Chapter 24
Chloe's remembers the first time she noticed it happen.
That time it wasn't something she thought would require absolute concern. How could she have guessed it when she's wrapped up in her own beautiful, magical, exhilarating and absolutely perfect night of romantic bliss? But yes, thinking about it now she should've seen the signs, blinking brightly overhead like a call for help. Yes, that's what it was.
But what's worse about it is, the horrible truth. She had been the trigger.
Blearily, Chloe feels around with her arms, seeking the warmth that she had fell asleep in. Time already seems to be irrelevant as she had lost track of it a long time ago. Although from the deep orange glow seeping below the thick curtains covering every window of their hotel room she could tell that it's way past midday.
She reaches out but then when her hands feel nothing but cottony sheets and pillows, her eyes blearily seek out her love.
"Becs," she croaks out, eyes still half closed as she starts to look around.
She didn't have to look far. Relief washes over her but not for long. Because she's suddenly getting small hints of something, a certain mixture of feelings which she doesn't understand. It's making her feel cold and it's not because of her lack of clothing. No, it was a different kind of chill. One produced out of horror, of fear and crippling of dread.
It's too dark and Chloe hates it.
Beca sat at the end of the bed, wearing a bathrobe. She has her back towards her and Chloe couldn't see her face. There's a glass in her hand, slightly tilted as the small amount of the amber coloured liquid pools on to the side, probably whiskey. Beca loves whiskey but it had been a while since Chloe saw her drink one.
The Du Pont seemed so deep in thought, gazing far away.
It's cold, so cold, the kind that runs chills down her spine and drains out all of your energy.
Slowly, she reaches out, moving towards Beca until finally, her hands wrap around the Du Pont, her bare body pressed against Beca's back with both her legs at either side of her. The moment she hugs Beca it's like ice melting into a puddle. Light floods everywhere as the warmth slowly creeps in.
Whatever she felt slowly washes away like it was never there as Beca straightens up a bit in surprise before relaxing into her arms. Resting her head against the Du Pont's shoulder, she tightens her embrace still trying to shake off whatever nightmare that had blanketed her earlier.
"Hey," Beca softly greets her before taking her hand to plant a sweet kiss on her inner wrist. "Did I wake you up?"
"This bed is big and you're too far. Now I'm cold," she softly whines in reply. She feels Beca's chest rumble as she chuckles.
"That's very unacceptable. Should I punish the winter winds for making you shiver?" the Du Pont teases while Chloe playfully squeezes her tighter, peppering kisses all over her exposed shoulder until Beca tilts her head to meet her lips.
"I don't think that would be necessary, Your Majesty. I've already found a better solution," she murmurs slyly in between kisses, her lips slowly travelling down to Beca's neck.
Beca sighs in approval and she suddenly feels a small boost of confidence in her. "Becs," she starts, her head pressing against the side of Beca's head.
"Can I," she pauses, hesitating as she begins to worry but decides against it, pushing through the insecurity, "Can I touch you?" because dear god, she badly wants to. It ends up as a whisper but there's certainty in her tone.
Beca stops mid sip before slowly lowering her glass to give Chloe her attention. The look the Du Pont is sporting is smouldering that Chloe might as well get a heart attack with the way she looks at her.
Lifting her glass up to her lips, where Chloe's eyes travel down distractedly, she drinks it all in one go while dark blues stare deeply at her. It reminds Chloe of that time a couple of months ago when the Du Ponts invited them to their first party of the school year.
Separated by a certain amount of distance, as always. Beca standing at the opposite end of the room, back against the wall while she observes quietly. Sipping whiskey until suddenly those blue eyes slip in her direction, unable to resist the pull. Like two elements drawn to each other no matter how far apart they may be.
That was then.
Now, the distance has diminished until there's not even a trace of it. Beca leans closer and just before their lips meet she whispers in a way that instantly makes the temperature rise.
"Always,"
Chloe fumbles, her hands are shaking and really she's about to head into a state of panic. Her heart thumps loudly in her chest there might as well be war drums thumping to an erratic tune. But nonetheless, she's determined to get it right because being absolutely good at everything is already something that had been hot-wired into her system. It's a Vanderbilt trait after all and she grew up as one. Mistakes aren't supposed to be made and flaws are meant to be hidden. That's the centuries old invisible rule. It wasn't said out loud yet it was there, clinging on to her like a disease she can't seem to get rid of.
The pressure is unimaginable.
Comforting hands find hers, "Sunshine, relax," Beca says in her ear, soothingly and softly.
"Breathe. I got you," she whispers again before planting a soft kiss on her jaw.
It helps. It really does and it has Chloe kissing her because Beca's just too beautiful to resist.
"How," she quietly says, breathless, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Tell me how," she says, almost pleads but she doesn't have to elaborate further. Beca knows. She always does.
And perfect maybe a word connected to the impossible and with all that has happened Chloe has learned that she doesn't have to be so. She's coming into terms with it but even though that's the case, she's sure that there's always going to be one exception.
Beca.
Beca will always be the exception.
Because no matter what anyone tells her, Beca deserves perfect and nothing less.
Beca whose bathrobe slips off her shoulders completely leaving her naked, Chloe's bare front now flushed against the brunette's bare back. She guides Chloe's hands along her chest, showing her where she wants to be touched, how she wants to be touched. How she likes it. Every soft moan encouraging her to continue, every press of her lips on Chloe's skin an appreciation, and every squeeze she makes on Chloe's thigh a sign that she's doing it right.
Her Beca
Hands slowly wander along soft skin, exploring every inch of Beca's body until she reaches down further. She hears Beca's breath hitch as Chloe reaches that spot and knows that it's a good sign, her own body heating up at the mere sight before her. The Du Pont sinks into her completely, Chloe's legs cradling her body as she reaches out at the back of her neck urging her on.
Her fingers run through soft folds and knows that Beca's ready for her. So ready for her. Chloe doesn't even need to be told what to do. It's instinct. She slips in slowly and Beca's hand comes on top of hers, pressing her in further. It's not enough, she knows, so she adds in another finger and it elicits a moan, head thrown back against her shoulders and dark brown locks cascading down Chloe's skin. It's a seductive sight and she takes delight in knowing that she's caused it.
Pressing open mouthed kisses against Beca's neck, she starts to move, pushing and pulling in a slow pace, trying to find her rhythm. Because Beca only deserves the best. Because Chloe loves this woman so much that there's just no way to compress all that love inside her. So it spills and oozes out because there's just no room left for all of it. It's overflowing and stopping it is useless.
She glides her tongue along Beca's neck until she stops to lightly suck on that pleasure pulse, enough to almost drive Beca over the edge. And she swears, with the way the Du Pont stretches her neck towards even more, that Beca almost seems like she wants her to take that bite. Her fangs dangerously slide down unconsciously and how easy it was to just sink them in. Just take a sip, a taste of that addicting flavour and claim what is hers.
It's calling out to her.
"Chlo,"
Beca's breathy moan breaks her out of her hypnotized stupor so she turns Beca's face towards her with her free hand, kissing her hard. Beca's whimpers are muffled against her mouth and Chloe knows she's finally hit that spot, her fingers curling upwards. She builds up her pace, her wrist starting to ache but the way Beca's hips start to rock against her means she's close. A few steady thrusts more and Beca's body stiffens. Her hands tightly grasp Chloe's legs as she buries her face underneath her jaw. A desperate 'Fuck' coming out of her lips along with heavy uneven breaths as her body shudders.
Chloe feels her clench around her fingers, tightly, and only when Beca's legs snap close does she finally stay completely still, walls squeezing around her fingers. When she pulls out, Beca's hips lightly jerk before her body finally starts to relax, going limp in Chloe's arms.
Beca deserves only the best and Chloe is willing to give it to her until her last breath.
She presses a soft kiss on the side of Beca's head and after a couple of moments the Du Pont stirs in her arms, body turning to face her. Before Chloe knows it, she's suddenly pushed back down the bed, body pinned down and trapped in between limbs. Her surprised yelp swallowed by a passionate, bruising kiss that would certainly leave her lips swollen. When she looks up, there's hunger in her favourite dark blues and it's the kind of hunger that has Chloe's heart racing in anticipation.
Clearly, sleeping is unnecessary.
Not when Beca isn't holding back on showing her just how much she wants her.
Not when Beca wants her really bad.
Not when Chloe has no intention on stopping her.
Not when she wants her just as bad.
She wakes up with a smile on her face as she stretches a bit, pausing as she feels Beca's arm draped around waist. The sheets pool down their hips and with Beca pressed against her, sharing body heat, she figures that there's really no need for blankets. Their legs are tangled below and it takes a while for her to carefully slip out of bed without waking the sleeping Du Pont. Her body feels sore in all the right places and Chloe is not complaining.
Her mornings can start like this every day.
Planting a tender kiss on Beca's head, she then tiptoes around the room, grabbing one of Beca's gray oversized shirts and pyjama shorts. Slipping into them, she smiles at how they smell like Beca before padding across the room towards the hotel's telephone. She orders room service and once the food arrives she heads back in their room, quietly crawling back in the bed and wrapping her arms around the Du Pont to shower her with soft adoring kisses, half her body already on top of Beca.
The brunette underneath her slowly stirs and at this point, it should be known that Beca has a record for sleeping through an earthquake. The Du Pont actually values her early evenings so much and nobody would even dare of ruining them. The last person who did ended up having a night lamp thrown at their face—not to be confused with the one who got their throat cut for suddenly hugging the elusive Du Pont.
Yet as Chloe nuzzles against her cheek, Beca only tangles her fingers around Chloe's as she lets out a sigh and slowly opens her eyes to the sight of red wavy hair scattering all over her face. But even so, her lazy smile is visible and what a perfect way to wake up indeed.
"I got us dinner," Chloe says, pushing herself up with her arms to look down at Beca who shifts to lie down on her back, looking up at her. From Chloe's point of view, it's a very lovely sight.
Beca's eyes wander down her body and a frown suddenly graces her features. "How can I eat when you have clothes?" she slyly says, an eyebrow arching up. Also, that husky undertone to her voice is making her feel things again.
"I meant real food," she points out as Beca moves to sit up, bringing Chloe with her so she's straddling Beca's lap. Arms wrap around her middle as she feels the Du Pont giving her open mouthed kisses across her neck.
Her eyes flutter close as she sinks into Beca's arms. They stay like that for a while. Melting into each other's embrace, Beca's face buried in her neck while she presses her nose in Beca's hair, breathing her in.
Things feel different now or better yet, even more special. The invisible chain connecting them together tightening even more, if that was even possible. Beca's heartbeat dances in tune to her own much prominently now.
She can't even imagine how being branded of the soulmate mark would be like. If she already feels so deeply for her beautiful brunette now, how much more would it be like when they take that next leap? Their case had always been so different than the rest because they're already eternally bonded together since they were eleven.
Sometimes she laughs at the thought that maybe what they did years ago already constitutes as marriage and they just didn't know about it. Maybe Beca's already her wife and that concept alone makes her insides twist in excitement. She likes that thought a lot.
"I'm being attacked in all directions with gooey and giddy feelings. I'm afraid you're going to explode in glittering neon colours any moment now," Beca mumbles monotonously against her neck and Chloe bursts into giggles.
She keeps forgetting that their connection doesn't just work one way.
"Get used to it," she throws back with a laugh, pressing a quick kiss on Beca's lips before moving to get off her.
"Five more minutes," Beca softly pleads, tightening her hold on around Chloe's waist.
It's useless to fight those deep blue eyes so Chloe gives in. Months ago, she wouldn't have imagined being this happy and so, so in love with the Du Pont who only had harsh stinging words and cold silent glares for her. A million tears and heartbreaks later, the angry words that had constantly pierced her chest had now turned into soft, sweet melodies whispered into her ear, flowing down until it reaches her heart where it settles perfectly and the looks of hatred had turned into warm, loving gazes of adoration spared only for her.
This thought would follow Chloe until she successfully drags Beca out of bed so they could finally start their night with delicious Mediterranean cuisines, lingering kisses in between comfortable silences and legs tangled underneath the table.
Is it crazy to be into someone this much?
They could just wordlessly stare at each other and fall in love again and again until the stars start exploding in the sky.
Not when you've finally found the other half of your soul.
The second time Chloe noticed it happen was when they finally return back home.
Three days in Greece was certainly not enough and Chloe's already set on sailing back to Mykonos with Beca anytime next year. Maybe even make a stopover in Paris along the way.
But for now, she'd have to try not to blush furiously at the way Stacie is smirking knowingly at her considering the bright smile and rosy glow she is sporting now that tells the older Conrad that, obviously they finally did, according to Beca's long legged cousin, the 'wham bam shang-a-lang' and thankfully, Aubrey isn't anywhere nearby because her cousin is sure to relentlessly tease her about it.
Thankfully, any attempt of Stacie throwing more teasing in the form of subtle comments with double meanings are squashed down as the younger Du Ponts greet her sweetly with bone crushing hugs. Jesse fondly calls her the mother hen of the house while the twins demand for their souvenirs, as if they haven't been to Greece three times.
It was all supposed to go back to normal.
Back to university life, Beca DJ-ing at the club, Chloe supporting in said gigs and the usual mundane activities.
Not like this, waking up in the middle of the day breaking in cold sweat as a certain chill creeps in her spine, wrapping around her bones and gripping tightly at her heart. The constant feeling of fear, paranoia and anxiety momentarily disorients her but when her senses kick in, Chloe instinctively reaches out for the one thing that she knows is safe.
Beca.
However, her arms meet an empty spot where her love was supposed to be and this time the thought of Beca not by her side scares her more than the twisted creepy feelings she is currently assaulted with. Fighting through the haze of sleep and confusion, she searches around until she finds her favourite brunette, sitting at the edge of the bed, swirling a glass of whiskey in a hypnotizing manner.
Weakly, she crawls towards her, reaching out until she wraps her arms around Beca. She embraces her tightly, clinging as if she would die if she let go. The contact instantly drenches her with warmth like a comfortable blanket. A breath of relief escapes her lips.
"Hey," Beca softly says as she turns to press her lips against the side of Chloe's head.
The gesture instantly chases away the remnants of the nightmare she had drowned into moments ago and Chloe's heartbeat drops into a calmer rhythm.
"It's cold," she blurts out without even thinking and Beca finishes her drink.
The Du Pont doesn't even need to be told twice as she places her empty glass towards the bedside table and moves to join Chloe at the middle of the bed. Chloe, however, doesn't miss the other object Beca places next to it, the one she had been holding in her other hand, twirling it absentmindedly even before Chloe had reached out to her. A dagger with a blade sharp enough to pierce straight into someone's heart with the right amount of force.
Beca never really takes out any of her knives. As a matter of fact, Chloe's never seen her with one ever since that horrible event that claimed hundreds of lives. It had only ever been present in times of danger or when Chloe suggested the blood contract. Until now, whenever she thinks of that day she could still feel the sting from the wound on her palm to be honest.
But when Beca holds her tightly against her and runs a hand through her auburn locks, Chloe forgets everything and easily drifts back to sleep.
It really wasn't supposed to be anything.
It's just some random coincidence that she really shouldn't be making a big deal of.
But when it happens for the third, the fourth and finally the fifth time, each occurrence getting darker and drearier, Chloe knows something isn't right. The nightmares are beginning to return and sometimes, if she were to be honest, it doesn't feel like dreams. It feels real. Too real and that scares her. And yet despite that it is probably the denial to the growing problem in the middle of her happiest moments that had kept her from actually facing it.
But when Beca badly injures her sparring partner on one of their sessions at the gym, putting no disregard to her partner's desperate sign of surrender, Chloe knows that there's clearly something that is seriously bothering her beloved Du Pont. The chill that she had only felt in the middle of her sleep heavily coating the atmosphere and putting her in momentary shock.
Chloe had been the only one to step in the ring and successfully pull Beca back. She didn't like to dwell on the thought of what would've happened if she hadn't been there.
Meanwhile, the Du Pont admits that she got a little carried away after she snaps out of it. Her deep blue eyes settle down on the poor soul being medically attended to and Chloe frowns at the lost look she sees in them.
It's like she didn't know what she was doing.
She didn't know what she had just done.
But then figuring it all out isn't a job for just one person. This seems deep yet she wasn't sure of it either.
So she goes to the one person she's been running to for advice whenever Beca isn't around.
"Stace?" Chloe calls as she reaches the kitchen.
The long-legged brunette had her back towards her as she starts brewing some tea to start her night before cooking what every vampire considers as breakfast and what every ordinary human considers as dinner.
"You here early to sneak in an extra waffle on your plate?" Stacie quips as she eyes her fondly.
"Not really but that idea is tempting," Chloe replies with a smile, fingers drumming against the counter as she mentally debates on how to open the issue.
"Well, you've been keeping the grumpy otter queen extra happy and therefore the kingdom has been peaceful so I guess you deserve extra blueberry waffles," Stacie hums as she sips her tea and somehow Chloe is reminded of Aubrey and her love of tea.
Which then leads to the idea of having to invite them both over for some quality bonding time. Maybe she can enjoy tea time with two of her closest friends—she's actually done it with Emily and Scott that one time. It would certainly be done in secret because unfortunately, Vanderbilts and Du Ponts still don't get along, although it would also be great and hilarious at the same time with both of them being such polar opposites to each other.
Putting aside that thought for now, Chloe starts her attempt to tackle the minor issue she is dying to clear up. She has questions and she just wants to be sure before opening it up to Beca.
So she goes for it without thinking much into it, "There's actually something that I need your opinion on," she suddenly says and the gravity of her tone is enough to make Stacie look at her with concern.
"Is this a sex question?" Stacie whispers after a second and Chloe, certainly not expecting it, blushes at the thought of the intimate and highly satisfying activities she and Beca had been doing regularly every now and then—or whenever Beca is free from royal duties. Even more so, when Stacie begins to expound on it, "Is this about sex toys? 'Cause you know I can give you suggestions," the tall brunette winks playfully.
"N-No! This isn't about… that," Chloe quickly stutters, looking down at the pot of tea as her mind suddenly fills up with inappropriate images, Beca being the centre of it all. And really, this isn't the right time to get all hot and bothered when there are important things she needs to discuss.
"Oh, well then what is this about?" Stacie says, straightening up as she waits for her.
"Uhm, I was just wondering," she starts, taking a deep breath before getting on to it, "About Beca. Has she always had… insomnia?" she slowly asks, careful not to get her words wrong.
Stacie blinks in reply, lowering her cup of tea as a frown visibly appears on her face.
"It's been a while since Beca had trouble sleeping," Stacie answers in an equally slow manner. "That cousin of mine loves to sleep as much as I love tea and making out with the hottest person in the room but sometimes stress and some certain heavy issues do tend to cause irregular sleeping patterns," she continues and Chloe can't help but notice the careful tone as if there was something Stacie herself is heavily weighing in her head.
So the need to keep pushing fuels her. Chloe always been very inquisitive especially if something doesn't feel right. She always had this need to care about things that most people would have just brushed off. Aubrey had even joked that she'd had been more suited in journalism once.
With her Beca being the main topic of her concern, it amplifies this part of her even more. "I see. But the thing is, I have this feeling that this one goes beyond politics. She's sort of been… having this strange vibe lately," she lets out a heavy sigh, suddenly wondering if maybe she was just making something big out of nothing.
"I mean, I wake up at some point in the middle day and she's awake, drinking whiskey and sharpening blades. Then this incident happened yesterday where she just kept beating up Paul with so much… anger and it's like she's… too wrapped up in something that is bothering her. I want to try and talk to her about it but every time I do she seems fine and really happy—"
"What was she doing at the middle of the day again?" Stacie suddenly cuts her off abruptly, holding on to her arm to emphasize the importance of the question.
"Drinking whiskey and well, you know how she loves her knives—"
"Where was she facing?" Stacie again interrupts her and this time the urgency is evident in her tone and it's making Chloe worried.
"Uhm, I, well, she sits at the end of the bed and she's facing," she prolongs the last word, trying to remember exactly how she finds Beca whenever she wakes up from one of her nightmares.
"The door," Stacie provides for her yet it wasn't even a question. The brunette was sure of it.
And she is right.
"Yes, but why—"
This time, Stacie doesn't let her finish by taking her by the arm and pulling her away towards the back door. On their way, they bump into the twins whom Stacie quickly mutters a very serious, "It's Beca. We have to talk. Now,"
There's something in the way that the twins look at each other and follow them outside without a word or a joke that makes this whole situation even more severe than Chloe had thought at first.
"Stace, what's happening?" she finally breathes out after they had headed off towards the big old oak tree nearby.
The long-legged brunette is pacing around as she massages her temples while the twins only shrug when Chloe looks at them for answers.
"Do we need to blow up someone's yard?" Nick finally asks, rather seriously and Chloe seems to have an idea that this isn't the first time he suggested this. Although, she really shouldn't be surprised anymore.
But Stacie doesn't have time for children's games as she faces her cousins, looking at each one of them dead in the eye, "Beca's falling again,"
That sentence can't be good, especially when both Nick and Nate's faces fall into shock. Both of them silent at her words and Chloe just can't stand it anymore.
"Can somebody please tell me what's going on?" she breaks through desperately and impatiently.
But what she gets is something far worse than she has ever expected. When Stacie turns to her, the words coming out of her lips are the words Chloe would never guess she'd ever say.
"Beca had been kidnapped when she was eight. Only a week after her mother's burial,"
"W-What?" she stammers weakly as she looks from one Du Pont to the next. There's no smile on their faces, nothing that says it was joke or a prank. But it had to be a joke. If it were real then wouldn't they all have known about it?
Beca's father was King that time. The tragedy that had happened placed him and his family in the centre of gossip. The poor King who had lost his Queen, the other half of his soul and the mother of his precious daughter. And now this information about Beca being kidnapped one week after her mother had been laid to rest just makes Chloe unable to imagine what sort of pain that must've have been. Both for Darius and Beca. There were just too many questions and it flows out of her before she could even make sense of anything.
"By whom? For how long? And why does nobody know about this?" she presses on.
The image of Beca entering Constantine Albert a year after her mother died constantly appearing in her head. She and Beca had been best friends for three years after that, even going as far as binding their souls together, and yet this was the first time she had heard of this.
She felt furious, sad and confused all at the same time. What kind of horrible person would do such thing and to a child who has just lost her mother at that?
"Five months. It had been kept under wraps so as not to interfere with the operation in order to bring her back. And… you already know who. You've met him under very unpleasant circumstances," Stacie answers sadly.
It was just too much to process. Chloe had already lost it at the first answer because being kidnapped is a nightmare. She knows what it's like and it had only been a day. One hell of a day to be exact. To be in hell for five months, death would've been paradise.
She stops her train of thought at this point because it reminds her of Beca's careless attitude with regards to her own life before they got together. How quickly she jumps into danger. How eager she was to fight and keep going until her body just gave up. How easy it was for her to tell Chloe to 'let go' when they were at the edge of the cliff. How there wasn't even a trace of fear in her eyes as she looked up straight into the camera before plunging her sword straight into her own heart and—
"Stefan,"
Chloe's blood runs cold at the thought of Beca's half-brother. Of course, who else could've done something so vile but him? He had not only killed Robbyn. He made Beca want death, constantly peering into the edge and wishing to take that leap.
He was a monster.
Beca had been his favourite victim.
"It was him," Stacie says and before she could say anything else. Chloe just gives in to her emotions.
"After the threat that he had caused when he killed Beca's mother, how could they have let that happen? They should have strengthened the security! They should've protected her with everything they had! How'd they even let him live and set loose to wreck havoc on her life again and again is beyond me! With her mother, Kosovo and the tragedy here at Victor Barden, he has mentally and emotionally tortured her for years! And now, even after his death, he is still torturing her!" she cries out, heart aching. Aching for Beca and the cruel life she had lived underneath that devil's clutches.
Beca deserved nothing but the best. Only the best. If Chloe had to fight for that right she'd be at the front of the line waging war.
But then if she thought this information was enough to shake her world, she'd find just how twisted the heavens could be sometimes.
"You know about Kosovo?" Nate asks and Chloe nods.
"Beca told me. How Stefan used those children to make her think that they were enemies. He's a manipulative bastard from the very beginning," she mutters in anger, shaking her head.
"What else?" Nate asks again.
"She almost lost her arm and she got to stab Stefan on the chest. She missed her aim,"
"And that's it?" Nate continues and Chloe doesn't like where this seems to be heading. It feels like there's more to this story than what she had been told and Chloe doesn't know if she wants to hear the rest of it.
Maybe she does.
Maybe she needs to.
Beca is a part of her now. Flooding her system, souls locked in to each other, filling up her heart and melding right into her. They're almost one.
"Tell me," she finally says after swallowing hard, her eyes determinedly looking at the cousins.
The twins slowly look at Stacie as if they are leaving it all up to her while Chloe waits with bated breath.
"I think she has to know," Nick says, cocking his head towards Chloe as he looks at Stacie. "She's already… family," he adds before drawing his attention back at her.
This time, Stacie sighs heavily before finally opening her lips and Chloe braces herself for what she's about to hear.
"We got Beca back after almost five months," she begins, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"And everyone thought the worst. An eight year old in the clutches of the most notorious murderer the council has ever encountered. She would've been traumatized and that's why her father brought her to the best therapy specialists and psychologists there was. Anything that could help her heal," Stacie continues.
"They also wanted to get information about Stefan and his whereabouts, his plans," she pauses, looking down at her feet.
"You met her about a month after that incident. I'm guessing you became best friends around that time. Was there any sign of fear, withdrawal, anger, mood swings or any disturbing habit one would acquire as a traumatized kidnapped victim?"
The question throws her mind to the nine year old Beca, smiling as she talks about her favourite countries, her excitement as they play in the garden with their adventures, warm hugs and speaking of her happy memories with her mother or of the plans they had for the future. Beca had acted like any normal child. Shy at times, playful when it's just the two of them and extremely caring towards her. Other than the fact that she had been a target of bullying, her innocence and pureness of heart remained intact in spite of her mother's absence.
"Beca never misses her aim, Chloe. She'd been trained to stab hearts ever since she entered Underworld. Her aim was her best skill. No matter the situation, that's how she was trained. Her father made sure that she'd never be weak. That in the event of a dangerous situation like that she wouldn't be totally helpless. She'll never miss," Stacie says as she steps closer to Chloe.
"You've been asking the wrong questions," she tells her.
"Contrary to what we all first believed, you aren't Beca's first friend. She already had one when she met you and this one, I believe, she loved as much as she loves you,"
Stacie's words ring at her ear like they were a foreign language. It's too hard for her to comprehend all of it and she doesn't know if she still can go on listening. If nightmares can follow you into the real world, Chloe was sure that this is one.
"Stefan didn't die in Kosovo not because Beca missed her aim. Stefan lived because Beca let him live and escape. She would never kill the brother she loved so dearly. Beca wasn't traumatized as a child because it wasn't kidnap. Her therapy sessions had been a shocking revelation," Stacie pauses, trying to gauge a reaction out of her but nothing was coming out. She was frozen and everything around her just dies in silence.
"The truth is, Beca had willingly went with Stefan and lived with him for five months in different countries with the happiest of memories until they got separated. The testament to her loyalty to him is now clear that even with you she never gave away anything about him," Stacie says without missing a beat.
And clearly, keeping something from someone you love dearly is almost as heavy as a horrible lie blatantly said in front of your face.
"The bond between siblings can be very powerful. Sometimes, even as strong as the bond between soulmates," Stacie continues, her words said with conviction what with the tight bond she shares with her own sister, Stella.
The twins look at each other, truly understanding what she had meant while Chloe shakes her head in denial.
"Beca and Stefan share that kind of bond,"
Wake me up from this nightmare.
Author's Note:
Don't kill me, okay? Breathe. Calm down, darling. I know you have questions. A ton of them, I can totes feel it.
So yeah, I was writing this chapter for almost two weeks (a lot has also happened and my god, it was Brittany Snow's birthday! Camila Cabello who has a boyfriend, who I will fucking kill if he doesn't treat her right, dropped the mv for Never Be the Same and my gorgeous wife Alycia Debnam-Carey got out of hibernation to spam me with photos, and well now that her vacation is done she's uhm sadly hibernating again) when I suddenly stopped typing to stare at it for about a minute only to realize that damn it's too long and I need pizza because I'm hungry. But really, it deserves to have another chapter to thoroughly circle around what is probably the missing years of Beca's life. So I split it in two. I'm only halfway done with the second half and I'm going to release it when I do. It could be tomorrow or two days from now, depends on my schedule to be honest.
Now I'm going to go back to bed and crash because I'm tired from walking for hours getting shit done, buying groceries, stuffing myself with like a large family size pizza. Not kidding, it really was a large family size pizza. Although I had help devouring it. Still, I feel heavy and I'm going to go... sleep like a real panda.
Also, I like it when you guys look for me. Keeps me motivated. You sweet babes *wink *wink So, yeah, go ahead and yell at me for an update all you want at the inbox or at the comments section to wake me up. I won't be mad.
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