Pitch Perfect 3: An Unofficial Next Story

by RJRMovieFan

The Bellas graduated and won the Worlds, now a year later they are starting the next chapter of their lives when an opportunity presents to come back together once more. Relationships will continue to evolve, careers begin to be defined, and the usual hilarity when the women of Barden are involved. This is a slow burn story of a developing relationship, and will be BeChloe.

25. Chapter 25 - Dress Fitting

A/N: Hello Pitch Perfect Fans! Here's is the newest chapter

Thanks to everyone for reading, and please leave a review; they really are helpful. Please read the note at the end of the chapter, as I do address some concerns that were in recent comments.

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own any rights to MGM, its affiliated nightclubs, and especially, Pitch Perfect or any of the characters, but I do love them.

CHAPTER 25

***Dress Fitting ***

A few days pass and things have settled a little bit after Beca's blow-up at rehearsals. Well settled in that nothing has happened, because Beca has literally been absent. She had been able to convince Marcus to extend her stay in Vegas by booking her a few more gigs at the MGM Hakkasan.In this way Beca neatly stays out of Los Angeles, thus avoiding having to deal directly with either Jesse and Chloe.

It's easier this way; or at least if feels that way to Beca. The realization of the last few weeks has scared her. What does it mean for her? What does it mean about her? Beca just couldn't deal with it.

It's just too much.

So Beca did what she always does in situations where she feels out of control. Where she is forced to confront emotions, both hers and those she cares for. Where she might-will end up hurting someone she cares deeply for.

She avoids the situation entirely.

This time by actually traveling to another state.

This way she doesn't have to deal with it.

At least in person.

Beca is sure of one thing at this moment in time. She doesn't want to examine her own sexuality. There is too much history there that she just can't deal with at this moment. There is too much pain and repression to unpack. Her life is too crazy and hectic, to try to untangle the multitude of conflicting psychological and emotional forces at play in her psyche; so she hides in Las Vegas so she doesn't have to think about it.

Especially concerning what her sexuality preferences are.

Except it seems as if she has been thinking about nothing else for the past few months; maybe even longer, and she still wasn't really any closer to defining it…

Except that Chloe is inextricably intertwined to it.

And that's scary, like terrifyingly scary.

Chloe has been on her mind pretty much every hour since she arrived in Las Vegas. She did have Sam contact Chloe, and let her know that a few more gigs had been put on her schedule. When talking to Sam, she made it sound like these new gigs at Hakkasan had been thrust upon her by Marcus. Beca prayed that Sam didn't press and find out the truth; she desperately didn't want Chloe finding out she was staying away on purpose.

She did let Jesse know via a call, but kept their conversations brief. Jesse had been pretty upbeat, surprisingly so, she kind of wonders if he's in denial. It made her life easier, so she went with it.

Still, the draw of Chloe is enough that Beca felt the need to call or text her roommate. She doesn't want the redhead to worry; that would just be rude.

Sitting on her King Size bed, in her complimentary hotel room, Beca shakes her head to try and clear her thoughts, as she pulls out her new phone and pulls up Chloe's contact information. Deciding it's better to just get it over with, she thumbs the call icon on the phone's screen and waits to hear the ring. She's nervous as the phone rings and almost hangs up, but then hears the call answered. She starts to speak, but her voice catches. She hears Chloe say hello, and finally finds her voice. "Hey, Chlo," Beca says into her phone.

"Beca!," Chloe's happiness and enthusiasm easily heard through the phone's speaker. This brings a warm smile to Beca's face, and she feels the tension leave her shoulders. She lays back in the bed, legs dangling over the side, and just relaxes.

For some reason, Chloe's enthusiasm infects Beca's voice, and she sounds so positive as she asks, "Are you free?"

Beca knows the redhead's schedule fairly well, and is positive she has a scheduled break at this time; but then you never know if something has come up. Not that she memorized the redhead's schedule or anything. "Sorry I didn't call earlier, Chlo."

There's a slight pause on the other end of the connection, Chloe had been wondering why Beca wasn't calling her directly, or texting back. The redhead knows however that Beca can be skittish, and she doesn't want to chase her any further away. She plays it off as no big deal. "It's okay. I know you're super busy, becoming a star. I'm just glad you called. So, what's happening?"

"Oh, you know. I was booked at Hakkasan, for a few more gigs. Marcus also brought me to some other clubs, and I did some spinning at two pool parties, those were just some short, fifteen minutes, give the crowds a taste type affairs, but they were fun. Oh, I lost my phone…"

"Wait-what? Seriously? How did you lose your phone?"

Beca scratches her head as she remembers yesterday morning.

o0o

Beca is walking down the Las Vegas strip trying to juggle her cup of coffee, her breakfast burrito, and her mobile phone, all at the same time. She was going stir-crazy and needed to get out of her room, though she was also pretty beat. She went for a walk to try and clear her head, and maybe release some of her nervous energy.

Her gigs have been amazing here in Vegas. The first one she had done had been a tease. She learned from Marcus that it had been a trial run, the manager of Hakkasan had evidently been in the club. He had a sudden opening and Marcus had convinced him to give Beca a listen. He liked what he heard, and gave her the temporary gig.

There may not be a better spot in the world than Las Vegas for nightclubs, and Hakkasan is one of, if not thee, best on the strip. Beca has to admit she's loving the experience she's getting, plus the publicity. Both are so important to her career.

Yet it's also surprisingly hollow for her. It's missing an important ingredient.

Her wandering feet delivered her to the front of the Bellagio and she's leaning against the railing watching the fountain show. It's not as spectacular as it is at night, but still the fountains in the early morning light are beautiful. She finds herself thinking she should bring Chloe here.

This doesn't help her to clear her mind.

Her phone starts to buzz at that moment, startling Beca out of her reverie. In her surprised state, the burrito starts to slip from her hand. With one hand tied up with her coffee, Beca automatically opens and closes her hand that had been holding the burrito and mobile. Any delight in rescuing the burrito is short lived because the action causes her to lose her phone. She stares dumbfounded as she watches it fall into the reflecting pool beneath her.

"Are you frigging kidding me?," Beca asked the sky.

o0o

Beca instantly realizes this isn't the best of stories, and can already picture the endless teasing, so simply answers, "Oh it just got lost. But it's cool, I had everything backed up on the cloud, and upgraded to a newer phone. And this one's waterproof." She cringes at that last, wondering, not for the first time if word vomit is a hereditary trait.

"Is that a necessary feature?," Chloe asks with a slightly knowing chuckle.

Beca is blushing but decides to play it off. "No, but it's cool, you know, just in case."

There's a hint of knowing in the redhead's voice as she mimics, "Just in case."

Beca decides to change the subject. "So, how was your day?"

Beca can hear Chloe's smile through the phone. "Oh, it was great. I learned something today…"

"What personal boundaries are and how to respect them?"

Chloe snorts as she laughs. "Beca, I've always known what personal boundaries are." The redhead giggles, which causes butterflies in Beca's chest. "You're just under the mistaken impression that they cover a wider area."

Beca can't help her smirk. "Oh, is that it?"

"Yeah," Chloe says with a laugh, but it comes out wrong.

"Wait, did you just snort?," Beca asks over the phone.

"No," Chloe denies.

"You totally did," Beca teases.

Chloe giggles knowing she's busted but continues to deny. "Nope, wasn't me. Might've been Legacy. She often snort laughs."

In the background, Beca hears Emily cry 'Hey!'

"Yeah, must have been Legacy, she seems like a snorter," Beca teases.

"I hate you both," Emily says, loud enough she's sure Beca heard her. Both Beca and Chloe laugh.

"So…" Beca starts.

"So…" Chloe says, having actually lost her train of thought.

"So, you learned something today?," Beca prompts.

"Oh-oh yeah, I totally forgot, my contract has been picked up for next year at the academy, and I'm to have expanded duties…"

"Chloe!," Beca shouts. "That's Amazing! I'm so proud of you."

"It's no big deal…" Chloe starts.

"Nope, not going to hear it," Beca cuts off the redhead. "You're working your ass off, Beale. You're earning this and I'm proud of you."

Beca can hear Chloe's blush over the phone and smiles at the thought she elicited it. "We'll celebrate when I get back."

"Really?," Chloe asks.

"Yeah, I promise," Beca says.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Chloe says. "Uhh, Becs, my break is ending. When will I see you next?"

"Not sure, but soon." The petite brunette looks at the time and frowns. "Umm, I gotta go."

"Really?"

"Sorry, Chloe."

"It's okay. Knock 'em dead tonight," the redhead says.

"I will. Bye."

"Bye, Becs."

"I miss you," Beca whispers before hanging up. Still Chloe heard it.

o0o

Two days later Chloe decides to call Beca. The DJ is still in Las Vegas, and hasn't called again, but at least she's been texting.

That's a good thing, right?

Chloe has tried not to initiate any contact as part of the process of trying to let go of her feelings for Beca. She's resisted every impulse to call Beca, or text, or tweet, or send a Facebook update. It's been hard, but Chloe has resisted.

She's not sure if she should see it as a triumph or a failure that she has gone just over forty-eight hours without calling or initiating a text conversation.

The only reason she's calling this evening is to make sure Beca's actually eating dinner. She knows from Sam that J Michael is still expecting Beca to deliver on her projects for the studio. He had even gone so far as to secure her a studio to work from in Vegas. Knowing Beca, she was spending every moment she isn't spinning or sleeping, at the studio. Therefore, Chloe surmises, her tiny DJ probably isn't eating properly; if at all.

Chloe isn't sure how she's going to succeed at letting Beca go when she can't be sure her petite best friend is taking care of herself.

What kind of person would she be if she didn't do everything in her power to keep Beca alive and breathing?

It's her civic duty.

Just the thought of talking to her tiny DJ has her excited. When Beca answers the phone on the second ring, Chloe feels her heartbeat speed up. The redhead's voice is breathless and light, the way it always gets when she is super stimulated. She tries to reign it in.

"Hey, Becs! How are you doing? How was your day? Have you been eating?"

She might not have been so successful at reigning it in. Her words are a cascade of questions. She hears Beca chuckle over the speaker, and can picture the smirk on her best friend's lips.

"Slow down Beale. Take a breath."

Chloe does take a breath, and then asks, "Is now a good time?"

There's a pause. "Yeah, yeah… It's actually the perfect time," Beca replies.

"Great, so how was your day?"

"The day went well," Beca answers. "You were right about promoting Sam. It has made so much difference. J Michael didn't even bat an eye when I told him, and she's continued to rock as an assistant. Thanks so much for pushing that."

"Any time Becs," Chloe replies nonchalantly, though inside she's elated. She had worried that she was overstepping. Something she's been known to do in the past, once or twice, maybe a wee bit more. So, to learn it worked out is just such a relief.

The two friends fall into easy conversation, which surprises both of them. Each can feel the tension, each knows there are underlying issues not being addressed, yet somehow, they are able to push past it all, in these moments.

"Oh, my God!," Chloe shouts catching Beca off-guard.

"Chloe? What? Is everything alright? Are you okay?, the petite brunette asks, worried about her roommate.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. It's just that 'Titanium' just came over the radio. It's so perfect, me on the phone with you when it comes up on the radio. I haven't heard it played in forever..."

"Wait, what? You scared the crap out of me because the song 'Titanium' is playing on the radio?"

"Well, it is our lady jam," Chloe says happily.

"Your lady jam you mean," Beca huffs.

"I think we can call it ours since the, you know, shower incident," Chloe giggles.

"I'm never living that down, am I?," Beca asks with a deep sigh. Chloe can just picture the DJ is covering her face and blushing profusely.

"Nope," Chloe pops her 'P' with a loud smack to emphasize this fact.

"Ugh," Beca sighs. "It's still not my lady jam," she grumbles under her breath.

Chloe giggles again, asking in mock seriousness, "Oh please, are you really going to tell me that you haven't taken advantage of how it builds?"

"What? No!" Beca splutters in shocked indignation.

"Beca," Chloe says with an air of skepticism.

"Nghh," Beca groans.

"Beca," Chloe says softly.

"Fine, yes, maybe, uhh, maybe, once, twice, or half a dozen times." Beca sighs, not believing she just admitted to that Chloe.

"I knew it!" Chloe cheers. "It is our lady jam."

"Oh, dear God," Beca sighs.

"You know this means it's our song," Chloe proclaims.

"God help me…"

"She already has Becs," assures Chloe.

"You're such a nerd," Beca smirks, then realizes the time. "Hey, Chloe, sorry but I have to go."

"Awwww."

"I'm sorry, but I need to go get set up."

"And you promise that you ate?"

"Yep," Beca smirks.

"And at least one item wasn't over processed?," Chloe does worry that her best friend might just be eating Pop tarts.

"Yessss," Beca responds with a touch of petulance. "The apple and banana were just as nature created them."

"Funny thing about bananas…" Chloe starts saying. She can't help herself, she wants the call to continue.

"Chlo," Beca interrupts. "I really have to go."

"Oh yeah, sorry." Chloe blushes. "Wait!"

"What?," there's a slight chuckle in Beca's voice.

"You have to be back this Friday afternoon," Chloe says.

"I do?," Beca is puzzled by this.

"It's Fat Amy's dress fitting," Chloe answers.

"Can't I miss that?," Beca asks in all seriousness.

"No," Chloe is actually shocked at the suggestion. "You're the Maid of Honor, Becs. You're like the fourth most important person at the wedding; maybe even third. You might be ahead of Bumper."

"Ughhh."

"It'll be fun."

"Ughhh."

"Personally, I can't wait to see you in your bridesmaid's dress," Chloe says in her upbeat style.

"It's Fat Amy," Beca says flatly, as if that says it all.

"You'll look amazing," Chloe assures her.

"It's going to be neon pink or lime green," Beca grumbles. Then she shudders as another thought hits her. "Or both."

"You'll look amazing," is all Chloe says in response, as if there's no other choice.

"You really believe that?"

Chloe nods as she answers, even if Beca can't see it. "Of course."

"I'll make sure Sam clears my calendar," Beca sighs.

"Done," Chloe says. "And she's booking you a flight for Friday morning."

"Have you been talking to Sam?"

"Pretty much every day," Chloe says happily. "Turns out we're like second cousins." Beca can't help but groan at Chloe's enthusiasm.

"Of course, you are," Beca bemoans. "That much pep in a person must have Beale blood in their veins."

"It is a family trait."

Beca realizes another ten minutes have passed. "Damn, Chloe, sorry, I have to go."

"Okay, yeah, good luck. You have a great night and rock the crowd."

"I will. Bye."

Chloe replies, "Bye Becs," and hangs up. She's smiling from ear to ear as she replays the call in her head, loving how light and easy the conversation had been. She giggles at how flirty it got…

"Shit!," Chloe exclaims out loud to the empty room. She brings the phone to her forehead and taps it as she whispers, "Shit, shit, shit." She was supposed to be pulling away. She's supposed to be letting the petite bundle of angst and drama go. She's not supposed to be falling more in love.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," Chloe whispers to the heavens.

o0o

It's now been well over a week since the rehearsal debacle, and Beca is still in Vegas. Yet its effectiveness as a hiding spot diminishes with every passing hour. The age of electronics and instant communication see to that.

Every day she's made the effort to call Jesse, and he has called at least twice. Both of them have been ignoring what happened at their practice, acting like nothing had actually happened. They barely talk about the rehearsals and the competition. She gets the feeling that he's letting the USC Boys take the lead on that and she's been sent to the bench. She's surprisingly good with that.

This is only possible because Emily has also missed rehearsals. She and Chloe had picked up a bunch of clients for their private music lesson business, and somehow their music lessons had landed smack in the middle of rehearsals. Funny how that had worked out. Chloe had even informed her that Benji was helping out so he could spend more time with Emily, and had been a real natural working with the young kids.

This had made it easier for Beca to stay in Las Vegas. Her one, okay, one of a million concerns, being in Vegas, was she couldn't be there to protect Emily. Lucky for all, a certain redhead had been in charge of scheduling music lessons.

Without that concern, Beca could continue to avoid tough topics with Jesse, who seemed to want to do the same, or really was clueless as to what is going on. Beca isn't sure which, but it makes her avoidance easier, so she goes with it.

Beca would be lying if she were to say everything was fine between them. Because even though they tried, they've tried so hard, to act normal on their calls, to be back in that place where they were above everything, friends, something had changed between them over the last couple months.

It had all become a period of awkwardness that seems never-ending at this point. It actually makes Beca nauseous when she thinks about it too much. Another argument for avoidance in her mind. So obviously, the much-needed conversation between them wasn't going to be happening anytime soon.

She wonders if they avoid it because they both know if they go down that path, it's over, and despite everything, this scares her; and she's not alone.

Beca had found herself hoping that all of this could be just worked out before her return to Los Angeles. That everything would be resolved. All the tension gone, all the drama over. That everything would be like it had been at Barden.

It is completely unrealistic.

Beca knows this. She's not delusional. She knows on some level it can never go back. She's changed, Jesse's changed, a certain redhead has changed… maybe. Life goes on and people grow. Still there is a part of her who fantasizes about things returning to what they were.

Yet since she personally has done nothing to resolve anything, it remains a fantasy.

But then she's never denied she has a propensity for wishful thinking.

She calls Jesse without trepidation, without any real emotion, really, which is a red flag, but like so many others, she ignores it.

It's so different than when she first called Jesse upon arrival in Las Vegas. That first call she made to him had been really difficult to make. She was sure he would be upset with her. She was sure he would say something that would anger her. She was sure they were about to have a huge fight. She was sure they were going to break up.

She had been so anxious that she had to psych herself up before making the call.

It had proven to not be necessary though. Jesse had been surprisingly blasé about everything. Beca had kept waiting for him to bring up the rehearsal, or her being in Vegas, but he never did, which again suited Beca fine.

Except maybe it doesn't.

There were times she actually felt on the verge of screaming from the awkward tension of their calls. Yet with every call, they had become easier, because she no longer had any expectation that they would address the many myriad of elephants in the room.

She wishes she had someone to talk to about this. She needs to talk to someone, but her circle of friends with whom she might speak to about this is made up of two people; neither of whom can she approach about this. Other than Chloe and Jesse, Beca doesn't have anyone she feels comfortable talking to about this. She's really not good at talking about these sorts of things in the best of cases. She hid a yearlong internship from her best friend, for God sake, and that had nothing on the emotional complexities of this minefield.

Her thumb is hovering over the call button, Jesse's number on the screen. She hesitates, but not because it's hard, but because it's not; it's neither difficult or easy. She feels nothing, so there's no need for mental preparation, and that worries her.

She breathes out and taps the call button. Jesse picks up before the second ring. "Becaaw!," Jesse's excited voice comes through the receiver, and Beca tries, really, she does try, not to compare it to Chloe's sweet voice, but she fails miserably and fights back a sigh.

"Hey."

"How are you, babe?" Beca just wonders when Jesse started talking to her like the USC Boys.

"Fine," Beca replies. "Things are good."

"That's good."

"Are you home?," Beca asks, more for something to say than any other reason.

"Yeah, but we're going to go out later," Jesse answers. "Jody and Mitch talked me into checking out this club. We're going to check out the DJ."

"Oh," she wonders if she should be upset he's going to a club to listen to another DJ, or if she should be happy he's not pushing her. She seriously doesn't know what to feel at the moment.

"Yeah, we're thinking of using this techno-hip hop fusion in the movie, so we want to check it out," Jesse says proudly. "We want this urban edge."

"Oh really," Beca says by rote, not really caring. She's fairly checked-out in the conversation already. Only a tiny bit of her wonders why Jesse hasn't talked to her about the music. She might have some ideas of how to fuse music into a hip-hop sound.

"Yeah, we made some headway on the film today. I think I've come up with some incredible music to score the film, it'll help set the narrative fabric of the whole thing…" Beca zones out, just as she always does when Jesse starts pontificating about movies. He's got his project, yeah, he always has his project, though Beca does have to admit, if he didn't, she might have to talk about something of substance; and she definitely doesn't want to do that.

The conversation continues along the same lines; nothing of substance, and after a couple minutes the call just sort of ends.

"You're back tomorrow?," Jesse asks.

"Yeah," Beca answers. "Tonight's my last gig here, then I'm flying back tomorrow morning. Fat Amy has a dress fitting tomorrow, so I'll be heading straight to that."

"But, I'll see you tomorrow night?," Jesse asks.

"Yeah probably, though you know Fat Amy and the girls will want to do something after the dress fitting."

"But we'll get together right?," Jesse is almost begging.

"Yeah," she sighs. "I'll see you." It's easier to just surrender to the inevitability.

"Bye babe, love y…" Beca brings her thumb down on the button disconnecting the call. It doesn't even occur to her that she didn't respond to his declaration of love.

o0o

Back in Los Angeles, Jesse sits at his kitchen table looking at his phone in one hand, and the small jewelry box in the other. It's time he realizes, time to pull out the big guns. He needs to make the big gesture, prove to Beca he's in it for the long run.

Jesse knows Beca has deep feelings for Chloe. He figured it out a long time ago and it has always bothered him. He knows the redhead has been actively working to win Beca's heart. She plays it off as innocent, but he knows her true motives.

Honestly, it's one of the reasons he asked Beca to move to California and in with him. He was sure that when he and Beca were living together in California, that the temptation of Chloe would be left back in Georgia. That Chloe would move on and be out of Beca's life so that maybe Beca would love him as she once had.

It would have been the perfect Hollywood ending, just like they had at the ICCA National Championship their Freshman year. But Chloe had stepped on the plotline by inviting herself along. Following his girl to the West Coast.

This was precisely the thing about life: it was not like a movie. The events of life didn't follow a neat little plot that could be tied up with a ribbon at the end of an hour and forty-five minutes. Where the guy gets the girl and good triumphs over evil and everyone lives happily ever after.

Jesse might want it to be, might try to bend and twist life to go the way he wants, fancy himself a real-life John Hughes, but in the end, it's way more complicated. So, he realizes he has to step up. Beca has always had a fear of commitment and abandonment issues. He knows he must prove to her that he's in this for the long haul.

He loves Beca, and despite everything, she's still with him so he knows it's mutual. He loves the talented DJ so much, he can't even imagine how his life would be if he were to lose her. And maybe this has made him a little selfish, but what he has learned out here in Tinsel Town is that it's dog-eat-dog, and everyone is a bit selfish.

So, he will fight for her and prove to Beca she made the right choice and, thanks to Bumper, he has the perfect plan.

o0o

Beca pushes open the door to the dress shop and just stops. It's not quite all-out chaos, but it is the Bellas, so it's really close. Everyone is rushing about and calling to each other, all seem to be attempting to pile into the same changing room at the same time. Beca smiles to herself as she thinks of all the similar times she's seen the Bellas in such a state.

The memories are warm and welcome, and she just wants to enjoy the moment.

The petite DJ takes off her sunglasses and leans on the door frame, taking it all in. Ashley and Jessica are quickly floating back and forth through the room, giving instructions to both the Bellas and the staff of this establishment. It being Ashley and Jessica, the Bellas are mostly ignoring them, so Aubrey and Chloe are going around reinforcing their instructions, lending their commanding presence to the situation.

Beca smirks as she watches her best friend. Chloe is buzzing with energy, but then she always is, and it kind of fits the environment, perfectly, as all the activity seems quite frenzied.

"Hey, you made it." Beca turns her head, and sees Emily coming towards her, a big smile plastered on her face. The taller young woman engulfs Beca in a hug, which seems to convey more than just missing her good friend. After Chloe, Emily gives Beca the best hugs. They are like those of a little sister; an ironically taller little sister.

"Hey, Em," Beca returns the hug from the taller girl with heartfelt emotion. "Wouldn't miss it. No, that's not true, I would totally miss it."

"Oh, please," Emily says as she straightens. "You couldn't if you tried."

"Probably true. Hey, sorry I've been out of town. I did continue to work on your material and think I may have come up with something you'll like for the EP."

Emily actually hops as she claps her hands. "Really?" At Beca's nod, she literally chirps with enthusiasm.

This causes a number of people in the room to look to the front door, including one really busy redhead.

"Beca! You're here," Chloe yells when she notices the petite brunette talking to Legacy. She makes a beeline for her best friend.

"Chloe…" Beca responds all embarrassed and sheepish as she is engulfed in another hug.

"I tried calling you a couple times, but got your voicemail," Chloe says, her disappointment quite evident in her tone.

The tiny brunette can feel her cheeks heating with a blush. "I forgot to take the phone off airplane mode. Sorry."

"It's okay. I was just getting worried you weren't going to make it."

"You think I'm going to risk Fat Amy's wrath by missing this?," Beca jokes.

"Good," Ashley says. "Amy was getting ready to send Lily out to track you down and haul you in."

Beca starts laughing but stops when Jessica shakes her head. "She's not kidding." A look to the silent Korean woman and Beca is a bit creeped out by her proud smile.

Beca looks to Chloe. "Am I missing something?"

"Fat Amy had Lily track Ashley and Jessica down when they were hiding out at our apartment."

"They were hiding in our apartment?"

"Yeah. They needed some R&R from Fat Amy and were getting it till Lily tracked them down," Chloe says with a glance in the quiet woman's direction.

Beca looks back at Lily, who is now doing her best Cheshire Cat impersonation. "It's okay though," Chloe continues. "I've convinced Lily to give Ashley and Jessica breathers at our place and they will always make themselves available when Fat Amy truly needs them."

"We just need a break every now and then," says Jessica.

"Plus, we have to actually have time to do the work she's already asked us to do," Ashley adds. "If we don't get away every now and then, she'll come up with new requests or completely flip her ideas."

"And her requests can be quite…" Jessica pauses, considering her words, "Fat Amy." Everyone nods in understanding.

"Who knew Fat Amy would be a Tasmanian Bridezilla?," Ashley asks. Every one of the Bellas raises their hands in answer.

As if on cue, Fat Amy shouts from the main dressing room, "Oy! Ashley, Jessica, where are you? I've got a brilliant idea!" The two wedding planners visibly cringe and begin to slowly walk their way back, till another shout from Amy spurs them on.

"Well, it seems like everything is situation normal here, so, I think I'll just head out," Beca says. She sees Chloe's face drop and Lily subtly moves between Beca and the door. "Kidding." Chloe's face doesn't look convinced. "Come on, guys, I'm just kidding."

Chloe grabs Beca by the hand and pulls her deeper into the store and over to one of a dozen viewing couches. "So, Becs, tell me everything."

"Um, well…" Beca starts. "Marcus introduced me to both the owner and the manager of Hakkasan. They both seem to like my stuff, especially the owner. He said I was going to go places." And with that the two just fell into easy conversation, going back and forth, with easy comfort. They smile at each other, a bit lost in each other's gazes, oblivious to everything else.

Emily just smiles watching them. It's easy for her to see how Beca's eyes glow as she talks with Chloe. Standing there, the tall brunette realizes she needs to have a talk with the woman she admires so much. It's time for her to confront reality.

"That's great, Beca," Chloe whispers as she joins their hands. "That's truly amazing."

"What's truly amazing," says Aubrey as she leads Ashley and Jessica over. "Is how much work we still have to do. We need the Munchkin here to get into a fitting room and get her measurements." Aubrey hooks her thumb back towards the set of doors behind her.

"Glad to see you too, Posen," Beca chuckles at the blonde.

"Yeah, yeah, glad you're here too, Mitchell. Now get to the fitting room." The blonde is in full take-charge mode. "Don't you pout at me, Beale. I'm not the Hobbit, your puppy eyes don't work on me."

"Hey!," both Beca and Chloe say together. They look at each other and then burst into giggles.

"Okay, General Posen, I'll do it," Beca says holding her hands up in surrender. "You coming?," she asks Chloe.

Aubrey answers, "I need her help so Ashley and Jessica are going to show you to the fitting room, and Stacie will be in to help."

"Oh," both Beca and Chloe say, with less enthusiasm.

"You'll both be fine, now scoot," orders the former Bellas captain.

Beca looks over at Ashley and Jessica. "So, has Fat Amy decided on what hideous dress she'll be putting us in?" That the dynamic duo visibly pale and rush away on some suddenly urgent matter doesn't bode well in Beca's mind.

"Uhh, girls," Chloe says, getting the attention of the retreating pair. "You need to show Beca to the fitting room." Ashley and Jessica return sheepishly. "Fat Amy has left them a bit frazzled," Chloe says in explanation.

"I roomed with her so I can relate," Beca says with a sympathetic smile and allows herself to be lead away.

o0o

Beca is left standing in the small room by herself for a couple minutes, though it feels like forever to the anxious brunette. This is probably the worst thing that can happen for Beca because she's now alone with her thoughts without the calming presence of her best friend.

Beca should never be left alone with her thoughts.

It rarely turns for the better.

All her life has been this nagging feeling within her that there was something different with how she sees the world, with how she interacts with people, but it also felt so natural she didn't question it for the longest time.

Being a natural introvert, and comfortable in her antisocial persona, Beca was quite adept at ignoring this feeling of being different. It wasn't till middle school and the divorce that she realized there was any issue. It wasn't till she had moved with her mother to a place they could afford, which had further up-ended her life, that she realized just how isolated she could feel.

She became a loner because it was easier. She became a loner, because it provided security. She disappeared into her music, because she could shut out the world around her when she places her headphones on, and lets the music just wash over her.

This was a life she really had no trouble existing in. She had her music, and an ambition to create music, and that was enough. Family and friends weren't really necessary.

Until a certain bubbly redhead had barged her way into her life; literally.

Chloe doesn't allow Beca to stay behind her walls. She doesn't accept Beca's antisocial persona. She by dent of will has unknowingly forced Beca to confront feelings that have been successfully repressed for twenty plus years.

An aggravated sigh escapes Beca's lips.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Beca manages to shut down her startled jump of surprise before it can be executed, keeping the motion internal, but her fingers clench hard enough to make her knuckles go white.

"Easy there tiger. You just were so lost in thought, you didn't even notice me enter," says Stacie good-naturedly.

"Sorry, just tense," Beca replies.

"Why?," Stacie asks her shorter friend as if she didn't really know.

Beca rolls her eyes, then mumbles something under her breath

"What was that?," Stacie asks with a teasing grin.

"I don't feel like talking about it," Beca mumbles a little louder, turning away from the taller brunette.

"You don't want to talk about the fact that you're in love with Chloe?," Stacie asks; deciding to just pull the band-aid off in one fell swoop.

Beca spins about as she asks incredulously, "What?"

"You know, how you're deeply in love with your roommate," Stacie pushes.

Despite all the self-revelations she's experienced recently, Beca's first reaction is to deny and obfuscate. "I-I-I-don't." She takes a breath and lets it out. "You're telling me you think I might be gay? I'm not gay, I'm not a lesbian!" Even as the young brunette is more vehement in her denial, she drops her voice, so the last comes out in a righteous stage whisper.

Stacie holds up her hands, palms towards the distraught DJ, and in a soft soothing voice says, "You need to calm down, Beca. This isn't such a big deal."

"Not a big deal!?," Beca asks incredulously, her voice rising a notch. She looks to the door, hoping none of the others heard, and then stage whispers again, "Not a big deal?"

"Yes, it's not a big deal," Stacie says emphatically. She softens as she explains, "At least not to the people who care and love you. Not your family…"

Beca scoffs, "My family…"

Stacie interrupts again, knowing that Beca's family is a sore spot, "I mean the Bellas. They are your family. A very weird eclectic family, but a family nonetheless."

Beca does nod, the Bellas are her family.

Stacie smiles at this admission and continues, "And they don't care one iota if you're gay, straight or bi. Do you think any of them judge Cynthia Rose or Maria? Or Chloe, or me?"

Beca knows this, on a purely intellectual level she knows this, yet Beca so often finds herself caught on the emotional level. For her emotions are scary. She sighs, "No I, don't think anyone is judging CR, or you, or Chloe…"

"Good," Stacie says with a smile, "though we may be judging Fat Amy, but that's just a matter of taste." Beca can't help the pull at the corners of her lips, to match the smirk Stacie is sporting. "I mean Bumper? Really?"

Beca chuckles, feeling the tension ease between them.

"So, I've spent a lot of time over at the apartment this last week," Stacie says.

Beca's chuckle disappears instantly. There's no question what apartment the tall brunette is talking about. She decides to just be nonchalant about it. "Oh yeah…"

"Yeah, Aubrey and I had dinner with Chloe and Emily pretty much every night. Spent most evenings there," Stacie informs her petite friend.

"Oh, yeah, uhhh, yeah, Chlo might have mentioned you all were over," Beca says, suddenly feeling a need to look anywhere but at her taller friend.

"Yeah, we know, but we also know that you have also avoided really talking to Chloe about what is truly important," Stacie accuses.

"And what's that?," Beca asks petulantly.

"That you are in love with her," Stacie says matter-of-factly.

"I-I-I…" Beca sputters.

"Or you're not. That's up to you to realize. I'm betting the former, but you know you can't just avoid talking to Chloe."

Beca knows Stacie's right and knows she means well, but she's also sure Stacie doesn't understand.

"It's not just Chloe," sighs Beca, "It's not really Chloe at all…"

"What is it then?," Stacie asks.

"She's my best friend, she's Chloe. I mean, I know... no, I just... this is all wrong!"

"Why? Because it's gay?," Stacie challenges.

"Yes! No!" Beca shakes her head, then hid behind her hands. "I feel like I'm always hiding who I am."

"Are you?," Stacie asks gently.

"Yes-No… I don't know," Beca's voice trails off.

The taller brunette looks at her good friend with a mix of sympathy and incredulity. "We both know there's an issue you're ignoring."

"Stace, just drop it; please?," Beca pleads.

"Yeah, no, I think eighty percent of your issue is that you keep pushing it away and refuse to answer the fundamental question weighing you down."

"What do you expect me to do? Huh?," Beca says, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm straight, yet all through middle school and high school I was called Gay, Lesi, Lesbian, Dyke, and those were the nice terms."

Stacie's actually taken aback by the vehemence of her petite friend. "You mean a loner, who has ear spikes, tattoos, wears a lot of flannel was accused of being a lesbian?," she asks with a tinge of teasing, trying to walk her friend back. "You want to talk about it?," Stacie asks gently.

"Not particularly," Beca sighs.

"I still think it will do you good," the leggy brunette offers. "You're no longer in high school, you don't have to be constrained by the past."

"Stacie, you don't get it!," Beca has to resist the urge to snap at Stacie, her words only subtly vehement.

"Then tell me about it," Stacie all but snaps back at Beca.

"It was tough on my mom, the divorce, you know. Tougher than my dad ever admits. My dad wasn't always able to pay child support. I mean he wanted to, but then he had a new family and then he was working on tenure at Barden. My mom and I, Uhhh we ended up moving—a lot. I was always the new kid. Bullying was a constant in every new place. And…" Beca trails off.

"And what?," coaxes Stacie.

"My mom first turned to the bottle and then to religion to deal with it." Beca looks up at her good friend with tears in her eyes. "I'm not sure which was worse."

"Beca…"

"First I didn't want to come home, because who wants to see their mother drunk? It's heartbreaking on a level that is hard to understand. Your mother is supposed to be your anchor, your lifeline. They are supposed to kiss away your boo-boos and make everything better. Except when I needed my mom to chase away the monsters under my bed, because my dad wasn't there to do it, she was succumbing to her own monsters." Tears start to form in her eyes as Beca remembers the times she would return home from school and her mother would be passed out. A bottle or two of some liquor lying empty next to her. It had been heartbreaking.

"You know, I'm still not sure what broke the cycle of drinking for my mother. It seemed like one day I'm cleaning her up after she passed out and puked on herself, and then the next she's throwing all the bottles out and going to church nearly every day," Beca says with a sigh. "I was so happy at first. Anything was better than my mom being passed out drunk, right?"

Stacie nods, not saying anything. Feeling it's time to let her good friend talk. She's never heard these things. She has a feeling only Chloe knows this aspect of Beca's life.

"Turns out religion can be as addictive as alcohol," Beca says as she looks in the mirror. Horrified at the sight of her face, and the tears she's shedding, but unable to do anything about it at the moment. "It seems that those who convert, who come to religion later, are often the most ardent of devotees," Beca says. The memories of that time causing her to shudder.

Stacie notes the subtle body shake and thinks about taking the smaller woman in her arms, but she knows this would have the opposite effect of what she wants to convey. It's not her arms that will bring any sense of calm to the tiny bundle of angst before her. She also remains mute, wanting to let Beca have this moment to just vent what she obviously needs to let out.

"It's not that I'm against religion. It's not that I'm an atheist. It's just not all religion is equal. Not all churches preach the same thing. When I was a little girl I had been taught in Sunday school that Jesus was a loving man, and that God loves us all because we were created in his image.

"This isn't the preaching my mom received when she returned to the church," Beca says solemnly. "She unfortunately found a church where Hell and Damnation are real things, and anyone who steps out of line with the teachings of their denomination was surely under the influence of Satanic forces."

Beca wraps her arms about herself. Stacie takes a chance and comments, "Let me guess, young women with ear spikes, tattoos, and dress in clothes that are decidedly not ladylike."

"In spades," Beca nods. "What made it worse is I was catching hell at school. My clothes, my makeup. It marked me as different, and thus a target."

"Of course, this made you want to do it more," Stacie suggests; guessing from her knowledge of Beca, how the young woman reacts to being pushed.

"Bingo," Beca says. "The more people pushed the more I pushed back. Make fun of me for wearing flannel, next week I showed up in flannel and combat boots. Make fun of my earring, next day I have a new spike."

"How did that go?," Stacie asks.

"It isolated me and I built up my 'walls'. Walls that were solid until Chloe and Jesse came along knocking them down."

"And you fell in love with them." It's a statement of fact, not a question.

Beca nods, but says, "I am her friend, Stace. Nothing more."

Their conversation trails off as a middle age woman enters. She informs them she's one of the seamstresses and she's come to get measurements.

Stacie wraps Beca in a hug. It feels right now. "It's okay, little one," Stacie assures her.

Easy for her to say, Beca thinks bitterly. Truthfully, she isn't angry with her tall friend, if she's going to be honest with herself, she's angry only with herself.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed, dearie." Beca rolls her eyes at the seamstress's words. "It's only natural to be emotional in the lead up to a wedding."

"Yeah, uh, thanks," Beca says, pushing down the whirlwind of emotions she's feeling, even as she wipes her eyes.

"Beca…"

"It's okay, Stacie," the petite brunette assures her friend.

"Don't…"

"No," Beca says firmly. "It's all good."

Stacie recognizes the finality of Beca's demeanor. She decides it's time to send in the next contestant. "Well, you know where I am, when you're ready to talk about it."

"I wouldn't hold your breath," Beca snarks.

"Trust me short stack, I would," Stacie says with way too much mirth for Beca's taste.

"Oh please, what kind of- ah!" Beca grunts as the wind squeezed out of her by the seamstress. She's wrapped her measuring tape tightly around Beca's petite waist and pulled it even tighter. "Umm, can it be just a bit looser?"

The seamstress just shakes her head and writes down a measurement. She then lifts the measuring tape and repeats the process, this time around Beca's bust. The tiny DJ blushes furiously. Stacie only giggles.

This brings Beca's attention back to her good friend, "So do tell me how I should be feeling." Beca practically seethes at her tall friend despite the sudden lack of air as her chest is squeezed.

"Loved," Stacie says simply as she finishes sending out a text. Before Beca can say anything, Stacie is heading out the door. "We WILL be talking more, shorty," she says over her shoulder as she leaves the room.

o0o

A few minutes later, Emily peeks into the room as the seamstress steps out. "Hey, can I come in?"

Beca looks over and her hard face softens. "Of course, Em." She actually tries to flash the younger woman a smile, but she's just not in the mood and it comes out as a bit of a grimace.

"That bad?," Emily asks.

"Yeah-No-I don't know…" she looks at her young friend and sighs. "I seem to be saying that a lot."

"Hey, could be worse," Emily says with a lopsided grin. "You're getting a new dress out of it."

"When was the last time you saw me in a dress?," Beca asks the taller girl, with just hint of snark.

"I guess…" Emily actually gives it a thought. "Umm, never?"

"Exactly, so not really a bonus," the petite brunette says as if making a closing argument.

"Well, maybe it's time for a new dress?" Emily isn't ready to give up that particular silver-lining.

"I guess," she concedes. "As long as Fat Amy didn't go with lime green," Beca says offhandedly.

"Uhhh…."

"Emily?"

"Uhhh…."

"What do you know?," Beca demands.

"Nothing…," Emily squeaks, looking off to the left.

"Yes, you do!," Beca accuses the younger woman. "You just lied!"

"No, I didn't," Emily says, now looking at the ceiling.

"I can't believe you lied to me," Beca says to the ceiling.

"I'm not lying," Emily tries again.

"You're the worst liar I have ever seen," Beca declares. "Yes, you are," she cuts off Emily before she can argue. "So, what exactly is the theme or color scheme or whatever? Am I going to have to wear a truly ugly dress?"

"Beca," answers Emily. "It's Fat Amy…"

"Oh, dear God, it's going to be horrible," Beca realizes.

"Well, I guess it's tradition," Emily offers.

At this point, the seamstress returns. "Okay, dearie, please undress. Down to your foundation garments."

"Uhhh—my what?"

"Panties and bra," the older woman explains.

"Well, why didn't you just say that?," Beca asks in exasperation, even as she kicks off her shoes. "This is not how I saw my day going," mutters Beca.

"It's not?," Emily asks.

"Shut up," Beca deadpans.

o0o

She's been standing awkwardly on a small platform in the middle of the small fitting room, for a few minutes now. She's cold, dressed in only her 'foundation garments' at the moment. She and Emily have continued their awkward conversation, the younger Bella still not looking at her, but Beca is pretty sure it's because she's dressed only in a bra and boy shorts.

The seamstress walks in carrying a dress. Beca's eyes widen slightly when she catches sight of what the seamstress is holding. It's her dress.

And it's Lime Green.

"That's the color of the dress?," she asks incredulously. She looks at Emily. "That's really the color of the dress?!"

The seamstress holds out the dress so it's on display for her to see. The tiny DJ's eyes widened, first in shock, then in horror. "Oh, God! It's worse than I thought!," Beca wails.

"It's not that bad," Emily tries.

"It's worse!," Beca declares.

"Beca…."

"Worse!," she shuts down Emily's defense of the dress. "I need Chloe. I seriously need Chloe. Sorry, Em, you're great and all, but I need Chloe."

"I'm afraid she's out right now," Emily answers.

"What!? Why!?," Beca asks turning towards the younger woman.

"Fat Amy sent her out on an errand," Emily answers.

"What errand?"

Emily shrugs. "Sorry, I don't know. But I'll stay."

With a huff, Beca concedes, "You'll do." Emily smiles brightly and gives a small happy clap. Beca has to admit there are a lot of similarities between Chloe and Emily. She's also just a good friend. "This really isn't how I saw today going," she mumbles.

"You didn't see Fat Amy choosing a God-awful dress?," Emily asks.

"Well… yeah… but I thought I would have Chloe here with me," Beca concedes.

"I'm not up to par?," the younger woman asks with a slight smirk.

Beca catches it and smirks back. "No offense, but no one is Chloe." Beca doesn't even realize what she's saying; it's just flowing from the tired DJ. Nor does she catch the soft smile from her young friend.

"Tell me about it," Emily gently urges.

"Don't tell Fat Amy, but Chloe is my best friend ever. I know she keeps me sane and I really need Chloe around to keep me grounded," Beca admits. For some reason, Beca has always been able to talk to Emily, almost as easily as she talks to her redheaded best friend.

"You know she feels the same about you?," Emily asks gently. Hoping to guide her good friend.

She's about to answer but the seamstress interrupts, "Okay, dearie." Beca is just about to hate this term of endearment more than she does 'becaaw'. The middle age woman doesn't know this and just continues, "Time to put on the dress."

Neither Beca nor the seamstress notices Emily's soft curse.

"Oh goodie," Beca huffs sarcastically.

Beca puts on the dress, while the seamstress gathers some items. Beca does try to keep her grumbling to a minimum.

Tries.

"Alright," the seamstress says as she walks up to Beca, "now hold still. We need to be careful with these." She's holding pins, ready to make changes to the dresses shape.

"Hold still, dearie," the woman scolds, and Beca tries to remain as still as she can but her nose itches. She tries to itch it quickly while the seamstress climbs up onto her step ladder, only to be scolded again.

But really, Beca wonders, how does this tormentor of a seamstress expect her to keep still? After she's forced Beca to stand up on this podium again, and again, this time in heels. Beca protested, of course. They can't even be seen under the skirt, but the seamstress had insisted it was necessary. Now she measures and prods at the petite brunette with scissors and pins and all manner of instruments Beca doesn't even recognize.

Emily waits till the seamstress is well into her process, and Beca's grumbles are now a near constant hum, before striking up a new topic. "So, Beca, I really appreciate you letting me stay at your place this summer."

"Oh, yeah, that's no problem. It's been great having you," Beca says absently as she stares horror-struck by the sight in the mirror.

Beca finally shakes her head and looks away from the mirror. "I just feel bad I haven't been around much."

"It's all good," Emily says good-naturedly. "I have had a great time with Chloe. She's a great roommate."

"She's the best roommate," Beca replies. "The best friend a person could want."

Emily subtly guides the conversation, always bringing it back to Chloe, whether talking about the music lessons, going with Chloe to her summer camp, what Chloe made for dinner.

Emily is able to keep Beca talking and finds it's not really difficult. It's almost as if the petite brunette has been desperately wanting to speak to someone about this.

At some point, Beca doesn't even need the prompts anymore and takes the conversation into areas that Emily wouldn't have tread, but she's glad Beca has gone there. She can tell her friend has been repressing too much.

"It's like he hates her. I mean really hates her. He tries to cover it, yet I can see it in his eyes, and you can just hear it in his voice. He hates her. And, dear God, how can anyone hate Chloe? Chloe Beale. She has like the kindest soul I have ever known. She wouldn't do anything to hurt anybody," Beca says, waving her arms.

This earns one of a long line of scoldings from the seamstress. Beca, for the most part, ignores the woman.

"Please miss, you must stand still," the seamstress is almost begging.

Beca only rolls her eyes. She feels like it's the thousandth time this afternoon the seamstress has had to chastise her. She looks at Emily and says incredulously, "Jesse's jealous. Jealous of Chloe, can you believe that?"

"Yeah; I think I can," replies the taller woman. "I think I can totally understand why."

"Really, Ems?," Beca asks in exasperation, she earns another rebuke that she ignores as she places her hands on her hips. "You can understand why my boyfriend of nearly five years is jealous of my best friend?"

Emily decides to take a different tack.

"You know what's funny?," Emily says with a soft smile. Beca just stares daggers at her friend.

Seeing that Beca isn't in a mood for guessing, the young woman backpedals. "Well, not funny 'ha ha'. More like funny 'strange.'"

Beca continues to just stare at the taller woman. Suddenly nervous, Emily stutters out, "I, uhh-umm, thought that you and Chloe were actually a couple when I joined the Bellas."

Beca gives Emily a look. "What!?"

"You know, when I first met you, umm… I just thought you were dating Chloe."

"Why? Why would you think that?," Beca asks incredulously.

Emily sits back down on the couch. She says softly, "Just, you know, when we went over to the Treble House that first night, Chloe and Jesse had this talk like - 'Where's Beca?/ I thought she was with you./I thought she was with you'." Emily tries to imitate the voices of Chloe and Jesse and, in truth, wasn't doing such a bad job. "And I figured there was something... going on. And then, the way you were at the party when Chloe jumped into the pool, like how you took care of her. You were just so totes cute together."

"So," Beca says hesitantly, "that was a single night. Why would you think I was dating Chloe?"

"Well it was more than that one night…" Emily trails off under Beca's withering stare. Yet she knows she needs to persevere. Beca needs to hear all of this. "Can you blame me, Beca? I mean it wasn't just that first night. It was pretty much the entire year. How she took care of you when you had the flu. How you would make sure her favorite tea was always available. How you worked together planning our rehearsals. How you both snuggle into each other on movie nights.

"I mean I rarely saw you with Jesse. It was like he was barely ever around, and even when he was, you were still more often than not with Chloe."

Beca was shaking her head vehemently, "No, no, no. I mean I know me and Chloe are close, but I am close with all the Bellas. We are all sisters."

"No one is as close as you and Chloe, save maybe Ashley and Jessica. I don't know if anybody is as close as those two," Emily says with a smile.

Beca laughs, partly to just ease the tension of the moment. "Yeah, I'm still not sure if Ashley is blonde or brunette."

"Please miss, just relax, we're almost finished," says the seamstress. "I promise. And Ashley is brunette."

Beca bites her tongue, deciding not make a scathing retort about the seamstress telling her essentially the same thing every ten minutes for the past two hours. Instead, the petite brunette attempts to still her aching, fidgeting legs.

Emily walks over so she is standing directly in front of Beca. "Look, I like Jesse, I mean, I used to like Jesse, a lot. He was sweet and he was nothing but good to me and Benji back at Barden. But-" Emily stops and adds, "Now, not so much."

"I know, Em…," Beca goes to say.

The taller Bella shakes her head. "That doesn't matter. I would be telling you the same thing even if he hadn't undergone a case of 'Californication'."

"Em…"

"You should break up with Jesse and give it a try with Chloe," Emily says straight out.

Beca is shocked at how blunt Emily is. "O-kay. Wow, I..." Beca shakes her head. She wasn't sure how the conversation went here, and so fast. "I don't even know what to say to that."

"You should consider it, for everyone's happiness," Emily says. "Especially yours."

Beca wants to scoff at her, but then again there's a part of her in the back of her mind that wants to agree. Yet she can't even imagine the consequences if she somehow managed the courage of such an act. "It's not that simple Emily," Beca sounds defeated.

"It can be," Emily assures her.

"I'm not gay, Em. I'm straight," a tear forms on Beca's cheek. Her words are soft barely a whisper.

"And you're in love with an amazing woman, and it's okay."

It doesn't make any sense to Beca; none of this does, partially because she's never wanted anyone as badly as she wants Chloe. She's never pined for anyone, ever. She doesn't understand what it is about Chloe that makes her have such an obsession; except she does, and Emily can see it.

And thinking back on the conversation she had with Stacie, Stacie can see it, too.

The petite brunette swallows thickly, trying to keep herself stationary as the seamstress continues her work.

All of this drama is making something Beca wasn't planning on enjoying ten times worse, actually. Beca briefly closes her eyes

"There," says the seamstress, and Beca breathes again as the woman steps back to admire her work. "All done. And for what it's worth dearie, Miss Beale is a delightful young woman. I can see why you would love her. I think you should take your friend's advice."

"Thank you," Beca whispers. "Can I have some privacy?" Her eyes tell the story, and Emily and the seamstress both nod and depart.

When the door closes, Beca breaks into silent sobs.

o0o

Five minutes pass before the door opens again. Beca is expecting Emily or Stacie, though she's praying for Chloe.

"Hey, Queen Bee," Cynthia Rose says with loving sincerity as she sticks her head in.

Beca arches her right brow as she replies, "That's new." Her words are flat. She feels she's been on an emotional roller coaster.

"Well, I thought that since you are taking this town by storm you needed a new moniker," CR says with a wink.

"There's only one Queen B," Beca says, a bit of humor in her voice.

"Yeah well, I think at the rate you're going, you might give Beyonce a run for her considerable money." Both women laugh lightly. Beca can't stifle the chuckle, but in all honesty, it feels like a relief. Beca finds herself feeling better.

"So, umm, I spoke with Emily," CR says.

And it all goes away.

"Oh," Beca exhales more than answers.

"She thinks maybe you could use someone to talk to," the young African American says.

"I don't know what I need now," Beca says, her voice conveying just how lost she is.

"It's okay, Bee." Cynthia Rose looks at Beca with gentle eyes as she says, "I mean, coming out and all that, sometimes a person is not ready and has to work through it."

"Why is everybody trying to make me gay?," Beca demands, with a bit more vehemence than she intended.

"That isn't what this is about and you know it," CR says evenly.

Beca holds back the 'I'm not so sure,' lingering on the tip of her tongue, and instead falls back on her tried and true roll of her eyes at CR. Still, the two previous conversations and the days of introspection in Vegas weigh upon her mind, and it left her with the conclusion that her friends might be right. But of course she didn't want to examine this possibility too closely just now.

"I'm such a coward," Beca says.

Cynthia Rose heaves a deep sigh. "No, Bee, you're not. You're being human. I know you need to figure things out, and you are. It's all right to do it at your own pace."

"I just wish it wouldn't take so long. I wish I could just wave a wand and everything would be clear and I wouldn't feel so confused and conflicted," Beca says in all wariness.

"No you don't," Cynthia says. "It's hard to see at the moment but this is important in defining who you are. You don't want shortcuts."

"It seems so clear to everyone else," Beca huffs.

"Only because our emotional investment isn't anywhere near what yours and Chloe's is," CR answers honestly. "And we all only want the best for you two."

"Really?"

"Yes, really, Bee. The truth is you're both just scared. Scared of what could be lost, of what might be, and it's leaving you both feeling insecure. And that insecurity is ruining both of you."

"I…" Beca is at a loss for words.

"Whatever there can be between the two of you," Cynthia Rose says gently, "will require the two of you to take a huge leap of faith. My bet is that whichever one of you takes that leap the other will catch them."

CR considers something and then smiles broadly. "And the funniest part of all of this is that you both know it." She's on a roll and continues. "You are both aware of it, and both are actively avoiding talking about it. You should talk about it, Bee."

Beca thinks maybe, for just a second, she might be able to understand it all. The reason that people are worried about her, about Chloe, why they care. Beneath all of the superficiality that is modern day wedding planning, which is on stark display with all of Fat Amy's demands here in this dress shop, is the idea of two people coming together and forming a bond of love and commitment. This core belief that two people are meant to be together. This, along with the stresses of life, has stirred up feelings inside Beca that leave her confused and agitated. She knows her friends mean well but she wishes they would leave things be…

… Except she doesn't.

"You have a lot more faith in me than I do," Beca says.

"I know a good bet when I see it," Cynthia Rose says with a shrug.

"Can you give me a couple minutes to collect myself?," Beca asks.

CR studies her good friend and nods. "You know I'm always here for you, Queen Bee. Just like all the Bellas. We'll support you through thick and thin."

"Thanks, CR."

The black woman smiles and lingers for a few heartbeats, as if considering saying something else, but just nods, and leaves the confused young woman to her thoughts.

"But how can it be?," Beca whispers to the room, asking the universe for clarity. "It feels like everything is falling apart and it isn't supposed to be this way," Beca says with a deep sigh. She never thought she would make friends in college. Hell, she'd never even thought she would go to college, much less get a four-year degree. But college had given her more than that. It had given her the opportunity to patch her relationship with her father, she'd had her first real boyfriend who turned out to be more like a best friend, and she might even be losing that. She'd formed friendships with the Bellas... she'd never had friends like them before. Friends she actually liked and wanted to stay in touch with, or maybe see every day.

And then there was Chloe...

Chloe...

There were no words to describe her relationship with the redheaded bundle of joy and happiness.

Beca wasn't sure what she would have done in college without Chloe by her side. She doubts she would have stayed for four years. She knows she would do anything for that crazy redhead, and she's confident Chloe would do the same. It makes her wonder if that's a normal feeling to have about your best friend.

Though truth be told, she knows they have grown into more than just best friends.

Their friendship broke all barriers of friendship when Beca wasn't even sure she knew how to be a friend. Chloe just went beyond, always stood a little closer, always hugged a little harder. And it had felt too good to resist, even though Beca had thought that she was resisting.

Now she just wondered where she stands.

o0o

Quietly Chloe walks down the narrow corridor with four cubicle doors along the left side, each leading to a fitting room. She goes to the last one, knowing it's empty. She opens the door and slips in, escaping the craziness that is Fat Amy's dress fitting.

With a great sense of relief, Chloe closes her eyes as she allows herself to fall onto the dressing bench. She's been run ragged. She knows she volunteered to help, but this is ridiculous. Fat Amy, Ashley and Jessica, Aubrey, they each had had some task for her to do. It's kept her running in circles.

What's worse though, she hasn't had a chance to really speak with Beca. Save for those few moments when the tiny DJ first arrived, they hadn't seen each other the rest of the afternoon.

Chloe felt bad because Beca hadn't really been looking forward to any of this. Chloe had kinda promised to hold her hand through it all.

"Chloe?," a voice calls from the narrow corridor. Chloe winces upon hearing it. Its Aubrey's voice, and while her blonde fan is as close to her as a sister, at this moment she really didn't want to speak with her. She just really wanted a moment's respite. She really doesn't want to go on another wild goose chase to meet some craving Fat Amy suddenly has.

She turns over to see Aubrey entering the room. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," Chloe answers politely throwing up her best smile.

"May I sit?," Aubrey asks. Chloe nods yes, scooting over slightly as her blonde friend sits down next to her. "I'm not going to pry or anything. If you don't want to talk about it, I'd totally understand. But you're more than welcome to if you'd like."

Chloe's smiles tiredly. "I just needed a moment. You all have had me running so many errands, I would almost think you were all trying to keep me away from the shop." Chloe chuckles and Aubrey joins in, but hers is a bit more forced.

"Yeah, that's funny how things worked out," Aubrey says.

"So yeah, thought I would catch a minute's rest," the redhead says.

Aubrey nods. "Yeah, I spotted you practically sprinting back here."

"I was hoping to go unnoticed," Chloe chuckles.

Her blonde friend shrugs. "I just wanted to check on you." She then studies the redhead and notices her eyes. "Have you… have you been crying?," Aubrey asks concerned.

Chloe closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she collects herself. She shakes her head no as she answers, "Close, but not quite."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Despite her reputation as a tyrant, Aubrey often puts the needs of others before her own. Chloe knows how much she cares, not just for her, but all the Bellas.

"Oh, um, well," Chloe begins, feeling bad she hasn't told Aubrey what she has been feeling lately, or what is wrong. But she also hasn't particularly wanted to either. It's Beca's life too, and she doesn't deserve to have it examined by a determined Aubrey Posen.

"How are... things going?," Aubrey asks tentatively. "I know we see each other at practices, we text and we call often, but with everything going on, we haven't had much best friend bonding time. We're alone now, and nobody's listening... talk to me, how are you really?" A hint of concern in her eyes as she asks.

"It's getting harder…" Chloe answers after a short pause and decides she doesn't need to fake a smile anymore in front of her best friend.

o0o

Beca steps out of the fitting room just in time to see Chloe coming out of another with Aubrey.

The two women both freeze with Beca staring at Chloe who returns the look with a smile.

Chloe's gaze is warm and penetrating enough to make Beca's heart and stomach flutter. Beca has to wonder if the flush in her cheeks is too obvious, or can be explained by something else.

Beca realizes there is a bit of a crowd in the corridor and looks around. She catches Stacie's smirk and Emily's knowing smile, and it's plain her blush is noticeable.

The redhead steps forward and runs a light fingertip along the neon pink trim that runs along the neckline of Beca's dress. Her touch just skims the tops of Beca's breasts pressed eagerly upwards by the corset Fat Amy chose for her bridesmaids.

Beca's breath catches and she looks anywhere and everywhere but at Chloe, finally settling on the ceiling. She knows if she meets the redhead's eye, she'll be lost. She instinctively pulls back ever from Chloe's touch.

"Sorry," Beca says, feeling like an idiot. She's just kind of jumpy and anxious.

"Don't worry about it," Chloe says, but she looks kind of hurt, her forehead furrowed and her hands held up in front of her. "I thought you were going to stop doing that."

"Yeah, me too," Beca says, feeling a bit like an idiot. What the hell is wrong with her? It's not like Chloe has never touched her before. Chloe kind of touches her all the time, it's like her thing.

Chloe's mouth quirks up in a smile as she slides closer to Beca. "Told you you'd look beautiful.

"I look like an extra from the Moulin Rouge," Beca counters.

"Good movie, great look," says Chloe, remembering how warm and safe she felt cuddled under a blanket next to Beca on the loveseat in the Bellas living room.

"It's Lime Green, with neon pink trim," Beca counters flatly.

Chloe shrugs. "You make the color work."

"Lime Green?" There's an unsaid 'really?' in Beca's response.

"You look beautiful, so just accept the compliment," Chloe says.

Beca nods, she has trouble speaking; her heart feels like it's beating faster than is healthy. "Yeah," she finally manages, her voice too quiet. "Thanks."

Jessica comes into the corridor. "Umm, Amy wants to see you Beca." The young blonde looks guilty as if she's intruding.

"Umm, yeah, I'll be right there," answers Beca.

"We didn't get to spend the afternoon together," Chloe pouts.

"I was here, Beale," Beca defends.

"I was working my ass off, Mitchell," counters Chloe.

"I'm just saying, whatever Fat Amy has planned tonight, you owe me," Beca teases back.

"I hope it's dancing. I want to get your ass on the dance floor." Chloe winks back.

Beca smirks. "That might be arranged."

Fat Amy can be heard in the background, and Jessica steps forward, "Beca…"

"Yeah, yeah, tell Bridezilla I'm on my way," Beca says, her eyes never leaving Chloe's.

Beca looks back at Chloe as she walks, but notices Aubrey giving them a rather odd look. It seems a mixture of disappointment, disapproval, and... sympathy?

o0o

Beca is still considering Aubrey's demeanor as she arrives at the main dressing room. Jessica walks right in but Beca enters tentatively. This is Fat Amy after all, one never knows what one might find. She looks through the door and sees Fat Amy accompanied by Ashley and Jessica, talking to a seamstress and her assistant.

Fat Amy had occupied this main dressing room for the better part of two hours, so Beca is surprised Fat Amy isn't further along. Then again, it's Fat Amy so really no surprise there.

Inside the dressing room, the seamstress is zipping Amy into a dress that is surprisingly rather cheap looking. Fat Amy had seemed to suddenly find money everywhere and is willing to spend a fair share if the refreshments table is any indication. It's quite the spread.

"What's up, Shawshank?," Amy calls out when she spots the petite DJ entering the dressing room. "Oh My God! You look so great in your bridesmaid's dress!"

Beca looks down at the dress. "Ummm, yeah."

"You know, I know a lot of women are worried about being a bridesmaid because the brides stick them in God Awful dresses. So I bet you're glad you had me choosing the design and colors."

"Uhh, yeah, it was such a… relief…," Beca says half-heartedly as she looks down at her dress.

"I'm so glad you joined us. I was wondering when my Maid of Honor was going to get here." The Aussie smiles broadly.

"Yeah, I rushed over from the airport, but this is still LA," Beca replies.

"No worries, Shawshank." Amy hooks a thumb towards the table of food. "Help yourself shortstack, you're looking particularly twiggy."

"This is quite the spread, Amy," Beca says picking a pineapple slice from a bouquet of cut fruit.

"Yeah, Chloe was a Godsend, she's gone all over for me," Amy puts her hand by her mouth and stage whispers, "Don't tell the Ginger, I might have been getting even for all that vertical running she made me do," She drops her hand. "Plus, I really wanted a chocolate fountain."

"O-kay…"

"Do you think she'd get me an In-and-Out burger?," Amy suddenly asks.

"Amy…," Beca says skeptically.

"You're right, Shawshank," Amy says holding up her hands, then stage whispers, "Ashley, go ask the Ginger to get me an In-and-Out burger." For good measure, the blonde Aussie gives an exaggerated wink.

Beca rolls her eyes as Ashley heads out the room. The mousy brunette looks apologetic as she disappears out the door.

The boisterous blonde smiles broadly. She's really enjoying this taste of power. "Maybe I should have been a Captain of the Bellas." It's said thoughtfully as if truly contemplating this idea. After a couple seconds, she makes a face, very similar to the one she makes when she 'crop dusts' a room as she so eloquently describes it. Amy then shakes her head, as if suddenly remembering the downside of being a captain, namely there's a lot of work.

Fat Amy refocuses on the mirror, partly due to the prodding of the seamstress. She cocks her head as she looks at herself in the mirror, trying to decide whether she is excited by this choice. "What do you think, Shawshank?" The blonde woman strikes a pose that would make Madonna proud.

The dress is quite a sight. It fits the Moulin Rouge style that Fat Amy seems to be going for. Beca's eyes grow round as she tries to come up with some way of answering the question without hurting her friend's feelings. "Yeah, that's...wow. Some outfit." Beca can't help it, she blushes.

"You think so?," Fat Amy asks, as she squeezes her cleavage together. "I'm not sure it highlights the ladies enough."

Beca turns nearly purple in embarrassment, as even her ears are red. Her eyes focus on the ceiling, and she starts silently counting the ceiling tiles. Beca is pretty sure she's never seen such deep cleavage in her life. It doesn't help Fat Amy seems to be pushing them out at her. "They seem pretty highlighted," Beca comments.

Fat Amy turns and scrutinizes her cleavage in the mirror, twisting one way and then the other. "Ya might be right." The boisterous blonde bends a bit. "Ya know, my cleavage might be deep enough to fit your tiny body." Amy's eyes light up. "I might be able to carry you like a kangaroo carries their little ones. C'mere, let's test it out."

Beca instinctively backs up shaking her head, not taking any chances Fat Amy is being serious. "No, I'm good."

"You're too easy, Short Stack," Amy laughs, "The look on your face." Amy has to grab her stomach she's laughing so hard.

When the young Aussie finally stops laughing, she wipes a tear from her eye, and says, "You and the ginger have made my day. You two are so much fun to mess with."

"Har har, Amy. Glad we could entertain you," Beca snarks.

"So really, Beca, what do you think of the dress?," Amy asks in a more serious tone.

"It doesn't matter what I think. What do you think, Amy?"

"Oh, come on, Short-Stuff," Amy begs. "What do you think?"

"Ummm…" Beca fidgets from one foot to the other as she tries to buy time. "It's very… You, yes, it's very you, Fat Amy."

The seamstress makes a slight adjustment, and Beca thinks even more cleavage is showing now. Fat Amy bites her lower lip as she studies the effect. After a couple seconds she declares, "I love it." She looks over to Beca. "Do you think it shows too much?"

"Will you hold still?," the seamstress asks Fat Amy.

"No, I will not woman," Amy huffs at the woman. "Don't you see I'm talking to my best friend."

Beca's eyes are perpetually round with shock now. Fat Amy really is an Aussie bridezilla.

Ashley steps back in carrying an In-and-Out burger bag. Beca raises an eyebrow in question. Ashley gives a slight shake of her head, and mouths 'Emily'. Beca smiles, relieved.

Fat Amy turns around and places her hands on her hips. "Come on Short Stack, give me your honest opinion."

"Alright, Amy. Ummm… don't you think this is a little… I don't know, over-the-top?," Beca asks as she smoothes down the bridesmaid's dress that she's still in.

"What? You think this is over-the-top?," Amy has suddenly lost all playfulness. Her voice sounding quite serious, and a little hurt.

"Uhh-yeah," Beca says as she scratches the back of her neck, her eyes now checking out Amy's shoes.

"But this is my dream dress," Fat Amy exclaims forlornly.

"Amy…" Beca starts. "It's just not my cup of tea."

"This is an exact replica of my mom's dress," Fat Amy wails.

This breaks Beca, who relents. "Oh sweetie, don't do that. It's fine Amy, it's beautiful, it's going to look great on you."

"No, you're just saying that," Amy sobs into her arm, which she's using to cover her face.

"Amy…"

"No…" Amy stutters out. "You're a true friend to be so brutally honest…"

"Amy…" Beca tries again, placing her hand on the distraught Aussie's arm, but Fat Amy pulls away, disappearing behind a divider, her muffled sobs still heard.

Beca's shoulders slump in defeat and turns to the wedding planners. She's surprised to see Jessica and Ashley grinning broadly. The petite brunette looks back to where she can still hear Fat Amy making dramatic sobbing sounds from behind the divider. This just confuses Beca more. She goes to step behind the divider, but Jessica holds her up. "Give her a minute."

From behind the divider, Amy continues to lament Beca's feelings for her dress.

"Amy, you do what's best for you," Beca says. "You should always do what is best for you."

"Oh, I am, Shawshank," Fat Amy says. Her voice now clear and back to its usual Fat Amy confidence. This sudden mood swing catches Beca off.

Beca's eyes widen and her jaw nearly hits the floor when Fat Amy re-emerges. She's beginning to wonder if her eyes are going to be permanently wide, this time with awe at what she's seeing.

What Fat Amy is now wearing is probably the most extravagant dress she's literally ever seen. Beca has to blink several times at first because Beca's not even sure if she's really looking at Fat Amy. "What? I mean what?"

"What do you think, Shawshank?"

"I'm-I'm-I'm what? Surprised. Shocked, actually." She can just see the shimmering of pearls interwoven in the sparkling fabric of the gown, which reflects beautifully in the room's lights.

Beca looks up and sees the mirth in Fat Amy's eyes. "You're so easy Short Stack."

"What?"

"I was just playing with you Shawshank," Fat Amy says.

"This is your dress?"

"Yep."

"Not that other one?"

"Nope."

"So that one wasn't a replica of your mom's?"

"Oh, it is, but I ain't blind. That dress isn't wedding material."

"Oh, great."

"It's totally 'Stag & Hen's Party.'

"The what?"

"The ball Bump and me are throwing next week."

"Oh."

"And I'm wearing that other dress."

"Oh thank God," Beca sighs. "So, what do the real bridesmaids' dresses look like?"

Jessica and Ashley are shaking their heads, trying to wave Beca off.

"What are you talking about? Those dresses are awesome!"

"Oh, uh, yeah, they're great."

Fat Amy looks at her shorter friend for a moment, then breaks into a huge grin. "I knew you would love 'em." Ashley and Jessica both breathe a sigh of relief,

"Okay, let's show this puppy off," Fat Amy says, hiking up her skirt and marching towards the double doors that lead to the main room of the store. Without missing a beat, the Tasmanian pushes through the door to the main area of the shop where all the rest of the Bellas are congregating.

This entrance is enough to get everyone's attention. Still, Fat Amy loves to make an entrance. "Alright, ya lot of flat butts! It's time to see the main attraction," Fat Amy announces at the top of her lungs.

All the remaining Bellas turn to see Fat Amy coming out of the main dressing room in her wedding dress. Everyone's reaction is similar to Beca's. They are all just stunned.

It's an amazing dress. It's simple and elegant, and entirely not Fat Amy.

"Oh, my God. I think you look wonderful, Amy," says Chloe.

"You look amazing," says Stacie.

"Just imagine when Bumper sees you," adds Aubrey.

"Damn, girl," CR says, really impressed.

"Oh, my God, Amy!," Emily brings her hand to her mouth. "That's such a beautiful gown."

The Bellas all gather round, continuing to compliment Amy, truly impressed by the dress. After a couple minutes, Ashley and Jessica urge Fat Amy to go back to the dressing room so she can change.

"Okay Pitches, don't go anywhere, this day is just getting started," Amy shouts over her shoulder, as she is lead away.

"I have to say, I'm impressed. I didn't see Fat Amy picking a gown like that," says Aubrey.

"Yeah, I totally thought she would have a dress more in line with Ms. Moulin Rouge here," Stacie says, hooking her thumb towards Beca.

Beca had forgotten she was still in her bridesmaids dress. Looking about, she realizes she's the only one still in their bridesmaids dress.

"Wait, why am I the only one still in a bridesmaids dress?," Beca asks incredulously. She only gets good-natured laughter from her Bella friends. "I'm out of here," she gripes as she makes her way back to her fitting room.

"Do you need any help?," Chloe calls after her grumpy friend.

"No!"

This elicits another round of laughter.

When Beca returns, Fat Amy is back with Ashley and Jessica. Ashley is putting the wedding dress back on its hanger and Jessica helps to put it under its cover to keep it safe until the big day, and with that, the dress fitting ordeal is done.

Beca can feel her mood improve immeasurably.

"So what's next?," Cynthia Rose asks.

"Don't you flat-butts worry. I got this," Fat Amy declares. "It's Friday! And that means we party! Ashley has made reservations for dinner." The brunette gives a thumbs up. "And then Jessica set up our after-dinner activity. We're going...wait for it…Karaoke-ing!"

o0o

A/N: So, that's another chapter in the books. I know the slow burn continues, but trust me, we are in the final lap. Which brings me to a point. Yes, this story has taken a long time to write, because life has often got in the way. While the story has taken over a years to write, the story itself only covers a couple months.

There have been complaints about my handling of Beca, and to those people I apologize, but I am not sure if I would write it any other way. I hope this chapter helps explain something of what Beca has been going through. I don't know what it is to have to face one's sexuality. I don't know what it is to have repressed something for years because of family and peers pressure. I think though it is a difficult thing, even for a certified badass like Beca.

I hope people continue to read this story, but either way, I'm going to keep writing.