Thanks for all of the support last chapter!

Chapter 13

Chloe rolls over on her side, the air mattress creaking under her weight as she stretches her sleepy limbs. The basement is silent, except for the dull hum of the refrigerator on the other side. It takes a moment for her to regain her bearings, slowly starting to remember the events of last night – or early this morning, to be more accurate: Beca, Macy, the 2am car ride. It was eventful, to say the least.

After dropping Beca and Macy off at their house, Chloe had driven back home, pulling into her driveway at almost four in the morning. With everything that had happened, her mind was buzzing and there was no way that she was going to be able to fall asleep – not without serious decompressing. She had crept quietly back into her house, making her way down to the basement where Stacie had fallen asleep and Aubrey remained sleeping. Their movie had long since ended, and, not having it in her to talk to anyone in the chance that either Stacie or Aubrey did wake up, Chloe curled up under the blankets, and lay down staring at her phone beside her, willing it to ring.

She knew that Beca was busy, and she knew the odds of her calling Chloe or even texting her were slim to none. She had bigger problems to worry about.

Chloe had never seen anything quite like what had happened with Macy. But there was also a small part of the redhead that was hoping Beca would reach out again, asking her for help, needing Chloe to be there for her. That feeling was especially evident with the spot where Beca had been sitting beside her on the mattress being cold and empty for the rest of the night.

Finally, around four in the morning, Chloe's brain eventually quieted down, and she was able to fall into a half-way decent sleep.

Reaching blindly for her phone behind her, Chloe brings it in front of her face so she can see the screen. Shining up at her in front of a picture of Chloe, Stacie, and Aubrey, from a party at the end of the summer, is the time, telling her it's almost eleven. Besides random notification from the news app and a few junk emails, Chloe's phone is void of any notifications – no texts, calls, or messages of any sort from Beca.

Trying to hide her disappointment, Chloe sits up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and pushes herself up to a standing position. Stacie's and Aubrey's things are still scattered around the basement, so they're around the house somewhere, but Chloe is glad she doesn't have to face them yet. She already knows they'll have questions, and Chloe has yet to prepare answers that they would deem acceptable.

Gripping the railing for support, Chloe slowly makes her way up the stairs, flinching slightly from the bright lights and noises that greet her when she reaches the main floor of the house.

Continuing to rub her eyes and stifling a yawn as she does so, Chloe follows the sound of conversation into the kitchen. Sure enough, Stacie and Aubrey are sitting at the counter, each of them nursing a cup of coffee, while Chloe's mom stands at the stove over a griddle of sizzling pancakes.

All three of the women in the room turn to look at Chloe as she comes in. Her curls are falling out of her loose bun, and the exhaustion is clear on her face. Stacie snorts into her cup. "Good morning, sleeping beauty."

Chloe narrows her eyes in Stacie's directions, walking over to where her mug is waiting to be used. With her back to her friends, she works quickly to make her coffee, pouring in the waiting cream and sugar as her mom comes up behind her.

Lisa lays her hand on the small of Chloe's back, keeping her voice quiet under the sound of the coffee maker. She hadn't seen her daughter's text until she woke up this morning. It had been pretty self-explanatory in the sense that it gave Lisa an idea of where the girls were going: There was an emergency with Beca's sister, and she has to go get her. I'm driving them and will be back soon xoxo, but she still isn't sure exactly what happened. "Did everything work out last night?"

Chloe nods, taking her now-full mug and holding it up to her nose. She inhales the sweet scent before saying, "Yeah. I'm going to go by their house later today to check on them."

"Good," she rubs Chloe's back a few more times, before addressing the room. "Alright, ladies, how many pancakes are we thinking?"

Chloe makes her way back over to the counter as the three girls answer her mom, the fact that both Aubrey and Stacie are watching her not going unnoticed.

Stacie had tried to stay awake until Chloe came back home, especially considering she wasn't exactly sure where her best friend was going. It isn't like she gave her much information; all she knows is that there was something wrong with Beca's sister – wherever she was – and they went to pick her up. But, as a half-hour trip turned into an hour, and then two, sleep overpowered the taller brunette and she fell asleep next to Aubrey.

When the two girls woke up this morning, Chloe had still been sleeping. Stacie isn't sure when she finally got in, but she was curled up underneath her blanket like she had never left. When Aubrey woke up and threatened to wake Chloe too, Stacie had brought the blonde upstairs and told her what happened. She still doesn't know how Aubrey never woke up last night, but even the morning after, Aubrey was just as shocked – and upset – as Stacie was.

As Chloe leans against the corner of the counter, delicately taking a sip of her coffee, Aubrey looks at her expectantly. "So, are you going to tell us where you went last night?"

Chloe gulps, flinching slightly at the heat of the beverage. She knows that Aubrey wasn't awake when she left, meaning that Aubrey and Stacie have already talked about it. Further meaning that they aren't happy and they're searching for answers. Chloe was just hoping she would have a little more time to prepare. "I brought Beca back to her house."

Aubrey doesn't back down from the aggressive glare that she has pointed at Chloe. "Really? That's it? At two o'clock in the morning?"

"Aubrey, you weren't even awake."

"No, but I was, and I still don't really know what happened." Stacie pushes her empty mug away from her.

Okay. Double-teaming. That's not a good sign, especially when they're willing to do it in front of Lisa. "I told you – I brought Beca home."

Lisa brings three plates with steaming pancakes on them over to the girls, not saying anything as they mutter their thanks. Her daughter has been friends with Stacie and Aubrey for long enough that she knows when not to interrupt.

Stacie doesn't touch her breakfast, not enjoying the fact that Chloe is blatantly lying to them. "You know I heard Beca on the phone, right? What happened with Macy?"

Chloe pours syrup carefully over her stack of pancakes, trying to buy as much time as possible before having to answer. She doesn't want to lie to the girls, but she also doesn't really have a choice. It isn't her place to tell them about Beca. Telling them at this point wouldn't just be betraying the trust she has with Beca, but also the trust that Macy is now placing in her. Chloe saw the young girl in a vulnerable state last night, and it wouldn't be right to spread that around – even if she is spreading it to Stacie and Aubrey. "She needed her sister."

"At two in the morning?" Aubrey raises an eyebrow in her direction, "We're not stupid, Chloe."

Chloe raises her hand in surrender, "I never said you were, Bree. I'm telling you the truth." Despite herself, Chloe flicks her eyes over to her mom, who still has her back turned to the girls. She knows that Lisa is on board with waiting until Beca is ready to tell Stacie and Aubrey, but she also could use her mom's help in this specific conversation.

Stacie, of course, takes the look a different way. The quick glance directed at Lisa, a woman who Stacie is almost as close to as her own mom, is further proof that Chloe isn't being honest. Stacie likes Beca. She seems like a good person, and it makes Stacie happy that she can make Chloe laugh in a way that's different than what she and Aubrey can do. But what she also doesn't appreciate, is the way that her presence seems to be changing the girl that Stacie has known since she was six. "I don't understand why you can't just tell us."

Aubrey agrees, "Yeah, you never had a problem telling us things before Beca came around."

"I'm not hiding anything from you guys." Trying not to let Aubrey's words sting any more than they already are, Chloe places her fork back down on the counter. She runs her hand over her face, trying to come up with something to say that could sufficiently justify her actions last night, but she doesn't get an opportunity to say anything, because Stacie interrupts her.

"Really? What about last Sunday at the football game?"

"I didn't –" Chloe groans, her voice starting to rise in volume, as Lisa quietly excuses herself from the room. "Macy needed her sister. Beca doesn't have a car. I drove Beca to see Macy, and then I drove them home. That's all that happened."

Aubrey pushes her plate away, only a few bites missing from her chilling-pancakes. "Drove them home from where, Chloe?"

"She was at a friend's house, Aubrey! Is it really that big of a deal where she was?"

The blonde gives her an incredulous look. "At a friend's house? Chloe, that doesn't make any sense! Why didn't she just call her parents?"

Chloe falters slightly, and while she tries to recover as quickly as possible, Stacie picks up on her hesitation. It's brief, but it's there, and suddenly, the taller brunette is starting to regret her encouragement of this argument. "I don't know! I didn't ask questions! Beca needed a ride, and I gave it to her. End of story."

Aubrey, though, doesn't notice any difference. She stops yelling and returns to her normal, diplomatic self, this time her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Okay, so let me get this straight. Macy, who is a twelve-year-old, went to spend the night at a friend's house. Then, in the middle of the night, something happened and instead of calling her parents, she called her seventeen-year-old sister – who, apparently, doesn't have a car – to come and pick her up? Nothing about that story seems a little strange to you?"

Chloe runs a hand over her head in exasperation. "No, Aubrey, it doesn't! Because it's none of my business! And it really isn't any of yours, either!"

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm just a little bit concerned that my best friend is obsessing over some girl that has her doing some pretty shady things in the middle of the night."

Stacie's eyes widen as she glances between her two friends. This is not where this conversation was supposed to go. "Guys…"

Chloe whips her head from Aubrey to Stacie, before turning back to the blonde. "Obsessed? She's my friend, Aubrey, and I thought she could be yours, too!" She throws up her hands, her cheeks slightly flushed with anger. "Apparently not, though, especially considering you think that her taking care of her sister is 'shady'."

"That's not what she's saying, Chloe, and you know it."

Aubrey cuts Stacie off. "We didn't ask to be friends with Beca. You were just supposed to show her around and that was supposed to be it."

Stacie hangs her head. Nope. Definitely not how this conversation was supposed to go.

Chloe's jaw drops slightly, an eerie calm settling over her. She purses her lips, nodding slowly. "Right. Sorry, I didn't realize that being a nice person was going to be such an issue for you."

The redhead doesn't wait for a response, simply placing her plate that still holds her entire breakfast in the sink, before leaving both Stacie and Aubrey in the kitchen.

Beca slowly opens her eyes, the early morning sun shining through the open curtains of her room. She didn't think to close them last night when they finally got back to Jack's house, and she can't really complain that she's waking up now. It's a little before eleven in the morning, meaning she managed to get almost seven hours of fitful sleep.

She blinks a few times, trying to clear the fog from her brain as she glances around the room. They basically came in and dropped everything on the floor. It took a little while for Macy to fall back asleep, even with the exhaustion weighing on her, but once she did, she was out like a light. Her body is practically laying on top of Beca's, and while she definitely has a hold on her older sister, Beca knows that she won't be waking up until late this afternoon. When her panic attacks get as bad as they did last night, she's typically wiped out for at least the entire next day.

Bending her head down to look at her sister, Beca is relieved to see how at peace Macy seems. Her tear marks have dried on her cheeks, and there isn't any fear or apprehension showing on her face. Instead, her lips are slightly parted and one of her fingers is wrapped around the bridge of her nose. Her chest rises and falls with an even breath, her head laying softly on Beca's chest.

The older brunette runs a hand over Macy's curls, the image of her little sister looking scared straight last night, never once leaving her mind. She hates feeling so helpless against Macy's anxiety, and, most importantly, she hates that some of her actions are making it harder for her – even months after it has happened. More than anything, Beca wishes that she could take some of her sister's pain and suffering away.

She'd do it in a heartbeat.

A slight wave of hunger washes over Beca, her stomach grumbling in the silence of the room. As much as she doesn't want to leave her sister, she knows that Macy will be safe up here and that there is a slim chance of her waking up before she has a chance to make it back into the room. Slowly – and oh so carefully – Beca shifts herself out from underneath her little sister, who is so deep in her sleep, that she barely moves in protest.

Crouching down beside the bed, Beca tucks the blankets around her sleeping body and places a light kiss on her forehead. After grabbing her sweatshirt from where it lays abandoned on the floor, she creeps out of the room, leaving the door open just a crack.

Beca makes her way down the stairs, pulling the sweatshirt on over her head, her curls getting caught between the fabric and her back. She scoops them out, tying the locks into a bun on top of her head, before she is face to face with her foster father.

Beca jumps back slightly, not expecting him to be sitting in the living room – even with the television on at a low volume. "Morning."

"Good morning." Jack watches his foster daughter cross the room as she wipes the sleep from her eyes once more. There's still a faint outline of her eyeliner from the previous morning, and there are a few curls that have escaped from her bun. "I didn't hear you get in last night. I thought you were at a friend's?"

Beca pauses on her way to the kitchen. Ever since the football game, Jack has been more and more willing to engage the Mitchell sisters in conversation. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not like they have anything in common or have anything of substance to discuss. "Yeah, Macy had a rough night, so we came home."

Jack snorts. "Rough night? Did she go out clubbing or something?" When Beca rolls her eyes, starting to resume her path to the kitchen, Jack calls back out to her. "Oh, I'm just giving you a hard time. Is she okay?"

"She's fine." Not knowing what else there is to say, Beca taps her hand against her thigh a few times. "I'm going to get something to eat."

"I'll join you." Before Beca has a chance to object, Jack is following her into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she starts to prepare a bowl of cereal.

Under her foster father's watchful gaze, Beca quickly pulls a bowl from the cabinet, followed by a box of cornflakes and an almost-empty carton of milk. She isn't exactly sure why Jack is feeling the need to accompany her for breakfast, but she doesn't like it. Especially with him just standing there saying nothing.

When her cornflakes have been sufficiently drenched in milk, Beca brings it over to the kitchen table, sitting so that her back is facing Jack. Unfortunately, this doesn't deter him, as he makes his way over to the brunette and takes the seat beside her.

Beca does everything in her power not to look up at him, pushing the cereal around in her bowl as she chews, focusing solely on finishing her meal. Sure, they typically eat dinner together, and occasionally they'll have a brief conversation in passing, but it's not like Beca and Jack (or Jack and Macy) are close – by any means.

"So, Macy isn't really a normal kid, is she?"

Beca pauses her attempted mutilation of her slowly-becoming-soggy cornflakes. She swallows the bite that she has in her mouth, before looking up at her foster father, a flame of anger sparking within her. "Excuse me?"

"No, I don't mean it like that…" Jack watches as Beca's navy blue eyes narrow in his direction. He holds his hands up in a slight surrender. "I just mean… like, clearly, she has some shit to work through."

Beca's eyebrows furrow in confusion, waiting for Jack to provide her with some sort of further explanation. She isn't sure what prompted this line of discussion, but if there's one thing she won't tolerate – whether it be from a teacher, classmate, social worker, foster sibling, or foster parent – it's people disrespecting her sister. Jack is already toeing the line.

"I'm just saying, she obviously relies on you for a lot, right? I mean, I know she sleeps in your room most of the time, and it's not like she ever really talks. You clearly take care of her."

Beca nods slowly. "She's my sister. What do you want me to do?"

A flash of frustration crosses Jack's face, obviously not being able to get his point across. "No, that's not what…" He rubs his hand across the stubble on his chin. "Meghan told me that she has tried talking to Macy about therapy before…maybe it would be helpful to get her involved with something like that."

Beca offers the man a tight-lipped smile. "Macy's fine. Thanks for your concern." She turns back to her cereal, trying to ignore the ball of annoyance that has settled into the pit of her stomach, but Jack doesn't seem to be done.

"I just think that, maybe, if she were to get help, you might be able to have your own life, you know?"

The brunette takes one last bite of her cereal, wiping her mouth with the paper napkin she grabbed, before standing from the chair in frustration. "I like my life just fine." Not wanting to hear anything else from Jack, and certainly not willing to enter into a conversation with him about the challenges her little sister faces, Beca quickly rinses out her bowl, placing it in the dishwasher, and leaves the kitchen.

As she goes back through the living room, completely intending to go straight back upstairs to lay down with Macy, Beca's eyes quickly glance outside. Not expecting to see anything, she doesn't recognize the car in her driveway at first. But, as she does a double-take, peering out the window right beside the front door, she recognizes not just the car, but the redhead slowly making her way to the front stoop of the house.

Beca hesitates before opening the door. As much as she appreciates how much Chloe did for her and Macy last night (as well as the fact that Beca couldn't believe how helpful and understanding her friend was) the idea of letting her friend into her foster home causes a slight sense of distress for the brunette. But, there's something about Chloe's face and posture – both of which are lacking her normal vibrancy – that eventually persuades Beca to open up the front door, no longer worried about her awkward - and uncomfortable - encounter with Jack.

Chloe is just about halfway across Beca's front yard when she sees the front door open. Although she had already been planning on coming over and checking on the Mitchell sisters, her argument with Aubrey and Stacie left her with absolutely no desire to stay in her house any longer. After leaving the kitchen, she changed into a pair of leggings and a Barden sweatshirt, brushed her teeth and washed her face, and left the house, not even caring that her friends were still downstairs in the basement.

On the way over, Chloe did second guess her decision, but only briefly. She has now been to Beca's house twice – once to pick her up yesterday, and once bringing her home. She's hoping that Beca won't mind the pop-by visit, but really, all Chloe wants to do is make sure Macy – and Beca – are okay, and maybe talk with her friend (because, clearly, her two other friends are making that quite difficult).

When Beca is within earshot, Chloe tries her best to offer her a small smile. She waves her hand in greeting, but even she knows that her façade is weak and is sure that Beca can see right through it.

Sure enough, Beca's eyebrows furrow slightly, holding open the door with her hip. "Chloe? Are you okay?"

Chloe ignores the burning in the back of her throat. She doesn't want to talk about Stacie and Aubrey – especially not with Beca. So, a wave of relief washes over her as she sees that Beca doesn't seem mad. In fact, she seems concerned. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted to come over and check on you and Macy. I wasn't sure if you'd answer your phone."

"Oh." Beca glances behind her into the house, Jack settling back into his position on the couch. "Um, do you want to come in?"

This time, a genuine smile stretches across Chloe's lips. "I'd love to. Are you sure it's okay?"

Beca waves her uncertainty off, all the while fighting her own. The fact that she came all this way just to check on her is sweet enough and kinder than anything anyone else she's met at school has ever done, but she still isn't sure that Chloe is as okay as she is claiming. "Sure. Come on in."

The brunette moves off to the side, allowing Chloe to slip into the small entryway right in front of the stairs. They dance around each other slightly as Beca closes the door, forcing Chloe to take a few steps into the living room instead. Jack looks up at her from the couch, a can of soda in his hand. Before either of them can say anything, Beca comes back up beside Chloe, quickly rattling through introductions. "Jack, this is my friend, Chloe. Chloe, this is Jack."

Chloe flashes her best parent-pleasing smile, "Nice to meet you."

Jack raises his soda in greeting. "You too, Chloe."

After pleasantries have been exchanged, Beca lays a hand lightly on Chloe's shoulder, gesturing for her to follow Beca up the stairs. There's no reason to stay on the first floor with Jack, especially since there really isn't any other place to go besides the living room and the kitchen. But, as they reach the second floor, Beca quickly reconsiders her decision, realizing that Macy is still sound asleep in her bedroom.

"Where's Macy?"

Beca brings her finger to her lips, silently telling Chloe to keep her volume down, before leading her to the doorway of Beca's bedroom. Beca opens the door slowly, peering into the room, with Chloe close behind, both of them taking in Macy's sleeping figure. Satisfied that she hasn't moved (and most likely won't), Beca closes the door back over, before bringing them into Macy's room instead.

Chloe, still trying to ignore how adorable Macy was, all curled up underneath her blankets – a welcomed sight after last night – looks to Beca. "I can't believe she's still sleeping."

The brunette nods, taking a seat at the head of Macy's bed and gesturing for Chloe to sit at the end. "Oh, she's down for the count. I wouldn't be surprised if she stays asleep until tonight."

Chloe's eyes widen, all of her concerns regarding Stacie and Aubrey slowly starting to melt away. "Really?"

Beca nods, pulling one of the pillows from behind her and holding it on her lap. "Yeah. When the panic attacks get that bad, they pretty much wipe her out."

Trying to hide her surprise about Beca's willingness to dive right into the subject, Chloe bites her lip slightly. Her cerulean blue orbs meet Beca's navy ones, her voice tentative as she asks, "So, that's what happened last night? She had a panic attack?"

Beca sighs, wondering why she spit out that information as quickly as she did, before nodding again. "Well, to be more accurate, she had a nightmare that sparked a panic attack. When she didn't get out of it fast enough, her mind sort of shut down. That's why it took so long to snap her out of it." Beca still isn't sure what the nightmare was even about, but from what she gathered from both Patrick and Macy, it was scary enough to alter her reality. When she woke up and Beca wasn't there, that set off another chain reaction, bringing her into a deeper state of panic, before she completely closed herself off to everyone.

Chloe's shoulders sink, not even being able to imagine what that poor girl has gone through. "That's terrible." She pauses briefly, trying to figure out if she should ask the question that has presented itself at the forefront of her mind. "These don't happen all the time, do they?"

"Not those ones, no." Beca runs her fingers over the pillowcase, some of the threads starting to come loose from the seams. "She definitely has less intense ones more frequently. I'm sure she was in the middle of one when you saw her in the hallway that time."

Chloe's mind drifts back to that first week that Beca started at Barden, remembering vividly how pale Macy had looked. How she was trying so hard to breathe, and how downright petrified she had seemed, standing in the middle of one of the high school hallways. Chloe can't even imagine going through that, let alone having it happen regularly. "I'm sorry. That must be really hard."

Beca shakes her head, still keeping her concentration on the threads between her fingers. "Don't be. She's a strong kid, she'll make it through."

For what feels like the thousandth time since Beca told her about being in foster care, a feeling of complete awe settles over Chloe. She is continuously amazed by how strong and put together Beca always seems to be. It's almost as though nothing fazes her. She knows she has to take care of her sister, so she just does it. She doesn't complain, she doesn't sit around feeling sorry for herself. She just lives her life the way she knows she has to live it. "Yeah. She is."

With the conversation coming to a natural lull, Chloe takes the time to look at the room she and Beca are sitting it. It's relatively bare – especially for a bedroom – with only a few pieces of furniture that look like they've barely been touched. There aren't any dirty clothes laying around, there isn't a backpack or any stuffed animals on the bed. The only ounce of personalization that is within these walls, is a framed picture on the bedside table. A small, sad smile appears on Chloe's face as she realizes what – or, more accurately, who – it is. "Are those your parents?"

Beca's head snaps up, her eyes flicking from Chloe to the picture frame. The corner of her mouth tugs upwards as she nods, the familiar feeling of dread returning to her stomach. It doesn't matter how many times she talks about them; it never gets any easier. "Yup. Good ol' Amelia and Warren Mitchell." She takes the picture frame off of the table and hands it over to Chloe, who takes it with delicate hands, their fingers brushing slightly in the exchange. "That was taken about a year before they died."

Chloe studies the picture carefully. The man sitting in the chair seems shorter, like his daughters, and there's a short beard covering the lower half of his face. It's graying, but not completely gray to the point where he looks old. In fact, he still has a youthfulness about him – both of them do. Even though his eyes are squinting slightly from the smile on his face, Chloe can see that his eyes are more a green – maybe even a hazel – color as opposed to Beca's dark blue ones.

She shifts her attention to the woman sitting on her husband's lap. Sure enough, the woman looks exactly how Chloe imagines Beca will look when she's older. Her hair is slightly darker than her daughter's, but their eyes are almost identical. Her smile isn't so much of a grin, more of a smirk, but the happiness is still evident on her face. Her hand is intertwined with Warren's, and she's leaning into his chest, looking incredibly content with just sitting there.

When Chloe moves her gaze back up to meet Beca's, there are tears in her eyes. "I wish I could have met them."

Beca gives her a sad smile. "They were pretty great." She takes the frame back from Chloe, trying best not to look at their faces for too long. "My mom would've loved you."

Chloe lets out a small laugh, her heart fluttering at the compliment. "Oh yeah? Why's that?"

The brunette shrugs, never once looking away from Chloe's pleased expression. "You're the most kind-hearted person I know. You try and find the positive in everything, you never give up when there's something you want… those are the people she always liked the best. You love life."

Her mother had always been sort of a wild child. She knew that she always wanted to work in the music industry, but she didn't have the talent. She had the passion, though. More than anything she had the passion to make her dream come true. She graduated college with a degree in journalism and eventually got her dream job as a music journalist. Amelia traveled to concerts and music festivals – that's where she met Warren – and thrived on the adventure of life. Warren definitely helped her to settle down, but the passion and enjoyment that she felt from living and working never truly dulled.

Beca can see the same characteristics in Chloe's own personality.

"Well, I think that might just be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." Chloe tries her hardest not to let any of her unshed tears fall, laughing slightly and trying to blink them away. "I'm sure she would be so proud of you and everything you've done for Macy. Same with your father."

Beca once again averts her eyes, letting Chloe's words settle before answering. "I hope so."

We have a few happier chapters coming up in the near future, I promise! See you Tuesday :)