Thank you so much for the support last chapter! A couple of things before we jump into number 25:

1. Can we just talk about 'Love on Top' and the fact that I shed actual tears when I saw it? It just made me so happy I couldn't help myself.

2. A few people have reviewed and reached out to me via PM regarding a sequel. I'd love to hear what you all think about that, keeping in mind that there will be closure with the last chapter. I have a few ideas rumbling around, mainly having to do with a small time jump to when Chloe starts college and then Beca and Macy's life after that (I don't want to give away the ending, so I'm sorry if that's vague). Let me know what you think!

Anywho, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me!

Content Warning for Jack in this chapter... nothing too graphic but just a heads up.

Chapter 25

"Are you sure you can't come?"

Beca lifts Macy's bag up over the younger girl's shoulders, before wrapping her arms tightly around her own torso. "I'm sure. You'll be fine, and Benji's mom said she would pick you up after dismissal and bring you back to their house."

Macy narrows her eyes, all the while keeping an ear out for the bus that is supposed to be at the house shortly. "You don't look sick."

Beca just shrugs. "I'm just not feeling the greatest and I need a little sleep."

"But you never miss school."

Although she knows this is unlike anything she's ever done before, it takes everything in Beca not to get frustrated with her little sister. With everything that happened yesterday with Chloe and CR, she has absolutely zero interest in facing them at school and at work. Jack has already left for the morning; she can spend the day in her bedroom, and think about how to face them tomorrow. "I know. It's okay. I'm just going to be lounging around and resting."

Macy sticks her lip out in a small pout, "I can stay home with you if you want."

Beca gives her a small smile just as the school bus pulls up out front of the house. "I'm fine, thank you. Now get out there before she drives away. Love you!"

Groaning slightly, Macy mutters her own goodbyes, before running out to catch the bus.

Once the bus has disappeared down the road, Beca closes the door to Jack's house, allowing the silence to completely envelope her. She lets out a sigh of relief. The solitude is something that she has missed, especially with how she has been refusing to leave Macy alone and hasn't really been by herself in a few weeks. Now, with Macy safely on her way to school and Jack far away at some construction site in the city, she can relax.

Beca hasn't talked to Chloe or Cynthia Rose since yesterday. After the argument that she had with CR, she decided it was probably best to not engage in any more conversations with her while she finished her shift. Afterward, she ignored the texts that the older woman sent her, as well as the texts and phone calls that came from Chloe.

Beca can't really decide if she's upset at Chloe or not. She knows for a fact that she's upset with the redhead for going behind her back to talk to CR, but, then again, after how Beca reacted when Cynthia Rose confronted her about it, Beca can't really blame Chloe for not wanting to get involved. Most of all, Beca just doesn't know if she can keep lying to her. The more they spend time together and the more they talk, creates a bigger hole in Beca's stomach wrought with guilt.

So, ignoring the calls and the texts and the voicemails just seems like the best option right now.

She climbs the stairs, pausing only to turn off Macy's bedside table light, before slipping into her own room and closing the door behind her. It takes her almost no time to flop down on her bed and curl up underneath her covers, the sleep that she has been lacking quickly overpowering her.

Chloe made a mistake. She realized this as soon as Cynthia Rose texted her yesterday and told her what had happened with Beca. She should have talked to Beca herself; she should have been there for her. Now, Beca isn't answering any of her texts, and she knows that CR isn't talking to her either. She screwed up, and she tossed and turned all night because of it.

Now, though, as she waits at the front of the school for Beca's bus to pull up to the sidewalk, Chloe knows that she can fix this. She just has to talk to the brunette, tell her where she was coming from, and hope that Beca finally gives her the truth. It's okay, everything is fine, and it'll all be better soon.

Unfortunately, Chloe's heart sinks when she sees Macy get off the bus by herself. A few months ago, Chloe is sure that the younger girl would look much more anxious than she does now, but she just climbs of the bus and looks around for a familiar face, her hands tightly around her backpack straps. Chloe's feet are moving toward her before she has a chance to stop them, waving at the younger Mitchell sister when her face lights up with recognition.

"Morning, Mace!"

Macy grins, allowing the effervescent redhead to wrap her in a hug. "Hey, Chloe."

A sense of relief falls over Chloe at how Macy greets her. At least she isn't mad. "Did you have a good night?"

Macy shrugs, starting to slowly walk beside Chloe as they approach the school. "Yeah, it was fine."

"Good." Chloe pauses for a moment, before letting the question fall from her lips. "Where's Beca? Did she have an appointment or something this morning?"

Macy furrows her eyebrows, looking up at the taller girl. "She didn't text you? She's staying home today because she doesn't feel good."

Chloe's stomach churns again. Of course Beca is avoiding her. "Oh...no she didn't mention it. Is she okay?"

Although Macy finds it weird that Beca hadn't at least texted Chloe – it's not like they don't spend every waking moment talking to each other on a normal day – she nods. "Yeah, I think she's just tired. She hasn't been sleeping well."

Well, at least her excuses are consistent. "That's not good."

"I think she's okay. Sometimes she goes through these patches where she just can't sleep." Macy gives her a small smile, her attention drifting behind Chloe where she sees Benji standing by the wall. "I'm going to go catch up with Benji, but I'll see you later?"

Chloe nods, "Sounds good, kiddo. See you later."

As Macy goes off in pursuit of her friend, Chloe pulls out her phone. She clicks Beca's name, which has been at the top of her call log for the past two months, before listening to the dial tone. Unsurprisingly, it goes straight to voicemail.

Chloe gulps as she leaves a message, biting back the tears that are threatening to spill over. "Hey, Bec, it's me. I know you're probably still really upset but I just needed to let you know that I miss you and I'm here if you want to talk. Give me a call back if you want, if not, I'll try you again a little later. Talk to you soon. Bye."

By the time Beca rolls over in her bed, the late-morning sun is shining through her curtains, casting a ray of light right across her face. Groaning slightly, Beca rubs her eyes, before briefly checking her phone right beside her. Two missed text messages from CR, and only one phone call from Chloe. It's a little before lunchtime, so Chloe is still in class, meaning that she must have called before the school day started.

Whatever.

Beca stifles a yawn, placing her phone back on the bedside table, before laying back down on her back.

"Sleep well?"

The voice from the corner of the room makes Beca's blood run cold as she bolts upwards into a seated position. Her hands grip the blanket that she has been using, trying to not to allow her heart to pound out of her chest as she sees Jack sitting in the corner of the room.

Unlike Beca, who is at a loss for words, Jack just gives her a small smirk. "Imagine my surprise when I got a call from the school saying that one of my kids didn't show up to homeroom."

Beca forces her voice to remain as steady as possible, but it still comes out at a volume barely above a whisper. "I wasn't feeling well."

"Hm." Jack pushes himself up off of the floor and makes his way over to where she's sitting. Beca brings herself into the corner of the bed, pulling her knees into her chest and trying to take up as little room as possible as her foster father perches himself on the side of the mattress. He reaches his hand out and rests it on Beca's forehead, the brunette doing everything in her power not to flinch away in response. "You don't feel warm. What's bothering you?"

Beca calmly pulls away from his touch, grimacing at how close he is sitting. "Stomach."

"Must be the guilt."

Beca finally meets Jack's eyes, her mind racing with ways to get out of this situation. "What?"

Jack seems to settle deeper into his position on the bed, this time laying his hand on Beca's foot. "I know you've been avoiding me, Beca. Did I do something wrong?"

It takes everything in Beca not to ram her foot into the side of his thigh so she can push him off the bed. He can't actually be serious right now, can he? "I—"

"Because you know, I just want to make sure you feel welcome here. This is your home too, and if there's something bothering you, you should just tell me."

Beca tries to pull her foot away, but she can't bring her knees any further into her chest. "Jack…"

Somehow, someway, Jack moves even closer to her on the bed. "It's okay, Beca. You know, I just want to get to know you better. That's all."

Beca shakes her head as he reaches his hand out once more. "No, Jack, stop –"

"Shh, it's okay. Don't be scared."

Lisa Beale has always loved her job. She loves the mildly controlled chaos of the Emergency Room, and the way that everyone on the staff always has something to do and somewhere to be. Of course, she doesn't like most of the things that she sees in patients, but being able to help them in some of their scariest moments, gives Lisa a feeling like no other.

That being said, there are also cases that make her question her entire career path.

The doors to the ambulance bay open with a 'whoosh', as a team of paramedics pulling a gurney in between them moves briskly towards where Lisa is standing behind the nurses' station. "Jane Doe, teenage girl, pressure dropping with potential concussion, potential internal bleeding. Lost consciousness during transport."

Lisa doesn't hesitate to come out from behind the desk, moving to join a few other nurses and one of the trauma doctors. Amidst all of the commotion as they try to get this girl into one of the trauma rooms, Lisa doesn't take the time to turn and look at who is lying on the gurney behind her. She's so busy and focused on the tasks at hand, listening for orders that the attendings are shouting out; collecting the right medications, ordering the right tests, before she even has the chance to look at the bruised face of the girl lying in front of her, her chestnut curls splayed out in a halo on the pillow.

Even if Lisa didn't recognize the girl's features, or her curls, or the way that her torn clothes are a part of the exact same wardrobe that she has seen on the girl's body countless of times, the leather bracelets on her wrist are enough to confirm Lisa's fears.

"Oh my God!" The older woman's jaw drops in horror, practically shoving the tablet that she has in her hand into the grasp of one of her other coworkers as she goes to the head of the bed. Her exclamation only causes a few people to turn and look, but most are worried about taking vitals and trying to quickly determine the best course of action for treatment. She runs a tentative hand over Beca's forehead, brushing a curl out of her face. "Oh, Beca, what happened?"

One of the doctors glances up at Lisa. "Do you know her?"

Lisa nods, never once turning away from the teen. While millions of thoughts race through her head, her heart shatters. Tears start to swell in her eyes as she looks down at the girl that has come to mean so much to her and her family. "Her name's Beca Mitchell, she's seventeen-years-old."

"Okay, Beca, we're going to take good care of you, alright?" Another attending takes over, raising the railings on the bed, and signaling to the other people on the team that it is time to get moving. As they roll her out of the room, Lisa can't help but stand there in shock.

Has this really just happened?

Beca Mitchell, the girl that her daughter cares so much about, lying on a gurney in front of her, broken and bruised.

Beca Mitchell, the girl that Lisa has grown to love herself, unconscious and clearly beaten, from reasons still unknown to her.

Beca Mitchell, the girl who has already been through so much, facing yet another hurdle that she now has to overcome.

Lisa takes a deep breath, running a hand over her face as she watches Beca be taken away from her and down towards imaging to see how much damage has been done. From Beca's current state, the older woman can't imagine that it's going to be good. Trying to remain as calm as possible, she pulls her cellphone out of her scrub pockets, dialing her daughter's number and waiting with bated breath for an answer.

As much as Chloe has tried to pay attention to class today, she can't bring herself to do it. She doesn't see the reasoning behind learning about meaningless high school curriculum when she could be worrying about Beca instead. Worrying about what happened, worried about what could be happening…it's all so much more important to Chloe at this moment.

She's been doing well. She only called Beca that one time, and, yes, she has been staring at her phone waiting for a response, but she has not acted on any of her impulses. She decided around second period that if Beca doesn't call back by the end of the day, she'll just go over to Jack's. She's done it before, she isn't afraid to do it again.

Stacie and Aubrey slide into the seats beside her at lunch, both of them immediately noticing the cell phone that's in front of their best friend on the table. Aubrey rests her hand carefully on Chloe's shoulder. "Still no word?"

Chloe shakes her head. "She's really mad."

Stacie shrugs, doing everything in her power to alleviate some of the stress that Chloe is feeling. "You guys will work it out. I wouldn't worry about it."

Chloe groans, hanging her head and turning her phone over so that the screen is facing the table. "I just wish I knew what to say to her. I know that she's not telling me the truth, but I also want her to know that she can tell me the truth, you know?"

"I'm sure she does know that. It's probably scary for her to even think about. I don't know how I would react if I were in this situation." Chloe had told Aubrey and Stacie about the bruise on a late-night FaceTime session last night when Beca was avoiding her calls. She couldn't fall asleep without talking about it, and the conversation that she had with her mom didn't really help.

Before any of the girls have a chance to answer, Chloe's phone starts to vibrate on the table in front of them. The redhead freezes at the sound, but both Stacie and Aubrey give her a reassuring smile. "See, that's probably her now."

Not entirely convinced, Chloe cautiously takes her phone back, shaking her head. "It's just my mom." She clicks the green 'answer' button, before holding it up to her ear. "Hey, Mom. What's up?"

On the other end of the line, Lisa takes a shuddering breath. "Chloe, are you at lunch?"

Pressing her finger to her other ear, Chloe tries her best to focus on her mom's voice, but the dull roar of the cafeteria makes it semi-difficult. "Yeah, why? What's wrong?"

"Ok, Chlo, I have to tell you something, but I need you to stay calm and listen to everything before hanging up."

Chloe's eyebrows furrow slightly, Lisa's words being anything but reassuring. Beside her, both Stacie and Aubrey straighten, noting the way their friend's tone has changed, and the way tension seems to spread throughout her posture. "What's going on, Mom?"

"Beca's in the Emergency Room. They brought her in a little while ago. She was unconscious but they think she's going to be okay –"

"What?! Mom what are you talking about?! What happened?! Is she okay?!"

"They think she's going to be fine. She regained consciousness while they were down getting pictures taken, but I need you to get Macy and bring her here, okay? I need you to go find her, and have either Stacie or Aubrey drive you… I don't need you getting in an accident, alright?"

Chloe's chest starts to tighten as her mind struggles to comprehend what her mother is saying. Beca is hurt. She's in the hospital. She was unconscious. How does something like this happen? "Mom, I –"

"Chlo, it's going to be okay. But Beca is hurt, and she needs to have her sister here, okay? She needs you to be here. I know it's going to be hard, but I need you to take a deep breath and try and stay calm, okay?"

Even though Lisa can't see her, Chloe nods, tears starting to stream down her face. "Okay. Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"It's going to be just fine, Chlo. She's going to be just fine."

Chloe barely mutters a goodbye before hanging up the phone, leaving her to face both the blank screen and the questioning expressions of Stacie and Aubrey. She stares at the phone in her hand, the words barely feeling real as they slip from her mouth. "Beca's in the hospital." Both girls react similarly to how Chloe did only moments earlier, with Stacie exclaiming various questions, and Aubrey's face darkening. "I…I uh, I have to go find Macy. I need to… I need to go. Now."

Aubrey is the first one to break out of their shocked trance. "Go. I'll pull my car up out front. We'll bring you."

"O-okay. Okay." Chloe gulps, her mind busy with all of the possible occurrences that could have landed Beca in a hospital bed. Tears still stream down her face, but otherwise, Chloe feels as though she's living underwater, not being able to function properly. She hands Stacie her phone, nonetheless. "I need you to call CR. Tell her… tell her what's happening."

Stacie nods, grasping her hand. "We will. She's going to be fine, Chlo. No matter what happened."

For some reason, Chloe has a hard time believing her.

Chloe tries to make it to the middle wing as quickly as possible. Her head is spinning, and she's sure that she probably looks like she's some sort of intoxicated as she stumbles through the hallway, but she does her best to pass the cafeteria in pursuit of the library where she knows Macy spends most of her lunches. Staring down the empty room with two kids sitting down at a table in the back, Chloe takes a deep breath, wiping the tears off of her face, and hesitantly approaches Beca's little sister.

Normally, Chloe would allow herself to enjoy the fact that Macy seems to be in such a good place. She's laughing along with Benji, both of them leaning over a book and talking to each other. It takes everything in Chloe not to run up to the girl and gather her in her arms. Instead, she calmly makes her way over to their table, forcing a smile onto her face when Macy looks up at her.

Macy, on the other hand, is not fooled by the calm façade that Chloe has tried so hard to plaster onto her face. The redhead is fiddling with the rings on her fingers, and her eyes are even bluer because of the tears shining in her orbs. If that didn't give it away, the actual tears streaks on her face definitely gave her away. Macy stills instantly. "What's wrong?"

Chloe gulps, somewhat glad that she doesn't have to engage in small talk before completely crushing her. "Mace, I need you to come with me, okay?"

The younger of the Mitchell sisters look to Chloe with wide eyes, Benji flicking his attention between his best friend, and the best friend of her sister. "Chloe, what's going on?"

With the tears starting to swell in her eyes again, Chloe holds her hand out to Macy. "Something happened with Beca. We're going to go see her."

Macy's chest tightens, her pulse already starting to quicken. "What do you mean something happened with Beca? Where is she?"

A tear breaks free from Chloe's eyes, sliding down her cheek and causing her voice to hitch slightly. "Mace, just come on, I'll explain on the way."

"No!" Macy's own tears threaten to fall, with her throat tightening. "What happened with my sister?!"

Chloe shakes her head, "I don't know, kiddo. All I know is she's in the hospital, and that she's awake. She's going to be okay, but we need to go see her now, okay?"

Macy's jaw unhinges slightly, her voice coming out much quieter than before. "What?"

Before the younger girl can completely break down, Chloe gathers her in her arms, holding onto her tightly as shock overcomes her. As much as Chloe wishes she could be sobbing with her, she knows that she needs to stay strong for the twelve-year-old. "It's okay, she's okay. We're going to go see her, alright? My mom is with her, she's not going to let anything happen to her, I promise."

Macy nods against Chloe's chest, her tears starting to soak the older girl's shirt. It takes a little persuasion, and talent, for Chloe to be able to gather Macy's things, say goodbye to Benji, and lead the crying girl from the library, taking no time to reach the front driveway of the school where Aubrey is already waiting with her car. They've barely closed the back door before the blonde is peeling out of the driveway.

Macy hasn't released Chloe's hand since they left the library, the small brunette relying on that connection to keep her calm. Her eyes are squeezed shut, her knuckles white from the grip, and her breathing quickly becomes labored as they get further and further away from the school and closer to the hospital.

"It's okay, Mace. Just breathe, okay? You're going to be just fine." Chloe pulls the girl into her side, running her hand up and down Macy's arms as her own tears continue to fall down her face. "Beca's going to be just fine."

Macy shakes her head, her words coming out in broken sobs. "I left her alone… again. I left her alone and she got hurt…again!"

The way Macy is crying only makes Chloe cry harder. She holds the younger girl as tightly against her side as she can, pressing a kiss into her temple. "This is not your fault. She's going to get through this, I know it."

Aubrey makes it to the hospital in record time, pulling up just outside of the Emergency Room and not necessarily having a chance to come to a complete stop before Chloe and Macy are stumbling out of the car. The younger girl instantly grabs Chloe's hand, practically dragging the redhead towards the waiting room. They don't see Lisa at first, but CR is already there, pacing back and forth with a wave of relief washing over her as soon as she sees Macy.

"Thank God." She kneels down as Macy releases Chloe's hand, melting into the older woman's arms.

As CR takes her own turn to calm Macy down, Chloe does everything in her power not to fall apart. She runs her hands over her face, never once stepping more than a few feet away from Beca's little sister, as her breathing starts to quicken. She just needs to see Beca, see that she's alright, wrap her in her arms and kiss her lips, and then everything is going to be fine.

Before she knows it, she feels a set of arms wrapping around her. CR's voice is soft in her ear. "Beca's strong. She's going to be okay."

Chloe nods, pushing down her emotions, and breaking free of the embrace. She takes a deep breath, doing everything to focus on the crying twelve-year-old in front of her. "I'm going to go see if I can find anything out, okay? Do you want to stay here with CR, or do you want to come with me?"

Macy just shakes her head, burying her face into Chloe's side as she holds onto CR's hand, still as confused as ever.

CR attempts to hide the tears glistening in her own eyes. How is it that they were in this same position less than five months ago? "I'll wait here with Macy, it's fine."

Glad to have the decision made for her, Chloe presses another kiss into the younger girl's head, with Macy pulling away and moving back to Cynthia Rose's embrace. Before Chloe can second guess herself, she heads deeper into the Emergency Department, stopping the first nurse that she can find. "Excuse me, can you tell me where Lisa Beale is?"

The nurse looks at her with a sense of familiarity, as though she recognizes the senior but can't think of where she knows her face from. "Who are you?"

Chloe fights the urge to let another round of tears stream down her face. "I'm her daughter. I need to see her now."

"Lisa's in a patient's room at the moment with the police… if you go to the waiting room, I can send her out as soon as possible."

Chloe's heart drops even further, knowing full well which patient her mother is with. "The police?"

The nurse gives her a tight-lipped smile. "I'll send her to the waiting room as soon as she's finished."

Accepting her defeat, Chloe slowly retreats back to where Macy and CR are sitting on one of the padded benches. Macy is sitting beside the older woman, her face buried in CR's chest, as Cynthia Rose herself rubs Macy's back. Chloe sits down hesitantly on the other side of the younger girl, laying her hand tentatively on Macy's leg. CR sends a questioning look over her head, but Chloe just shakes hers in response.

It doesn't take long for Stacie and Aubrey to join them in the waiting room, the only sound any of them can hear being the soft sniffles coming from Macy as she tries her best - while failing at the same time - to keep her emotions in check. Chloe keeps her cries silent, just allowing the tears to roll down her cheeks and angrily wiping them away, feeling completely helpless in this situation.

Although it feels like forever before Lisa comes out to the waiting room, it has only been about ten minutes since the girls arrived. Her eyes are rimmed with red, a sad smile appearing as soon as she sees her daughter speaking quietly to Macy, who has moved from hugging CR, to hugging Chloe.

Stacie and Aubrey notice Lisa first, both of them sitting up straighter with recognition. With CR and Chloe so focused on the younger girl between them, neither of them notices the nurse until she is crouching in front of them.

Her voice is calm as she addresses the younger girl. As much as she wants to reach out and comfort her own daughter, she knows she has to take care of Beca's little sister first. "Macy… sweetheart?"

Macy stills at the sound of her name, slowly lifting her head to look at the familiar woman. It takes her a minute to notice the scrubs and put two and two together, but eventually, she asks, "Is Beca okay?"

Lisa gives her a strained smile, taking Macy's smaller hand in hers. "Beca is okay. She has a concussion, and she's going to be sore for a few weeks, but there was no internal bleeding, and she doesn't have any broken bones."

All five of the girls that have been waiting for Lisa's update, let out a sigh of relief. Chloe takes a shaky breath, and CR leans her head against the wall, closing her eyes for a brief moment, only opening them again when Macy starts talking.

"Can I see her?"

At Lisa's hesitation, both Chloe and CR eye the woman carefully, but Lisa is solely focused on Macy. "Not yet. She's in talking to the police right now, but afterward, you'll be the first person to go and see her, okay?"

Macy's eyebrows furrow slightly, more tears starting to swell in her eyes. "The police? Why is she talking to the police?" When everything happened with Tyler, they waited over twenty-four hours before questioning her. "What happened?"

The corners of Lisa's mouth quirk upwards slightly as she does her best to assuage Macy's nerves without giving anything away. She was with Beca when she woke up and was going through some of the testing. At first, she was with her, too, when the police got there, but once they started asking questions, Beca had asked her to leave. She got a little information from one of the officers waiting outside the room, but Lisa is hoping that the reality of what happened is much less horrible than the situation she is imaging in her mind, especially with some of the markings on Beca's body.

"Mom?" Chloe can see Lisa's blatant hesitation, and she doesn't like the way it makes her stomach churn.

Before any of the girls can start to freak out, Lisa starts talking again. "I don't know exactly what happened. All I know is that your neighbors heard what was happening and called the police. Your foster father was arrested before Beca was brought in."

Macy's eyes widen slightly, disbelief dripping from her voice while both Chloe and CR just want to scream. "It was Jack?"

Lisa slowly nods her head. "Yes. It was Jack."

Macy's confusion is almost palpable. "But he was… he was normal?"

Chloe tries to push past the burning in her throat, everything suddenly making much more sense. The reason why Beca has been so different the last few weeks and that Macy has been acting the same, is because Beca's been hiding everything that Jack's been doing from her little sister. She's been protecting her.

CR must be thinking the same thing, because she starts to shake her head to herself, looking up through her eyebrows at the ceiling in an attempt to stop the tears from spilling from her eyes.

Lisa seems to understand the thoughts that are going through both her daughter's head, and Beca's friend sitting beside Macy. She keeps her focus on the younger girl. "I'm not sure exactly what happened, love. We're just going to have wait until we see Beca, alright?"

Although Macy seems to accept this answer, she stills once more, meeting Lisa's gaze. "Have you called Meghan yet?"

Lisa turns to her daughter for clarification, before asking Macy, "Meghan?"

Chloe whispers, "Social worker," as Macy's lip starts to tremble once more.

CR pulls the younger girl's attention. "You're not going anywhere this time, Mace. I promise." Chloe hums in agreement, bringing her hand up to brush a curl from Macy's face, and looking to her mom for a little help.

"I haven't called anyone, Macy, so we don't have to worry about anything yet, alright, love?"

Through tears, Macy tries to answer, but the fear of being separated from her older sister has settled into her brain and has reduced her ability to answer. Chloe moves closer to her side, pressing a kiss into her temple, and allowing the girl to relax into her embrace.

Time passes slowly for the group gathered in the waiting room, with Lisa never once leaving their sides. Stacie and Aubrey keep each other occupied, while Chloe and CR do not stop their attempts at trying to keep Macy calm. About twenty minutes after Lisa's last words, a pair of police officers come around the corners. "Lisa?"

Lisa turns from where she's sitting in front of Macy, instantly pushing herself into a standing position. She gives Macy a reassuring smile, before turning to approach the officers. "Did you guys get everything that you need?"

"Yeah, she's all set. We shouldn't need to come back with any more questions, but if we do, we'll give you a call."

"Okay, thank you, guys." As the officers leave, Lisa walks back over to the waiting crowd. "Alright, Mace, I'm just going to go check on Beca and then I'll bring you back, okay?"

Macy gives her a small nod, her leg bouncing up and down.

Lisa walks quickly back to the room that Beca has been staying in. She knocks briefly on the doorframe, trying to ignore how small she looks in the bed, as she cautiously approaches the girl. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"

Beca gives her a pained smile, "I'm fine. Is Macy here?"

Lisa nods, "She is. So are Chloe and Cynthia Rose. And Stacie and Aubrey."

Beca can't even hide her surprise. "Chloe is here?"

"Of course she is, love. She isn't going anywhere."

Trying to bite back the burning in her throat, Beca gulps down her emotions. Her entire body hurts, but the pain medication is bringing her a small bit of relief. All she can do is stare at Lisa and hope that she understands what Beca is trying to convey.

"Do you want me to go get them?

Beca starts to give her a small nod, but cringes in pain. "Yes, please. The girls can come in, too, if they want."

If Lisa is surprised by the brunette's answer, she doesn't show it. She simply takes Beca's hand, gives it a soft squeeze, and mutters, "Okay, love, I'll be right back."

Lisa makes her way back to the waiting room without another word, knowing that she has five girls waiting for her to return. Macy looks up at her with wide eyes as soon as Lisa is in front of her again. "Can we go now?"

Lisa looks from Macy, to Chloe and Cynthia Rose, hoping for their support. "Yes, Beca said you all can come back, but you have to be very careful when you hug her, okay? She has a lot of deep bruises, and I'm not sure how strong of a pain medication they have her on."

Macy quickly agrees, taking Lisa's hand when it's stretched out to her. It hurts a little to leave the safety of Chloe and CR, but when the older girls stand behind her, she feels a sense of comfort fall over her. Lisa leads the five of them through the main part of the Emergency Room, and when they finally get outside of Beca's door, Macy stops cold.

If Macy didn't know specifically that it was her sister laying in that bed, the twelve-year-old isn't sure that she would be able to recognize her. Her hair is sprawled out on the pillow behind her, and her pale skin is covered in red and purple and blue bruises. Her face is slightly swollen on one side, and her lip is torn at the corner. Although she has a gown on, Macy can see that the bruises stretch down her neck and towards her collar bone, too. She can only imagine what is hiding behind the thin piece of cloth.

Beca does everything in her power to force a small smile on her face, instantly noticing how terrified her sister looks. Although her head is hurting like hell, her vision is slightly blurry, and her ears haven't exactly stopped ringing since she woke up, she can't help but brighten at the sight of Macy. "Hey, munch."

Macy can't even try to stop the next round of sobs that breaks through her chest as she separates from Lisa and makes her way over to the side of Beca's bed. She reaches down and takes Beca's hand tentatively in hers, not being able to tear her eyes away from the markings that cover her sister's pale skin. "What happened, Bec?"

"It's okay, munch. I'm okay." Beca uses her other hand to gently wipe the tears from her sister's cheek. She motions for Macy to join her on the bed. "Come here, kiddo, I'm okay."

It takes a moment, but Macy gingerly climbs into the bed beside her sister, before wrapping her arms around Beca's body. Beca does everything in her power to ignore the pain that shoots through her back, simply holding her as Macy's sobs ring through the room.

Completely lost in comforting her sister, Beca doesn't notice the other people watching her to make sure that she's okay. Lisa is taking notice of Beca's pain level. Stacie and Aubrey are trying their best not to break down in support of their best friend. CR is cursing herself for allowing Beca to be in this position again (but also feeling a sense of relief that it doesn't seem to be as bad as last time), and Chloe is shaking beside her mom doing her best to keep her cries silent as she sees the girl that she loves laying there so broken in the bed.

Beca presses a kiss into Macy's curls, feeling a great sense of calm wash over her as she curls up in her arms. "I'm okay, Mace. I promise."

With Macy's head buried in her shoulder (with her sobs slowly subsiding into sniffles), Beca takes the time to look up at the crowd gathering around the door to her room. She gives them a meek smile, which gives them the confidence to enter the room.

Cynthia Rose reaches them first, wrapping her arms tentatively around Beca and Macy. "I'm getting really sick and tired of seeing you like this, Bec," she whispers in her ear.

Beca manages a weak laugh, using her free arm to give CR a half-hug. "You and me both."

When CR pulls away, Stacie moves in next, holding on nowhere near as tightly CR did, but she keeps her sentiments brief, as does Aubrey, leaving Chloe standing by the entrance of the room with tears still streaming down her face. It's almost as if her feet are refusing to carry her over to the side of the bed, until Beca holds out a hand for her to take. Then, she slowly shuffles over, interlacing her fingers with the brunette's.

Beca uses her other hand to continue working through Macy's curls as the younger girl sits up slowly, comfortably laying her head next to her sister's on the pillow. "I'm okay, Chlo."

Chloe shakes her head, the tears never stopping, and her voice rising with each question. "Why do you keep saying that?! You're clearly not okay! You should have said something, Bec!"

Beca waits patiently for Chloe's mini-rant to end, never once releasing her grasp on the redhead's hand. The corners of her mouth quirk upwards slightly. "Do you feel better now?"

Despite herself, Chloe chokes out a small laugh, smiling through the pain as her tears continue to fall. "Yeah, a little."

"Good." Beca lightly tugs her hand, pulling Chloe back into her chest until she, too, can be wrapped in Beca's arm. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it."

Chloe doesn't move, simply breathing in the smell of Beca's shampoo and letting her heart rate continue to steady in Beca's hold. It's the most connected she's felt to the brunette in weeks, the distance that her secret had created no longer separating them. Chloe presses a brief, but meaningful, kiss on Beca's cheek, before settling back into her arm. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

After a few more moments of just laying her head on Beca's chest, Chloe pulls away. She carefully runs her eyes over Beca's features, taking in each bruise on her face and the cut on her lip. Her gaze dips down to Beca's neck and her chest, when she sees the mark on her pale skin: a mark that closely resembles a bruise but is still different from the rest.

"Bec?" Chloe's voice is hesitant; hesitant enough to make Macy sit up straighter to look at the marking, and for everyone else to move around the bed to see it too. Well, everyone except for Lisa, who has already seen and asked about it.

Beca's eyes plead with Chloe not to say anything in front of Macy, this being one of the things that she has no interest in telling her twelve-year-old little sister. She doesn't need to know the details.

Nothing really happened. Jack had tried, and he tried hard. He got in a few forceful kisses and one that resulted in the marking, but Beca managed to stop him from doing anything worse then that. They struggled for a while, the scrappy brunette doing everything in her power not to fall frozen underneath his heavy and disgusting body. Eventually, when she was able to escape, she tried getting as far away from him as possible, but he tripped her, and she went tumbling down the stairs. If that wasn't scary enough, he practically lunged on top of her at the bottom, and kept trying even while she was kicking and screaming. Luckily, one of their neighbors heard the commotion and came in before anything further happened.

Not that that doesn't mean Beca won't be having any nightmares from the event, because she is almost certain that she will.

"What's wrong?" Macy's innocent voice comes from beside them, looking from the bruise Chloe is pointing to, to Beca, to the redhead. To her, it just looks like a strange bruise – definitely different from the others but a bruise, nonetheless. But she can tell from the tear-filled wide eyes and the hesitant way that Chloe asks, as well as the suddenly much more serious expressions of all the other women in the room, that there's something different about it. "What is it?"

Neither Beca nor Chloe address Macy, while the other girls in the room each try and hide their own shock – and hurt. But for the two seniors that have fallen hard and fast for each other, everyone else in the room seems to fade away as they have an almost-silent conversation between the two of them.

Chloe brushes her finger lightly on the hickey, almost as though making sure that it's real, never once turning away from Beca. "Did he…"

Beca shakes her head, already knowing the question that she's trying to ask. "No. No, he didn't."

Macy, still confused, asks again. "Did he do what? What is it?"

Before Beca has a chance to answer – or at least come up with a convincing lie – Lisa butts in, sensing the dilemma. "Beca, how's your pain?"

Beca straightens slightly, keeping one arm firmly around Macy, who is still watching her carefully, and one hand in Chloe's, who stands off to the side of the bed. "My head is still killing me, and everything else is definitely aching."

Lisa nods, "I'm going to go talk to Dr. Michaels about upping your pain meds and see what we can do about that."

"Thank you, Lisa."

Although it could very well just be because she's going to get more pain meds, there's something about Beca's statement that makes the older woman think that it encompasses so much more. "Of course, sweetheart. I'll be right back."

When Lisa is out of the room, everyone starts to settle in. CR pulls a chair up to the side of the bed that Macy is on, who is still slightly confused but has taken to simply taking Beca's hand and snuggling into her side. Stacie and Aubrey also take a seat in some of the chairs in the corner. Chloe, meanwhile, climbs up on the other side of the bed beside the brunette after she moves over slightly. The redhead readjusts herself so she's laying on her side, her arm reaching up over Beca's head so that she can play with some of her curls while still maintaining eye contact with a certain pair of navy blue orbs, but no one says anything. Each one of them begins to savor the moment and the silence, relishing in the fact that everyone is safe.

"Bec?"

Beca opens her eyes slightly in the darkness of the room. "Hm?"

It's been quiet for the last few hours, with Lisa long ago turning off the lights to give Beca's head a break, and with Macy dozing off beside her. CR hasn't moved from her position beside Beca's bed, and while Stacie and Aubrey are on their phones, they still whisper in between each other every once in a while. Chloe's voice though, is so quiet, that the other girls know that they are talking, but none of them can decipher what they are saying.

"What happened with Jack?"

Beca settles deeper into Chloe's hold, her hand never once stopping its soothing motion of playing with Beca's hair. Their other hands are still interlocked, neither one of them daring to remove one from the other. She lets out a small sigh, grateful that Macy's breathing evened out about ten minutes ago. "He's been making passes at me for the last couple of months. He got a call from the school saying I hadn't shown up for class and came back home. He tried to do it, but he couldn't. I got away and then the neighbors showed up with the police. They saw him on top of me, which is why I had to talk with them as soon as I woke up."

Chloe's throat tightens at the admission, her eyes once again filling with tears. "Beca…"

"It's okay. I promise. I'm okay." It had been scary, there's no doubt about that. There were a few times that Beca had thought about what would happen if she didn't keep fighting, if she hadn't used every ounce of her strength to escape his grasp. That thought just terrified her even more, and she couldn't let it happen. She's lucky, and she knows that. She's never felt more grateful.

Beca looks up just in time to see a tear rolling down Chloe's soft skin. "Chlo, don't cry. Please don't cry."

Chloe sniffles slightly, shaking her head, but continuing to keep her voice at a whisper. "But you're not… I wish that you would've said something, Beca. I could've helped."

The brunette gives Chloe a small smile. "I couldn't, Chlo, because that would've meant risking having to move. Macy's doing better than I have seen her in forever, and you're here, so I couldn't just –"

"You kept it a secret because you didn't want to move away from me?" The question comes out as a whisper of disbelief.

Beca shrugs, "I mean yeah, kind of. You're amazing, Chloe, and I couldn't imagine leaving you right now."

Even though she's been a ball of emotions for the last twenty-four hours, Beca's revelation brings her over the top. She brings her gaze to meet the navy blue orbs, before letting the whisper fall from her lips. "I love you."

Beca never once looks away from Chloe's piercing baby blues. "Really?"

"Yes, more than anything." The redhead blinks away a few tears, feeling a huge weight fall off her shoulders at her admission. "Bec, I was so scared not knowing what has happening with you and I can't even imagine what I'd do without you. I don't want to lose you. And I'm not going anywhere, either. No matter what happens."

Beca can't help but marvel at the sheer beauty of the girl lying beside her. She's known that she's felt the same way about Chloe for a long time. Sure, they're young, but there's something so right about how it feels when they're together. There's something so right about the way they can just be around each other. It's unlike anything that Beca has ever felt before, and after this most recent scare, she doesn't even want to fathom what her life would be like without having the redhead by her side. Even with everything that happened with Tara, and with Tyler, and now with Jack… the way Chloe is sitting beside her, staring deep into her soul, she knows that she'll never be able to live without her by her side.

"I love you, too."

Chloe seems relieved as the same sentiment reaches her ears, her smile brightening up the room as she brings her lips down to lock with Beca's.

On the other side of the bed, Cynthia Rose can't help but smirk to herself. It's about damn time.

"Meghan, what part of this aren't you understanding?" Despite the fact that she is absolutely exhausted, and her head is pounding, Beca narrows her eyes at the social worker who is standing defensively at the end of her bed. "You're not moving Macy to another home; I don't care how long it's going to be."

The short woman takes a deep breath, taking in the figures around her. Macy is clinging onto her bruised older sister with all of her might, her breathing already becoming labored. There's a redheaded teen beside Beca in bed, who has her hand laying affectionately on Beca's knee. Cynthia Rose, who Meghan dealt with last time the Mitchell sisters were in a hospital, is sitting protectively in a chair beside the mattress, and a nurse – the mom of the redhead, as she was introduced – is staring daggers at her. In fact, if looks could kill, Meghan is sure that she'd be murdered by all five of the other people in the room. "The doctor said that it'll only be for a few days. They just want to monitor your –"

"I know what the doctor said, Meghan, I was there." Beca feels her grip tighten around her sister. She's not letting the social worker take Macy again. If she wants to separate them, it's going to be out of her cold, dead hands. "If it's only for a couple of days, there's no reason why Macy can't stay here with me."

Meghan runs a hand over her hair in exasperation. They've been having this conversation for the last thirty minutes. "You know that can't happen, Beca."

Chloe can feel the anger radiating off of her girlfriend – yes, girlfriend; a lot has happened in the last six hours – as she argues with the social worker standing in front of them. Although she has heard some horror stories about the woman, nothing can compare to the pure fear that Chloe saw on both Beca and Macy's faces when she came into the hospital room. And now, the way she seems to just cast aside everything that is coming from Beca's mouth. It only makes her hatred grow.

Lisa folds her arms over her chest. She knows that the brunette laying in bed should not be dealing with this right now, but the social worker quite literally could not care less. "Okay, so then both Macy and Beca can stay with us. Macy can stay with us until Beca is discharged, and then Beca can move in after that."

Meghan eyes Beca carefully, automatically seeing the guilt cross the teen's face, and answering her question without any words needing to be exchanged. Both Beca and her know that living with the Beale family is not an option. Meghan faces the woman, "We can't have foster siblings being romantically involved."

Chloe doesn't hesitate. "Then I'll move out. I'm going to college at the end of August... I can just live with Bryan or Christian."

Despite the conversation, a small smile plays across Beca's face. "I can't kick you out of your house, Chlo."

CR raises her voice from the side of the bed. "Then they can come live with me. I turned twenty-five in January. You said you have to be twenty-five to be licensed."

Meghan sighs, "Cynthia Rose, that's very kind of you, but the fact of the matter is that you and Beca are still too close in age. It just wouldn't be right."

Beca groans. "Meghan, we just had two very viable options and you're just going to ignore them?"

"Beca, it's against the licensing criteria, I can't –"

"I think you can!" With the sudden anger and increase in volume in Beca's voice, Chloe sits up slightly. She moves her hand to grasp Beca's, silently offering her support. "Jesus Christ, Meghan, you know that Macy and I aren't going to get adopted; why are you pushing this so hard? I turn eighteen in August and can get custody of her then – it's not like that's years and years away!"

Meghan shakes her head, "Beca, August is over seven months away. We can't have you two living in an unstable placement that –"

"Unstable? I can promise you my apartment is going to be far more stable than any other placement that you have put them in in the last seven years," CR bites from the chair. "You can't honestly tell me that you would rather move them in with a whole bunch of strangers, who knows where, when they have a whole support system right here."

As both CR and Beca become more defensive, and Chloe and Macy try their best to keep their emotions in check, Lisa lays her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "What about emancipation? Beca and Macy could live with CR for a short period of time while the petition is processed, the girls can finish the school year, Macy can move in with Beca, and everyone is safe and happy?"

Beca quirks an eyebrow, turning to face Lisa. "Emancipation? What's that?"

Meghan spins her wedding band around the base of her finger. "Basically, if approved, the courts would see you as an adult before you turn eighteen. You would have to be able to show that you can support yourself – and eventually Macy – before the courts would even think about granting you both emancipation and custody."

Hope starts to swell inside of Beca, and even Macy has become intrigued. "So? I have plenty of money saved and have more than enough to start paying rent on an apartment. I've been taking care of Macy for the better part of my life, Meghan, and I know you know that."

"But the process can take anywhere between four and six months to process, and –"

Lisa cuts in, "And I'm sure you and your office can move that process along a little quicker if you want Beca and Macy out of CR's apartment so badly."

Beca nods in agreement, starting to see her social worker waver. "Please, Meghan. I'll do whatever I need to do. Please."

Meghan glances around at all of the people standing in front of her, before landing on the two girls on her caseload. They've been with her for years, and this is the first time in a long time, that there's even a glimmer of hope playing across their faces. But, in all honesty, she doesn't know if she can do it. There are a lot of policies and procedures in place for a reason, and while, yes, those haven't really done the Mitchell sisters any good over the years, it's not like Meghan can just ignore them. She lets out a soft sigh, mentally preparing herself to give them her answer.