CIRCUS BELLAS
Prompt from FanFiction user kitra39: How about an AU where Chloe is a tightrope walker in a circus, high in the air, and Beca is on the ground, the clown that loves her.
Beca Mitchell, aka Bubbles the Clown, sat in the stands of the Big Top, watching the Balancing Beales practice their acrobatic routine. Actually, she was more interested in one particular Beale. She held her breath as she watched Chloe making her way across the tightrope.
Beca stopped breathing when Chloe seemed to stumble a bit. She knew it was part of the act, but it still got her every time. Beca doesn't know what she would do if anything ever happened to Chloe.
"Hey, Bubbles," Stacie said, smiling as she sat next to Beca.
"Hey, Stacie," Beca said. "How's Brutus doing?"
"He's fine," Stacie said, looking up to watch Chloe finish her routine. "I think he ate some garbage or something. I put him through some of his tricks and he made it through without getting sick."
Stacie, the dog trainer, had become one of Beca's best friends since joining the circus. Brutus, one of the dogs in Stacie's act, had been sick for most of the night before and Stacie had been worried about him.
"That's good," Beca said.
Beca and Stacie started clapping when Chloe made it safely to the other side. She looked down and waved at them, giving them a bow before she started climbing down from the platform.
Once down she hurried over to Beca and Stacie.
"How are my two favorite performers today?" Chloe asked, beaming smile in place.
Beca handed her a bottle of water. "I'm fine, thank you for asking."
"I'm good now that Brutus is feeling better," Stacie said.
Chloe chuckled as she sipped her water. "I can't believe you named that little ball of fluff Brutus."
"The kids eat it up," Stacie said. "When I introduce Brutus their eyes get big because they're expecting a huge dog. When my tiny French poodle comes out, they all laugh."
"How about you, Bubbles?" Chloe said with a teasing smile. "Any new routines you clowns are cooking up?"
"We might have a surprise or two up our sleeves," Beca said with a smile.
"Chloe," Charlotte Beale called out. "Come on. We're taking a lunch break."
"Coming, mom," Chloe called back. "I'll see you guys later. Bye, Becs."
"Bye," Beca said and let out a sigh as she watched Chloe walk over to her mother.
"Girl, you got it bad," Stacie said, patting Beca on the leg before leaving her sitting alone.
~ 2020 BeChloe Valentines - Circus Bellas ~
After Stacie left, Beca sat alone in the stands thinking about how she went from wanting a music career to being a clown in a circus.
"Come on, Beca," Amy whined. "It will be fun and we can make good money."
"But, joining the circus?" Beca said. "That's childish and stupid."
"We can be clowns," Amy said. "That way we can do childish and stupid stuff and people will laugh. And we'll get paid."
Beca doesn't remember agreeing to Amy's idea yet found herself going to Clown College. She's surprised Amy stuck with it because of the amount of physical exertion that was involved. But stuck with it they did and three years later, here they were, working for the Posen Family Circus as part of the Bellas, the name Aubrey Posen, the circus owner's daughter, gave to the clowns since it was an all-female group.
Beca was ready to quit being a clown before she joined the Posen Family Circus. But, she met Chloe on her first day and fell for her instantly. Beca was shy and hadn't done more than watch from afar as she fell more and more in love with Chloe.
In the three years she's known Chloe, they have become good friends. Beca counts Chloe as one of her best friends, along with Stacie and Amy. Beca sighed; being Chloe's best friend was all she would be.
Beca let out another sigh and turned her head when she heard CR call her name. Beca got up and walked over to CR.
"What's up?" Beca asked.
"We're going to lunch," CR said. "I was told to find you so you could join us."
"Thanks," Beca said, and the two walked out of the tent to find the Bellas waiting for them.
"Come on, Beca," Emily said excitedly. "We're going to that diner in town you like."
Beca smiled and easily walked with the Bellas to the local diner.
~ 2020 BeChloe Valentines - Circus Bellas ~
"Hey, Flo," Beca called out. "Can you help me with my backflip? I can't seem to stick the landing. These clown shoes keep getting in the way."
"Sure," Flo said. "I'll show you a trick I learned."
The rest of the Bellas were rehearsing when Aubrey came over to them.
"Looking good, Bellas," Aubrey said as he stopped to watch the group."Can I have your attention over her for a moment, please?"
The Bellas gathered in front of Aubrey.
"Thank you," Aubrey said. "Tonight is our first night in this town and I want to make sure we do everything exactly as rehearsed. Keep it tight and try not to screw it up."
"We're clowns," Amy said. "Aren't we supposed to screw it up?"
The rest of the Bellas laughed.
"All the moves are choreographed to prevent any accidents, Amy," Aubrey said. "So, do the moves exactly as choreographed and we won't have any accidents. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," Amy replied with a salute.
Aubrey walked off and Chloe came over.
"Hey, Chloe," Jessica and Ashley said.
"Hey, girls," Chloe greeted as she joined them. "Beca, can I talk to you for a minute?"
All eyes turned to Beca, who blushed. "Sure."
Beca moved to stand next to Chloe and Chloe took her wrist to lead her away from the group. Chloe didn't stop until they were behind a tree and out of view of the Bellas.
Chloe stood nervously wrenching her hands. She looked at Beca.
"Are you okay?" Beca asked.
"I want to run away from the circus," Chloe blurted out.
Beca chuckled. "I thought people wanted to run away to join the circus."
"I'm serious, Beca," Chloe said. "I don't want to do this anymore."
"What?" Beca asked. "Why?"
"I told my parents that I wanted to quit so I could go to college to become a veterinarian," Chloe said. "My dad didn't take it well."
"I'll miss you if you leave," Beca said. "But, you should do what will make you happy."
"I know I'm throwing this at you in the worst possible way," Chloe said. "But, I want you to come with me."
Beca gasped and her eyes widened in surprise.
"You do?" Beca asked. "Why?"
"I like you, Beca," Chloe said. "A lot. And I think I may be falling in love with you. I don't want to lose you from my life. I remember you told me that you wanted to make music. If we run away together, I can go to school and you can start the process to become a music producer. Whatever that entails."
"How will we live?" Beca asked.
"I have almost everything I earned from being a part of the Balancing Beales saved up," Chloe said. "Plus, we both are hard workers and I'm sure we can find jobs to help us earn enough to live off of so we don't have to use up all our savings."
"I don't know, Chloe," Beca said. "It's really risky. I'm going to have to think about this."
"Is it because you don't like me in a romantic way?" Chloe asked, tears stinging her eyes.
"God, no," Beca said, taking Chloe by the arms. "I've liked you for a while. I just need to process all this. I promise I'll think about it and let you know soon. Okay?"
Chloe nodded her head and looked down at her feet.
"Hey," Beca said, stepping closer to Chloe.
Chloe looked at Beca and Beca leaned in to kiss her. Chloe was a bit surprised at the bold move but kissed Beca back. Beca broke the kiss.
"I promise, I'll seriously think about it," Beca said.
Chloe smiled and the two went their separate ways.
~ 2020 BeChloe Valentines - Circus Bellas ~
Beca didn't exactly avoid Chloe over the next few days, but she did make sure that Chloe was unable to get her alone. If Chloe had, she would have wanted an answer from Beca and Beca didn't have one for her.
That night thoughts of the future haunted Beca's dreams.
"Do you Chloe Beale take this woman, Beca Mitchell, to be your wedded wife?"
"I do," Chloe said, with a beaming smile as she stared into Beca's eyes.
"Beca! Your song is on the radio," Chloe squealed and hugged Beca. "And, it's already at number ten!"
"Well, Dr. Beale," Beca said. "How was your first day as a doggie doctor?"
"It was amazing," Chloe said. "I helped save a litter of puppies."
Beca woke from these dreams with a smile on her face. She checked the clock and it was only four a.m.; way too early for her to get up, so she went back to sleep.
Beca watched as the love of her life walked down the aisle toward her fiance.
"If I hadn't been such a coward that could be me," Beca thought as she watched the ceremony through her tears.
"We're sorry, Miss Mitchell," the record producer said. "But, anyone can do this. Bring us something original and we'll consider it."
"Oh, Beca," Chloe cried over the phone. "I lost another patient today. I'm a terrible vet."
"It's not your fault, Chloe," Beca told her. "You can't save them all."
"I can't save any of them," Chloe cried. "I should never have quit the circus."
Beca jerked awake and sat up in her bed. She ran a hand through her hair, her forehead sweaty.
"So, which future is real?" Beca asked herself. "This doesn't bring me any closer to knowing what to do."
~ 2020 BeChloe Valentines - Circus Bellas ~
Beca was in a funk most of the day and Stacie and Amy noticed
"What's up with you, Beca?" Stacie asked as she and Amy sat with her while watching the Beales practice.
"Yeah, Beca," Amy said. "You've been off most of the week. "What's going on?"
Beca looked at her two closest friends and then looked up at Chloe on the tightrope. She let out a sigh.
"Chloe wants to leave the circus to go to veterinary school," Beca said.
"And you don't want her to go," Stacie said.
"She asked me to go with her," Beca said.
"That's great, Beca," Amy said. "We know you like her. A lot!"
"Yeah," Beca said. "And, she likes me, too. That's why she asked me to go with her."
"Beca!" Stacie squealed and pulled Beca into a hug. "I'm going to miss you."
"I didn't say yes," Beca said.
"You told her no?" Stacie asked.
"No," Beca said. "I told her I had to think about it."
"What's there to think about?" Amy asked. "You like her. She likes you. She wants to pursue her dreams. If you go with her you can pursue your dreams, too."
"It sounds like a no-brainer to me," Stacie said.
"Yeah, but what if I'm not good enough to become a music producer?" Beca said. "Or Chloe changes her mind about me? I'll be out there, God knows where, doing God knows what, on my own. It's too risky."
"Beca, look at me," Stacie said; Beca looked at her. "Everything in life is risky. The girl you've been slowly falling in love with for the past three years wants to be with you. I say you should go for it."
"I second that," Amy said.
"What about you guys?" Beca asked, looking from Stacie to Amy.
"What about us?" Stacie asked.
"You two are my best friends," Beca said. "I don't want to lose that."
"You plan on ghosting us, Mitchell?" Amy asked.
"What?" Beca asked. "No."
"Then what's the real problem?" Stacie asked.
"I'm scared," Beca said. "Scared of failing. Here, if I mess up, it's no big deal. I can hide behind my makeup and no one knows it's me. Out there, I'm exposed and if I mess up, everyone will see it's me."
"Chloe sees you without your makeup and she still wants you to leave with her," Stacie said. "That doesn't sound very scary to me."
"It doesn't sound scary when you say it out loud," Beca said with a half-smile. "But it does when I say it inside my head."
~ 2020 BeChloe Valentines - Circus Bellas ~
That night during the show, Beca wasn't feeling very clownish.
"Beca," Aubrey called out to get the girl's attention.
"What?" Beca asked, walking over to Aubrey.
"Get it together," Aubrey said. "You're supposed to be a clown. Kids don't want to see a sad clown. Get it together or leave the Big Top. Got it?"
Beca nodded her head and ran after Ashley, tripping over her shoes as she fell and took down four other clowns with her. The kids laughed and Beca was back into her Bubbles character.
The Bellas were set up around the ring as everyone watched the Beales perform. Beca only had eyes for Chloe. She watched with rapt attention as Chloe went through her routine on the tightrope. Beca knew it was almost time for Chloe to 'stumble' and held her breath. As Chloe approached the spot, Beca noticed something was off. She immediately ran over to the net that would catch Chloe if she fell.
Beca continued watching the whole time. A gasp went up and then a collective "Oh" sounded around the tent. Chloe tried to regain her balance but couldn't and fell.
Beca watched in horror as she noticed that Chloe was going to hit the net close to the edge. She played it up a bit, running back and forth a couple of times with her arms held out as if to catch Chloe.
Chloe hit the net and bounced; she came down on the edge and Beca was there as she flipped off the net and into Beca's arms. The crowd roared with approval as Beca held Chloe in her arms.
"Are you okay?" Beca whispered.
"I think so," Chloe whispered back.
"They think it's part of the show," Beca whispered. "It's Valentine's Day, let's give them a show. Follow my lead."
Chloe nodded her head. Beca carried Chloe around until she was at the exit to where the performers entered and exited. The spotlight followed them and Beca set Chloe down so she could stand. Beca doffed her hat and bowed down in front of Chloe. She stood and Chloe smiled before kissing Beca's cheek. Beca put her hands over her heart and started moving them back and forth as if her heart was beating fast (it was). She then twirled around and fell to the ground as if she had fainted, kicking her legs up before dropping them to the ground.
The crowd roared with laughter and applauded their antics. Chloe smiled and waved at the crowd before exiting the tent. Beca sat up, shaking her head back and forth. She saw a few of the performers outside the exit rush over to Chloe to make sure she was okay. Beca stood and made as if to follow Chloe. Amy and Emily came and grabbed Beca's arms, dragging her back to continue the show.
After the show was over, Beca rushed out of the tent to find Chloe. She was told Chloe was with her folks in their trailer.
Beca knocked on the trailer door and Mr. Beale answered.
"Hi, Mr. Beale," Beca said. "I wanted to check on Chloe and make sure she was okay."
"Come in, Bubbles," Mr. Beale said, smiling at Beca still in her clown costume.
"Sorry. I was worried about Chloe, and came straight here after the show," Beca said, thankful that her makeup hid her red cheeks.
"Beca," Mrs. Beale said, pulling her into a hug. "Thank you for catching Chloe. It could have ended badly if you hadn't been there."
"Is she okay?" Beca asked.
"I'm fine, Becs," Chloe said, coming from the back of the trailer.
"Do you feel like taking a walk?" Beca asked. "I'd like to talk to you."
"Sure," Chloe said. "A walk would be nice."
"Don't stay out too long," Mrs. Beale said.
"We won't," Beca assured Mrs. Beale.
Beca held the door for Chloe and they started walking. Beca led Chloe to a somewhat secluded spot and pulled her into a hug.
"I was so scared when I saw you falling," Beca said.
"It's okay," Chloe said, holding Beca. "I'm okay, thanks to you."
"I want to go with you when you leave," Beca said, pulling out of the hug to look at Chloe. "Things could have gone horribly wrong tonight and the thought of losing you-"
Beca stopped and cleared her throat. "I don't want to think about it. I, uh, I love you, Chloe, and I want to go wherever you go. I'm in. Let's run away together."
Chloe let out a happy squeal and kissed Beca. Beca kissed her back and pulled back with a smile.
"I love you, too," Chloe said. "And I talked to my parents again. They're going to let me go and said they'd help me with college and everything."
"Oh," Beca said, stepping back. "So, I guess you won't need my help."
"What?" Chloe said. "No, no. I didn't ask you to go with just to help me. I love you and want us to be together. I told my parents about asking you to go with me and they're all for it. They know I love you, and they're okay with that, too."
"Really?" Beca asked.
"Yes, really," Chloe said, pulling Beca to her again.
This time Beca kissed Chloe and they broke apart when they heard someone clearing their throat.
"Shit," Beca muttered, as she turned to see Stacie standing behind her with a smirk on her face.
"It's about time," Stacie said. "Oh, and Chloe?"
"Yeah?" Chloe said hesitantly.
"You got a little something on your face," Stacie said, laughing as she pointed and waved her hand around Chloe's face.
Chloe reached her hand up and wiped at her face. She pulled her hand back and started laughing when she saw some of Beca's makeup on her hand.
"Here," Beca said, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. Being a clown the handkerchiefs kept coming. Beca rolled her eyes and handed Chloe the handkerchiefs.
Chloe laughed and wiped the makeup from her face.
"I guess this means you two are leaving us," Stacie said, a sad smile on her face.
"It does," Beca said. "But, you're my best friend. We'll keep in touch. I kind of love having you as a friend. I'm not going to lose what we have."
"I second that," Chloe said.
"Thanks," Stacie said. "I'll let you two get back to what you were doing. Happy Valentine's Day, love birds."
~ 2020 BeChloe Valentines - Circus Bellas ~
Ten years later, Grammy-winning music producer Beca Mitchell, and her veterinarian wife, Dr. Chloe Mitchell, were sitting at the breakfast table with their two children, four-year-old Sophie Mitchell, and two-year-old Dylan Mitchell. Chloe was reading the morning paper when she let out an excited squeal.
"Beca! Look at this."
"What is it?" Beca asked, walking over to look over Chloe's shoulder. "The Posen Family Circus is coming close to us this year. We'll definitely have to take the kids. We haven't seen your folks or Stacie and Amy in almost a year."
"I'd love that," Chloe said. "I'm sure the kids will love it, too."
"And look," Beca said, pointing something out in the article. "They have a show on Valentine's Day. We should go then."
"That's perfect," Chloe said.
Beca put her arms around Chloe's waist and kissed her shoulder. "I'm so glad you asked me to run away with you."
"I'm so glad you agreed," Chloe said, turning on her stool so she was facing Beca. She leaned her head back and Beca kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Beca said.