A/N: Quick note.

Although I am sad that I have received some reviews that they would stop reading this – I want to thank them still for the support they have given this story. It really wasn't easy reading it, and I'm sure you guys know that it wasn't easy for me to write it. I've had my struggles with this story because, yeah I wanted them to have the usual happy-ending, like hello – we aren't able to get Bechloe canon in real life, so that's why fanfiction is here!

I get it. But, I did this not only for the sake of making Bechloe happen – I did this sequel, and made it like this because I want to show people that life happens, and sometimes they might not work out for us…but there are times that we get surprised because eventually, it all works out.

But thank you still, to all of you, for taking your time and reading this just because of your love for Bechloe.

Now, on to the chapter.

CHAPTER 23 –Always

Beca and Chloe have spent their days in the hospital. And it seems, the two were getting the hang of each other, making up the time they weren't able to hang like old times…way before things started to get complicated.

In all honesty, Chloe was content. Even if she still has feelings for the brunette, she was happy that she gets to be there for her, be there with her. And if you would ask her she wouldn't be anywhere she would rather be.

Stacie, Aubrey and Jesse have visited a couple days and it was as if high school was back. They were the same friends who hang out with each other. Giving each other laughs and stories, and such. And Lucy, despite of being away, always get to call Beca before bed like clockwork.

At this kind of situation, people often start to think "What now, then?" Like being in a stable, healthy and friendly relationship with someone they used to have a romantic relationship with before leaves them hanging in the air, having no idea what to do from there. In Chloe's perspective though, she just lets it be, and may the wind blowing the balloon she's hanging on bring her where she needed to be, because like it was said – she's content.

Both her and Beca has gone through so much suffering and pain and it has been a great journey – being together and all, but sometimes life just gives you things and then takes it from you and something in between that – you learn. Life wasn't always about living it easy – it was about living through struggles that give people so much care to what they live for, and the concept of moving forward and not look back.

At this point, Chloe could probably and can surely say – she has moved on.

It was Beca's discharge day and everyone was there; Chloe, Jesse, Aubrey, Baby Gillian, and Stacie. Neither one of them has heard about Lucy's arrival, but Beca was certain that she would come back sooner than later, even if it bummed her that her girlfriend wasn't there to bring her home.

Or so she thought.

"Hey guys!" Everyone turned their heads to see the blonde smiling wide. Beca was supporting the same smile.

"Babe!" Beca called out, as she tried to excuse herself from the circle that her friends formed around her bed. She carefully took her crutch that was leaning beside her bed and took it on herself to limp towards Lucy. Lucy chuckled and met the brunette halfway and locked them both in a hug.

Chloe stood behind her friends, with a genuine smile on her face.

"I was totally bummed thinking you weren't going to be here when I'm about to go home." Beca said when she pulled away from Lucy's hug.

"Oh, we can't have that, can we? And besides, who said you'll be going back to New York without me? On crutches, nonetheless." With a quirked eyebrow and a grin, Lucy kissed Beca swiftly then proceeds to turn her head to look for a certain redhead. When she spotted Chloe standing behind Aubrey, she hurriedly went to her to give her a tight hug.

"Thank you, Chloe…I owe you one."

Chloe shook her head and waves it off, "Don't worry about it."

When they pulled away, Lucy looked back to everyone else as she let her arm stay over Chloe's shoulder. "So, who wants some party? You know, before Beca and I go back to NY."

Everyone pretty much agreed and they plan (and by 'they' meant Stacie) the time and venue. One last hangout before they get separated by a distance.

Chloe thought for a second to invite Louis over, but decided against it since she would want to hang out with her friends and not be distracted. It would probably be a while before they would be together on the same place again, so she wouldn't waste this time entertaining and worrying over someone else than her friends.

It was decided to have their last get-together at Lucy and Beca's temporary loft in uptown San Francisco. Just so the couple won't be too hassled to pack their things that night, before their flight to New York the next day since Lucy's job with Rolling Stones was done. It was their typical kind of party, nothing too wild but not too tamed either. Talking, playing board games, drinking, eating, watching a movie, playing with Gillian.

When it was time to go home, Stacie decided to stay with Lucy and Beca while Jesse, Aubrey and Gillian will be staying over at Chloe's since it was late to drive back to LA. They all parted ways, giving each other's hugs and kisses and "we'll miss you"s.

By the time the three friends and baby Gillian arrived in Chloe's place, Aubrey took a moment alone with Chloe. Jesse sensed his cue to leave the two bffs alone, and took his daughter to the guest room. Aubrey still has her hesitations towards Chloe's attitude, because the redhead was smiling the whole night. And she knows that smile; where it completely says "I'm totally fine" but there's an "I'm sad" between the lines of it. Chloe opened up to Aubrey and told her what she and Beca has said to each other that first night at the hospital.

Chloe said she would always be in love with Beca, that she would always feel the hurt in her chest when she thought Beca was on the plane to New York that night she realized she was in love with her. The feeling of pure happiness when she saw the brunette waiting by the porch of her house that night. The fear she felt when she woke up in someone else's bed because she knew she betrayed the brunette. The depression when it was all over with Beca...

Everything.

It has been a rough roller coaster ride journey with Beca – but one thing remains, and that's her love for the brunette. From the beginning until the end of what they had, she loves Beca. And although she won't find someone like her, Chloe's still happy. She's not waiting for Beca, but she's just going along wherever the wind may take her. May it be with someone in the future – she doesn't know, but she'll be happy for sure. Beca just took the no. 1 spot in her heart though, and it will never change.

"First love never dies" as they say, anyway.

Few weeks later, after going home from the west coast, Beca's mind has been on a cloud. She's been having thoughts about a lot of things…but most of it, was about Chloe. Don't get her wrong, it's not like she's cheating…she's just being in a zone where Chloe's words were echoing inside her brain.

"My feelings for you never change. Never was, never will."

She has put everything about her and Chloe in the past. All the heartache, all of the disappointments, all of the emotional pain she has endured – all of it, was thrown in the past. She knew that when she, Stacie and Lucy will be going over to California – there was the huge possibility that she will be reunited with her friends, Chloe included. And she knew she was ready to face the redhead; ready to see the woman she has first ever loved, and the one who broke her heart. She knew that with the changes around her, it will guard her from feeling things again once she sees Chloe.

And it did. It really did.

But that statement from Chloe has done something. It was like a liquid matter that was able to go through the cracks and tiny holes in Beca's guarded new life. And it kind of reminded her that despite of what they have gone through, or whatever stupid thing Chloe has done to hurt her, whatever her reasons were – deep inside her, she knew that Chloe has been the one.

It was always Chloe.

Beca shook her head, getting herself from her thoughts, as she looks around her room with Lucy.

Lucy.

Why that name suddenly became so foreign when she thinks about it? She's in love with Lucy. She's in a relationship with Lucy…but why does it sound so wrong in her head?

Beca closed her eyes tight and opened them, then walks towards a drawer where a picture frame of her and Lucy smiling on a 4th of July party in Central Park. And all she could think about was when she and Chloe spent their 4th of July during college years in LA. She sighed and shook her head.

"You're not supposed to be thinking about this." Beca mutters to herself, and as if she's on auto-mode, she opens her closet, took a chair and placed it in front of the closet. She stood on the chair and reached for a shoe box at the back of the top shelf of her closet.

When she successfully retrieved the box, she went back to bed and sat down, placing the box on her lap. It was quite an old shoe box. One she had since her high school years. And, it was a box filled with her memoirs with Chloe.

She opens it, and saw the thin layer of dust went flying through the air, and then she saw the inside; almost full of candy wrappers, exchange notes and letters, movie tickets, photo booth pictures, concert tickets, music festival wrist bands and many other stuff. But one thing in particular was what caught Beca's attention.

Sitting at the middle of everything, like there was a nest of the things inside the box, Beca saw once again that little blue velvet box. She took it out, and placed the shoe box beside her, giving the little box her full attention.

She stared at it, and thought how she bought it. How she asked Stacie which one was the best, in the jewelry store in LA. How she planned on giving the speech to Chloe on her birthday, only to be stuck in traffic and not be able to go home earlier as she planned, and by the time she got home, Chloe was gone.

Beca opened the blue velvet box and there it was, untouched and still gleaming – a diamond ring. She stared at it for too long that she started to wonder why it didn't melt. She stared at it, because she's still not sure why she kept it up until now. She stared at it, expecting to get some answers – like it's even possible.

Maybe because it cost her a fortune for it to be just thrown away. Or maybe because she could like sell it to a pawn shop. Or maybe, because it's still there, waiting to be used for its purpose. Beca chuckled at the thought…of course she's not going to give it to Chloe…wouldn't she?

The brunette didn't realize it, only until when a tear jumped off from her eye and landed on her hand that she knew then she was crying. She closed the box, and held it tightly on her left hand. It was as if opening that little box opened her wounds and made them fresh again, and she thought if she would close it, then the wounds would close at the same time.

She knew she wasn't supposed to think about things like these. Because reality check: she's with Lucy now. And that fact alone changes everything, and makes everything complicated. But Beca won't be able to contain these thoughts to herself, so she needs someone to talk to.

She was tempted to call Chloe, but that would only spell so much trouble.

So without further ado, she decided to call Stacie. Stacie always knows to tell her the right thing on the days she was confused, or depressed. Pressing Stacie's name on her phone, she held the phone against her ear as she heard it ring, the little blue velvet box still held on her left hand.

Little did she know, that when she was staring at the diamond ring on her bed a while ago, Lucy was quietly watching her, and was now on her way outside to get some fresh cool air of New York City to clear her mind.

A/N: Soooo yeah, that happened.

A BIG shoutout to laco0417 – this person told me that they wouldn't stop reading this fic even if Bechloe wasn't going to be an endgame. And it really lifted up my spirits, because ever since I posted the recent chapter, all I got were disappointments and "I wouldn't be reading/continuing this" which really broke my heart. But I gotta respect their decision because it's a free country after all.

So thank you to everyone who's still reading this. It makes my heart soar that people still have hope in this story even if there are who lost theirs. Thanks for the follows, faves and reviews.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!