*BANG*
The world seemed to stop turning. There was no sound. No movement. Nothing. For that brief moment all seemed calm. All seemed safe.
And then, the world came crashing back into life, Amy stopping dead in her tracks as Hobart reeled backwards, the sniper's bullet hitting him square in the chest. She ran to him, dropping the bag on the floor as she went. He may have hurt her friends, but at the end of the day he was still her father. She still loved him despite everything that happened. No, she didn't condone what he'd done, nor did she understand it, but this was still the man who raised her, villain or not, and this was the man who had taught her to sing.
Dropping to her knees, she realised the bullet had been fatal, and death instantaneous. Amy let out a sob, wishing that the situation hadn't come to this. In her heart of hearts, she'd always known that this was how things between her and her father would end, but it didn't make it any easier.
"Why couldn't you have been a normal dad?" she whispered, tears pouring down her face, "Why did you have to be like this? Was I not enough for you?"
She sniffed hard, reaching forward and closing her father's eyes, taking a few moments to herself to mourn her loss. Amy knew that the other Bellas wouldn't understand why she was mourning him, given everything he had done, and so these few minutes that she had were her only time to do so. She heard the thudding of footsteps and knew that Chicago and his team were rapidly approaching. Her gaze turned her friends, assuming that the gun shot she'd heard had been the sniper.
To her horror, she saw the damage that her father's gun had caused. The dark red of the blood contrasted sharply with the pale skin of the bullet's recipient. There seemed to be too much of it, but Amy could just make out the rise and fall of her friend's chest. The other seemed relatively unharmed, tears pouring down her face as she gently pulled the injured party into her lap, stroking her hair.
"Why did you do that?" She asked, blue eyes glittering with tears.
"I couldn't let him shoot you weirdo." Her voice was soft and raspy, every word a serious effort.
"You're going to be okay." The words of comfort were met with a snort of derision. "You're Beca 'effin Mitchell."
Beca rolled her eyes, wincing as a wave of pain ran through her.
"I am not having a good day am I?" She joked weakly, Chloe sniggering in spite of herself. Beca looked deep into Chloe's eyes, past the fear and the sadness, and saw love. This was it. It had to be now. If she waited any longer she might not get to say it. "Chloe I-"
She was interrupted by the arrival of a small group of soldiers, the paramedic amongst them kneeling down to inspect the wound.
"Shhh, it's better if you don't talk Beca." Chloe smiled at the brunette who frowned in response.
"But I-"
"She's right Beca. You need to save your strength."
Beca bit back a scathing retort. Of course fucking Chicago was here. Why wouldn't he be? Why wouldn't he be here telling her to shut up right when she was about to tell Chloe that she loved her?
"We need to get her to the hospital STAT." The paramedic said, quickly pulling out packs and pressing them against the short woman's wound. Beca hissed in pain, her head swimming. She couldn't pass out. Not now. She had to tell Chloe.
"I'm going with her." Chloe's tone was insistent and non-wavering. She couldn't leave Beca now. She'd saved her life. She needed to be with her, now more than ever.
"I don't know if-" The paramedic started.
"It's okay. We'll follow in a separate car." Chicago interrupted the paramedic, knowing full well that the lack of space was his comrades primary concern.
"No, no, I have to be with her, I can't leave her." The redhead protested, looking back down at Beca who was slowly losing consciousness.
"I'm sorry. If you want to come with us to the hospital this is how it has to be. And it has to be now."
Chloe looked down at the brunette again, tears spilling down her cheeks. Beca's eyes were beginning to flutter shut, and Chloe knew that now was not the time to be selfish or stubborn. She'd have the time to say it later (she hoped… no, she had to have, it couldn't end like this). Right now, the only priority was saving Beca's life. She gently stroked Beca's face, smiling softly.
"I'll be right behind you. I'm not going anywhere." She whispered, gently getting to her feet, stepping back as the paramedic attended to the struggling brunette, tears pouring down her face. 'Chloe… dammit. I have to have more time. This can't be it…'
She tore her eyes from Beca, looking around the square, eyes meeting Amy's, the younger blonde simply watching the situation unfold.
Chloe walked over to Amy, the Australian taking a deep breath as the ginger reached her.
"Chloe I'm-"
Chloe interrupted Amy, throwing her arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug.
"It's okay." She whispered in her ear, fighting back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her, "It isn't your fault. You couldn't have known."
"I should've. He's my dad, how could I not have seen this?"
Chloe pulled away, cupping Amy's face in her hands, "It's not your fault. I'm serious Amy. I'm gonna go with Beca okay? I'll keep you updated. Mourn your dad. You're entitled to."
Amy simply nodded, overwhelmed by the kindness shown by her friend. She didn't deserve it. She should've seen this coming. She could have done more.
Chicago placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder, who lept away, instantly defensive.
"Whoa, whoa, it's okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you jump." The soldier held up his hands defensively.
"Are we going or not?" Chloe snapped, the only thing on her mind was Beca's condition.
"Y-yeah. Amy, the guys are gonna take you back to the base, you'll be safe there."
Chloe had walked off before Chicago had finished his sentence, clambering into the waiting vehicle. She lay her head against the window, closing her eyes as the vehicle rumbled down the roads. 'Ugh… my head hurts…' She was exhausted, her thoughts only of the brunette in the transporter in front of them. She couldn't lose her. Not now, not after everything they'd been through. She drifted off, sighing softly.
"Please let Beca be okay." She mumbled.
"Aubrey, will you stop cracking your knuckles! It's making me feel sick." Cynthia-Rose complained, shaking her head.
"I'll stop cracking my knuckles, when you stop pacing!" Aubrey snapped, head whipping round as she glared at the young singer, "Sorry…" she sighed, "You pace when you're nervous, I crack my knuckles for the same reason… I shouldn't have snapped."
Aubrey sunk back in her seat, head in her hands. Cynthia-Rose placed an arm around her shoulders, smiling softly.
"It's okay. We're all anxious Bree."
"I know. I just- shouldn't we have heard something by now?" Aubrey was exasperated at the seeming lack of progress. They had been sitting in the army base for over two hours with no communication from Chicago.
Cynthia-Rose opened her mouth to respond, interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up. The Bellas unanimously stood up, Aubrey grabbing her crutches and hauling herself upright with such gusto that she almost fell over, all of them praying beyond hope that it was good news. The soldiers walked in, Aubrey's breath catching in her throat as she scanned the entering group looking for her friends. And then, there she was. Tear stained, but still very much alive, Amy stood in the foyer.
There was a brief pause, before the Bellas ran to Amy, pulling her into a tight hug, Aubrey straggling but soon joining the hug. Amy sobbed into Aubrey's shoulder.
"You're okay Amy. We've got you. You're safe now." Aubrey held back her own tears, comforting Amy after all the turmoil she'd been through.
Aubrey pulled away, smiling softly and looking around for her other missing friends. She frowned when she realised that Beca and Chloe were nowhere to be seen.
"Where are-?" She started, looking back at Amy who shook her head, unable to form words, "No. They're not-?"
Amy shook her head again, clearing her throat, "They're at the hospital. Beca she- she pushed Chloe out of the way- there was so much blood- I-"
Aubrey pulled her into a tight hug again, rubbing small circles on her back, shushing quietly as Amy broke down, completely and utterly broken.
"It's okay. We'll go and see them at the hospital. They can't turn us away if we turn up with the U.S. Army." Amy nodded.
"Bree I'm so sorry… I never meant- I didn't know-" Amy didn't have the words to express her remorse at the events that had unfolded.
"It's okay. I'm okay. Stacey may kill you…" Amy giggled slightly.
The Bellas walked in unison towards the group of soldiers, heads held high, determination radiating off them.
"We need you to take us to the hospital to see Beca and Chloe."
Zeke turned to face the group, coming face to face with Aubrey, her eyes blazing with determination, almost daring the soldier to say no.
"Alright. Chloe'll probably need your support."
Aubrey simply nodded, leading the rest of the Bellas to yet another transport vehicle, wondering if this ordeal was ever going to end.
Chloe leapt out of the car as they reached the hospital, not even waiting for it to come to a complete stop, rushing over to the transporter as Beca was lifted onto a waiting trolley.
"How is she?" She asked, barely holding back the tears as she watched the brunette be rolled into the hospital, barely keeping pace with the paramedic.
"She's certainly a fighter." Came the response, the paramedic too preoccupied with her patient to give the redhead a definitive answer. Chloe all but ran after the paramedic, stopping only when a nurse blocked her path as Beca entered the ER.
"You're going to have to wait outside, miss."
"No. She needs me, I promised I wouldn't leave her!" The flame haired woman went to move around her, the nurse moving with her.
"I'm sorry. No non-essential personnel in the ER. I can show you to the relative's room if you like? I'll make sure the doctor updates you with any progress."
"No, I need to be with her!" Chloe was becoming frantic, desperate to know what was happening to the woman that she loved.
"I really am sorry. But those are the rules." The nurse placed a gentle hand on Chloe's arm, causing the young woman to flinch away, "Sorry. Sorry. Why don't you come with me? Hm? We'll get you something to drink and something to warm you up. You're freezing. And I want to get someone to look at that wound on your head."
Chloe threw one last, desperate look at the ER, dreading the thought of losing Beca again. She couldn't just walk away. She couldn't willingly leave Beca, not after everything that had happened.
"Come on sweetheart. There's nothing more you can do for her now."
"I can't lose her… not now." Chloe shook her head, tears pouring down her cheeks. The nurse reached out again, placing her hand on the red-heads arm. This time she didn't flinch, simply standing there, eyes fixed on the closed doors of the ER.
"Alright. Why don't we just stand here then, wait it out a little?" The nurse saw the haunted look in the blue eyes of the woman in front of her, realising it was best to let her take it at her own pace. They stood in silence, the department bustling around them, as Chloe stood transfixed, eyes not once leaving the ER doors as she waited for something to happen. Anything that would tell her that Beca was okay.
"We have a 25 year old female, bullet wound to the chest, pulse 180 over 40, GCS 9, pulse ox 83%. There's bruising on her abdomen that's indicative of a broken rib, and superficial wounds to her wrists, knees, and forehead. She lost about 3 units at the scene and another on route." The paramedic reeled off the hand-off as she wheeled the brunette into the ER.
"Alright, we'll move her over on three… One… Two… Three!" The doctors and nurses quickly moved Beca onto the ER bed, checking her wounds and hooking her up to the monitors. "Her pressure's bottoming out, can we get a line in and push a unit of O-NEG whilst we're waiting for crossmatch? Page cardio and general, there's no exit wound so I can't tell the trajectory of the bullet, god knows what sort of damage it's done."
The monitors started to bleep furiously, the doctor's head turning towards them, "Oh crap, she's crashing… get me a crash trolley, charge it to 180, and bag her please." She grabbed the paddles from the nurse, as another doctor began to provide Beca with oxygen, "Alright everyone stand back, charging, clear!" Electricity raced through the young brunette in an attempt to restart her heart, "Nothing, charge it to 200. Charging, clear! … Alright, she's back. Let's get her intubated, take some of the strain off her heart and body."
Beca's head was gently tilted back as they prepared to intubate, until…
"Shit, she's flatlining again!"
The nurse had eventually managed to guide Chloe to the relative's room, sitting her down on a chair in the corner. It had only been half an hour, but time seemed to pass exceptionally slowly, every second feeling like a minute, every minute feeling like an hour. What was going on in there? How was Beca doing? Was she going to be okay? Did she even know that she was here? The red head sniffed softly, pulling her arms closer to her chest, shivering slightly as she realised how cold it was in the ER. She felt something be placed around her shoulders, jumping slightly as she met the nurse's gaze.
"Sorry love, I just figured you'd want a blanket. You're shivering. I would've brought it sooner but we've been slammed. I think they just took your friend up to theatre. I'll let you know when I have more news. The doctor'll been in a minute to check your head."
"Thanks…" Chloe mumbled, pulling the blanket tighter around her, not really registering what was going on, too preoccupied with all the what-ifs in her head. She was running through every possible outcome, each one more terrible than the next. 'Beca… please be okay… please, please be okay…' She could feel herself spiralling out of control, drowning in her thoughts, unable to anchor herself without Beca. Chloe closed her eyes, her head pounding so hard it made her ears ring. She was ready to let go of her sanity.
"Chloe?" The redhead's eyes snapped open, as that familiar voice rang around the room, her eyes meeting the warm blue ones that had comforted her for so many years.
"Aubrey?" She whispered, not quite daring to believe that she was here. The tall blonde gave her a watery smile, hobbling to her as Chloe stood up.
Aubrey hugged her as tight as she could, Chloe sobbing into her shoulder, so relieved to see that her friend was okay. The other Bellas soon joined them, each taking it in turns to give the ginger a tight hug, grateful that at least one of them was okay. There were plenty of tears, all worries briefly forgotten as the young women were glad to be reunited with Chloe.
Eventually, Chloe sat down again, the release of emotion utterly exhausting her. Aubrey sat next to her, putting her arm around her best friend's shoulders. The rest of them settled in the room in various seats, none of them sitting on their own, all feeling the need to be close to each other.
"How are you? What happened?!" Chloe asked, her eyes taking in her friend's condition.
"Oh y'know, pissed off a madman with a gun, got shot in the leg, had 30 stitches, and got crutches. Pretty standard…" Aubrey shrugged. Chloe shook her head, rolling her eyes at her friend, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"How's Beca?" Aubrey asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room. Chloe sniffed, shrugging her shoulders.
"I don't know. I think they took her up to theatre, but that's the last I heard."
Aubrey simply nodded, squeezing her hand, her head resting on the redhead's shoulder.
A doctor came in, all their heads whipping round in unison, "I'm here to check a head wound?"
"That'll be Chloe. Over here." Aubrey put a hand on her shoulder, trying not to notice as the redhead flinched away.
The doctor knelt in front of the auburn, smiling softly. She gently probed the wound on her head, Chloe wincing as her head throbbed again, "Alright, that's going to need stitches… I'm going to do a neuro test, and you could do with a head CT just to be safe. Follow my finger." The doctor held up a finger and slowly moved it in front of Chloe's face, watching her response carefully. "Okay… that looks good… I need you to come through to triage so I get that stitched, and get you booked in for a head CT."
"But Beca-" Chloe started, not wanting to go anywhere where they couldn't find her.
"We'll come and find you if there's any news." Flo interjected, "And Bree can come with you, keep you company?"
Chloe looked around at her friends, tears in her eyes. What had she done to deserve these beautiful women in her life? They were amazing, they'd supported her through so much,and here they were doing it again as if it was no big deal. She didn't deserve them. "Okay…" she mumbled, shakily getting to her feet, Aubrey joining her as the two headed for the triage area. Chloe sat on the edge of the bed, Aubrey perched in a chair nearby.
"Have you had any headaches, dizziness, nausea?" The doctor asked her.
"Um, I've had a headache ever since, a little dizziness maybe?" The redhead shrugged.
"Okay… any aversion to bright lights, blurriness of vision?"
"Um… no, I don't think so…" she frowned, "Just a headache…"
"Alright, I'm going to go and get the suture kit and we'll get that sorted. I'll be back in a second." Chloe nodded, subdued. The doctor left the two friends alone, sat in silence.
"Chloe…" Aubrey started, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Sore, but okay." Chloe gave her a reluctant half smile.
"That's not what I mean, and you know it." The blonde arched her eyebrow, her eyes full of concern.
"Aubrey…"
"No. You can brush it off with everyone else, but not with me Chlo. I know you, and I know what you've been through."
Chloe looked away, tears welling in her eyes, "I don't want to talk about it. Beca's the priority here."
Aubrey placed a hand on her arm, frowning as Chloe flinched away again.
"Chloe it's okay. What you went through-"
"What I went through is none of your business. Just drop it Aubrey." Chloe snapped, shutting her down, leaving Aubrey shocked at her friend's uncharacteristic outburst. The doctor returned with a trolley before the blonde could respond, and they sat in silence as the doctor began to stitch up the wound on Chloe's head.
"You're booked in for a CT, it'll be a little while yet though." The doctor explained, waiting for the local anesthetic to take effect.
"Okay… is there any news about my friend Beca?"
The Bellas sat in silence, all of them concerned for Beca, a noticeable dynamic missing from the group.
"You know, if Beca was here she'd be making some inappropriate sarcastic comment about now…" Cynthia-Rose smirked, shaking her head fondly. Smiles spread through the group as they murmured in agreement.
"Yeah, can you imagine? 'Jeez lighten up guys, it's not like anybody died yet'." Ashley giggled. A ripple of laughter spread through the group, even Chloe managing a small smile.
"Oh my God, do you remember the time we had to leave that bar really quickly after Beca got sassy with that biker?" Emily rolled her eyes.
"Jesus, I actually thought we were gonna die that night." Flo laughed at the memory, "He was twice her size, and I still would've backed Beca."
"That was the last time we let her drink vodka…" Amy chuckled, shaking her head.
"And then there was the Disneyworld incident… I never thought we'd have to worry about her trying to fight Snow White…" Jessica grinned broadly.
"In all fairness, that Snow White was a bitch… if a woman is holding a glass of wine, she is clearly not a 10 year old… no matter how short she is." Flo giggled helplessly, remembering the look of fury on the short brunette's face.
The Bellas laughed, exchanging more stories in which Beca's antics had nearly ended up landing them all in hot water. They were interrupted as the door to the waiting room opened, all eyes turning to the doctor who walked in. He looked around the room, frowning in confusion.
"Is everyone here for Beca Mitchell?" He asked.
"Yeah, how is she?" Jessica asked, the whole group hyper focused on anything the doctor had to say.
"She's out of theatre for now."
"For now? Cynthia-Rose frowned in concern.
"She's in bad shape. Because of the trajectory of the bullet, there's a substantial amount of internal damage. Her spleen was shredded so we had to remove it, but even after that there was a lot of blood and her pressure kept bottoming out. We decided to pack and close, give her body time to try and heal itself a little. We're going to monitor her for twenty four hours, and then if she's strong enough we'll try again."
Jessica nodded, sensing the group was starting to fall apart again. "A splenectomy isn't that big a deal guys, she'll be on antibiotics forever, but otherwise she'll be just fine without it. She's on a ventilator at the minute right? Can we see her?"
"Yes, that'll be fine. She's in an ICU room on her own, so it might be a little cramped." The doctor warned.
"That's okay, we're used to being on top of each other…" Flo half laughed, her mind only on her friend, "Somebody should go and find Chloe and Bree."
"I'll do it." Emily volunteered, "I'll see you guys up there?" They mumbled in agreement, the Bellas following the doctor to ICU whist Emily headed to find Chloe. She found her quickly, fighting the urge to throw up at the sight of the needle in her friends head.
"Hey, guys, I've got news about Beca."
Aubrey's head whipped round, Chloe gasping slightly unable to move her head, "What is it? Is she okay?" The redhead's voice was full of concern, her eyes dull with exhaustion.
"I'm not sure… they said something about packing and ICU? She's in a bad way, but she's stable. They need to operate again tomorrow if she's strong enough…" Emily gave them as much information as she could understand, hoping that it wouldn't distress Chloe anymore than she already was.
"If?" Chloe whispered.
"Yeah… that's what the doctor said… I'm sorry I don't have better news Chlo…" Emily could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at the despair in her friend's face. She didn't know how to help her.
"I need to see her…" Chloe started to get up, the doctor quickly stopping her.
"Whoa sweetie, let me finish stitching your head up first…"
"It can wait, Beca needs me-" Chloe could feel her chest pounding, her mouth going dry as her breathing quickened. Aubrey quickly got up, ignoring the pain that shot up her leg, taking Chloe's hands in hers.
"Chloe sweetie, it's okay. Look at me. Take a deep breath." The doctor sat back a bit, letting the blonde try and calm her friend. Chloe's eyes locked with Aubrey's, hands trembling as she tried to focus on her breathing, "It's okay Chloe. You're alright. I'm here. Just take a deep breath, come on."
Eventually, Chloe's breathing started to calm, heart slowing again. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, taking a second to gather herself.
"Now, let the doctor fix your head, then we'll go and see Beca."
"Okay…" Chloe whispered, letting the doctor finish up. Emily quickly grabbed Aubrey as the pain in her leg overcame her, her face ashen.
"Thanks." She mumbled, squeezing Emily's hand gratefully.
A few moments later, they were headed to ICU, where the other Bellas were waiting for them in Beca's room. Chloe's breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell upon the woman she loved. Somehow, despite all the tubes and wires that surrounded her, Beca was still breathtakingly beautiful. The red-head moved to the side of the bed, her friends letting her through, tucking a lock of hair behind Beca's ear, smiling fondly.
A nurse entered the room, bewildered at the sheer number of people in the tiny room.
"I'm sorry ladies, visiting hours are over." She smiled.
"Oh. Okay." Emily and the other Bellas couldn't help but be disappointed. They'd just reunited with Beca, and given her condition they were reluctant to leave her. What if something happened to her after they left? The nurse saw the collective worry and reluctance of the women gathered around her, and she could only sympathise. They must obviously love her very much.
"Okay, I'm breaking all the rules here… one of you can stay here with her overnight. I'll clear it with my supervisor."
"Thank you, we really appreciate that." Aubrey smiled gratefully, "It should be Chloe."
The other Bellas nodded in agreement, Chloe a little taken aback, "Are you guys sure?"
"Of course." Aubrey pulled Chloe into a hug again, "Go sit with her." She whispered in her ear, "Forget everything else and just tell her how you feel."
"How did you-?" Chloe gasped.
"I know you Chlo. I'm here whenever you're ready." The redhead pulled away, tears in her eyes, nodding at her best friend of over decade. The Bellas took turns to hug Chloe goodbye, none of them really wanting to leave either of them, but knowing that it was best not to argue with the nurse, given that she was already helping them by letting Chloe stay. Tearfully the redhead bid goodbye to her friends, curling up in the chair next to Beca, smiling gratefully as the ICU nurse brought her a blanket.
"What sort of mess have you got yourself into this time Mitchell?" She took a seat next to her bed, her eyes never once leaving the beautiful woman.
"You really scared me back there y'know? I can't believe you did that for me. You're crazy you know?"
Chloe snorted, rolling her eyes.
"You'd be taking the piss out of me if you could hear me now. I know you don't do sappy, and I've got nothing but sappy stored up. Mind you, it's not like you even know what's going on right now. There's so much I need to tell you. So much I should have told you a long time ago."
She sniffed, tears falling down her cheeks again, rolling her eyes.
"Dammit, I bet you're sick to death of my crying. I know I am. Why can't I be strong like you? I've watched you deal with so much adversity in the last seven years, and you've come through all of it. I would have crumbled at the first hurdle. I know you think that I always see the good in everything, and that I'm this insanely positive person, but it's all just to hide how insecure I feel. Honestly if you could read my mind you'd think every little situation was a Doomsday scenario. I don't know what I'd do without you weirdo." She rested her head on the top of the chair, quietly sobbing as she watched the machine breath for Beca, "Don't leave me Becs… please… I love you…"
With that, Chloe drifted off into an uneasy sleep, waking periodically after a bad dream or if one of the machines made a slightly different noise. Thankfully, Beca pulled through the night, and although she hadn't gotten any better, she hadn't gotten any worse. The nurse had gently woken Chloe up to tell her that they were taking Beca back into theatre, leaving the redhead alone again. She wanted to call Aubrey, Emily, Jessica, anyone… but she didn't have her phone and neither did they. She hoped they were on their way not really wanting to be alone with her thoughts.
"What do you mean we can't go?" Aubrey exploded, getting right in Chicago's face, "You are taking us to the hospital right now, or so help me God…"
"Aubrey, we can't spare anyone to take you there now, you'll have to wait until this afternoon." The soldier put his foot down.
"What don't you understand about this? Beca could be dying, and you want us to just sit around and wait? Chloe is all alone, she's traumatised and vulnerable, she needs us."
"I'm sorry. But this is the way it is." Chicago walked away, leaving the blonde fuming.
"ASSHOLE!" She screamed after him, Jessica gently pulling her back to the group, Aubrey hobbling along, throwing her crutches across the room in frustration, "I'm SICK of these damn things! Fuck this! Fuck all of this!" Hot, angry tears poured down her face. She just wanted to help Chloe, she was the only one who had any idea of what was happening, and she knew that Chloe needed someone on her side. Especially with Beca out of action.
Emily said nothing, simply putting an arm around her friend's shoulders, holding her close as she sobbed into her chest, all the emotion she'd be bottling up pouring out. Cynthia-Rose stroked Aubrey's hair, the Bellas gathering round her, able to do nothing but wait for Chicago to take them to see their friends.
"Hey weirdo… they said you did really well." Chole smiled softly, moving the hair out of Beca's eyes, "The fact that you're breathing on your own is a great sign apparently! I mean, obviously it is… duh. Some vet I'll make huh, it's fairly fundamental knowledge for any animal… breathing equals good. I dunno, I guess I was just trying to reassure you, even though you probably can't hear me…"
Beca's finger twitched, unnoticed by Chloe who was too busy looking fondly at the brunette's face to notice it. Beca had stirred quietly just as Chloe had tucked her hair behind her ear a few moments ago, but had decided to keep her eyes shut, preferring to let the ginger ramble on. Now however, she had taken all the rambling she could handle.
"God you don't half waffle on." She croaked, letting her eyelids flutter open. Chloe gasped in surprise, her tears falling faster as she looked into those deep blue eyes.
"How much did you hear?" She asked, a grin plastered from ear to ear.
"Literally all of it, I just wanted to see how long you'd ramble for before you realised I was awake. Then I realised you probably wouldn't, and honestly it was getting a little hard to listen too..." Beca grinned, wincing as she went to sit up.
"Hey, hey let me help." Chloe got up from her seat, gently easing Beca into a sitting position, rearranging her pillows for comfort, "I can't believe you let me just ramble on like that…"
"Oh come on, are you really surprised? I'm a people pleaser!" Beca laughed, the force of it sending another twinge of pain through her. Chloe rolled her eyes in response, snorting in disagreement, taking Beca's hand in hers. The brunette simply smiled, squeezing it.
"I thought I was going to lose you Beca." Chloe's voice was barely a whisper.
"Nah, you're not that lucky." Beca grinned, "You're stuck with me for a while yet Beale."
"Good… there-there's something I need to say Beca, and I don't know how to do it."
"Wait, me first. I was trying to tell you something back in the square before fucking Chicago turned up, and if I don't say it now, I might never say it."
Chloe nodded, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. She had to tell Beca how she felt about her, but she knew the brunette was stubborn and so she had to let her go first. What if Beca was about to tell her that she wanted some space from her? Or that she was moving out?
"Chloe… I- I know this might come as a shock, and I know that you probably don't feel the same way but… well, ever since we met I-" Beca struggled with her words, her nerves suddenly getting the better of her. Why was it so much easier to do this on the brink of death? Chloe frowned in confusion, not quite understanding what the brunette was getting at. She couldn't possibly be… could she?
"I-I- fuck it." Beca growled, ignoring the pain that shot through her as she reached over, sitting up and grabbing Chloe's t-shirt, pulling her into a kiss.
For a few heart-stopping moments the kiss went unreciprocated, Beca beginning to pull away convinced she'd made the biggest mistake of her life. It was at that point that Chloe chased her lips, returning the kiss with as much emotion and passion as she could muster, making up for lost time. God this felt right. Like all of the pain, all of the fear, the uncertainty, the sheer awfulness of the last 48 hours had all been worth it. Time stopped, the world melted away, it was only them. They were the only two people in the world in that moment, and that was all that mattered. Because Beca Mitchell loved Chloe Beale, and Chloe Beale loved her back. Beca eventually had to pull away when the pain in her abdomen got too much to bear, wincing as she lowered herself back into a comfortable position. The red-head grinned, biting her lip as their eyes met.
"I love you Beca Mitchell." She said, stroking the side of her face.
"I love you too Chloe Beale." Beca couldn't stop smiling, unable to believe what had just happened.
Chloe got to her feet, walking round to the side of the bed, gently clambering up next to Beca. She lay next to her, smiling softly as Beca adjusted her position again so she was curled up in the redheads arms. It wasn't long before both of them drifted off, exhausted from the events that had led them there, but utterly blissful in each other's arms.
Beca stirred, smiling softly as her eyes fell upon the still sleeping redhead. This wasn't the first time she'd woken up in Chloe's arms (they did share a sofa bed after all), but none of those times compared to this one. Chloe Beale loved her back. She bit her lip, leaning forward and kissing her softly. The older Bella mumbled softly, eyes opening softly. She grinned at Beca.
"Hey you." Chloe stroked Beca's face, "How are you feeling?"
"Oh y'know… like I've been shot..."
Chloe giggled, rolling her eyes. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"
"Little bit…"
Beca winced as she sat up, Chloe stretching out the ache in her arms and neck.
"Do you want a coffee or something?" Chloe offered, standing up.
"Sure, that sounds good." Beca smiled, watching Chloe leave. It was only when she was alone that Beca let the smile drop from her face. She knew there was something going on with Chloe, something she wasn't telling her. The redhead kept crying out in her sleep, waking Beca up several times, the brunette unsuccessful in her attempts to wake her girlfriend (girlfriend! Even thinking that made Beca's heart skip) settling instead to sooth her cries until Chloe settled again. She sighed softly, leaning back into her pillow and closing her eyes.
"I should have expected you to be asleep lazybones."
Beca's eyes snapped open, a wide grin spreading across her face, "Bree? What're you doing here?"
Aubrey gave her friend a watery smile, rushing to the side of her bed as she quickly as she could on her crutches, and pulling her into a tight hug. Beca grimaced, hugging her back as her wound throbbed. The rest of the Bellas flooded in, tears a plenty as they were reunited at last with their best friend.
"What're you guys doing here?" Beca asked, wiping at her eyes.
"The U.S. Army. Chicago brought us with the rescue team." Aubrey settled next to Beca on the bed, the rest of the Bellas quickly settling around them. Beca rolled her eyes, causing Aubrey to chuckle.
"I'm sorry, I knew you'd hate it. But we had no other options." The older blonde smiled.
"Ah it's okay. I got a mean-ass scar out of it. What happened to you Bree?" she asked in a jokey tone, trying to act as normal as possible.
"Hobart shot me. Doesn't like being questioned apparently." Aubrey raised an eyebrow.
"Tell me about it... at least he only shot to injure you!"
"Oh yeah, that makes it hurt less! No-one told you to jump in front in bullet..."
Hey, Chloe's alive, that makes me some kind of hero. All you proved was that you're a pain in the ass..."
"Mmm something tells me there's something you wanna tell us about out redheaded friend." Cynthia-Rose smirked, noting the smile that tugged at the corners of Beca's mouth when she said Chloe's name.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." The brunette was immediately defensive as Emily raised a knowing eyebrow.
"Yeah okay. That's why you're grinning like a Cheshire cat?" The Bellas mumbled in agreement, throwing Beca knowing looks.
"Hey guys!" Chloe walked back into the room, holding two coffees and smiling widely, "I didn't know you guys were gonna be here or I would've got us all coffee. What're we talking about?"
She handed Beca the coffee, the other Bellas giggling
"Oh nothing. Just the fact that you kissed Beca." Amy cocked her eyebrow, smirking at the red-head.
"You told them?" Chloe gasped, eyes wide looking to Beca who closed her eyes and sighed.
"No idiot. You just did."
The Bellas laughed as Chloe blushed furiously, hiding her face in her hands. Jessica got to her feet and put an arm around her friend's shoulder.
"Oh honey, it's okay." The blonde giggled, "We all knew anyway, Beca didn't have to say anything, it was written all over her face."
"Hey, be nice. I was shot, remember?" Beca scowled, Ashley simply rolling her eyes in response.
"Yeah… that's gonna be an excuse for a lot of things going forward isn't it?" Emily sighed.
"Excuse me, I was shot too, and you don't hear me making a fuss about it!" Aubrey protested, gesturing at her injury.
"Forget that. Bhloe is official!" Amy cheered, the other Bellas grinning.
At this point, the doctor entered the room frowning. "Oh. There's a lot of you... okay. Miss Mitchell, how are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. A little sore." Beca smiled softly, Chloe retaking her spot next to the brunette, taking her hand in hers.
"That's to be expected, as long as it's not unbearable we're fine. We had to remove your spleen yesterday, the damage was too extensive to repair it-"
"Whoa hang on, don't I need that?!"
"Ideally yes, but you can manage without it, you'll just need to take broad spectrum antibiotics for the forseeable." Beca nodded, a little taken aback by the news, "When we meant back in today, we were able to repair the rest of the damage, but there are still a couple of pieces of shrapnel near your aorta that we had to leave in. It was way too risky to try and take them out, and they should just stay where they are. It seems a little crazy, but it is lower risk."
"Well it's gonna make airport security a nightmare... but when is it not?" Beca joked, "When can I go home?"
"A few days. You lost a lot of blood, and you were unconscious for a long time so we need to monitor for any neural deficits."
"You mean more than usual?" Aubrey quipped, giggling at the mock outrage on Beca's face. The doctor smiled, bidding the group goodbye, promising to look in on Beca later. The group resumed their chatter, talking about anything but the last 48 hours, up until the moment that the nurse came and threw them out again for the night. The Bellas sighed, getting up one by one and saying their goodbyes to Beca as they headed out to the waiting room. Amy was the last to get to her feet, her eyes filled with tears.
"I'll give you guys a minute." Chloe smiled, hugging Amy tightly and planting a kiss on Beca's forehead, leaving the two young women to talk. She knew at some point Amy would want to talk to her about what had happened, but for now she let Amy and Beca talk. She wasn't ready to talk about what she'd been through.
"Beca I-"
Beca shook her head, "Don't. You don't need to apologise. It wasn't your fault."
"But-"
"I'm serious Ames. There is no way you could've known any of this was going to happen, and you apologising isn't gonna change any of that. The only person that owes me an apology is your dad."
Amy looked down, playing with the cuff of her sleeve as tears slipped down her cheeks.
"Amy. You're allowed to grieve. He's your dad."
Amy snorted, shaking her head, "You know, Chloe said the same thing. You guys are made for each other."
"Pfft." Beca snorted, "Really?"
"Hell yeah! Look I know we all joke about you and Chloe, but it's only because we can all see how much you love each other. We were trying to get you guys to see it."
Beca smiled, biting her lip, "Really?"
Amy simply nodded, squeezing Beca's hand tight. Chloe poked her head around the door.
"Can I come back in now?" She asked, smiling softly.
"Yeah… quick before Amy makes that face again, or I'm gonna cry." Beca held out her hand to Chloe, encouraging her to join them.
"I'll leave you two in peace, seems like you've got a lot of… talking to do." Amy wiggled her eyebrows as she headed out of the door. Chloe giggled, shaking her head.
"I love that weirdo." Chloe smiled, sitting next to Beca on the bed again, slipping her arm around her girlfriend's shoulder. Beca snuggled in close, smiling happily.
"I love you weirdo." The brunette mumbled.
"Bet I love you more weirdo." Chloe kissed her forehead. Beca couldn't keep from grinning, her hand cupping Chloe's cheek, frowning as her eyes fell on the cut on her head.
"Your poor head... I'm sorry..."
"It's okay, I had a head scan it's all good. Just a few stiches."
"Chloe..."
"I'm not ready to talk about it yet Becs. Can we just..."
"Of course. Whatever you need baby."
The couple sat in silence, no words needed. It was far from over, they both new that. But for now, they were safe, and they had each other at long last.
Everything was going to be okay. At least for a little while
That's it beautiful nerds. I hope you enjoyed it!