this morning and now. Without the presence of Stacie and Aubrey, Beca and Chloe are left alone for the first time, and Beca can feel the awkwardness settling around them like a blanket. There's an unspoken sentiment hanging over their heads - the one that Beca is fighting back, wanting instead to establish a safe distance from the redhead. "Thank you for keeping an eye on her today."
"Of course. Is there… is there anything else I can help you with? Grocery run? Walk you guys back home? I'd just have to grab my stuff but then—"
Beca shakes her head. "It's okay. Thank you, though."
Chloe deflates, hearing Beca's unspoken desires loud and clear. The ones asking for space, the ones asking for Chloe to take a step back, even if Chloe knows that is the last thing that Beca needs. "Bec, please. Don't shut me out – not now."
Beca moves so that she's grasping on to Callie's hand. Her heart clenches in her chest, and it's easy for her to look over Chloe's shoulder as opposed to in her eyes because of the cover that her sunglasses provide her. It doesn't make the guilt subside, though. "I'm not-I'm not shutting you out."
Chloe can see Beca shutting down; she can see it in the way she is gripping on to Callie's hand and she can see it in how she's shifting her weight back and forth from each foot. Her walls are sky-high, and Chloe hates it. She hates that she can't even make them lower a centimeter, when she had once reduced them to being a centimeter high. "Beca…"
"I need to get them back to the apartment, but we'll see you tomorrow?" Beca's voice wavers under Chloe's piercing gaze, almost pleading her not to have this conversation right now.
Chloe's hope deflates even more, but she eventually relents. "Okay. Tomorrow."
Beca gives her a grateful nod. "Tomorrow. Can you say goodbye to Chloe, guys? We'll see her again tomorrow morning when we come back here."
Callie's head jerks upward in surprise. "I have to come back?"
Later that night, Chloe is lost in her own thoughts back in the solitude of her apartment. It's been like that a lot ever since she first ran into Beca at the grocery store. In fact, she hasn't spent much time not thinking about Beca.
More so than normal, of course.
Chloe takes a sip of her wine, staring at the Worlds' picture on her wall. She'd do anything to go back to that time, to go back to graduation and the USO tour, and living in the apartment with Beca and Amy, to keep Beca from going off to LA with Theo.
She wants to know what happened.
More than anything, she wants to know what Theo did to her, what he did to completely extinguish the spark that Beca once had within her.
She wants to know everything, not just so that she can help Beca through it and so that she knows how to help, but she wants to make sure that Theo gets what's coming for him.
Because if Chloe has anything to say about, that horrible excuse of a man will not get away with this. Ever.
But first thing's first: she needs to be there for Beca. She needs to make sure she's okay.
Sighing, and sinking down deeper into her couch, Chloe once again finds herself wondering how she's supposed to be there for her, how she's supposed to make sure Beca's okay, when Beca still doesn't want anything to do with her.
She had originally thought that, maybe, after this morning, things might've been different when Beca came to pick up Callie from school. Looking back, that had been something far more than wishful thinking. Chloe knows that it is going to take some time. She just hopes it doesn't take too long.
The buzzing of her cellphone breaks Chloe from her reverie. She reaches across the couch cushion, reading Stacie's name on the screen, and swipes her finger across the bottom to answer it. "Hey, Stace."
"Hey. You home?
Chloe's eyebrows furrow slightly. Her, Stacie, and Aubrey didn't get a chance to talk this morning at the school. Once Beca calmed down, all she wanted to do was get back to the apartment. Chloe needed to go back to her class, and Aubrey and Stacie needed to go back to work. Aubrey had checked in periodically throughout the day, but other than that, contact between the three of them has been relatively limited since this weekend. "Yeah. What's up?"
"Nothing. I just swung by Beca's and thought I would come say hi. I'm coming up."
"Oh, okay. See you in a sec." By the time Chloe untangles herself from her blanket and makes her way down the hallway toward her door, Stacie is already there, knocking. Chloe glances quickly in the peephole, before letting her friend in. A soft, yet tired, smile appears on Chloe's face. "Hey."
Stacie mirrors her reaction, breathing out a heavy sigh. "Hey. How's it going over here?"
Chloe shrugs, letting Stacie into her apartment. Stacie shrugs her coat off, hanging it on one of the hooks behind the door as Chloe leads the way back over to the couch. "How was Beca?"
Stacie smirks. "Well, that took you about .2 seconds to ask."
Chloe blushes, folding her legs underneath her as Stacie settles down beside her. "Sorry. She's just… she's pretty much all that I've been able to think about."
"I'm just giving you a hard time." Stacie waves her off. "She seemed okay. She said that Callie had a pretty good day, all things considered, and that that was because of you."
"Yeah, well… it's not like I can really do anything else."
Stacie shakes her head. "Don't. Don't do that to yourself, Chlo. We're all trying to figure out what we can do to help her. It hasn't even been a week yet."
Chloe's chest tightens and the back of her throat burns. She knows that. She does. But she can't just forget about the years her and Beca spent together as best friends. As confidants. She can't just forget that she used to be the one person that Beca talked to, and now, Beca can barely even look her in the eye. Chloe gulps, forcing herself to continue the conversation. "Did she have anything to say?"
Stacie looks as though she wants to say something different, but answers Chloe's question, nonetheless. She knows how hard it must be for the redhead to be sitting here, helpless in a way, and not being able to do anything for Beca simply because Beca doesn't want her to. "No. Not really. We don't really talk when I go over there. It's mostly me just asking her if she needs anything and playing with the kids a little bit."
"When I talked to Bree on Saturday night, she said that she doesn't even really know what happened in LA. That they've only talked a couple of times, too?"
Stacie gathers her long brown locks into a bun on top of her head. She's dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, meaning she at least had some time to go home from work before heading over to Beca's. "Yeah. I mean, the first time they talked was when Beca said the most, but even then it was just the bare minimum. Just enough to get Bree to agree to help her. The other two times were just check-ins because Aubrey basically forced Beca to talk to her so she could make sure she was okay."
Chloe's stomach churns just as it always does when they start talking about Beca's life in LA. It makes her feel so helpless – so guilty – that all of this stuff was happening, and she had no idea. "Bree said that most of the planning happened through Karla?"
Stacie scoffs. "Yeah… I'm still not sure how I feel about her."
Chloe quirks an eyebrow in her direction. "What do you mean?"
Stacie tucks her feet under the end of Chloe's blanket. "Don't you think it's a little weird how she worked for Beca for years and just… didn't do anything about the fact that Theo was…" Stacie shakes her head, as though she can't even bring herself to say the words. "That Theo was doing whatever it was he was doing to Bec?"
"Well, Beca's always been stubborn. I'm guessing she wouldn't want to talk about it with just anyone."
Stacie throws her head back with a groan. "I swear to God if I ever see that man, I'm going to kill him. After everything that he promised her – after everything that Beca trusted him with…"
Chloe blinks away a few tears. She's not wrong. He really had promised her nothing but success and happiness out in Los Angeles. "Did you ever meet him?"
"No, but she was so excited when she came to visit me and Bella in the hospital. She kept going on and on about how 'Theo said that they'd start working on the album as soon as they got to LA' and how 'Theo promised creative control.' Really, the only hesitation that I saw was about leaving you." Stacie watches as Chloe's eyes flick downward, years of longing and hurt resurfacing in a matter of seconds. "Shit. Sorry."
Chloe can't even stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. It's not like it's an uncommon occurrence when talking about Beca – even before finding out why she disappeared for the last decade. "Don't be. I should've pressed harder for her to stay. Or gone with her, I don't know."
Stacie closes her eyes; her, Aubrey, and Chloe have had this same conversation countless of times. Yet, this time around, it's different. They know where Beca has been and they know what has kept her away – or know enough to understand that it wasn't Beca's choice. The one of their next hurdles, clearly, is fighting with their own guilt. "You cannot blame yourself for what happened, do you understand me?"
The tears stream down Chloe's face even faster.
"Chlo, I'm serious. I will tell you the same thing that I told Beca – there is only one person responsible for this, and that's Theo."
Chloe squeezes her eyes shut, rubbing her hand across her face. "I should've pressed harder. I shouldn't have just… given up."
"You didn't give up, Chloe. You moved on because that's what you thought Beca wanted. You had no way of knowing that something was wrong – we had no way of knowing. If you're going to blame yourself, you're going to have to blame all of us."
Chloe digs her teeth into her lip but doesn't say anything. She doesn't say how it's different. It's different that she didn't push harder to get back in contact with Beca, compared to the other Bellas. She doesn't say that their relationship – her and Beca's – was different than Beca's relationships with the other girls. She doesn't say that Chloe, more than anyone else, should've been there for Beca. She should've known that something was wrong. She should've known that Beca wasn't okay; that there was something going on.
She doesn't say that she didn't. That she missed it all. That she didn't push; that she didn't fight hard enough for Beca. That she abandoned her.
"Chloe…"
Chloe shakes her head, wiping her tears from her cheeks. "I just want to be back in her life. I want her to feel comfortable enough to trust me – to trust us – again. I want to be able to help her. And I know that's selfish of me, but I'd do anything to make that happen."
Stacie finally reaches out and takes Chloe's hand. "And it will. Because you're not going anywhere, and we're not going anywhere. We'll get her back – make sure she's safe. And we're never going to let anyone hurt her ever again."
Los Angeles
Four hours later and three thousand miles away, Theo Wright climbs out of his Uber with his suitcase dragging behind him. He sets his jaw, his hand gripping the handle of his luggage as he stalks up the driveway to his Los Angeles home for the first time in over a week.
It happens in a matter of minutes, really. For him to move through the closed-up house, smelling the stuffiness of the rooms and seeing the unmade beds. Noticing the abandoned belongings looking untouched for days, all lights off and not a sign of a living human in sight.
His scream of rage bounces off the walls that once held Beca captive for so many years.
Thank you so much for reading! I look forward to hearing any thoughts you might want to share :)
See you on Sunday!
