Regrets in Vegas (Part 2)

Chloe remembers when she finally got in touch with Beca and the immense relief that washed over her the moment she heard her voice. Usually, when Beca's name – followed by the heart emoji – lit up her phone, Chloe would feel a range of different emotions but tonight was different.

Beca and Stacie had disappeared from the club without uttering a word to anyone. Due to the alcohol and the Bella's celebratory festivities none of the others noticed.

But Chloe did.

God, Chloe always noticed when it came to Beca.

Despite her time at Barden before meeting Beca, Chloe was sure, in the future, whenever she looked back at her experience at college, Beca Mitchell would be her first thought. Chloe's life at college changed the minute the DJ walked into her life and it was that single thought – late one night after a drunken cuddle in Beca's bed – Chloe realised she was in love with her best friend.

Friends weren't supposed to dance together like they did or sleep in each other's beds. They weren't meant to hold hands or kiss each other's cheeks and Chloe most certainly shouldn't end romantic relationships with others in hopes that Beca would finally admit she felt the same.

So when Beca finally picked up her phone, Chloe was more than just relieved to hear her voice. After all a drunk Beca Mitchell wandering the strip in Las Vegas had trouble written all over it. She had spent the last hour going out of her mind and letting a string of horrible scenarios take over. If anything happened to her, Chloe wasn't really sure how she's cope.

"I've got a surprise for you."

Beca had drunkenly mumbled into the phone with so much enthusiasm that it stirred something up inside of Chloe's heart.

Perhaps tonight, a week before graduation and shortly after winning Worlds, Beca was finally going to say the words Chloe had always wanted to hear. Beca didn't hold anybody else's hand or cuddle into anyone else's side and Chloe had been holding onto that with so much hope and optimism this past year that she was sure Beca did and always had felt the same connection as she did.

"We kind of got married!" Stacie practically beamed, tearing away all of Chloe's previous hope and excitement. The tall brunette pulled at Beca's limp arm, letting their hands show the matching rings sitting firmly on both of their fingers.

The Bella's giggles and shock became white noise for Chloe, as her heart seemed to fall down into her stomach with so much disappointment and defeat that she actually felt like her legs might give out.

Chloe knew she should have been laughing or joining in on the cheering with the rest of the Bella's but she couldn't.

Beca had done more than just surprise her; it had knocked her for six.

But more than that, it hurt. It physical hurt to think Beca could just run off with Stacie to get drunk married without even giving Chloe a second thought.

Beca was currently swaying slightly, a drunken smirk plastered on her face as she steadied herself with one of the tables. Her eyes wandered to Chloe's as she shrugged with a small smile before making her way over to sit next to the redhead with a clumsy bump to her shoulder.

"Surprise" she whispered, her smirk returning.

Chloe took a second to gather her thoughts, her eyes fixed on the glass of beer in front of her, as she tried to make sense of everything.

Perhaps it was silly to feel so much upset over this, but Chloe couldn't help but think if Beca was ever going to get married to one of the Bella's whilst intoxicated, it should have been her, shouldn't it?

She took a deep but shaky breath before turning to face her best friend.

"I really wasn't expecting that" she announced with a laugh that sounded a lot more bitter than she should have allowed.

"I know, it's insane!" the brunette laughed loudly with a look of both disbelief and amusement, "I can't believe I did that" she added, fiddling with the new piece of mental on her ring finger with the shake of her head.

"I think I'm going to get some air" Chloe mumbled, abruptly getting to her feet and heading for the door.

"Chlo?"

She couldn't help but stop, the hope taking hold of her again. Beca's voice was soft and almost concerned.

"Do you want me to get you drink for when you come back?"

"No, I'm not really in the mood anymore" she answered honestly and continued her path to the exit, trying to stop the tears from falling until she was out of sight.

XXX

"What's up, wifey?"

Right now wasn't the time for jokes, but it seemed everyone wanted to make one apart from Beca.

"Stacie, this isn't even remotely funny" Beca warned with a sigh, before letting her head sink into her hands, "What the fuck did we do?" she mumbled into her palms.

It was a rhetorical question, but it didn't stop Stacie from answering it.

"We got hitched, in Vegas. Man, I can finally tick that box off my bucket list."

Beca was sitting up now, the anger causing her nostrils to flare slightly, "Tick off your bucket list?!" she shouted, the volume of her voice causing a few heads in the bar to turn, "We just ruined our lives and you're glad you get to tick it off your bucket list?!"

Stacie sank into her chair, finally taking a long swig from the once untouched glass in front of her. The guilt was resurfacing and Beca's face wasn't helping right now.

She looked destressed and confused, as well as panicked and upset; Stacie really didn't know how to deal with this side of Beca – that was usually always a job for Chloe.

Chloe.

If Beca felt like this, how was Chloe even feeling right now?

Through her drunken haze, Stacie couldn't really remember much of Chloe after she and Beca had rushed back to tell the Bella's their news and that worried her even more.

"You think this is funny, don't you? Stacie Conrad the Barden flirt, always down for a good time and a bit of fun, well guess what? I don't think this is funny at all, this is the most irresponsible and stupid thing I've ever done, but hey? As long as you can tick it off your bucket list, right?"

The shock of the morning was finally wearing off, quickly developing into anger and Beca couldn't stop the words form leaving her mouth. They had an audience watching their encounter now, but she didn't care, Beca wasn't letting Stacie just laugh this off.

A marriage wasn't something anyone could just laugh off.

"Beca, chill, OK?"

"Chill?" Beca trailed off, taking a deep breath and rubbing her fingers into her temples in an attempt to get a handle on her emotions right now.

"It's not legally binding; we're not actually married" Stacie rushed out.

A silence fell over them as Beca took in this new information, a sense of relief sinking in.

"We're not?" she asked, desperate for confirmation.

"No, we're not."

"Thank God" Beca blurted out, running a hand through her hair and nervously glancing around at the other drinkers still watching them.

"Thanks, Beca, you really know how to make a girl feel special" Stacie sighed, bringing the glass to her lips.

"Look, Stacie, I didn't mean-"

"No, Beca, I know what you meant, it's fine."

In all honesty, it was fine. Stacie was more than aware she never had a shot when it came to Beca – especially with Chloe in the picture - but hearing Beca sound so relieved wasn't exactly boosting her ego right now.

"No, I'm sorry, that wasn't cool of me to say…" Beca spoke hesitantly, nervously twisting at the other ring on her thumb. "…I don't know if your jokes and you flirting with me these past couple of years has been a real thing or whatever, but I shouldn't have been so harsh about it."

Stacie turned in her seat slightly, waiting for Beca's eyes to meet hers, "You know I flirt with everyone, right?" she asked with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Yeah, but I just thought, well, I guess I don't know what I thought" Beca laughed nervously, dropping her hands into her lap.

"You're hot, Becs, really hot and you can't blame me for wanting to tap that…" Stacie's eyes swept over the shorter woman's body, "…but it's never been anything more than that – besides I'm sure Chloe would have a hissy fit if it was" she added with a knowing smile.

Beca's body visibly tensed at that, Stacie's words sparking up a memory from the night before. She remembers sitting on the bed in their hotel room, the warmth of Chloe's hand in hers, but it felt different.

There was a conversation occurring between them, a heavy and emotional fuelled one. Beca can remember the comfort Chloe's hand had caused in that moment, but she couldn't remember the topic.

"Beca?"

Stacie was pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I just had a thought or memory or whatever…" she mumbled out, no longer paying attention to where she was or what she was doing, still racking her mind for more information.

"I got to go, but…" Beca was slowly sliding the ring off her finger and placing it on the glass bar top, "…I think maybe you should keep this?"

Stacie smiled, before removing her own ring and setting it down besides Beca's, "Sure you don't want to keep it, you know whenever you want to reminisce about that time you almost tamed the hunter?" she teased, the laughter threatening to break out.

"No offence, but I think I'm good" Beca smirked, pushing both of the rings away with a chuckle.

"Sorry I yelled" she added as an afterthought.

"Don't worry about it…" Stacie calmed, "…Sorry I talked you into getting married."

Beca laughed at that, suddenly realising she couldn't have possibly gotten married to Stacie without any persuasion.

"Have you spoken to Chloe this morning?" Stacie asked nervously.

"You mean apart from scaring her awake with a death grip on her fingers?" Beca cringed at the memory.

"Wait, you thought you married Chloe, didn't you?" the brunette squealed, excitedly slapping her friend's arm.

Beca just shrugged with the shake of her head.

"No wonder you were pissed when you found out it was me" Stacie laughed smugly, her hand returning to her glass.

"I didn't even feel alarmed" Beca admitted, before blowing the air from her cheeks. "That's not normal, is it?" she worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she dared a glance at the woman beside her.

"Maybe not, Becs, but you and Chloe have never really been normal" she shrugged.

"I think we talked last night and we might have said some stuff, but I can't remember."

Beca's voice was quiet and timid. She furrowed her eyebrows together, trying to recall their conversation last night.

"So say it again, today, like, right now!" Stacie demanded with a tight grip on her forearm.

"I can't just-"

"Beca, you and Chloe have been dancing around your feelings for years. This is your chance; we're graduating, we won Worlds, now is the perfect time."

"I don't know, it's not as easy as that."

"You know the regret you felt when you thought we had actually gotten married last night?"

Beca nodded guiltily.

"Well imagine that regret times a thousand in the next couple of months when you realise you should have told Chloe how you really feel."

XXX

A/N – OK, so this prompt is seriously getting out of hand. I kind of had the story thought out before I started it but I'm beginning to see that I can't just squeeze all of it into one (now two) chapters.

So if you're feeling this update, there will be a part three happening sometime soon, if not, just, um, skip over it? D: