DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PITCH PERFECT OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. ALL MISTAKES ARE THOSE OF MY OWN.

Holding Hands

Beca remembers when Chloe would rub soft circles in the palm of her hand; slow and comforting circles that made her feel grounded and safe.

Beca's fingers had been moving in a circular motion on Chloe's hand currently resting against the bed for hours, but now she was clutching it tightly in her grasp; scared and unsure. She had wanted to make Chloe feel grounded and safe just like she had always done for her, but she was losing hope.

The monitor beeped and despite the dimmed light of the room, Beca felt as if she was lost in black thick darkness.

After hours of sitting on the edge of her chair, Beca finally moved it closer and allowed herself to sit more comfortably.

But she didn't feel any comfort; just numbness.

Her eyes scanned the room; landing on the blinds at the window, to the sandwich Aubrey had brought her earlier and then back to Chloe's hand.

She couldn't eat at a time like this – Beca couldn't function at all; not without Chloe.

XXX

"How's she doing?" Emily asked cautiously, unable to look Aubrey in the eye for longer than a few seconds, before shuffling them to the ground or on the liquid turning cold in the plastic cup in her hands.

"Chloe or Beca?"

Aubrey sat up from the chair in the hospital waiting room, letting her face rest in her hands for a moment as she let out a long and desperate sigh.

"Both."

"No changes" Aubrey mumbled with the shake of her head. "Just the same" she added sadly.

Emily nodded, before taking a sip of the coffee, the coolness of it tasting unpleasant. She didn't even want to drink it anymore, but she needed something to busy her hands and stop the thoughts swirling her mind. She let out a sigh of her own, before setting the cup atop of the pile of magazines on the table in front of her.

"I don't know what to do" Emily confessed, pulling nervously at her fingers.

"None of us do, sweetie" Aubrey smiled weakly, finally lifting her head.

Aubrey was usually someone to depend on in desperate times like these; someone who was able to say and do the right things that reassured everyone, but right now, she had nothing.

Hope was wearing thin.

Positivity was dwindling.

She was beginning to get the same look of helplessness that Beca had been wearing the last couple of days.

"Do you think we should go in?" Emily gestured to the closed door beside them.

Aubrey shook her head.

"…Or maybe we could get something to eat?"

Emily was reaching for the cup again, squeezing it in her hands for a second and then releasing it as she watched the contents rise and fall.

"I don't know anymore" the former Bella captain sniffled. "I have no idea what any of us are supposed to do" she admitted with a shrug, lifting her hands in the air and allowing them to slap her thighs on their way down.

The sound seemed deafening in the eerily quietness they had all been living in since it happened. So much so, it startled her and Emily squeezed the plastic cup too hard and the coffee splashed onto her hand.

"Let's get some fresh air?"

Emily nodded with a soft smile, wiping the wetness with a tissue and offering her dry hand out as she stood.

Aubrey took it, giving it a small squeeze before getting to her feet. They both flashed a lingering stare to the closed door and began walking away from it.

XXX

Beca always had a tendency to void herself of her emotions. Any type of hurt and upset was still felt, but she had come accustom to burying it deep and expertly shrugging out of its hold.

But she can't quite recall the last time she had done that.

Before Chloe was even a permeant fixture in Beca's life, the redhead had seemed to open up all of Beca's feelings and emotions.

Happiness would overtake her whenever Chloe came over uninvited or snuggled into her side.

Desire ran through her whenever they held hands or kissed; a desire to wrap her hand around the warmth of Chloe's, or swipe her tongue along Chloe's lips to deepen the kiss.

Contentment rushed through her bones when Chloe had said she would never hurt or leave her.

Fear; when Beca first confessed she might love her best friend in a less platonic way then she should and the sense of joy and excitement that followed when Chloe said she felt the same.

There was a part of Beca that was suddenly wishing Chloe had never opened her heart to these feelings and a twinge of anger rose for allowing herself to feel so many of those emotions over the last year, because Beca is sure if she hadn't, this feeling of agony and panic wouldn't be so overwhelming right now.

Beca wiped away her tears and took a deep but shaky breath. She squeezed her eyes shut with a quiet sniffle before opening them again and letting them land on Chloe's face.

It was blank and it was then Beca realised she had never seen it look so emotionless before. There was always a trace of a smile on those lips that were now just a thin line.

"Somebody doesn't just fall and never wake up."

Her voice was lower than a whisper as her vocal chords contracted for the first time in days. Speaking hadn't been easy once she had rushed to the hospital. There were so many words and questions she wanted to ask when it happened, but she had lost the ability to focus on one thought and give it a voice.

So by the morning of the second day, Beca just stopped trying and only nodded when spoken to.

Wiping the back of her hand over her wet cheek, the brunette let her head rest on Chloe's palm. An image of that very hand running through her hair only caused Beca's tears to worsen before she was sobbing uncontrollably, "Wake up, Chlo. Please, wake up."

XXX

Chloe's parents had arrived as fast as they could. They had been on vacation in Paris the moment their daughter had lost her footing on the stairs. It had all happened so quick it hadn't even dawned on Beca to contact them until Aubrey was shaking her by the shoulders and asking her if she'd called.

Beca hadn't thought to call anyone, apart from 911 the second it happened.

"I-I don't-I can't..." she had stuttered out, struggling to articulate words.

"OK, I'll do it. Focus on Chloe, I'll sort it all out."

Aubrey had sprung into action, calling them and the rest of the Bella's, along with Barden University administration.

After quickly arranged flights and undesired lay over times, the Beale's were finally in Atlanta and standing in the hospital waiting area. There were raised voices, loud sobs and a stream of questions, but Beca remained still beside the bed.

She felt physically glued to that chair; only leaving it three times to go to the bathroom and even then she waited until she couldn't possibly hold it any longer. Her hand was damp and clammy against Chloe's, refusing to let it touch the bed without her fingers wrapped around it.

Outside had gone quiet and then the door was opening and Beca was being shooed out of the chair and eventually out of the room completely. She held Mrs Beale's gaze for a split second, knowing she should say something, "I'm sorry" she choked out, before running off. Aubrey's voice chased her down the corridor and echoed off the walls, but Beca sprinted faster, suddenly missing the silence of Chloe's bedside.

She skipped the elevator, heading straight for the door to the stairs, but something stopped her. She let out a groan upon the impact, as her chest collided with another, the new comer letting out an umph of their own.

"Beca?"

Jesse was stood before her looking confused. She finally lifted her eyes from the floor and found chocolate brown ones staring back at her.

"Becs?" he rested his hands on her shoulders and she watched his pupils dart back and forth from her own.

"I can't right now, Jesse, I just can't" she sniffed, trying to shrug herself out of his grip, but before she even had a chance, Jesse was letting his arms wrap around her and pulling her into his chest.

She fought it at first, her fists in a ball pounding at his sternum, but then she relaxed, finally letting the tears slip free as she leaned helplessly against him.

Before Aubrey or anyone else had a chance to round the corner, Jesse had suggested they get some air and she was grateful for that. He never asked if she was OK or if she wanted to talk like she thought he might, but instead offered her an easy way out.

So she nodded, finally resting her weight back on her own two feet and followed Jesse down the stairs and through the corridors until they were stood outside of the hospital. Beca's eyes automatically squinted at the bright natural light and she took three long deep breaths, welcoming the fresh air that poured into her lungs.

But then she felt herself feeling guilty for enjoying such a simple act; for almost enjoying the change of scenery from Chloe's bedside.

"Here…" Jesse said, interrupting her thoughts and pushing a protein bar into her palm, "…you need to eat."

Beca nodded as she ripped away the package, completely aware that her best friend was right.

"I'm sorry I haven't come earlier…" Jesse started, before trailing off, his face lacking it's usual grin and eyes cast to the ground.

"It's fine" Beca mumbled out honestly, because it was. She's sure if roles were reversed, Beca would have shied away from the hospital too, unsure of what to say or how to help.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

Beca just nodded again, willing her eyes not to water, "Well I just had an emotional break down in a public place and we hugged" she dragged out the last part, feigning disgust, trying her very best to lighten up conversation.

Jesse laughed, before going quiet again. There was a familiar look on his face; the one she had been seeing a lot of recently. It was a look of sympathy as they scrambled for something comforting to say, but always ended up coming up empty.

"Chloe's strong, Becs. She'll be OK."

Her fingers tightened around the paper in her hands, "I should get back."

XXX

The waiting area outside Chloe's room was full when they returned.

Beca had been used to seeing at least two people there at once when she quickly nipped to the bathroom, but never were the chairs all taken. All of the Bella's were there, huddled together, talking quietly amongst themselves. Beca could hear their conversations of reminiscing from the elevator, but only because her sense of hearing had always been heighted at the mention of Chloe's name for as long as she could remember.

Once Beca had rounded the corner, she was met with silence and more of those sympathetic stares. She wanted to smile or a give them a look of reassurance, but instead offered them a wordless shrug because what was there to say, right?

Aubrey was quickly rushing over and gently pulling her to the side. Jesse patted her shoulder before dropping down in the newly empty seat.

"Are you alright?" the blonde asked, letting her hand settle on Beca's forearm for a second.

She shoved her hands into the pocket of the same jeans she'd been wearing for three days now and spoke a quiet and not yet convincing "fine." Her voice wavered more than she'd like and the smile she was trying even more to force just made her lip quiver.

"Parents still in there?" she stuttered out, thankful when Aubrey's eyes followed her finger that pointed to the closed door.

"Yeah. Hey, maybe you should go home?" Aubrey paused as soon as Beca started shaking her head, "To shower, get changed, eat a full meal."

"I don't want to leave her."

Aubrey was resuming to speak, but Beca wasn't paying her any attention now. She missed not being by her girlfriend's side and she could feel a slight tremor of panic settle in her gut as she envisioned Chloe waking up and not seeing her close-by.

"Beca, Chloe Beale will kick my ass when she wakes up and see's you like this."

"My hand feels cold" the brunette rushed out, holding out her palm.

"What?" Aubrey asked in puzzlement.

"I've been holding her hand for three days straight and now I'm not and my hand feels cold, no, no, it feels empty" she thought aloud, rubbing said body part on her hoodie.

"Beca…"

"I've spent the last two years of my life almost always touching Chloe Beale. Her hand, her leg, her foot, her finger, her shoulder…" she trailed off as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"…this last year I think I've spent half of that time just holding her hand and now I'm not" she announced, before opening the door of Chloe's room and disregarding Mr and Mrs Beale completely. Perhaps it was rude and selfish, but she stood on the opposite side of the bed and took Chloe's right hand in her own, instantly feeling a little closer.

Aubrey stood outside looking on.

"She'd want me to hold her hand" Beca finally spoke, as Chloe parent's just nodded with a small but understanding smile.

XXX

It was getting late when everyone started to leave.

The Bella's had returned back to campus and Chloe's parents to their hotel for the night. Jesse had said his quiet good-bye before heading out last, leaving Beca and Aubrey alone with Chloe. The blonde had pulled an extra chair from the waiting area and positioned it at the bottom of the bed as both of them just sat in silence.

Beca still had her fingers laced with Chloe's, holding onto the thought that if she held it long enough, Chloe would be roused awake by Beca's constant touch.

Despite the clock hung beside the window, Beca wasn't entirely sure how long they had been sat there or at what point Aubrey had dozed off. She could feel her own eyes drooping, but Beca fought it, willing herself to stay conscious for Chloe.

She shuffled in her chair in an attempt to remain awake, resting her elbow on the bed.

That's when she felt it.

Chloe's hand had just squeezed hers.

It was soft and weak, but Beca was more than sure it happened.

There was a part of her that knew she should wake Aubrey or call for a nurse, but she remained in the same position with her eyes fixed on the bed, almost daring Chloe to do it again.

A few minutes passed and before she knew it, Beca had been waiting thirty minutes with no such luck. She was just giving up hope and blaming it on lack of sleep when Chloe's fingers grasped Beca's even stronger this time. It was a long squeeze and Beca was counting the seconds in her head until the grip eased off.

Seven seconds.

Beca was leaning forward - no longer sat in her seat but still crouched down – and whispered softly into her ear, "Chlo, it's me, Beca. Squeeze my hand again, OK? Let me know you're still here, please?"

But nothing.

Beca let out a disappointed sigh, feeling the hope that had just recently filled her insides instantly wash away. She pressed a delicate kiss on the redhead's jawline before settling back in her chair.

Chloe's fingers twitched and gently jerked Beca's hand. Her eyes rushed to Chloe's face, as she saw it contort slightly. Beca was on the edge of her seat again, feeling that hope relight her soul, causing a smile to settle on her lips.

Beca squeezed her hand gently, to feel Chloe do the same back.

Her face seemed more animated this time and suddenly Chloe's eyelids were flickering. Beca's other hand immediately rushed to Chloe's head as she brushed away any stray hairs. The minute Beca ran her thumb along her forehand Chloe's eyes snapped open and Beca's mouth did the same.

"Beca?"

"I'm here, Chloe, we're here."

XXX

A/N: Coma stories are so clichéd, aren't they?! …