"Oh shit! Oh, crap! Oh - oh no, no, no!" Beca watched as Chloe popped up, holding the sheet to her chest, staring horror-struck at the ringing cellphone in her hand.

"Who is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Marcy. Fuck, Beca, it's Marcy!"

For someone who had just been lying against her, languidly kissing and touching for the last thirty minutes, this transition to panic was a bit startling; very Chloe-like but startling nevertheless. "Whoa, whoa, just don't answer it."

"No, you don't get it! There's no good reason for her to be calling me, Beca!" Chloe was shouting, her eyes flashing; Jesus, how had her face gotten so pale, so quickly? "Why is she calling me? Oh god, do you think Nick finally told her?"

"Maybe." Chloe's wild blue eyes turned on her, clearly not seeing her despite how close she actually was.

It was kind of ironic, if they really thought about it; Marcy calling after what Beca had just done. Beca sent the white gold rings a nervous glance when Chloe wasn't looking as though they might be spelled. It was like somehow Nick's mother knew that the wedding rings were off Chloe's finger. Beca felt an eerie brush of discomfort up her spine, as though someone was watching her – unseen – from the corner of the room. She knew that no one was there but, absurdly and for just a second she glanced around.

"I don't have to pick up, right? I could be busy - right? Or in the shower. I don't have to - oh god, I missed it. It went to voicemail. Shit!" She cried, the pressure of her alarm forcing Chloe up and onto her knees.

"Whoa, whoa, heyyyy," Beca rose, but Chloe pulled away, "Seriously?" She frowned, trying not to take that personally, "Okay. Chlo. That's a good thing! People don't pick up the phone for so many reasons; she can't be suspicious of that. You just - you didn't have your phone on you. No big deal." She gave a shrug, "You were doing something else. Whatever."

"Beca, you don't understand. You don't understand Marcy."

Well, that was definitely true; Beca didn't understand Marcy. She had watched Chloe try so hard to make herself into something that Marcy could approve of, just like Chloe actively did for her parents, and yet Marcy never appreciated it, never approved. It was like she got off on it. It had always pissed Beca off because Chloe was the shit; she was the shit then and she was the shit now...she shouldn't have to fucking change for anyone.

"He was supposed to tell her that I wasn't available for the mixer but, oh my god, of course she would want to know why and he would tellher! He's terrible at standing up to her, he would tell her even if he wasn't ready! Do you think he filed the divorce papers? Our lawyer hasn't contacted me. Oh god, that still is so strange to think about. Do you think he filed? She'd probably know that he had done it before I do. Oh god, what if the lawyer contacted her?"

"Chloe?" Beca tried as Chloe's wild eyes shifted again, staring down at the now dark phone. She couldn't tell for sure if this was just going to be a pace back and forth freak out or if she was going to need a paper bag soon.

"Oh god, he would tell me if I should be on my toes, right? Bec? He would tell me if he told her. Of course he would, he wouldn't do that but-"

"Chloe!"

"What?" She growled and then let out a yip, her hands covering her mouth.

Beca stared back in surprise but she let the bite slide, "It's going to be okay." Tentatively she pulled the phone from Chloe's hand and set it down on the nightstand beside the discarded rings. What was it about Marcy that always got to Chloe like this? There had been more Marcy centered freak outs before Chloe's wedding than anything else. Then again, she had just thought it a minute ago, hadn't she? Chloe didn't see it but Marcy treated her exactly as her parents did, like she was disposable. "Yeah, eventually you're probably going to have to face Marcy but that was just a phone call. Calm down. Nick will let you know."

"You think so?"

In reality she had no idea, she knew she had a little bit of a jaded view of the asshole but she had always thought he was a little too okay with throwing Chloe under the bus when it came to his mother. She wasn't going to say that just now though, "I mean, you've always said that he knows his mom and what she's like so probably. She was probably just calling to check in. As far as she knows you're still her daughter in law." Beca gave her a reassuring smile.

Chloe frowned, resting back on the bed beside her.

"Just take a few deep breaths. Really. I'm sure it's fine."

She watched Chloe sit, the wheels in her head turning fast until finally some color came back to her cheeks. She took a deep breath, her hands flapping for just a moment before she sighed, "You're right. I'm being silly."

"No, it's not silly, it's just like - wait to be upset, I guess."

Beca watched her slowly release; the steam that had been pounding through her fizzling out to nothing. She just waited, unsure what else she could really do until Chloe was calm again.

Those startlingly blue eyes moved back to her, taking in her face, "I'm sorry, I'm ruining it."

"Ruining what?" She wasn't pouting, was she? Crap, she was pouting. Stop pouting!

"I'm sorry." She felt Chloe's fingers ghost over her chin, pulling her face up so she could take another long kiss, "You're right, I don't need to think about this right now. It's just so strange thinking about that life. It feels a million years away now. It happened so fast but it feels - it feels - over."

"So it's weird when it shows up on your doorstep, I get it."

"Yes. Exactly." Chloe beamed, enjoying their ability to read the other, to understand.

"Mmm. You're very cute, did you know that?"

"What? Cute?"

"I mean, okay yeah, slightly neurotic but,"

"Neurotic?"

She could tell that Chloe knew she was teasing and she loved seeing the moment she decided to go along for the ride. She had done this many times, clicking into the silly, stupid part of their friendship; the side that equaled piggyback drag races, dancing, wrestling, tickling, and these days kissing through laughter. "Oh I mean, totally, yeah. Full on Sherlock, but you know, it's cute, Chlo, I super promise."

"Sherlock? He's a psychopath! Or wait...was it sociopath, I can't remember, I only watched the first season."

"I dunno, but I mean, if the shoe fits..." She gave a little shrug, sneaking a glance at Chloe out of the corner of her eye.

Chloe gasped, her mouth popping open in that offended way and smacked her with a pillow.

"Ahh! Ow! Hey! Watch it, lady!" Beca cried, grabbing a pillow of her own and they were off, swinging and teasing; and just like Beca had been aiming for, Marcy was fully forgotten.

This was Chloe's fault. Beca hadn't had a pillow fight of any kind from the ages of six to twenty-one or so. Pillow fights were yet another Chloe thing.

They didn't stop until Beca finally tossed her pillow across the room and dove, pinning her to the bed and tickling her again, which of course, then turned to something very different, very quickly.

Beca curled up, her head on Chloe's hip when they were through - for now - breathing heavily and sighing, content. She really did need to get up; she didn't have this day to spend in bed. Then again...maybe she did... She had enough that she could start the next steps in the process and have something ready for P.J. when he wanted it and have something good for Kendra during their end of the month meeting. Soooo... "Mmm," she watched her fingers walk across the soft skin of Chloe's lower belly, taking a second to poke at the new hard little lump that Emily had pointed out the day before. "Is it weird that I kind of like this?"

"Like what?"

Beca gave her a shy smile. It probably was weird. "The little bump, as Em called it. It's so cute, but it's also kind of weirdly sexy. Ugh, do I sound like a freak now? I so sound like a freak. Awesome. What the heeellllllll, Beca?"

Chloe's head came off of the pillow, frowning as she ran her hand down her stomach, "You mean this?" She touched her pelvic muscles, the ones that, while they didn't stand up in stark relief, did subtly live just under the surface, waiting for Chloe to move the right way for them to suddenly explode into being. Beca loved those muscles, she loved watching them flex and dance as Beca moved inside of her...she loved all of her muscles...and the spots where the muscles were too soft to show...okay, she just loved her body. "Or do you mean the little belly I'm getting? I've been kind of distracted. I haven't been doing as much running - or yoga - or eating as well. I think I've put on a few pounds. I'm not too worried. I'll get it off with a few days of work."

Beca had been distracted though; she hadn't heard the last part of that, running her hand over the tiny roundness. "The little kinda almost belly! It's so cute. How long before it gets to be a like legit belly?"

"What? Beca!"

Beca's head popped up, her hand pulling away startled. Oh, okay, too much, too much. My bad, oops. Reel it back in. Goddamnit, where was the line? Where did it cross from I'm enjoying my best friends baby belly to I'm enjoying my lover's belly? This shit was so confusing. Maybe Chloe should give her a detailed outline of the things she was allowed to do and what she wasn't. "What?"

Chloe's cheeks were pink. "Can we maybe not talk about my belly fat, please? I kind of like feeling confident, if you don't mind. We've spent a lot of time naked today and I would like to preferably stay that way as much as possible."

"Wait," Beca frowned, pushing herself up to her elbow, "I thought you were fucking with Emily last night. You think you're just gaining weight, don't you?"

Chloe's face puckered into a scowl. Beca knew she had always been a little sensitive about her body, it was one of her few hang ups, it was why she worked so hard in order to feel that Chloe-like confidence. She worked hard for it to look nice and...it did… it kind of gave Beca a little bit of a complex actually. "What?"

"Chloe! Oh my god!" Beca groaned, rolling and huffing, trying not to snap at her. This freaking woman! She so needed to get over this thing she had about this pregnancy. She got it, losing it would be hard - if- it happened and Beca couldn't really judge because she had never been there but Chloe was freaking blind to it!

"What?" Chloe snapped.

"Okay, stand up."

Chloe did, fluffing her hair and taking a quick breath. Beca knew she was pushing a little hard, that if she wasn't careful she was going to lose a limb but really, Chloe had to see this, right? She studied Chloe's body, first aesthetically and then searching and felt herself slip into a smile. Nope, she wasn't wrong. There it was. Was it possible that it was bigger than it had been the day before? How quickly did this shit grow?! "You uh, yeah, you definitely got a little something there." Beca chuckled, her fingers playing with her own bottom lip to hide her amusement.

Blue eyes rolled, her arms crossing, "Beca, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You can't see that? Look, you're getting a fucking baby belly!"

"What?" She cried, her voice a little too high, "I am not, Beca, don't be silly! That's not -"

"Yes you are, dude, look!"

Chloe did, looking down at her stomach, but her face stayed blank, well, under the obvious agitation, that is.

"Really?" She stared in disbelief.

Chloe scoffed, her face unhappy, "I'm going to get dressed."

"No. Come here." She took Chloe's hand and pressed it tight against her own stomach, running it from top to bottom and making Chloe grin, "Flat. Soft." Then she took her hand and ran it down Chloe's belly, "Not flat. Which says a lot because I've seen you in those weird, upside down Cirque du Soleil yoga poses. So…um…ya."

Chloe didn't respond, her eyebrows pulling together.

"Really? Are you just messing with me right now? Because I can't tell. Am I just being an ass and totally not getting that you're kidding?" Chloe's mouth popped open in indignation and Beca could see a foot stomp was coming soon, "Look, I can -" softly she spidered her fingers just under her belly button, cupping the little bump that was almost big enough fit into her palm.

There it was! Chloe's cheeks sparked pink and her lips parted in surprise.

"Nooo, no way, it's too early. I am not showing! I never get far enough to show, not since the first time."

"Chloe," She wanted to shake this freaking stupid, beautiful, pigheaded woman. Instead, she softly cupped her cheeks, giving her a quick kiss, "Feel it. That's your baby."

"Wha- I don't -"

"Watch." Beca slid her hand away almost mournfully and replaced it with Chloe's own, only to cover it with hers again. She pressed lightly, trying to bring the little bulge out.

She knew she had made a mistake instantly. She felt every single one of Chloe's stomach muscles spasm and clench under her own hand as she rocked forward, her face suddenly emerald.

Oh shit.

"Oh god, Beca don't." She felt Chloe's hand close on her shoulder like a vice.

"Crap, I'm sorry. Here, is this better?" She lessened the pressure wondering if she should get out of firing range.

Chloe didn't answer, her whole body tight, her eyes closed, trying to move past it.

"You good?"

It took her a long while to respond and when she did it was only a "Mmhmm" from her throat but Beca didn't let up. Chloe needed to see this.

"Look." Beca still held her hand, pressing ever so slightly into her belly. She rolled it a little, feeling even over Chloe's own hand that the small little thing, the thing that Chloe had obviously taken for a silly pound or two of unimportant weight - did not give. The hard little bump sat in her hand, insistent.

She watched Chloe's face, watched as her eyes popped open, found hers, traveled down to her belly and back.

"But I never show."

Beca beamed, "I guess you do now. Kinda, anyway."

Chloe's mouth hung open.

Beca scooted them back so she could sit on the bed, Chloe standing between her legs. She wasn't sure if this was okay to do but she...wanted to. She let her face fall to the skin, kissing it lightly. She supposed it didn't have to be complicated. It was Chloe's baby - she was its aunt, of course she loved it, of course she wanted to be near it. She kissed the little bulge, pleased when Chloe's hands came down and tangled in her hair. She kissed her belly button, she pressed her lips to the place just above the bright curls - and then Chloe was gone, tripping and running toward the bathroom.

"DAMN IT!" Beca growled, flopping onto her back. "Sorry!" She called, swearing at herself, "Sorry I made you puke...again." Uuuuugh.

Chloe was gone for a long time, so long that Beca had gotten up, dressed, had a cigarette and was halfway through making them both an early lunch when she reappeared.

"Sorry."

"Don e rrry," Beca said through a mouthful of sandwich. She grabbed the plate and handed it over. Chloe just looked down at it like it was moldy.

"You won't feel better unless you get something in your stomach."

Chloe frowned.

"Alright, if you want to puke all afternoon then I guess that's on you." She shoved the last bit of her food into her mouth and took her plate to the sink, "How long is that supposed to last, by the way?"

"It should be over by now but I didn't get it for so long that I don't know. This has been - different." She watched Chloe pick up the sandwich and her throat bob. Right. She didn't need an audience.

"So uh, now that we're up I should probably actually do some work."

Despite her nausea Chloe's lip twitched up.

"So I'll be upstairs, okay? Call me if you need me?"

Chloe nodded, humming when Beca pressed a kiss to her temple.

She took a few minutes to smoke one more cigarette and then climbed the stairs up to her studio entirely satisfied with life.

The song was - well, it wasn't perfect but it was good and it would be even better once she added the final touch she had in mind. Chloe was great; the afternoon had left her sore in the best fucking way and totally willing to be sore like this from now on. Chloe had a huge sexual appetite and it was awesome.

She flopped into her studio chair and grinned, remembering Chloe naked and writhing on top of her, scooting the chair this way and that as she moved.

Yup.

Awesome sauce.

And then some.

She pulled on her headphones and got to work.

She didn't come up for air for hours, her mind all beeps and bass and Chloe's melodic, yet totally sexy voice. This was her favorite part. She liked coming up with everything else, when she wasn't kicking and screaming against her malfunctioning brain that is. But this was the part where she felt her skill shine, narrowing down the song strip by strip, scrutinizing each and every moment; fine tuning.

When she finally got up to stretch, surprised that she was hungry again - okay not surprised - the late afternoon had grown into late evening. Damn, Chloe was probably asleep. She sauntered down the stairs, contemplating the term 'high on life' and peeked her head through the door of her bedroom. Sure enough, she could see the smooth pale skin of Chloe's back and the tangle of red hair spread across the pillows.

She must not have planned on going to sleep, Beca absently thought. She usually put her hair up when she planned on sleeping.

She felt a twinge, wanting to crawl in.

She really was beautiful. Even like this, completely asleep, Chloe was beautiful.
She took a step toward the bed, ready to crawl in but stopped.

Crap.

If she grabbed something easy to eat then she could probably get another two hours or so in and she really should.

She closed the door with a soft click and headed downstairs.

She hadn't meant to leave her phone down there all afternoon, but her mind had been other places. In truth, she wasn't the best with her phone; she was always forgetting it here and there. It's why she had little to no social media presence and why texting her didn't always get a response. She put it on silent whenever she was working, whether at home or at the studio, and then once she sank into the music it was just completely forgotten. She grabbed it off the kitchen counter, pulled a jacket from the closet and started out back.

Holy shit!

She scrolled through all of the notifications on her lock screen, her heart picking up from a trot to a gallop. Three missed calls from Marion, two from Emily and one from P.J. and one from an unknown caller. Shit, what had happened? Someone had died; that's what it always was when her phone blew up like this - from these specific people. Oh god, shit and fuck, please not another OD. Jeremy's face popped into her mind and she gasped; a sudden cramp forming in her gut. Emily? It couldn't be Emily, right? She was clean and sober. She had been doing so well. Plus, if it was Emily then Benji would have called her. Who else did she know who could have died?

A stray thought crossed her mind, reminding her just how fucked up it was that a death by drugs was her first inclination.

She hadn't seen the fucked up side of her lifestyle before Chloe had arrived, but she sure as fuck saw it now.

She clicked over to the one voicemail she had, "Hi Beca, this is Marion Holt. I am calling with some news and a request. If you could please call me back at your convenience I would appreciate it. Thank you."

She didn't think about the hour before she clicked the 'call back' button.

"This is Marion Holt."

"Uh, hi Marion it's Beca - um, Mitchell? I'm-"

"Oh, Beca, thank you for getting back to me. How are you? How are those injuries of yours?"

Beca frowned, they had healed fine. She hadn't even thought of them in a while now honestly. "Uh, good, yeah, fine. Um, so what's up?"

"Well, it's nothing too serious. We just wanted to call you and inform you that Megan Brooks is being released from the hospital tomorrow afternoon and we,"

"Wait, she's been in the hospital this entire time?"

"Unfortunately. It's my understanding that she took quite a while to stabilize and then they had to wait a while for a bed at her chosen rehab facility. It's all quite common, I assure you."

Beca lit her cigarette and frowned, "So she is going to rehab then?" Beca idly wondered if she should be the one to pick her up tomorrow and take her. It wasn't as though Hunny had a lot of people other than herself, Emily and David - and she would kind of like to see her. She was her friend after all...sort of.

"Oh yes, she has to. As of yet there has been no official word as to why she has been in the hospital and her P.R. team would like her to be comfortably checked in and settled into the program before they release a statement."

"Okaaaay. So."

"You're wondering why I called you with this. Well, the truth of the matter is that the studio heads had a meeting this afternoon and it was decided that the best course of action,"

Beca puffed out a cloud, already seeing through her polite wording, "You guys want me to stay away from her."

Marion hesitated on the other line, "For the time being we believe that would be best. We would like to keep the studio as far from this situation as possible."

"And Emily?"

"We have passed along the same request."

"But that's her best freaking friend." She wasn't sure who she was defending there, Hunny or Emily.

"This situation puts a strain on all of us."

Beca scoffed, not really sure what to say now. It pissed her off, it really fucking did, but if she didn't obey then she would be fucked and - everything with Kendra, she couldn't afford it...she couldn't afford to get messy right now, could she? Too messy and Kendra might drop her; too messy and P.J. might pull her. Her hands were fucking tied. "'Kay, awesome. Whatever. Was there anything else?"

"Nope, that is all. Thank you for returning my call."

She gave an indistinct grunt and hung up the phone.

So Hunny was heading into rehab.

She couldn't imagine that she was having a great time. Was she allowed to call her?

She thought of the smile Hunny used to give her whenever Beca was doing something that she probably shouldn't have.

Hmmm, maybe not.

She didn't know which rehab Hunny had picked but she hoped it was a good one. Maybe she would meet some hot, fucked up mega star and have a torrid affair as they both scrambled to get clean. She chuckled, that would be exactly what Hunny would want to happen.

She finished her cigarette quickly and made herself a simple PB&J before heading back upstairs. She spent another few hours tinkering with the song before she crawled in beside her titian-haired beauty and fell asleep instantly, Hunny already forgotten.

Beca woke up the next morning feeling strangely calm. The song would be fine. Suddenly it was like she had all the time in the world. That was how it always worked though, right? Before the song was begun it seemed like there was no time, no matter how much you had and once the ball was rolling it seemed as though you had all the time in the world. She probably should start thinking about headhunting some new clients, she couldn't stay this available. It didn't look good. But other than that - everything was fine and she, as a person, never thought that way.

Poor Chloe was not having quite as easy of a morning. The sounds of her sick in the bathroom were what had woken Beca. It really did suck that things were like this. The universe said here, I give you the gift of life but oh wait, you're going to spend weeks if not months throwing up, everything is going to hurt all of the time and eventually you're going to basically rip yourself in half to get the kid out. Have fun. Life is beautiful! Oh and, on the upside, your brain has been wired so you forget all of this shit once the baby is born so you will want to do it again. Yaaaaaaaay!

She heard the sink turn on and the sound of Chloe brushing her teeth before she reappeared, looking severely unsteady and letting out a few whimpering sobs as she crawled back under the blankets. She curled up in fetal position under the cotton, letting out a few kicked puppy sounds.

"It totally has to get better soon. Really. This pregnancy is going to be easy, just wait and see."

Chloe just groaned.

"Here," Beca reached into her nightstand and pulled out a granola bar.

"You're hiding food in your drawers for me?"

Beca just laughed, "So I was thinking - I feel like I have more time than I thought with this song and I don't have much else going on. Let's do something together today."

Chloe's head rose out from under the blanket, her eyes wide and pleased but half a granola bar was keeping her from responding.

"I don't know what, but it would be fun to go out somew," her words were cut off by Chloe leaping out of bed again.

"Or maybe we should stay in," she called over the sound of Chloe losing the little bit of food she ate.

This was...weird.

They opted on staying in since Chloe, it seemed, was going to have a rough day today. Beca tried to help, she really did. She brought her food but Chloe couldn't get it down. She tried to just hold her but the smell of the cigarette smoke on her hair was too much. She showered, and tried to offer a back rub but being that sick made Chloe's skin crawl and she didn't want to be touched.

Eventually they ended up on the couch, Chloe curled up under a blanket, cuddling Roger the fox and Beca on the opposite side, glancing her way every now and then and feeling horrible. She had put on the first decent cartoon movie she could think of and could find streaming. Chloe had always liked Disney when she was sick and it seemed to soothe her a bit, especially when Beca - willing to try anything to make Chloe happy - began to sing along. It seemed to help. Eventually Chloe was curled up watching Beca; a smile on her face as Beca sang that she 'just couldn't wait to be king'.

Yeah.

The fact that she knew all of these words...that was Chloe's fault too.

But she watched Chloe – saw the way she had Roger cuddled under her chin, her bright cornflower blue eyes wide and staring with rapt happy attention.

Totally worth it.

Finally as the lions loped and laughed through the forest, falling and tumbling in what Beca thought was a verysexual manner for a kids movie, Chloe had successfully fallen asleep; her face buried in Roger's cottony fur. Only then could Beca relax a little bit. Jesus this shit was stressful. How did you sit and watch someone you wanted to take care of get super sick, but then when you tried to help they only got sicker? She was stuck in a box, unable to remove herself from the situation but also unable to do anything to help.

It sucked.

They were out of soup, that much she knew and that was something that she could do. She stood, deciding she would run to the store and pick up some things that were light on the stomach.

She left Chloe a note and headed out.

It was all so weird. She knew part of that was because she had never seen pregnancy before. She was an only child so she hadn't seen her mother pregnant with a sibling, she had never dated a mother or a pregnant woman - it was all new. What would this be like, she thought as she drove, if it were her baby inside of Chloe? Or any woman, really. Would she feel worse when the smell of her made the woman sick? Would she worry more? Would she be more excited? How had Nick done it so many times? How did any man or, err, mommy #2 do it? This was fucking stressful but really she had no legitimate reason to feel like that…well…except her best friend in the entire world…and the years of loving her…and general caring about her…

Ugh!

She tapped her finger against the steering wheel. She wanted a cigarette but she was terrified that the smell would turn Chloe into Linda Blair again when she returned.

It still felt so strange to think about these things. Where was it coming from? Okay, she got it; she had a human reminder of this possible life path living with her but still! She wasn't the kind of person who thought about kids and marriage and any kind suburban–white-picket-fence-1.5 kids-dog-and a Prius- kind of life. That was Chloe. Not her.

She didn't spend long at the store, grabbing a few types of light soups and broth, some juice, and crackers.

When she returned Chloe was still asleep on the couch and Beca was glad. She left another note beside her explaining that she would be in the studio as well as an apple and headed up. She didn't think she was going to really work. She was enjoying a day of leisure but she was afraid she would wake Chloe so she went upstairs and played, mixing this and that like she did when she just wanted to relax and have fun.

Would it be lame if she made Chloe a CD of mixes? She had used to make them all the time for her when they were younger and Chloe had always loved them but...maybe? Lame? She dunno. Chloe kinda liked lame though, didn't she? Maybe she should create something new for her, something she could listen to and know that Beca had created it just for her…that she was thinking of her.

Jesus, she waslame.

Chloe was making her lame!

Ugh, Chloe had always brought out the lame in her.

She wasn't sure how long she had been up there, tinkering with the idea of a song for Chloe when suddenly a hand clamped down on her shoulder, teeth suddenly closing on the soft spot between her neck and shoulder.

She let out a girly horror movie scream, followed by, "Fucking fuck!" Apparently Chloe was feeling better. "You scared the shit out-" She yelped as she was spun in her chair, turning to face a mischievously grinning Hunny.

"Ta-da! And for her next trick she will pull a rabbit from her vag."

"Hunny!" Beca stared open-mouthed, surprised when her first reaction was not pleasure or joy but a gut wrenching, groaning discomfort. Hunny didn't look so great, her cheeks were hollow, she had huge bags under her eyes but despite all of that she still looked a lot better than she had last time that Beca had seen her. And that was the face Beca's mind was seeing now, pale and sticky like poorly cooked meat, her eyes unable to open fully nor close, sticky with sweat and eventually vomit. "Wow. You're alive." She finally said because what else was she going to say?

"I am! Thanks to you, I hear."

"Uuh, anytime. What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in rehab!" She noticed Chloe shift behind her.

Chloe looked a little better despite the fact that her hair was frizzy and everywhere and she was in her comfortable plaid pajama bottoms and Beca's large hoodie. Icey blue's caught her eye, giving her a pointed signature Chloe look and then dashed down, commanding. Beca's gaze followed and, "Whoa, that's a giant freaking handle of Jack!"

Hunny laughed, holding it up with pride, "It's my thank you gift. Let's break into this bitch and then we have some phone calls to make."

"Phone calls?" Beca mumbled, eyes going back and forth between Chloe and Hunny; sensing trouble.

"For my party, duh! I'm here! Hey, I haven't heard from EZ, can you text me for him?"

Beca's eyebrows rose as she realized that Hunny was already fucked up on something.

"No, wait, I mean - no, either one works for me, thanks."

"Hun, what happened to rehab? That - that kind of seemed like a good idea - maybe." Beca frowned, watching Hunny unscrew the cap of the Jack and take a large swallow.

"Oh god, it's all P.R. bullshit. They think I should go in so that I look better when they announce why I was in the hospital but it's stupid. I'm a reality TV star, a drug overdose will just make me more popular and I do not need to get locked up for the next six months with Lindsay Lohan and Charlie fucking Sheen. Although, that would be a party, wouldn't it, Bex?" Hunny took another long swig and offered it to Beca.

Beca stared at it for a long second.

It wasn't a big deal, she still drank. She could easily have a drink with Hunny and then decide what she was going to do, call David or call the fucking Betty Ford. She really could have. She even reached out and took the bottle but - she couldn't do it, the thought of sharing the bottle with Hunny, it turned her stomach to lead.

"Come on! Move your ass, House Bex, come smoke with me and then do what you do best! Quiero una fiesta! Ahora!" Hunny cried in her worst I-live-in-So-Cal Spanish.

"Like now, now? You want a party now? Right now?"

"What do you mean do I want it now? Of course I want it now! There is always time for a party!" Hunny gave a little fan kick and started down the stairs, ruffling Chloe's hair as she went and chirping, "Good to see you, Red!"

Chloe blinked, her arms crossing.

Beca rose, "This is a very big bottle."

"Mmm."

Beca huffed, her cheeks puffing as she ran her free hand through her hair, "So what do I do? Do I call her agent? Can I do that without being a five year old who is tattling on her?"

"I'm not sure. Did you know she was coming Beca?"

"No!" She could see that sparkling upset in Chloe's eyes, the kind that always made her stomach feel sick and pretty much was the sole reason for most of the groveling that Beca had done in her life. "I mean, they called me last night and told me she was getting released today but she was supposed to go straight to rehab. I forgot about it. Should I call Emily?"

"No! Then she will come over and Hunny will try to convince her to drink with her again. She doesn't need that kind of pressure."

"Yeah, you're right. Okay, I think that I'm just going to see how this plays out, give her a few hours and then call David."

"She really needs to go to rehab, Bec. She has some things she needs to work out and we can't help her with that."

"Yeah. She really does and no, we can't."

She could see a slight downward pull to Chloe's lips. It made her want to kiss her. As a matter of fact she moved to do just that but stopped before her legs had actually understood the command; so used to pushing that feeling away.

"Does it make you uncomfortable that she's here?"

"She worries me. I don't like it; for your sake as well as hers."

"Well, I'm going to be fine. And so will Hunny."

"Let's maybe not call anyone for her, though."

"Yeah, no, definitely not.' Beca shook her head fast. "How are you? How are you feeling?"

She nodded a little bit.

"Okay good, I'm gonna, yeah, I'm gonna go deal with that."

Hunny was downstairs by the pool in her shorts despite the brisk air. It wasn't all that cold, Beca knew that, but they were in southern California; anything under 75 made the locals shiver.

"There you are! Jesus, what took you so long?"

"Uh...sorry?"

Hunny leaned over and took the bottle from her hands, swigging away, "So who's your connect now that Jeremy is dead?"

Beca's cigarette dropped from her lips and to the floor. She felt like the wind had just been knocked out of her. "What?"

"I mean, he was the main guy at The Royal, right? So who does everyone go to now? Who's the new big fish?"

Beca was resisting the strange urge to run the opposite direction, maybe even to send Chloe out there to kick Hunny the fuck out. Was she kidding? Did she not realize that Jeremy had fucking died? That she had seen it? That he was fucking...dead...no more Christmas' with his family, no more cookies, no more blow jobs, no more nothing.

"Oh, what?" Hunny moaned, "I know it sucks that he's dead, really it does. I'm gonna miss the weird fucker but, you know, if I wanted something for the party tonight where would I go?"

"You want me to give you the name of someone who can get you drugs? Today. At my condo. When you're supposed to be in rehab. And you're like two hours fresh from the hospital. Where you went thanks to a heroin overdose."

Hunny huffed, "I see that onein there has taken your nutsack. I'm gonna clean up tomorrow, I am, I'm gonna go to rehab, I just wanted to have one more night of fun before I do. Plus, it's not going to be 'H', that was my first time."

"You do know that I know you're lying, right?"

Hunny laughed, "Maybe I am a little bit. Anywho, sooooo, who do we need to call?"

She was speechless, absolutely speechless.

"House! Earth to House!"

Beca snapped out of it, stooping to pick up her cigarette, "Uh, I don't know. I wouldn't know honestly. I haven't had a need for one." She had never had a need for a drug connection, not until Hunny.

"Okaaaay. Well. Call EZ. He will know."

"He's not my client anymore."

"What? That fucker! Oh, I'm going to kill him! I lost my phone, call him so I can chew his ass out."

"Yeah, I'm not gonna do that."

"Ugh! God! Fine. Fuck!" Hunny growled, taking another huge drink. "Here. No one likes drinking alone."

Beca took the bottle again, "Right, I'll grab something to mix with it when we get inside" and she handed it back.

Hunny stared, "But you're my little shot queen."

She cleared her throat, unsure what to say.

Beca watched the bottle as they smoked, alarmed and a little impressed by how much Hunny threw back with every mouthful without showing a single sign of inebriation. "Seriously, bitch! Fucking cheers. What the hell? Are you really going to leave me alone in this? And where the fuckis everyone?"

"Okay, okay!" Beca cried, grabbing the bottle and taking a sip. The taste was cloying and thick and did not sit well in her mouth. "Now let's go inside, and I'll mix something."

Chloe was on the couch, curled up with a blanket over her lap and, Beca was surprised to see, reading the book that she had bought her.

Beca's eyebrows rose in question.

"I thought I should give it a try," Chloe admitted, giving her a huge smile. She had changed into a cute blue dress but she still looked a little uneven.

"Cool." Beca shrugged, hoping to breeze past it and therefore put little to no significance on the teeny-tiny change of attitude. She yelped as Hunny grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the bar.

"Ging- Err, Red, nope umm,"

"Chloe?" Beca offered.

"Chloeeee! That's right." Beca rolled her eyes, knowing that Hunny knew her name. She had heard it a million times when they were dating…sleeping together…whatever. "Can I make you a drink? What are you having?" She watched Hunny pour the Jack into two water glasses she had snaked from the kitchen, filling it 90% of the way with whiskey and then adding a small splash of soda.

She wasn't going to drink that. She would end up in the fucking hospital again. She glanced back at Chloe and saw her feeling reflected in those wide eyes.

"Um, I'm okay Hunny. Thank you."

"Laaaame."

Beca took the glass when it was handed to her and followed Hunny back to the couches, sitting beside Chloe while Hunny flopped across from them.

It was like watching a car wreck.

They watched together as Hunny's drink got lower and lower. She had been fine, alarmingly fine and then suddenly and out of nowhere Hunny had stood to go out for a smoke and she had nearly tipped over; her ankles twisting, her face amused and slack. Hunny began to slur and wobble, swearing and laughing at literally nothing.

"Oh come on you bitch," Hunny kept shouting, "you need to catch up! Get on this fucking level, dude!" Which was always followed by a "Giiiingerrrrr, what can I get you? I'm buying! Though, you seem like the kind of girl who never over indulged, is that right?"

"Oh no!" Chloe chuckled for the fifth time, "I indulged plenty when I was younger."

"Yeah, you've heard somany stories of drunk Chloe. It's actually too bad you can't meet her. She's kinda shrill but she's fucking hilarious." Beca said, giving Chloe a side glance.

Chloe just scoffed and gave her a little shove, flushing.

"Well!" Hunny shouted, "Bring her out to play! Let's see this bitch! Let's gooooo!" Beca watched Hunny flop and giggle at nothing, horror mounting.

She remembered nights like this, nights of getting this stupid drunk...she remembered a lot of them. Is this what she had looked like? Why had Chloe stayed? How was she not fired? How was this something P.J. liked in his studio? This was - kinda gross and really fucking uncomfortable.

She went with her every time that Hunny wanted a cigarette until eventually they were simply sitting at the outdoor minibar, Hunny slumped as she smoked, giggling and trying, Beca was pretty sure, to flirt. She was glad that Hunny had planted in a spot.

Beca had never done this, never been the sober one of the party. Even when she had been out with clients she only had to be the more sober one of the two, that was all. It was kind of unsettling. Watching Hunny clack in her heels - which didn't seem to want to work properly anymore - watching her teeter too close to the side of the pool, watching her trip and nearly fall constantly, it was making her stomach a little sick. It was fucking stressful.

"Where - where is everyone? Where the hell is everyone?" Hunny cried for the fifth or sixth time.

Beca pulled out her phone, pretending to check it, "They should probably be here soon." She hadn't called anyone but she was sure drunk Hunny would not approve and she didn't really want to deal with a hissy fit.

"God! It's taking everyone for fucking ever. We should - we should get some Chinese when they get here. Ugh, the hospital had the worst food and they had me on this liquid shit so David wouldn't bring me anything good."

"Liquid shit?"

"Some kind of medicine for my organs, I don't know." Hunny waved her hand dismissively.

Beca stared. For her organs? What the hell did that mean?

She really needed to call David. Like now.

"Beca. Beca, Beca, Beca." Hunny giggled as she grabbed at Beca's arm, nearly pulling her off the stool. The smell of Hunny's breath made her eyes water. "Do you remember that time that we snuck into P.J.'s pool house? No one could fucking find us because we were fucking in the pool house and they were all oooh, where's House Bex, where's House Bex?"

"Oh yeah, I remember, Hun. I got all kinds of splinters in my ass that night."

"Oh my god, oh yeaaaah." Hunny let out a garbled laugh and nearly tipped backward. "I'm good, I'm good. Just getting a freebie. Whew! Headrush!" She put the cigarette to her lips and gave a deep drag, the quick went down past her fingers and she yelped, flinging the butt across the yard and swearing, "That little fucker is hot!"

Beca just watched her, starting to understand something that she thought Chloe had been trying to tell her all along. Hunny...she wasn't okay.

"Shut up, don't give me that look. Help me up, I have to go to the bathroom."

Beca stabilized her as best she could, "You know those shoes are probably making this a lot harder. They're like a foot tall. It's a little extreme."

"Yeah but they're sexy." Hunny snickered, trying to push her face into Beca's neck.

"Okay, crazy. Do you think you can make it?"

"Of course I can make it to the fucking bathroom, Bex, Jesus!" She shoved away from her hard and went down on one knee. Beca winced but Hunny was back up and going, storming away in her drunken tantrum.

Beca followed her in, trying to seem as though she wasn't waiting for Hunny to fall the fuck over and break something. "Oh my god." She sat on the couch, hunched over her knees as she kneaded her finger through her hair. "Was I like this?"

Chloe sighed, letting her hand rest of her back, "A little bit, yeah."

Beca turned to stare at her.

Yikes.

That - that was horrible. Oh god, that was not who she wanted to be. That was not who she was! Hunny looked ridiculous. Absolutely stupid and - pathetic. Hunny seemed so pathetic.

"Maybe it's time to call David."

"Yeah."

But before Beca could pull out her phone Hunny was teetering back into the living room, a cigarette between her lips.

"You can't light that," Beca insisted as Hunny slipped and tumbled onto the couch, nearly going down onto her face.

"What? Since when don't you smoke inside?"

"Since now, Hun, seriously. Do you want to go back outside?"

"No, it's cold." Hunny began to pout, staring at both of them in turn. Then suddenly and with absolutely no warning, Hunny was sobbing.

"Whoa! What the - um - what?"

"You guys haaaate me!" she wailed, "I can see it in your faces! Oh god, you hate me!"

Beca's stomach turned at the exaggerated and uncomfortable drunken emotion.

"What? No, we don't Hunny!" Chloe cried, "We're very glad to know you're okay. We're just worried about you."

"Yeah, no one hates you. Though, Hunny, maybe it's um, time for bed?"

"I just wanted to have a little fun, that's all. What the fuck is wrong with that?"

"You can't smoke that in here."

Hunny's head dropped onto the back of the couch with a thud, big fat tears creating mascara lines down her face, "Eeeeeveryonehates me! No one is coming to my party. They all fucking hate me."

"Nooo, Hunny." Chloe leaned forward and took Hunny's hand, "No one came because we didn't call them."

"What the fuck?" Hunny ripped away from Chloe, nearly falling over in the process, "I just – I just got - got out of the fucking hospital!"

"Exactly, sweetie. You just got out of the hospital."

Hunny sniffed, her chin wobbling as she turned her eyes on Beca, "You didn't come to see me even fucking once and you, mother of all douchenozzles, you fucking slapped me."

Had Hunny always talked like this?

"I'm sorry for that, Hunny, I really am. I was - carried away and-"

"I'm not!" Beca cried, a little angry. This was ridiculous, like really. "Emily is back on the wagon, by the way and she's doing fucking great! We don't hate you Hunny but you fucked up there."

Hunny just wailed louder and then just as suddenly as it began, it stopped, Hunny distracted by the book on the table, "Who's pregnant?"

"I am." Chloe said with a little smile.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, fuck, of course you are! Mother fucking Theresa, of course you're with child. God! Virgin Mary 'n shit."

Chloe frowned, "Um..."

"You're like the fucking patron saint of all that is holy and untarnished."

"Oooooh, no I'm not, Hunny, trust me."

"You guys U-hauled really fucking fast, didn't you?"

"What do you-"

"I mean damn!"

"You can't smoke that in here."

"FUCK!" Hunny yelled pitching the cigarette across the room. It hit the window with a small thunk and fell to the floor.

"So I guess I'm out then, huh?" Hunny's bleary eyes moved back and forth between them, sizing up her own answer.

"Hunny…"

"Right. Yeah. Of course. Whatever. Sure." She had to work hard but she pulled, clawing her way back up to her feet and then pausing to throw back the untouched drink of Beca's on the table.

"No, Hunn- fuck. And that's probably alcohol poisoning." She glanced at Chloe, her tense back muscles aching and saw Chloe nod in agreement.

"I'ma - I'ma go."

"Hunny."

"I'll see you around, House Bex."

They watched Hunny stumble toward the door, tripping and catching herself on the lamp which tipped.

"She's probably on her way to get into her car right now." Beca said to Chloe, shell shocked, her voice a monotone.

"Beca, you can't let her."

"I know. I'm just...saying." She was going to kill herself.

She caught Hunny before she even had made it to the elevator, "Heeeey Hunny, so I was thinking let me drive you."

"BEXY!" Hunny cried as though she had forgotten whose condo she had just left. "You wanna come home with me? Hells yeah, babe, let's go!"

"Alright!" Beca cheered, matching her enthusiasm as best she could. She wasn't super excited about this task, "We're gonna - go - I guess - yeaaaah!" She pulled Hunny's arm over her shoulder, already breathing hard with strain as Hunny rocked back and forth. She pressed the down button and groaned to herself. This was not at all what she wanted to do.

She looked up and saw that Chloe was leaning against the frame of the condo's front door across the hall from them. Beca huffed but Chloe just gave her a soft smile and blew her a kiss.

Beca's smile started out small but grew quickly until she was laughing at herself. She was such a loser. She smiled back and flashed her a quick wink as the door closed, suddenly not minding her task so much. She had to go and do this but when she was done she would come home and Chloe would be there.

Hunny - was not a great travel buddy. Apparently something about Beca just produced vomit these days because though Hunny kept it down, it was a near thing. A few times on the drive back to Hunny's apartment she asked Beca to pull over, making Beca yell about not throwing up in the new car.

Hunny was hanging on her heavily by the time she unlocked her front door. Right. She would make sure Hunny drank a glass of water and then she would leave. Well, she would call David first.

She just - she wanted to get away. Maybe that wasn't right but something about this encounter with Hunny, it was coating her skin with a disgusting sheen. She wanted a shower, she wanted to scrub it all off of herself. She couldn't stop thinking about who she had been a few years ago when the Bellas were at their height and who she was now; the difference between the blazers and heels she used to wear and the Chucks and tanks she wore now - the piercings - the image she had created at P.J.'s behest. It all supported this...being so drunk, partying so hard that you were one mistake away from death. The worst part was that sometimes she missed it. Often, she missed it. She missed the freedom of it.

But.

Beca had something to say...and what she had been saying… it wasn't it. This human reminder was telling her that perfectly. Did she want to be P.J. or did she want to be Sammy? She groaned, fuck, the point was neither! Who she wanted to be was Beca Effin' Mitchell...that's who. Where had that chic gone?

"Oooookay." She plopped Hunny down on her bed. "I'm gonna do something real quick and then we're gonna get you into bed, okay? Awesome. Be right back." She waited to see if Hunny understood but Hunny was trying to reach for the bottle on her nightstand and didn't seem to have heard her.

Beca grabbed it, taking it with her as she left the room.

"This is David."

Beca rolled her eyes; she kind of hated this guy. "Hi. Beca Mitchell. So listen, Hunny came over to my place tonight. She's three sheets to the wind and I'm pretty sure she has alcohol poisoning. She downed like…all the alcohol. You need to come get her."

"God damn it. Where are you?"

"Her place."

"Fine. I'm on my way."

She hit the end button and glared, "Dick."

Hunny was snoring when she entered the bedroom again, something that Beca actually thought might be really helpful. She pulled off one shoe and then the other before Hunny woke.

"Heeey, Bexa."

"Hi Hunny. I'm gonna get you a glass of aahhhh!" Hunny had grabbed her by the back of the head, sloppily shoving their mouths together. Their teeth clicked hard and Beca groaned. Ow. "Whoa, whoa, not interested. Uh, you are very, very drunk and-"

"Oh come on. This wouldn't be the first time that we drunk fucked. I've been in the hospital for forever. I neeeed it." She forcefully cupped the apex of Beca's jeans and Beca let out a sharp yelp. "Come on, babe." She felt Hunny's movements lighten, almost become pleasant.

"Yeah, all of the painful unpleasantries are super-hot and everything and I really enjoy it when my junk is fisted throughmy pants but really though." She pushed Hunny's hands away, "As tempting as that is."

Hunny groaned, flopping back on the bed, "So it's the other redhead then? Huh? That's why. Are you two together?"

"No." Beca chewed her lip, "We're not together. But, I dunno," she felt an unfamiliar blush color her cheeks, "We could be. I think."

"She's having some dudes baby, Bexa! She's about to pop out a runt."

"I know. Yeah, that...that doesn't really bother me. I think it's kind of great actually." She realized that she was smiling and that made her smile harder. She should care. Characteristically she should care…and run from Chloe…but…

Hunny scowled, rolling her eyes after a minute and grunting, "Ugh. Fucking lesbians!"