All Beca did, while waiting for Chloe to get home, is think about what she was going to say to her sister. Yet, she's standing in front of her door, at an absolute loss. She hopes Lucy's asleep. At least that way she'll be able to put all of it off until tomorrow. She's a coward. She knows that, and she's a big enough person to admit it to herself.

Chloe nudges her forward and they walk into Lucy's room, forgoing the knock. Lucy is sitting on her bed, a science textbook on her knees, Finch curled in a ball against her hip. She doesn't look up at them when they come in and sit; Beca in the desk chair halfway across the room and Chloe on the very edge of the mattress.

It hasn't felt this way between the three of them in a long time. It hasn't felt this way since just after the accident. After a few weeks, it felt like Lucy had always been with them and even in the toughest moments their conversations seemed to flow. Beca has never felt such fierce loyalty like she does to her sister and Chloe. Sometimes, when she allows herself to think about it too long, it scares her. She knows there isn't anything she wouldn't do for the two of them. It scares her even more when she thinks about how it's almost come to that, too many times, in just a few short months.

Lucy waits, with bated breath, for what is going to be said. She keeps her eyes down, focusing on the page of her biology chapter; she keeps her eyes trained on the word 'genetics'. It starts to blur as tears glaze her eyes again.

"Lucy."

Her name, her real name, coming from her sister's lips feels strange. She's always Scout, or Lou, or kid, but right now she's Lucy. She messed up and Beca is angry. There's no dancing around it.

"Can you look at me, please?"

Lucy closes her book and looks at Beca. She can't bring herself to look into her eyes so she settles on a spot just over her shoulder.

"Look, it's pretty clear that you know what you did was really, really bad."

Lucy nods and swallows around the lump in her throat. Beca feels like she should yell at her, or at least be stern. But she can't seem to even fake it. She crosses her arms over her chest and continues, in the same, even tone, as before.

"I can't speak for Chloe, but you lost a lot of my trust today. I thought we were getting to a place where we could talk about what was bothering us. Instead, you just..."

Lucy braces herself for the tone in her sister's voice to come, the tone that makes her stomach hurt but instead, when Beca continues, all she hears is guilt.

"I'm sorry. I know what happened today is my fault. I haven't been doing what I need to. I've been focused on work and my own feelings; I've been selfish. I should have been focusing on you, both of you," She says, looking over at Chloe for just a couple seconds, "and all of the stuff happening here."

"You're allowed to have your own life, Beca." Lucy says, quietly, unsure if she should speak at all.

"Not when it compromises our family. I need to work, and I have deadlines and big things that I need to do there, but I promise that I'm going to be better about being home and being here for you."

Lucy finally looks into her sister's eyes and she can see she means it.

"I'm really really sorry." Lucy says.

"I know you are."

Lucy looks over at Chloe for the first time. Beca always wears her anger and disappointment right there on her face, she can't help it. Chloe is better at hiding hers. That scares Lucy.

"Chloe, I'm sorry."

She doesn't smile. Lucy was really hoping she would. It would make her heart hurt a little less. Instead, she reaches her arms out and takes her up in them. Lucy lets out a deep breath and squeezes. She feels Chloe drop a kiss on her head. She knows she's hurt, she knows Chloe felt today just as deeply as she always does; that's why this feels useless. There's no amount of sorry's Lucy could say that can take back what she did.

"Are you hungry?" Beca asks, after they separate.

"No."

Even the thought of trying to eat something makes Lucy's stomach churn. She sits back in her spot and picks up her textbook.

"I have a lot of homework to do though."

"Alright, get to it. Don't stay up too late."

Lucy nods and picks back up where she left off in the chapter; not that much is sinking in. She wants to text Lincoln, to apologize, or, well she isn't totally sure. She feels like she should say something but nothing feels adequate.

Beca closes the door behind her. She follows Chloe into the kitchen. She takes two beers from the refrigerator and hands one over.

"Thank you for saying all of that." Chloe says, after a while of sitting in the quiet.

"I meant it. All of it. I haven't been the person I used to be and I'm really sorry."

"I don't expect you to be."

Beca takes a seat on one of the island stools and Chloe leans on the counter across from her.

"Beca, we couldn't possibly be the people we were six months ago. It'd be stupid to even try."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Beca says, as if mourning her old life, "I guess that may be my problem. I was trying to live a life I thought I still wanted, while also trying to cram Lucy into it. I know now, that doesn't make any sense."

"No, it doesn't. We just need to find our footing."

Beca nods, it's slow, like she's taking in each syllable.

"I'm gonna call Thea tomorrow and see if she can get Lucy in early."

As they sit, Chloe can practically hear the gears turning in Beca's head. She reaches over and takes her hand in her own and squeezes.

"What are you thinking?"

"She got so angry. She was going to flea the state. She was that mad at me. We need to address that anger before she does something worse."

"You're right."

Another quiet moment passes before Beca says, with tears in her voice,

"I've never been so scared in my entire life."

"I know what you mean."

Beca slumps forward against the counter and rests her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Do you think we made a mistake taking her here?"

"To New York?"

Beca nods, "Do you think the city is too much for her?"

"I don't know what we would do otherwise. Our whole lives are in this city."

"Our old lives." Beca says, "Maybe this new life doesn't make sense here."

Lucy wakes up with a horrible stomach ache. She wraps her arms around her torso and groans. Finch makes a little yelp from inside his crate so she goes over and takes him out, cuddling him in her lap.

"You wanna go to school in my place today?"

She sighs and kisses his head before putting him on the bed so she can get dressed. Her uniform shirt feels scratchy against her skin and her pants feel like they don't quite fit. She knows that it isn't true, these exact clothes fit her perfectly two days ago. She feels the same disjointed and uncomfortable feelings of discontent return from the day before; except this time, they are all her own doing.

She doesn't want to leave her bedroom, but she knows she has to. She has to go to school and face Lincoln, not to mention the big math test she has. She groans and looks around for her backpack that she tossed aside last night. It's sitting next to the pile of the extra clothes she was going to take to Georgia with her. She gives a look of disgust before she kicks it over.

In the light of day, after a night of restless sleep, she's embarrassed that she even tried it. And after a few hours of thought, she's certain she has no idea how to make it right.

Beca wakes up to a beam of sunlight in her left eye. In her, half asleep, drowsy state, she swats at it before realizing what's causing her discomfort. She squeezes both eyes shut before rolling over and opening them again. She isn't surprised that Chloe isn't in bed next to her; she felt her tossing and turning all night.

She gets up and walks to the other end of the apartment. Chloe is standing in front of one of the large windows in the living room, staring out over the street below; already busy with cars and people starting their days. Her shoulders are wrapped in her favorite knit blanket while her hands hold on to a mug of steaming coffee. Beca walks quietly up behind and wraps her arms around her waist, letting her chin rest on Chloe's shoulder.

"Good morning." Chloe says, her voice is flat but still, somehow, full of warmth.

"Hi baby, couldn't sleep?"

"No, not really."

Beca kisses her shoulder and rubs her back. She's always been empathetic, allowing the feelings of others to make their way into her soul in a way that Beca will never be able to understand.

"I'm sorry. I know things have been…"

She isn't sure where to go with that sentence. She isn't so sure there is any way to encompass in words the events of the past six months.

"Yeah, I'm just trying really hard not to be mad at her." Chloe says, through a near whisper.

"I know what you mean."

Chloe turns and looks into Beca's eyes, like she doesn't quite believe her. When, whatever it is, that she sees there reassures her, she nods.

"She's so young. She's been through so much, I don't know what we were expecting." Chloe says.

"Me either, but it definitely wasn't all of this. God, I wish that Sheila and my dad were here."

"Did you give any more thought about what we talked about?"

"About Georgia?"

Chloe nods and follows Beca to the kitchen.

"A little, I just don't know."

"We have time to make a decision. I know you have a lot on your plate."

"I know, but I'll think on it. But for now, I have to get ready for work."

Chloe watches her walk back down the hallway. She knew, from pretty much the moment they met, that Beca plays her cards close to her chest. She thinks deep and long and logically. Lucy is a lot like her in that respect; except when she isn't. She knows that when Beca needs to make a decision it needs to come from her, without pressure or persuasion, and she meant what she said. There's time. They have forever, all three of them, forever together to make their next move.

Lucy walks out into the kitchen, already dressed in her school uniform, with Finch in her arms. Chloe wonders how long it will be before he's too big to be carried. By the size of him already, she assumes it won't be too long.

"Good morning." Lucy says, walking over to pour a glass of juice.

All of the complicated feelings that Chloe had been feeling, all night and early this morning, about Lucy and what she did, come back to her full force. They sit on her chest and make it hard to speak, or move, or breathe.

"Good morning."

Lucy notes how those two words used to always be followed by 'sweet girl'. She wonders if that will ever happen again. Her cheeks get hot and tears prick at her eyes. She wills herself to stop before she cries and lifts her cup up to her mouth. She runs her fingers through Finch's fur, if only to have something else to focus on.

"Lucy, I'll take you to school." Beca says, coming back into the room, breaking the silence.

She pours herself a cup of coffee.

"I just need ten more minutes."

She's half dressed, in jeans and a tank top. Her hair is up on top of her head in a messy bun. Lucy isn't sure she can stand ten more minutes in awkward, tense, silence with Chloe.

It's never been this way with them. She first met Chloe when she was only three years old. Chloe has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. Even before Chloe and Beca started dating, she would come around. She's always been warm and kind and soft. But right now she's distant, she's different, and it's all Lucy's fault.

"Alright, Chloe and I have a meeting with a photographer this afternoon, but one, or both of us, will be here at 5 to get you from practice. You better be here too."

Lucy looks up, and she thinks she sees the slightest bit of humor in Beca's eyes, but she doesn't even attempt a smile.

"Okay."

"Hey," Beca catches her arm before she walks away, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Lucy walks back and wraps her arms around Beca's waist. She can feel her tense before fully relaxing into the hug and kissing her head.

She walks into the school lobby and stops right in the middle. She looks around for Lincoln. She wants to see her, more than anything, to explain herself, or apologize, or something, but she also isn't so sure she can stand to look her in the eye today. She isn't given much time to think on it before Lincoln appears next to her.

"So, do anything crazy lately?"

Lucy lets out a laugh. It's quick, but loud, before she slaps a hand over her mouth. Lincoln wraps an arm around her shoulders and they walk down the hallway. Lucy wasn't aware of how much tension she was holding there until it's all released under Lincoln's touch.

"I'm so sorry." She says, once they get to her locker.

"Hey, don't apologize to me."

"No, I really need to. I could have gotten you in so much trouble, or worse. I'm really, really, sorry."

Lincoln shrugs. It's clear she doesn't know what to say. She grips her backpack straps in her hands, so hard her knuckles go white.

"I'm just happy you're feeling a little better today. Did Beca and Chloe totally freak out when you got home?"

"No, they just told me I ruined their trust."

Lincoln can see the devastation that sentence causes her. She can see on her face, and throughout the rest of her body, that she is hurting, much worse than she even was yesterday. For Lincoln, Lucy Mitchell and heartache represent one another.

"Did Chloe say anything after she got home from my house last night?"

Lucy shakes her head, "No, Beca did all of the talking."

Lincoln isn't sure how to come out and ask what she's dying to ask. She wants to know, and yet so badly doesn't want to know, what Chloe thinks of her now; after meeting her mother, seeing where she lives, where she comes from. She isn't sure why it matters so much to her. But just the thought that she may think she isn't good enough to be friends with Lucy anymore makes her queasy.

"Are you okay?" Lincoln asks, noticing how Lucy is standing, hunched, with one hand pressed into her stomach.

"Yeah, I just have a stomach ache."

"You probably gave yourself an ulcer." Lincoln says, only half joking.

Beca walks into work, dreading the conversation that's about to happen. She knows Matt is pissed and Anderson is probably disappointed after she bailed on their meeting yesterday. The more days that pass, the more she feels like she's failing everyone around her.

She takes her seat in the conference room, surprised that Anderson isn't already there. She takes out her laptop and waits for someone else to show up. Through the windows surrounding her, she can see Matt walk out of his office, with Anderson right on his heels. She should have figured he was here somewhere. They walk into the room and take their usual seats. It's quiet, tense, for a moment before Matt speaks.

"Beca, we need to talk about yesterday."

"I know. I'm so sorry. There was an emergency with my sister and I-"

Matt puts his hands up and she stops talking.

"I understand that there will be days that you can't fully be here. That's just what it's like being a parent."

Beca always forgets that Matt has kids of his own; two or three, she can't remember.

"I get that you're in a very unique and very difficult situation. But we need to figure out a way that your home life won't interfere with your work life, like it did yesterday."

"I agree."

She looks over, quickly, at Anderson who has a sympathetic look on his face. She can tell he doesn't want to be part of this conversation.

"I called Anderson in early today to talk about him taking on more of the production responsibilities so that you can focus on your songwriting."

Beca's stomach drops. She feels like she's being punished, even if it's being phrased like a helpful change.

"But I love producing."

"I know you do, and hopefully as things settle, you'll be able to get back to it. But for now, you're a contracted artist, we need you to produce content or else there will be real problems. And that's coming from higher up than me."

Beca raises her eyebrows and fights, with everything she has, the urge to roll her eyes. Matt never wants to be the bad guy.

"Right."

Her heart beats, harder than ever, against her chest, vibrating in her rib cage and spine. She wants to scream, or argue, or something; but she can't lose this job.

"I know you want it all, Beca. But sometimes that's just not possible." He says, getting up from his chair and leaving the room.

As the door shuts, she hits her hand against the table.

"Damn it."

"Beca, I'm so sorry, this was not my idea. I didn't know he was going to do this."

"No," She says, shaking her head, turning her tone back to a more settled one, "I know. This is very clearly Matt's handiwork. He never wanted me as a producer, he just wanted my songs."

"I'm sure once Theo finds out about this he's going to fight him on it."

"There's not much he can do. Matt's his boss too."

Beca sits back in the chair and crosses her arms over her chest.

"This really sucks."

"What are you going to do?"

She shrugs, "Suck it up and write some music, I guess."

"But that's not what you want."

"You heard, Matt. We can't always get what we want. Besides, maybe it's for the best. After all, I promised Lucy and Chloe I would be around more and now I get to do that."

Beca packs her stuff back up in her bag and stands.

"Tell Matt I'm leaving."

"You are?"

"Mhm, I have to go write." She says with harsh sarcasm.

Anderson watches her leave, dumbfounded. He always thought things came so easily for her. But over the past several months he's realized she's just good at hiding what's bothering her. He realizes now that she is not at all what she seems and he wants to help her get what she wants, what she deserves, even if she won't ask him for help.

Beca walks into the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Chloe's head lifts up and she looks shocked. She closes her laptop and rises from the couch. Beca walks, quickly, over to her and wraps her arms around her. She kisses her hard.

"Bec, what's going on?"

Beca doesn't answer, she just moves her lips down to Chloe's jaw. She squeezes her arms, tighter around Chloe's waist.

"Beca."

She looks up into Chloe's eyes, with her own fierce ones. She shakes her head and intertwines their fingers.

"Can we talk later?"

Chloe wants to say no. She wants to ask questions, but something in the look on Beca's face, pushes that all aside and she nods, before kissing her again. She can feel a million emotions radiating off of Beca, pushing her forward and pulling her back at the same time.

"Bedroom." Beca says, her voice turning raspy.

"Mhm."

Lucy has begun to feel even worse as the day goes on. During lunch she couldn't eat anything and now she can't seem to focus on the math test in front of her. She has one arm wrapped around her stomach while the other one grips the edge of the desk. She writes down a few answers, without caring if they're right before bringing her paper up to the teacher's desk.

"Done already?" She asks.

"Yes, may I please use the bathroom?"

Her teacher seems to notice something is off because she nods, without another word, giving Lucy a concerned look.

Lucy rushes down the hallway and into the nearest girl's bathroom. Her stomach hurts worse when she's standing so she sits as quickly as possible. Her back is starting to hurt and she feels almost nauseous.

"Okay, stop, you're fine." She says to herself, before realizing that there might be someone else in there.

She ducks her head down and doesn't see feet in any of the other stalls. When she picks her head back up she notices a splotch of red in her underwear. It shocks her at first, the sight of blood always makes her queasy. Then the dread, the knowledge of what is happening, sets in and pushes the initial shock aside. She grimaces, fighting back tears, as she pulls a long piece of toilet paper off the roll. She folds it and hopes that it's good enough to last until she gets home.

Beca walks out into the living room after her shower. Chloe is back on her computer, hair still wet from her own shower. She looks up over the screen and gives Beca a cocky smirk.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" Chloe says, feigning innocence.

"You're ridiculous."

Beca falls down into the space next to her.

"Are you finally going to tell me what's going on?"

Beca looks down at her hands, intertwined once again with Chloe's.

"Matt basically demoted me today."

"What? What are you talking about?" Chloe says, suddenly becoming very defensive.

"He wants me to focus on my songwriting, this new EP, and take a step back from producing."

"Bec, I would hardly call that a demotion."

"But he's taking away the part of the job I love the most. Since I was sixteen, producing is all I've wanted to do."

"But you loved making your last album."

Beca sighs and pushes her hair behind her ears.

"Yeah, writing is great, but this all just kind of feels like a punishment for doing the right thing."

"The right thing being taking care of Lucy?"

Beca nods, she feels guilty for even thinking that.

"Baby, I know this feels like a step back, But this could lead to other things. Whose to say what could come of this."

"I know. And I would be able to work from home more, spend more time with you."

"With all of this talk of a new life and figuring out how it all works, this could be a good change."

"And if it's not?"

Chloe pauses, chewing on her lower lip for a moment.

"Then we make another change."

Beca leans forward and presses her forehead to Chloe's, locking their eyes again. She hasn't felt this connected to her in a long time.

"Thank you, I feel like you're always saving me from myself."

"I have gotten very good at it."

"What are you working on?" Beca asks, gesturing to the laptop, almost left forgotten, pushed aside on the couch.

"Finding a stupid venue. I have no idea what we should do."

Beca thinks for a moment.

"What if we did it at Barden?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, they have events there all the time. The scenery is gorgeous, your family is already in Georgia. It all seems kind of perfect."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"Not to mention it's where we met, it's where Lucy grew up. It makes sense that it starts this new chapter too."

Chloe smiles, the sparkle back in her eyes, and Beca feels like she can breathe, deep, full, breaths again. They share one last kiss before Beca's phone buzzes on the coffee table. Lucy's face flashes on the screen.

"Hi Scout, what's going on?"

"Can you come get me?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," She pauses, "um, band was cancelled today."

Beca looks over at the clock on the wall. She hadn't realized it was already three.

"Yeah, I'll be right there. Wait inside for me."

She hangs up the phone and gets up from the couch.

"What's going on?"

"Lucy said band was cancelled but she sounded weird. I'm gonna go grab her. I'll be right back."

Lucy is sitting on one of the benches in the lobby of the school. She is hoping no one from band sees her and tells Mr. Sweeney that she's skipping. She just couldn't bare the thought of waiting any longer to get home. Her stomach ache has gotten even worse, and it's starting to hurt her back, and she feels like she's getting a headache.

"Scout, hey, you ready?"

"Mhm."

She gets up and feels something shift, she feels gross. She knows she's walking weird. She also knows Beca has picked up on it immediately.

"You okay?"

"Mhm."

Beca walks with her, in silence, all the way home. She's afraid to say much to her, after yesterday, emotions are still running very high.

Once they get to the apartment, Lucy rushes down the hallway, into her bathroom. Beca watches after her.

"Everything okay?"

"I don't know."

After about twenty minutes, Lucy still hasn't come out of the bathroom. Beca knocks on the door.

"Lucy, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Her voice sounds the way it did on the phone and it makes Beca's stomach coil tight.

"Are you sick?"

"No."

Chloe walks up behind Beca. They look at each other, confused.

"Can you open the door, please?"

"No."

"Lucy."

"Beca, just leave me alone."

Chloe places her hand on Beca's lower back, to wordlessly say, she'll try.

"We just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine."

"Come on, sweet girl, open the door, please."

After another minute, they can hear the lock click and the door opens, slowly, just enough to see Lucy's face.

"What's going on?" Beca asks.

Lucy holds up her pants, that now have a small stain on them.

"Oh." Beca says, unsure of what she should say next. "Um..."