A/N OK so this is unusual, but I'm on a roll. At no time in my short writing career has this happened before, but I present to you, the second chapter published on the same day. Enjoy.

Chapter 4

"Ah, there you are Captain!" Fat Amy announced between a mouthful of pancakes and Bacon.

She'd obviously just come back from Bumper's . The walk of shame meant nothing to Amy – it was more of a pride thing for her.

Chloe's hair was still damp, but tied behind her in a loose French braid. She could pull off the barely-tried sexy without well, without trying. Stacie was the only other one who could do this.

"Thought you'd got washed down the plug 'ole. Did you not bring Beca with you?"

All the other Bellas were downstairs, not all dressed, but up and sitting either around the aisle table, or on the back of the sofa, waiting for breakfast.

Flo was helping Stacie with the cooking and spoke in conspirational tones "My brother once had to hide in the drains for a week." She gave a knowing nod and Stacie turned to look at her with a quirked eyebrow and a curled lip.

"Erm…" The redhead began to reply.

"Oh I'll go get her," Jessica piped up, getting up from the counter and heading for the stairs.

"Er, actually," Stacie turned around from the stove where she was cooking the last of the bacon, "I think she's gone out."

"Gone out?" Chloe questioned.

"Yeah, about 6am I think it was. I was just coming down to do my Yoga DVD, you know. This," she gestured to her body, "despite what you all might think, just doesn't happen overnight." It was now she really wished Aubrey was here, because she'd have pulled the trademark flirty wink at this point. "Yeah, She was just going through the door as I'd got to the bottom of the stairs. Well, that is unless we have another smartly-dressed cute brunette in the house?

What? I can call her cute – she is, right?"

"She never gets up for work early. She never gets up early," Chloe said in a small voice, glancing at Jessica.

Amy caught the look and narrowed her eyes at the redhead.

"Oh well," the Captain said, her voice instantly becoming it's usual chipper, effervescent self. "Looks like she's missing an amazing breakfast. She must have had to go in early. Weird though, huh?" She smiled widely, inviting everyone to agree that the world must be ending if Beca Mitchell had beaten them all out of bed, and to go to work too. "Pass the bacon, Stacie."

Stacie grinned and brought the last plate of bacon over to the table . "I'm starving."

Beca's feet were tired and aching by the time she'd got to the studio, true to her foretelling. Her mind had been reeling with images of Chloe and Chloe trying to kiss her, of Chloe actually kissing her. True, she was always close with the cute redhead (wait, what? Cute?) and yes, the girl (woman?) was right about what she'd said at Aca intitation night - they really were now fast friends, closer than any of the other Bellas, with maybe the exception of Jessica and Ashley…Or were they now? What had Chloe done? Why did she have to go and kiss her? – it's changed everything.

She sighed heavily and leaned against the wall next to the entrance door. She felt a little hot from her walk – she really ought not to do that often, At least not in these shoes. Puffing her cheeks, she then breathed out and pushed herself off the wall, fishing the keys out of her purse. At least being a half hour early she could freshen up a little before making a start on the coffees.

Twenty minutes later she was feeling much better and slid her phone out. She switched it back on and waited for it to come alive. Bing, Bing, Bing, Bing – the messages scrolled in – She smiled to herself, then her face fell, not one from Chloe, but as she though he would do, all of them from Jesse:

Jesse 8.25 I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'll pick you up.

Jesse 8.25 What time?

Jesse 8.25 Beca?

Jesse 8.25 Hey Don't be mad at me – I was tired – It's still not Dawn – you know that, right?

Jesse 8.25 Beca?

Jesse 8.25 Becaw?

Jesse 8.25 Yeah, sorry. I know you don't like that :(

Missed Call 8.26 Jesse

Missed Call 8.26 Jesse

Missed Call 8.26 Jesse

Jesse 8.26 What's up Beca?

Having switched her phone off and only back on again just now, all these were flooding in right now, but she knew they'd been sent just after she'd switched her phone off. Jesse had been insistent they stayed best friends after the split, even though she'd hurt him and she'd agreed. And she was glad she had. He'd never tried to come out of the friendzone ever since that point and they'd become great friends easy in each other's company ever since. So this is why she was feeling such a bitch at having switched her phone off on him. Yeah, OK – maybe it was unreasable to ask for a ride at 6am , but she'd known he'd answer the text. And she'd known he would have given her the ride, but the truth of it was, she didn't really want to talk about why she was going out so early. Jesse would know something was up and she wasn't ready to talk about it. This would be so much easier. Spending the day with colleagues that she didn't care too much about, and more importantly, wouldn't care too much about why she was acting all miserable.

She fired off a quick text:

Sorry about earlier. Bad mood. Decided to walk instead.

Jesse 8.28 Walk? Are you crazy? What have you done with Beca?

Shut it, nerd. I'm switching off for work now, Talk to you later.

"Jeez, that guy must sit on his phone," she thought to herself, double-checking for messages from Chloe. Still nothing. With a sigh, she turned the phone off and went to deliver the coffees. She may have produced a smokin' hot demo with Emily, but still had to do the coffees.

Today turned out to be a good day, she got some time in the booth and it was almost enough to take her mind off Chloe. Almost.

She was just packing up her stuff to head home when she suddenly remembered Bellas practice. They were going to do a run-through of the music for their World's set this evening. She didn't relish the thought of facing the sexy redhead just yet ( wait, what was that again? - sexy?) She could bail. She could put up her walls again, walls that yes that enigmatic redhead had taken down, damn her cute butt (Beca, get a grip girl). She could run. But she couldn't let her Bellas down. She'd never get back in time if she walked, not to mention her feet couldn't take it in those shoes.

She pulled our her phone, found Jesse and hit call.

"Thanks for the ride Jesse"

"That's it? You've not said a word the whole way back."

"I'm sorry dude. I gotta get changed for Bella practice. I know. I'm acting weird. I'll talk to you later." She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. "Thanks."

She got out of the car and gave him a little wave as he smiled sardonically and shook his head. "Later, Beca."

Damn it. She was late. On the plus side, the Bellas had all left for practice already, so didn't have to see Chloe just yet. She stopped at the door with the key in her hand. She hadnt seen Chloe all day. That just wasn't right. Shaking her head she let herself in and raced to her room, changing quickly and giving herself a quick spray with the body spray Chloe got her. "Dammit Chloe, why do you have to be everywhere?"

Grabbing her laptop bag, she raced back out the house and across Campus to practice.

It took five minutes of Aubrey breaths to gather herself and open the door. The girls were in the middle of a Cardio lap and they all crashed into Fat Amy as she stopped to look at her Captain.

Chloe turned, her face apprehensive. "Hey Beca."

"Hey."

She opened her laptop and addressed the girls."OK ladies, I've got the final mix right here, so we're just gonna listen through a couple times and then Chloe will guide us through the Choreo, right?"

Amy nudged Stacie, "what was all that about? No hug, no smile," she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Damned if I know."

"Something weird is going on here," said Amy in her best detecrive voice.

"OK, here we go.." Beyonce's 'who runs the world' started to blast out.

Practice went well, all things considering. The odd thing was, as far as Stacie was concerned (who had started to see what Amy meant), was that Beca and Chloe were always on opposite sides of the room. Chloe was her usual bubbly self, but didn't say a word to Beca. The tall brunette caught her catching sly glances, as if to see if Beca was looking at her, but that's all there was. Even with choreo, where Chloe would always find a way to 'help' Beca master a step (yes that was another thing the Bellas had noticed about their behaviour, one of those things Chloe hadn't realised was so obvious), she'd left it to Stacie to help Beca out. Stacie frowned as she watched Beca quickly packing her laptop away. "Gotta go ladies, I got dibs on first shower", she shouted over her shoulder as she ran for the door.

"But she's got her own shower?" Stacie thought to herself as she noticed Jessica looking at her grimly. "What's going on?" she mouthed at her silently. Jessica just shook her head and glanced pointedly at Chloe, who looked like she was about to cry.

The redhead quickly perked out of her stupor when she noticed Stacie looking at her and brightened to Chloe Level 10 "Pizza tonight ladies?"

"Aw, I would but Bumpah's taking me out to dinner," shrugged Amy aplogetically. "Have a double Pepperoni with hot sauce for me would ya?"

The blonde gave a cheery wave and then left with Flo and Lily.

Jessica smiled at her captain, "Yeah, Pizza sounds excellent. There's a bottle of Pinot in the fridge too."

Back at the Bella house, there was no sign of Beca. Her Jacket was on the hall stand, but the house was quiet. That soon changed as the girls started arguing about the bathroom, Chloe being thankful that, like Beca she had her own. They all agreed to be quick about freshening up so they could go ahead and order.

"What did you say about that bottle of wine, Jess? I'll go open it," said Chloe, drifting into the kitchen.

"I'll go check on Beca," Stacie said chirpily when they'd all re-convened.

"Hey, no it's OK I'll go get her." Jessica leapt up and made for the stairs.

She knocked lightly on the door and went in, climbing the stairs. The room was dark and she could just make out the shape of Beca other bed, under the covers. "Beca? Hey Beca, we're ordering Pizza." The blonde girl sighed. She knew the DJ was feigning sleep. "Look, I'm not going to push it - you want to hide from this, then hide. But if you want to talk about it, then I'm here. We're all here." She paused for a moment. "We all love you, Beca."

With that, she turned and went back down to the others.

Under the cover of darkness, tears traced the soft shape of the little brunette's cheekbones.

Jessica reached the bottom of the stairs unaccompanied to find Stacie waiting for her. The tall brunette grabbed her arm gently. "No Beca, huh? What's going on Jess?" Stacie was more than suspicious.

"I think we need a Bella meeting."

Chloe had Beca's hands pinned down at either side of her head, both girls panting and giggling. "I give in, I give in!"

The redhead pressed down on Beca's hands, pinning her tighter as she bent down towards her. "Do you? She whispered, her voice dropping a seductive octave and her face pressing closer, their noses almost touching. "Do you?" Chloe closed her eyes, and with it, the gap between their mouths and kissed Beca softly on her lips.

"Dude! What the …? Mhmmm." Chloe's tongue sought entrance to Beca's mouth, her tongue searching the seam of Beca's lips. The brunette's eyes closed as she allowed her lips to open and their tongues collided gently. Oh wow. Chloe tasted of strawberry and… oh she was so… oh this was…

"Mmm Beca, I've been waiting for this so long. I know you have too." Beca opened her eyes and looked into the cerulean pools staring right back at her – the redhead's face split into the sweetest, sexiest smile ever. (Wait. What? Sexy? There it was again)

Beca's eyes shot open. The room was still dark. She was panting gently.

She looked over to Amy's bed, thankful for small mercies that the bed was still empty.

"What the hell was that?" She thought to herself. She suddenly felt hot, so why were her nipples so hard? "I so was not having a wet dream about Chloe," she said to herself out loud, then becoming aware of a wet heat between her legs.

She slid a hand slowly down her tight stomach under the bed covers and then underneath the waistband of her shorts to her… "Oh. Oh my God."

A/N2 And there you have it. No tears this time. Let me know what you think. Happy?